by Lyssa Layne
Katy was walking out of the exam room when she heard hoots and hollers from down the hall. She laughed as she walked toward them and saw the guys picking Nick up on their shoulders in celebration. Murph looked over. “There’s Lil Mama Garrity!” The guys cheered some more and they all took turns giving her congratulatory hugs and kisses.
Nick kissed her deeply before they headed out to answer a call. “I’ll see you tonight,” he grinned. “I can’t wait to tell everyone.”
Katy watched as he ran after the guys. That feeling deep in her stomach when he headed to work to run into burning buildings that always nagged her came up. She grabbed one of her patient’s charts and saw Jeremiah.
He turned in the opposite direction, but Katy grabbed his arm.
He wouldn’t look at her. She squeezed his arm lightly. “Hey…don’t be mad at me. I thought we’d both agreed to move on.”
“Move on?” he said loudly then looked around and lowered his voice. “I slept with a couple of nurses and an intern. I didn’t marry a firefighter.”
She sighed. “Jer…” She didn’t know what to say so she kissed his cheek.
He nodded toward the room she’d just came out of.
“What were you doing with Keller?”
Katy bit her lip and looked down, avoiding his eyes. Jeremiah shook his head in disbelief. “He knocked you up? Is that why you married him?”
Katy looked at him, a sympathetic smile plastered on her face as she placed her hand on top of his.
He whispered, “Don’t…Katy, just don’t. I still love you. I always will.” He looked into her eyes. “I want you to be happy, but I can’t watch this.”
He turned to walk off, then looked back at her. “It’s supposed to have been me. That should have been me in that room.”
Katy swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing he was right.
13 CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Katy slowed her pace as she waited for Jesse to catch up with her. It was an unusually warm day for New York in March which allowed Katy to wear her favorite pair of teal running shorts and matching tank top. She knew the outfit wouldn’t fit much longer so she was happy to wear it today. She watched Jesse bend over, hands on his knees, as he tried to catch his breath.
He had been extremely wary of the sudden nuptials yet he quickly found himself liking Katy just like the rest of the guys in the crew. As it stood, Jesse had become like a second husband, checking on her when Nick was at work, running with her because Nick didn’t like her alone at the park, and later tonight, accompanying her to the St. Patty’s Ball until he could arrive.
He pulled his shirt off, still heaving, and muttered, “Shit, Kate. Nick didn’t tell me we were running a marathon!”
She patted his back. “It would be a lot easier if you didn’t smoke…” She said this in her sing-songy, told-ya-so voice.
Jesse rolled his eyes. “No wonder you two are so perfect together.”
Katy smiled at his remark. Jesse was still leaning forward which gave Katy a clear view of the same Gaelic phrases Nick had tattooed on his arm. She trailed her finger over the large ink letters that sprawled across his broad back and shoulders.
Quietly she mumbled, “Fir Na Tine…Braithre thar Gach Ni.”
Jesse stood up, towering over her and looked into her eyes.
“Men of fire,” she deliberately spoke the words slowly, unsure of her translation, but she continued, “Brothers above all else.”
Jesse nodded his approval. “Impressive, Doc. I didn’t know Gaelic was a required course.”
Now it was Katy’s turn to roll her eyes. “You’re not the only Irish one around here.” She paused as she said that and bit her lip. When she looked back to Jesse, she said, “Tell me what it means.”
“It means we’re firemen, but more than that we’re brothers.” Jesse looked into Katy’s eyes again. “Ryan and Nick were blood brothers, but they had a deeper bond than most siblings because of our line of work. That’s why Nick took care of Abby and the girls after 9/11.”
Katy looked at the ground as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She didn’t want to think of dead firefighters or about her husband who could follow their path. Jesse placed his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. He gazed deep into her eyes as he said, “It’s why I would take care of you if something were to happen to Nick.”
