A Soldier's Return

by Judy Christenberry

  “They’re kinda newlyweds, too,” Vanessa told Jim with a sigh.

  “You feel a little left out?” he asked her quietly.

  “Yeah. But I have a good friend in Carrie. We met our freshman year at SMU.”

  Carrie smiled at Vanessa, nodding. It seemed a little strange to Jim that Carrie, who appeared to work for a living, was friends with a young lady who apparently had her way paid for her. But that was none of his business.

  Of course, they were both beauties. They had that in common.

  Vivian jumped up from her seat to pace the room. “I’ll be so glad when the baby’s here. What did they decide to name her?”

  Vanessa shrugged her shoulders. “They have several names picked out, but I don’t think they wanted to make a final decision until they met her.”

  Rachel was smiling. “Rebecca sent me a picture of the sonogram.”

  Will grinned. “Yeah. She showed it to all of us, including Joey. He wasn’t impressed!”

  “He said she didn’t look like Danny,” Vivian said with a smile.

  “Maybe she’ll look like her mama did when she was a baby,” Jim said softly, struck by how strong and vivid the memory was. In his mind’s eye he could see Rebecca as a baby, her full head of dark hair, her pink face scrunched up as she cried. He could never tell her apart from her twin, Rachel. But his parents could.

  “Yes, she and Rachel were pretty babies, just like Vanessa,” Vivian said. She put a gentle hand on Jim’s forearm. “We have a picture of all of you just before the accident.”

  Jim frowned. The accident that took their parents and shattered their happy home. How many times had he thought about that day? How many times had he thought of what it’d be like now if his parents were still alive, or if he’d managed to keep all the kids together?

  “I’d love to see the picture,” he told Vivian.

  Rachel spoke up. “You don’t have a picture of all of us?”

  “No. They only packed a few of our clothes.” Jim paused and looked down at his clenched hands. He’d never forget that day the social services worker came and took them from the house. He’d tried so hard to be brave, but the tears had fallen freely when he’d left the house that last time.

  “I remember David had a teddy bear that he slept with all the time. They left it behind. I heard he cried a lot….” He couldn’t prevent the pang of guilt that jabbed him at the memory. “Then I didn’t hear anything else about him after that. Finally my foster mother told me someone had adopted him.”

  Vivian reached out to cover his clenched hands and gave him a sympathetic smile when he looked at her.

  Will sat up. “Did she give you any details? Whether it was a local adoption…”

  He shook his head. “She said to stop worrying about David, that a lady had come to get him and she and her husband adopted him. That’s all.”

  “Sounds like it might have been local,” Will said slowly.

  “Or it could’ve been a lie just to stop me from bugging her about him,” Jim said quietly, his jaw tight. That would have been like his foster mother.

  Vivian stared at him. “But, Jim, you were only nine. Of course you couldn’t do anything.”

  Jim shot her a sharp look and couldn’t keep the anger from his voice. Anger at himself. “I was the oldest. I was supposed to take care of my brothers and sisters.”

  “I’m sure you were a big comfort to Wally,” Rachel said softly.

  Jim shrugged. “Yeah, right. I didn’t get to see him but once a month. Then when I got older, we talked on the phone every once in a while.” His expression darkened with the memory. “Then he followed me into the marines…and died. Some comfort.”

  “But that wasn’t your fault,” Vanessa cried.

  He turned to look at his youngest sister. “He joined so we could be together. It was my fault. We—”

  Jim’s explanation was interrupted by Jeff Jacobs. He ran into the waiting room, dressed in scrubs with tiny footprints on them.

  “She’s here!” he announced. “She’s perfect and Becca is, too. They’re moving them to our room now, and you can all come see our baby.”

  Everyone stood and followed Jeff out the door.

  “We don’t have anything to give them,” Rachel exclaimed. “Honey, could you run down and buy some flowers from the gift shop?”

  J.D. agreed to go purchase flowers.

  “I’d better go with you,” Jim said. “I don’t have anything for them, either.”

