by Susan Stoker
Three hours later, despite all of Milena’s efforts, Julie’s water had broken and Sadie called the paramedics. Julie hadn’t wanted to go to the hospital at all, and it had taken both Blythe and Milena to convince her she needed to for the health of her unborn baby.
Wanting to make sure all was well, Milena and Sadie had convinced Hayden and Quint to take them to the emergency room.
It was now three in the morning. Julie hadn’t had her baby yet, but she was being looked after by the doctors in the hospital and they reassured Milena they had things well in hand. Blythe was allowed to stay with Julie, and Milena and Sadie had just been in the way.
Quint and Hayden had accompanied them home and refused to leave until they made sure everything was still secure. Expecting to see TJ when she let everyone into the house, Milena was surprised when he was nowhere to be seen.
Quint made her and Sadie stand in the large foyer while he and Hayden cleared the entire house.
Several minutes later they returned, both with huge grins on their faces.
“What?” Milena asked.
“Nothing,” Quint said.
“The house is clear,” Hayden told her, still smiling from ear to ear.
Something was up, but Milena had no idea what.
“Where’s TJ?” she asked the officers.
“He’s in JT’s room,” Hayden said.
Milena nodded and put her purse on the front table. “Thanks for coming over tonight. I really appreciate it.”
Quint waved off her thanks. “We’d do anything for TJ. He’s gone above and beyond for us, and it’s actually nice to be able to do something for him for once.”
“He’s a good man,” Hayden told Milena. “Not the most open guy I’ve ever met, but I know it’s because of his background. He’s crazy about you and JT though. Don’t doubt that.”
“He’s talked about us?” Milena asked.
Quint laughed. Threw his head back and laughed as if she’d said the funniest thing ever.
“What?” she asked, confused.
Hayden pulled out her cell and clicked on a few buttons before handing it to Milena. “Right after he met him, he sent this group text to all of us.”
Milena took the phone and scrolled. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was looking at. He’d sent a crap-ton of pictures to his friends. She knew these were photos her mom had taken, she’d told her all about how TJ had asked if she would take a picture of him and his son. And she’d snapped more than one. She’d taken a dozen or more. They were candids, and the awe and love that shone in TJ’s eyes as he looked at JT was clear to see.
But it was what he’d typed to his friends that made her eyes tear up.
* * *
TJ: I’d like you to meet my son. James Thomas.
TJ: Good thing he takes after his mom because otherwise he’d be an ugly bastard.
TJ: He’s smart as hell.
TJ: I’ve never been so humbled or so happy in all my life.
TJ: I can’t wait for you all to meet him.
* * *
Each line was accompanied by a different picture. JT with his messy hand on TJ’s cheek. TJ laughing at something his son had done. Only one picture had both father and son looking at the camera, but Milena thought all of the others were better.
“He’d definitely talked about you two,” Quint unnecessarily concluded, still chuckling at her earlier question.
“You’ve got our numbers, right?” Hayden asked as she took her phone back.
“Yes.”
“Use them if you need to. If you can’t get ahold of TJ or if something happens, don’t hesitate to contact one of us.”
Milena nodded. “I will. Thanks.”
Hayden and Quint nodded at her, and Quint said, “We’ll show ourselves out.”
Milena thanked them once more. She wasn’t stupid enough to turn down Hayden’s offer to contact them if something happened. If Master Jeremiah somehow got to her, she’d fight tooth and nail and do whatever it took to get away from him and back to TJ and JT.
“I’ll lock up,” Sadie said softly from next to Milena. “You go on up and check on JT.”
“Thanks,” Milena told her friend. “You don’t have to work tomorrow, do you?”
“Yup. But not until eleven. I’m good.”
Milena hugged Sadie. “You’re the best.”
“I know,” Sadie returned with a smirk. “Go on. I’ll see you in the morning before I head out.”
Milena tiptoed up the stairs and hesitated in front of her son’s door before taking a deep breath and pushing it open. What she saw stopped her in her tracks.
The room was a disaster. If Quint and Hayden hadn’t been so relaxed and sure that the house was clear, she would’ve panicked.
There were diapers strewn all around JT’s changing table. A couple of them were open but unused. Baby powder covered the changing table like a fine mist. Toys were everywhere, and even the rocking chair she’d used all the time when JT was younger was tipped over.
Milena couldn’t even process what she was seeing. Her eyes went to JT’s crib. She needed to make sure her son was all right.
She could only gape in surprise at the sight that greeted her.
JT was sound asleep, both arms thrown over his head, his legs splayed open. He was naked except for a small towel wrapped around his waist.
But it was the man wrapped around the boy that stopped her heart. TJ was lying inside her son’s crib. Inside the crib. He was on his side and his legs were drawn up in what looked like an uncomfortable position. One arm was under his head, being used as a pillow, and his other hand was resting on JT’s chest. He was curled around his son, as if he were protecting him even in his sleep. There were a few stuffed animals in the crib with them, and Milena could see the edge of a book under one of TJ’s thighs.