He lightly kissed her on the forehead and Katy wrapped her arms around his sweaty torso. She knew he’d made the comment to try to ease her worries, but it made her realize that now she had two firefighters to worry about.
***
It was the night of the annual FDNY St. Patrick’s Day Ball. Katy was taking advantage of the fact that she wasn’t showing yet by wearing a floor length, backless sky blue dress that hugged her body. She bought it when she and Abby were picking out the dress she wore at their wedding. Luckily, it still fit and the only physical evidence that Katy was expecting was in the full sweetheart bustline.
She was still thinking about her conversation with Jeremiah from the other day, wondering if things would ever be “normal” between the two of them again. She wasn’t sure if that was possible because he was right. It should have been him today. She should be wearing the two-carat princess cut engagement ring he gave her. He should be rubbing cocoa butter on her belly and had her father still been alive, he would’ve. But here she was, pregnant and married to a firefighter, someone who looked death in the eyes almost every day. She knew it didn’t make sense, but she loved Nick more than she ever thought she could love anyone.
***
Jesse stood at the door waiting to pick up Mrs. Katy Garrity. Nick had stayed late to help with the shift change. Jesse had promised his best friend that he’d get his wife and child she was carrying to the ball safely. Nick was on cloud nine these days. Everything was falling into place for him and Jesse had to be honest, he had every right to be. Katy was the whole package…beautiful, smart, compassionate, easy going, athletic, Irish to boot plus an incredible body. It’s not like his buddy didn’t know all the guys in their crew checked her out on more than one occasion and agreed that she had an ass out of this world, but he could never admit to Nick that he was jealous.
Jesse was getting tired of being with a different girl every night. He’d tried dating a girl he met at O’Malley’s a couple weeks ago but when she started showing up at the station while he was on tour, he quickly cut ties with her. Katy had only stopped by the station three times while Nick was on tour in the five months they’d been together. Once to drop off his phone he’d left at home, once to drop off bread she’d baked, and the other time was when Nick was working doubles to take care of his mom. He’d heard them in the shower at the firehouse but never let on that he knew about it.
Jesse realized he needed to get out of the bar scene if he wanted to find the “one” as Nick put it. He was going to do that but he wasn’t quite ready to be celibate until he met the future Mrs. O’Neil. Jesse had never really thought or been interested in settling down, but after seeing Katy and Nick together over the holidays and now expecting a child, he knew one day he wanted the same thing. He was on his search to find his own Katy.
Katy opened the door and Jesse’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe the sight in front of him. The dress she was in showed off her athletic yet womanly figure. She smiled as she took in the sight of him in his FDNY dress uniform and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “You look handsome.”
“Wow,” Jesse mumbled. “You look…wow!” He laughed, unable to verbally give her the words she deserved.
Katy laughed and turned to grab her coat and purse. Jesse saw her backless gown for the first time. Every muscle in her back toned, her skin so delicate…he shook his head reminding himself who this was. He helped her slip on her jacket as she turned to him.
“Ready?” she asked as she closed the door behind her. He nodded and followed her to his truck. He still couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked. He shook his head to clear
his thoughts.
Jesse kept his eyes on the road the entire drive to the ball. He and Katy discussed classic rock vs soft rock in the truck ride over. The more they talked and the more he learned about her, the more he was anxious to find his own version.
She took his arm as they walked up the steps to the City Hall ballroom. He put his hand over hers as they walked. After they’d checked their coats, Jesse got himself a drink and began to relax with her. They walked around the room and Jesse introduced her to some new faces as Mrs. Katy Garrity. If he ever brought a date to these kinds of things, he never introduced her to the guys because he could barely remember her name. This was new and different to him and he enjoyed having a beautiful woman on his arm. Now if only he could find his own.