  Before anyone could protest, Jim and J.D. hurried away.

  Carrie was about to back off when she saw Vivian clutch her husband’s hand. “I thought I was going to burst into tears when he talked about protecting his little brothers. He was only nine!”

  “I know, dear.” Will gave her a hug. “We’ll give him more family than he ever dreamed of.”

  “If that’s what he wants,” Carrie said with a frown. She had sensed discomfort in Jim, as if she’d known instinctively that he wouldn’t want anyone’s sympathy. She hoped those feelings would go away, but she wasn’t sure. After all, he’d been alone for a long time now.

  Vanessa asked, “What do you mean, Carrie?”

  “I think he may be a little overwhelmed with so much going on.” She thought he was more than overwhelmed. He’d wanted to meet his sisters—three people—and now here he is in the midst of a big family.

  “We’ll work it out, Carrie,” Will assured her. “But you’re right. It is different for him.”

  “But he’s happy about finding us, isn’t he?” Vanessa asked.

  “Yes, dear, he is,” Vivian hurriedly reassured her. Then she muttered to her husband, “And if he isn’t, he will be soon!”

  Will chuckled under his breath and urged them all into Rebecca’s room. There, Rebecca and her baby were the center of attention.

  “Oh, she’s beautiful!” Vanessa exclaimed.

  “Of course she is,” Vivian said. “With Jeff and Rebecca as parents, she didn’t have a choice.” Vivian stretched out her arms. “May I hold her?”

  Rebecca immediately agreed and passed the tightly wrapped bundle to Vivian. Vanessa and Rachel huddled around her, waiting for their turns.

  Will shook Jeff’s hand. “You made it through okay?”

  “It was touch and go there in the delivery room, but the payoff was great. Isn’t it a miracle?”

  Will chuckled again. “You know it was for me. I never expected to have children. But then I never expected to love someone like Vivian, either. That was the first miracle.”

  Jeff nodded. “I know. I thought I’d lost Rebecca for good. Then one day I walked into my office and there she was. Then I found out about Joey. And now we have the new baby. Life just keeps getting better.”

  J.D. and Jim stepped into the small room, each handing the new mom a vase of flowers.

  “Oh, how nice!” Rebecca exclaimed. “Jim,” she prompted, “did you see the baby?”

  “No, I haven’t—” Jim stopped as Vivian handed him the infant. “No, I can’t— I don’t know how to take care of a baby.”

  “You don’t have to do anything today. Just hold her,” Vivian insisted.

  Jim stood there, staring at the baby in his arms as she stretched and yawned. “She’s…beautiful.”

  “Yes, she is,” Rebecca agreed with satisfaction. “And do you want to know her name?”

  Everyone drew closer, as if they thought Rebecca was going to whisper.

  “We decided to name her after Jim,” Rebecca said with a brilliant smile.

  “You named her Jim?” Jim asked in astounded tones.

  “No, silly. We named her Jamie. Jamie Ann Jacobs. What do you think?”

  Everyone gave their approval except for Jim. He stared down at the tiny human in his arms, apparently unable to speak.

  Carrie watched him hold the baby, his gaze fastened on the newborn’s every feature. Suddenly, as if he felt her gaze, he looked at her.

  “Did you get to hold her?” h
e asked softly.

  “I didn’t want to push,” Carrie replied with a grin. “I’ll see her later.”

  “Come look,” he invited as Rebecca apologized for leaving Carrie out.

  Carrie moved to his side. He looked even more handsome at that moment—a large, powerful man holding a tiny baby. “She’s so small,” she whispered.

  Jim nodded. “Yeah, but she’s got a lot of potential.”

  “And a lot of family,” Carrie added with a smile.

  After the baby was returned to her mother, Vivian told them it was time they went home and gave Jeff time with Rebecca before he followed them. “After all, he needs to see Joey tonight.”

  Jeff sat down on the bed and put his arm around his wife. “That’s right. Tell him I’ll be there after Rebecca goes to sleep. And I’ll bring him in the morning to see his baby sister.”