She stood there for what seemed like an hour before she moved. And it was only to slowly reach around to her back pocket and pull out her phone. The light in the room was dim, JT’s nightlight giving her enough light to see, but not really enough for her to take a good-quality picture. But she wanted to try anyway.
Seeing TJ wrapped around his son after what could only be described as one hell of night, if the room around her was any indication, was something she’d remember for the rest of her life. She snapped a few pictures, then put the phone back in her pocket. As quietly as she could, Milena righted the rocking chair and moved it closer to the crib.
It had been a long time since she’d stayed awake and simply watched her son sleep, but she couldn’t make herself leave. She was exhausted, utterly drained, but seeing TJ scrunched up inside the crib made her heart melt.
She’d never understood when women posted comments on social media about their ovaries exploding under pictures of hot guys, but she got it now. Boy, did she.
Milena suddenly wanted another baby with TJ more than she wanted to breathe. She wanted to see him cradling their infant in his muscular arms. Wanted to see him get all googly-eyed over a little girl. She was sad that he’d missed out on the first two years of JT’s life, but she absolutely wanted to gift him with experiencing it with another baby. Or two. Or three.
Hell, she had it bad.
Milena eased her body back in the rocker and stretched her legs out, her eyes focused on the sleeping man and boy. She fought sleep for the longest time, not wanting to miss one second of the beauty in front of her. But eventually she lost the battle, her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep, dreaming about blonde-haired little girls with brown eyes like TJ’s and little boys who acted just like their daddy.
Chapter 12
TJ woke with a groan he instinctively muffled. He was stiff as hell and couldn’t figure out where he was for a split second. For a moment, he thought he was back with his unit overseas. Many a time he’d woken up uncomfortable and stiff from sleeping God knows where.
But the night before immediately came back to him in a flash. He’d been so cocky, thinking
he’d be able to handle things if JT woke up while he was there.
How wrong he’d been.
JT had woken up screaming, and nothing he’d done had made him stop. The little boy kept asking for his mommy, and no amount of hugging, bouncing, or cuddling could calm him down. TJ had even tried to change his diaper, thinking maybe that was what was irritating his son so much, but that had been a bigger disaster.
JT wouldn’t stop crying and wiggling all over the changing table. TJ dropped the basket with the diapers in it, scattering them all over the floor. And the poop. Oh my God, it was horrible. It was everywhere, in every crevice. TJ had used about three dozen of the little wipes to try to clean JT up, and had gagged every other second. It was horrifying, disgusting, and a hundred other adjectives.
Then TJ couldn’t get the new diaper on his son. He gave up after the third try and just let the stupid thing fall to the ground with the others. He’d wrapped JT in a towel and continued to do everything he could think of to distract him and get him to stop crying. All without luck. He’d finally crawled into his son’s crib with him and rubbed his chest until he’d fallen asleep. TJ knew it wasn’t anything he’d done; the boy had simply exhausted himself.
TJ felt like a complete failure. On top of everything, he’d been so exhausted and worried, he’d slept like the dead. Fat lot of good he would’ve done if Jeremiah had burst into the room.
He was so disgusted with himself, TJ didn’t immediately notice he wasn’t alone in the room. When he did, he wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed or relieved Milena was back.
Relief won out.
As carefully as possible, TJ sat up. He had one leg over the edge of the crib when Milena woke. She shifted in the rocking chair—the chair he remembered kicking over in frustration the night before when JT was crying—and opened her eyes.
“Hey,” she said softly, sitting up.
“Hey,” TJ repeated, finishing his escape from the crib.
“Rough night?” she asked, indicating the room with her eyes.
TJ stood for a moment, stretching his back, trying to get the kinks out, then he got down on his knees in front of her and inched his way toward her until she had no choice but to widen her thighs to give him room. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head in her lap.
He felt her hands running over his scalp and sighed. “My God. I suck at this dad thing.”
She chuckled softly. “Why don’t you tell me what happened and how the room got to look like a hurricane came through.”
And he did. Leaving nothing out. He admitted to feeling helpless and scared when JT wouldn’t stop crying. How disgusted he was with the diaper change. How he’d kicked the chair over in frustration. “I have no idea how you did it, Doc. I’ve read a lot about colic, and I feel so damn guilty you had to go through that on your own.”
“I wasn’t alone,” she said. “My parents helped.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same.” How he knew that, he didn’t know, but the guilt he felt that she’d gone through that period of time without him wouldn’t ease. He didn’t know if he’d ever get over it. “I had one night of it, and I’m sure he was crying because of something I did wrong or wasn’t doing for him. All he wanted was you, and I couldn’t give that to him.”
“Look at me,” Milena ordered.
TJ obeyed, looking up at her. He saw nothing but love in her eyes. He had no idea how he’d gotten so lucky. She shouldn’t be looking at him like that. She should be disgusted at the fact he couldn’t hack one night with his son. Should still be pissed that he’d left her. But by some miracle, she didn’t seem to be.
“It gets easier with practice. You should’ve seen the first time I tried to change his diaper. It was a disaster.”
“As disastrous as that?” TJ asked, not taking his eyes from her but motioning to the diapers strewn about the room and the powder covering the changing table.
“Almost.”