***
Katy glanced at her phone, it was a little after nine and Nick still hadn’t shown up. She masked her worry as she laughed when the Chief told another joke. Katy met most of Nick’s colleagues, each of them sharing a story about her husband with her. Most of the stories were from his days in the fire academy, or as a proby, and most of them were about a mistake or slip-up he made which resulted in lots of laughter. Jesse had stayed by her side all night sharing story for story with the men, putting them in their place, as he stood up for his best friend.
Murph had just started telling the story about Jesse and Nick’s first fire at a dress shop. One of them had pulled a mannequin out thinking it was a person, but Murph was laughing so hard that he could barely get the ending out.
Katy suddenly perked up, her sense of smell had intensified with the pregnancy. The familiar smell of Paul Sebastian filled her nose. The bottle sat on their bathroom vanity and when Nick was on tour, Katy would take a quick sniff to remind her of him.
She turned and saw Nick a few steps away in his dress uniform. Her face lit up when she saw Nick a few steps away in his dress uniform. Her smile faded when she noticed the gash above his eyebrow. She walked towards him reaching up to touch it. He grimaced as her fingers lightly ran over the wound. She looked at him anxious for an explanation.
He kissed her softly. “You look amazing.”
She kissed him back quickly, ignoring his comment. “What happened?”
He took her hand and led them to the bar. “It’s been a long night, and I need a drink.”
“No, you need stitches.”
Despite Nick’s comment, he ordered a ginger ale. He gave up drinking for good when he found out Katy was pregnant. It wasn’t that he drank often, but after New Year’s, he couldn’t risk getting drunk and being rough with her again now that she was carrying his child.
Katy tapped her fingers on the bar. “I’m waiting…”
Nick pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re cute when you’re angry.”
Katy didn’t flinch, wanting to know what had happened before she insisted on the stitches.
He sighed. “Okay, okay. All the veterans have priority to come to the ball tonight so it was all young blood working. I stayed to show Doyle how to complete a report when a call came in. It wasn’t a big call so I’d figured I’d tag along to make sure they could handle it. One of the guys wasn’t paying attention and hit me with a tank, it’s not that bad,” he said as he smiled, trying to reassure her. “And it wasn’t even from the fire. I stayed outside the whole time.”
Katy narrowed her eyes. “We need to stop by the hospital so I can stitch that up.”
“Okay, I’ll let you do that, but can we stay for a bit? I want to tell some of my buddies the good news.”
Katy kissed him and nodded.
Nick grinned. “Thanks, baby,” he said and turned to take her hand to make the rounds around the room again. “I didn’t forget my promise. I’m good at my job and I promise I’ll come home to you every night.”
Katy smiled, but the promise didn’t make her feel any better tonight than it did the first time he’d made it. She’d been raised by a firefighter. She had heard of all the men that lost their lives in the line of duty, her father being one of them. There was nothing Nick could say that would make her feel better and for that reason alone, she hoped to the high heavens that this baby was a girl. She didn’t want to live the rest of her life worrying about her husband and her son fighting infernos.
***
Katy let Nick introduce her to the same people Jesse already had, but this time, Nick shared the baby news. Each time he said “I’m going to be a dad,” the guys cheered loudly, patted him on the back, or even punched him in the arm while Katy received sloppy, drunk kisses right on the lips.
Nick and Katy found a table to take a break. She hadn’t asked to sit down, but he figured with carrying another human being inside her, she was probably tired. He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over hers. “Having fun?”
Katy nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I haven’t been kissed this many times since a kegger in college.”
Nick laughed. “Yeah, the guys can get a bit overly friendly at times.” He touched her belly which was still flat as a board to him, but Katy told him he felt bloated and like everyone was staring at it.
“How’s he feeling?”
Katy raised her eyebrow. “He?”
Nick smiled. “Yeah, I really want it to be a boy so I figured if I said he, maybe I could will him to be a boy.”
As a doctor, Katy laughed to herself knowing the sex was already determined, but smiled at the thoughtfulness of her husband. “In that case, she’s doing good.”
Nick pouted. “You don’t want a boy?”