  With calls of goodbye, the others left the room. Rachel asked if someone could give her and J.D. a ride because they didn’t have a car. Vanessa volunteered at once.

  “We’ll see you at the house,” Vivian said.

  Carrie noticed that Jim seemed to hang back on the short walk to the car. She kept looking over her shoulder to be sure he was following.

  They got in the car and started the drive back to the house. Vivian sighed. “My, it’s always a relief when a baby arrives healthy.”

  Jim remained silent in his side of the backseat.

  “Are you two hungry?” Vivian asked, looking back.

  Jim nodded. After a minute he said, “Yes, I am. I missed lunch.”

  Vivian gasped. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “There wasn’t time. Besides, I’ve gone without meals before. It’s no big deal.”

  “We’ll have dinner as soon as we get home,” Vivian assured him. Then she took out her cell phone and dialed the housekeeper. After giving rapid-fire instructions, she clicked off the call and smiled over her shoulder at Jim. “Betty was appalled. She doesn’t like for anyone to miss a meal. She’ll probably meet you at the door with hors d’oeuvres.”

  “I don’t want to be any trouble,” Jim replied.

  Carrie thought if he moved any closer to the car door, he’d open it and escape. He looked so uncomfortable.

  To make him feel better, she said, “It’s true. Betty lives to feed a hungry man. If Will hadn’t married Vivian, she would’ve started carrying food to his apartment.”

  Jim’s laugh was strained.

  “She’s right, Jim,” Will said. “And nothing pleases Betty more than compliments. That’s a good thing to remember.” As he finished speaking, he slowed down to pull into the driveway of their home.

  Vivian took Jim’s arm again and led the way into the house. Betty met them, telling Jim she had hors d’oeuvres ready in the morning room. “You come right in, you poor man.”

  “Thank you, Betty,” Jim said.

  “They should be right behind us, Betty,” Will told her.

  “No matter. This man needs nourishment at once.”

  Jim selected a sausage roll off the plate Betty offered. He took a bite and said, “These are great, Betty.”

  He was a quick learner, Carrie chuckled to herself as she saw Betty beam at his compliment.

  When the rest of the family arrived, the housekeeper herded them all into the dining room. Carrie was seated next to Jim, who was barraged by questions from his curious sisters and Vivian. Even though Carrie had only met the man hours ago, she seemed to be able to read his mind. Surrounded by so much family, he was overwhelmed, even downright scared. She sympathized with Jim, though there was little she could do.

  After the meal, when everyone returned to the morning room for coffee, Jim remained standing by the doorway. She knew what he was up to.

  As if on cue, he said, “I really enjoyed meeting all of you. Be sure and thank Rebecca for me. I hope to see you again sometime, after I’ve gotten settled in.” And with that, he turned on his polished heel and left.

  As everyone sat there, stunned, Carrie looked at Will, who nodded his head. At his unspoken direction, she knew what she had to do.

  JIM CLOSED his hotel room door soundly and leaned against it. He let out the breath he’d been holding since he walked into Will Greenfield’s office earlier that day.

  He was exhausted. He’d had long days and nights of combat that hadn’t left him this tired. Then again, the enemy didn’t frighten him the way his newfound family had, he thought wryly.

  He was glad he’d found his sisters. They were everything he’d imagined them to be all this time. Beautiful, kind, generous. Exactly the way his parents would’ve wanted them to grow up.

  But he was just as glad that he’d been able to leave them in Highland Park and return, alone, to his hotel. He was so different from them. He couldn’t live the lifestyle they lived. He couldn’t open himself up the way they had with each other. It was better for him to put some distance between himself and them right away.

  As if that was settled, he moved away from the door and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. A knock on the door interrupted his progress. Innately cautious, he peered through the peephole.

  He couldn’t believe his eyes.

