A Valentine's Loves (The Valentine's Trilogy Book 3)

by Sam E. Kraemer

  He'd had a birthday since we'd been in Waco, and we had a big party for him. Rashad was going to be thirteen in January, and we'd promised to let him choose how he wanted to celebrate it. We'd be in Clearwater by then, after all.

  "What the hell is it?" I asked. It was just a ball of some kind of fabric from what I could tell.

  "Ray and me made Gray a new sleepin' bag since I ruined his old one. Grandma Addy helped a little," Dee explained without looking me in the eyes.

  It was during his nightmare/bed-wetting phase, and he wanted to camp out in the living room with Michael Tucker one Friday night like he'd done with Officer Darryl when he first came into our lives.

  We allowed it, and let them watch television until well after midnight. Dewayne had an accident during the night and instead of telling us, he hid his clothes and the sleeping bag in the basement of our little house. Gray was down there one day looking for some scrap cardboard to help Rashad with a project for science when he stumbled upon it. It was moldy and gross so he threw it away.

  Dee felt guilty about it because Gray had told him about camping with his brother, Gerry in the back yard using their sleeping bags and how Gray used it to camp in the woods after his brother died. He’d said, “Sleeping in it made me feel close to my little brother so I didn’t miss him so much in the beginning.” I wasn't surprised Dee had tried to somehow make up for it. He was that kind of kid.

  "How'd you do that?" I asked.

  Dee pulled off the paper to reveal a quilt made from blocks of color sewn together. There was leather stitching that held the quilt together like a burrito. It was really ugly from what I could tell, but it was really sweet. "Where'd you get the blanket?"

  Dee exhaled a big breath. "Okay, it was supposed to be a surprise for both of you. These scraps of cloth are from clothes Gramma kept since you were a little boy. She sewed 'em together and made the quilt. Ray and me bought the leather strings and she helped us stitch it so you and Gray could get into it and pull the strings to make it tight. You can also undo 'em and lay it out flat. Grandpop said you prolly wouldn't get all worked up over it but Gray would because he's got more of a tender heart."

  That wasn't a lie about Gray's heart, but I was touched they were so intent on doing something so personal and had enlisted my mother's help. As I looked at the blanket, or sleeping bag, I noticed shirts I remembered as a little boy. There was even a piece of my leather tribal costume from when I was little. I was in a group of Cherokee dancers that participated in events through a dance school in downtown Waco. Miri made Quinn go as well, and after one year, we balked. We were far too manly for that shit. We were nine.

  "Okay, I think this calls for a large gift bag of some sort," I suggested.

  "Where we gonna…" Dee began.

  "I've got an idea," Rashad informed. He left the room and came back a few minutes later with a white kitchen trash bag and a sheet of Christmas stickers from the wrapping paper box.

  "Dee, go crazy, bro. You put the stickers on it, and then we'll shove the sleeping bag inside. We'll hide it in our closet until Christmas Eve; then we'll sneak it out," Rashad suggested. He looked at me. "You'll act surprised, right Vali?" I nodded with a smile.

  "You know, don't you, we love you. You don't have to give us anything. You were the greatest gift we could ever get, so anything else? Gravy," I told them as I teared up. They both hurried over to me and hugged me as I hugged them back. God, we were blessed.

  ~#~

  "Jeez, we should charge the Tuckers by the head," I joked as I peeled off my jeans and a new sweater Gray had given me as an early Christmas gift. It was cashmere. It felt damn soft against my skin, and I was a little horny after wearing it all night while we had Christmas Eve dinner.

  Gray had worked at the mall over the Christmas season. He'd officially resigned from DCFS in Austin and we were making it on my Ranger salary, but he wanted to work in a department store over the season to take advantage of the holiday bargains and his employee discount.

  He'd been buying things for the new house we were going to rent in Clearwater. We'd seen it on the internet, and we signed a six-month lease when the two of us went one weekend to look it over. It had four bedrooms and two and a half baths, which worked out. There was a backyard and it was on a cul-de-sac.