Katy bit her lip, but decided to be honest. “Another member of FDNY? Another man for me to lie awake and worry about while he runs into burning buildings? No, thank you.”
Nick smiled and kissed her softly. “You won’t have to worry, he’ll take after his dad. I’ll teach him everything I know.”
Katy leaned her forehead against his, wishing he could back up his words. Nick had his hand on the back of her neck deciding he was ready to take his wife home and get her out of that dress that was tempting him. It’d been a long day for him and he knew she was tense with worry so they’d both enjoy a session of stress release.
***
Nick was about to tell Katy he was ready to go when a woman cleared her throat to get their attention. Nick looked over and saw his ex, Missey Keefe formerly Brown, standing beside them in a long black dress trying to hide her baby bump. Nick stood up stepping between her and Katy.
Missey leaned forward and gave Nick a lingering kiss. “Nick Garrity, I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Nick tensed as she touched him. Katy had stood now moving to Nick’s side. Although Missey deserved it, Nick decided to be civil rather than a prick. “Good to see you, Miss.”
Missey ran her hand around her belly. “Look what you’re missing out on. I’m due any day now with the next FDNY brother.” Nick realized she was rubbing it in his face because she knew how bad Nick wanted to be a father. Despite his attempt to marry her and start their own family, she claimed she wasn’t ready at the time.
Nick wanted to laugh in her face. He was glad he’d found Jake Keefe and Missey together in his bed. The adulterers had gotten married shortly after Missey and Nick broke up three years ago. Missey had never wanted kids, she had just drug Nick along the whole time saying she did some day. It had been rumored that Jake had been sleeping around again so Missey decided to get pregnant to ensure that he wasn’t going anywhere.
Nick put his arm around Katy’s waist and pulled her close. “Missey, I’d like you to meet my wife, Dr. Katy…Malone.” They hadn’t discussed yet if she was going to keep her maiden name or take his, he made a mental note to ask on the way home.
Katy shook Missey’s hand and said, “Pleasure to meet you and congratulations on your son.”
Missey gave her a mischievous smile. “A doctor? I figured you would have been smart enough to figure out this inane fireman. He would marry anyone that was willing to give him a child.”
Katy’s cheeks flushed a
s Missey continued. “Oh, let me guess….you’re already pregnant? Honeymoon baby?” Missey had heard Nick’s announcement earlier in the evening/ Nick knew she’d probably spent all evening trying to figure out a way to use it against him.
She touched Katy’s stomach. “Watch out, if it’s not a boy to carry on the Garrity name, he’ll have you knocked up again before you even leave the hospital!” She laughed at her own joke.
Nick could feel Katy starting to shake and he stepped between them. “That’s enough, Missey.”
Missey smirked as she said, “Good luck to you both. Nice to meet you, Dr. Katy.” Then she leaned over and whispered, “At least he waited until you were married to plant his seed.”
Katy slowly turned to Nick. Through gritted teeth, she slowly asked, “What…the…hell…was that, Nick?”
Nick looked after Missey then back at Katy. He touched her arm, but Katy quickly shrugged it off. He sighed and answered, “It was nothing, baby. It was Missey playing head games with us.”
Katy threw up her hands as she exclaimed, “Nothing? Nothing! What did she mean by her comment about planting the seed?”
Nick shook his head as he looked around the room for a distraction, trying to avoid the question. Katy put her fingers on his chin and jerked his face to look at her. He looked down into her eyes, fearing that the truth might send her running. Nick swallowed and responded, “When we were together, Missey was pregnant.”
Katy’s hand dropped from his face and she grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself. Nick reached out to steady her but Katy pushed him away. She looked up at him and barely whispered, “Do you…”
He shook his head, “No…she didn’t have the baby.”
Katy stood beside him, not speaking a word. Nick desperately wanted her to speak, say something, anything, but instead she turned away from him and walked out of the ballroom.