  Throwing the door open, he demanded, “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter Three

  Carrie mustered her courage and looked him straight in the eye. The whole way over here she spent convincing herself she was doing the right thing by getting involved in Captain James Barlow’s life. Their client had hired Greenfield and Associates—thus, her—to find him, so after all, he was her business. And that was the only reason she found herself at Jim’s hotel room door. Business.

  It had nothing whatsoever to do with how her heart sped up upon seeing him for the first time without his dress uniform jacket.

  She cleared her throat and replied to his question. “I’m following orders.”

  “Whose orders?” Jim snapped.

  “Will didn’t want you to disappear. Your sisters have been waiting a long time for their big brother to come home.” She made no move to enter his hotel room, but also made it clear she wasn’t going away until she had her say.

  “I said I’d see them after I’ve settled in. I need to find a job and a place to live.”

  “Will and Vivian would be glad to have you stay there with them. They have plenty of room,” Carrie said, but she already knew the answer.

  “I won’t sponge off my sister’s family. You don’t live with them, do you?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Then you understand,” he said, staring at her.

  “Are you going to talk to Will about working with us?”

  Jim sighed and stared down at her. “I don’t know.”

  “He was serious when he said we needed help. We’ve got contracts with three different insurance companies and the cases are piling up.”

  “I need some time to adjust. And I’m used to making my own way.” His voice was almost a growl.

  “So did Rachel and Rebecca, but they became part of the family. And they all want you to do the same.”

  She watched his face, seeing various emotions in his eyes. Most of all, she wanted to hug him and reassure him. He didn’t seem to grasp how much his family wanted to love him.

  But she couldn’t tell him. After all, she wasn’t family. Nor could she hug him like his sisters had done. All she could do was try to maintain some contact with him. “Is it all right if Will calls you in the morning?”

  “I guess so, but he doesn’t need to give me a job.”

  “We need help, Jim. Truly,” she said earnestly.

  “I’ll talk to him, but I’m promising nothing.”

  “I’ll tell him.” She’d pushed him as far as she could, she thought. He’d given his word to at least speak to Will, and Carrie’s fantasy Jim would never break his word. So she said good-night and turned to walk away.

  She could feel his eyes on her as she walked down the hall. Just before she
entered the elevator, she looked back at him and gave him a warm smile.

  His expression didn’t change.

  AFTER SHE REACHED her apartment, she called Will. “He’s staying at the Holiday Inn in room #512. He agreed to speak with you in the morning, but he said you didn’t need to give him a job.”

  “Thanks, Carrie. You did just what I wanted. I think it’s going to be a while before he feels comfortable with the family. But we don’t want to lose touch with him.”

  “I agree.”

  “Why don’t we both take him to breakfast in the morning? I think you can help talk him into trying out the job.”

  “Me? I’ll be glad to go with you, but I doubt it matters to Jim what I think.”

  “I’ll meet you at the office at eight-thirty. Then we’ll go pick up Jim.”

  “Okay, see you then.”

  Carrie hung up the phone and immediately moved to her closet to figure out what she was wearing tomorrow to impress Jim.

  “You’re being ridiculous!” she exclaimed, but she didn’t stop until she found her favorite red suit and a new blouse she’d bought last week. She was glad that finally, in the last few months she had extra money to spend on her wardrobe.

  It had taken her an extra couple of years to graduate college because she’d had to go part-time after her father’s sudden death. Then her mother had been sick, which had drained her of both time and money. But it had been worth it because she’d had time with her mother that she wouldn’t trade for any size bank account.

  The luckiest thing that had ever happened to her had been to go to work for Will Greenfield.

  Five years ago she’d come to work for him as a part-time receptionist, while she was in school. Then she began to handle some of the investigation work, the easier things that Will didn’t have time for. Over time, her involvement deepened until she was working full-time as a P.I.

  Throughout it all, Will treated her as a member of his family—which at the time had only consisted of himself. Then he’d met Vivian, who happened to be the mother of her former best friend. Carrie had simply walked away from Vanessa, leaving her in the dark about the events that had changed her life so completely.