TJ doubted that, but appreciated her trying to make him feel better.
“All I’m saying is to give yourself a break. You’ll get better at it. You’ll learn to read what he needs. When he’s around you more, he’ll allow you to comfort him too.”
She was being extremely generous. TJ brought a hand up to her head and ran it over her hair. “How was last night? When did you get in?”
“Long and tiring. We ended up calling the paramedics and Julie was admitted to the hospital. We got back around three.”
TJ winced. “I’m sorry I didn’t hear you get home.”
“You were exhausted.”
“But I still should’ve heard you. It’s inexcusable that I didn’t.”
“I’m fine,” Milena said, letting him off the hook when she probably shouldn’t. “I have Wednesday off…would that work for us moving in?”
TJ closed his eyes, saying a short prayer of thanks before opening them and nodding. “Absolutely. That’s perfect. Better than perfect. JT’s mural should be finished this weekend. I can see if some of the guys will help.”
“And you really don’t mind us moving in?”
“No. A thousand times no. I’m looking forward to it.”
JT stirred in his crib, and TJ winced.
Milena laughed. “I’ve got him. Why don’t you go shower?”
TJ shook his head. “No. I want to watch you change him. See how to do it. Then I’ll clean up this mess and you can get him some breakfast. I’ll watch him while you get dressed.”
She stared at him with a look he couldn’t interpret.
“What?”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
TJ stood and held out his hand. He helped her out of the rocking chair. Then he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “You don’t have to thank me for doing what I should’ve been doing all along.”
And with that, he went to the crib and picked up his fidgeting son. JT’s forehead wrinkled when he saw his dad. His eyes swung right and then left, as if looking for his favorite human.
TJ chuckled. “She’s right here, buddy.” He handed his son over to Milena and smiled when JT sighed in relief. “I feel the same way, son.”
Milena smiled at him, then turned her attention to JT. She cuddled him for a moment, then asked TJ, “Will you get me a clean diaper? And some talcum powder?”
TJ got her what she needed and watched in rapt attention as she quickly and easily put the diaper on JT. What had taken him over fifteen minutes to screw up, she’d completed in one. “You make that look so easy,” he said in awe.
“After you’ve changed thousands of diapers, it is easy.”
And TJ supposed it was. Just as chambering a bullet was easy for him. Just as being able to read the wind currents and gauge the distance between him and a target through the scope of his rifle was easy.
He shook his head, ridding his mind of his past. “Go on,” he said quietly. “Get him settled downstairs. I’ll be down once I clean up this disaster.”
He remained still as Milena came toward him with JT in her arms. The toddler was content now that his mom was home. He sucked his thumb as he rested his head on her shoulder. Milena was wearing the same clothes she’d had on the night before, her hair was in disarray and her eye makeup was smeared, but she’d never looked as beautiful to him as she did right that second, with their son in her arms and the relaxed look on her face.
“Thanks for looking after him last night.”
TJ couldn’t resist her. He placed a hand on her nape and gently brought her face to his. He kissed her lips then murmured, “Don’t ever thank me for that, Doc. He’s my son. It’s my job to be here for him. I’m not ‘helping you out,’ I’m not ‘babysitting.’ I’m simply doing what a father should.”
She brought a hand up and laid it on his cheek. He could see an abundance of emotion in her eyes, but she didn’t say a word. She simply nodded and backed away.
TJ let them go, and once they were out of the room, he looked around in disbelief. Sighing, he got to wor
k cleaning up the mess he’d made the night before.
* * *
“It’s getting closer, boy,” Jeremiah told his son. “The cops have finished their investigation of the school and left, so we can sneak back in and prepare. There’s just one more thing we need to do, then we’ll be ready.”
Jonathan nodded. He was eager to get on with it. Every day that passed was one less day he had with his little girl. The faster he got his hands on the redhead, the faster he could get her pregnant.
That was now all he could think about. He’d searched the Internet until he’d found the perfect website. Ginger Girls for Daddy. He was obsessed with it. The videos made him crave his own little ginger girl. And he’d have her…as soon as Father got on with the plan.
Jeremiah continued to blabber about what he was going to do with the bitch once he had her in his clutches. He talked about how her son would become his son, and how he’d start a new and better school in Mexico.
Jonathan tuned his father out once again. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew as soon as his father had the little boy he had his eye on and killed his mother, he’d have no more use for him. He was expendable.
But he didn’t care. Jonathan would have his own family.
Chapter 13
Milena had agreed to move in with TJ, but hadn’t been completely sure if it would work out. Sure, she loved him, and recently he’d done everything in his power to make her feel comfortable around him, but this was a big step.
But a week after he’d gotten a bunch of his law enforcement friends to help move her things to his apartment, she was amazed at how…easy it was to integrate her life with his again.
Their routine had been set from the first morning. Breakfast, they’d take turns in the shower while the other watched JT, then he’d drive them to her parents’ house and drop off their son. Then TJ would bring her to the clinic and wait with her until one of his friends showed up for security duty. After lunch, he’d reappear, and even if he had to wait an hour as she dealt with unexpected patients, he never acted irritated or pissed at the delay.