  It wasn't far from where my new job would be, and Gray had an interview scheduled at a non-profit center which acted as a boys and girls club under the rainbow. It catered to gay teens and I wasn't surprised at all with his choice.

  We already had a therapist lined up in Clearwater for the boys, and Gray had already spoken with our new social worker regarding the assimilation plans for Dee and Ray when school started. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I was sure it was important so I went along with it, just like any good husband would.

  "Yeah, but they all had a good time. QJ's cute with his girlfriend, but that jackass Marie's dating? If I was Quinn," Gray started. I'd watched my husband all evening. It was the first Christmas with our boys, and I knew how excited he was about it, so I wanted to be sure nothing took away from it to tarnish his good mood.

  Unfortunately, Marie Tucker was dating an asshole who liked to pick on Cody and Michael when nobody was looking. When the asshole, Robby Chancellor, found out he was spending Christmas Eve at the home of a gay couple, he wasn't happy at all. Marisol was pissed about his behavior, and I was pretty sure Marie wouldn't be dating him too much longer.

  "I know. Now, how about I get my Christmas gift from you?" I teased as I took my sweater off and laid it over the chair in the corner.

  Gray giggled as he unbuttoned his red button-down and tossed it toward the hamper in the bathroom. "Oh, and what's that?" he asked with a flirty smile.

  "You fuck me nice and hard before we sleep for about five hours if I'm judging Dee right. He's waiting for Santa, and it wouldn't surprise me to find him asleep on the couch in the morning," I teased as I began unbuttoning my pants.

  "Fuck! We have to put out their gifts and do stockings. Dammit! I almost forgot. Oh, God, I'm a horrible parent," Gray complained as he quickly pulled on sweats and a t-shirt before he went to the closet in the hallway and began pulling out shopping bags with gifts.

  I changed into track pants and a strap t-shirt before I went to the garage and brought in the new gaming station we'd bought them. I hooked the fucker up to the television as Gray put out their gifts and filled stockings with gift cards, underwear, and socks. When we fell into bed at two o'clock, I was too fucking tired to…well, fuck. It was a dose of parenting I didn't want to experience, but it was what it was. We'd asked for it…begged for it and prayed for it, after all.

  ~#~

  "OH, MY GOD! OH, MY GOD! LOOK AT THIS! IT'S A CONTROLLER!" Dee shouted at six-thirty Christmas morning. It was a wireless controller I was sure he was holding in his hand. Clearly, they hadn't noticed the console yet, but without it, the controller made no sense. Being a kid, he was happy, nonetheless.

  Dee loved the new PJs, blue jeans, shirts, and sneakers we'd given him (without my input or knowledge…my husband was the shopper). He hadn't even hit upon the toys yet, but he was happy with everything.

  Rashad held up a shirt to himself and looked at me. "Cool, right?" I looked at it to see it was a mess of tattoos, but Gray had picked it out so I was sure it was cool.

  "Looks great," I offered.

  "Oh, it's a vintage Ed Hardy. I thought it would go well with your coloring," Gray responded.

  Rashad laughed and rose from the floor. He walked over to the couch and kissed Gray on the cheek. "Thanks, Dad. I love it."

  I heard Gray gasp before he jumped from the couch to run down the hallway. Both boys froze. I sniffled a little, knowing exactly what had caught him off guard. "No worries. Let's take a break. It'll all be here in fifteen minutes. Ray, would you go turn on the coffee maker?" I asked.

  Dee hopped up. "I got it, Poppa." I felt my own intake of breath. Never before had they called us anything other than Gray and Vali.
It was a surprise. An overwhelming surprise.

  I walked down the hallway to our bedroom, seeing my Gray sitting on the floor with a tissue as he tried to stem the flow of tears, God bless him. I picked him up and settled him on my lap. "I know you're shocked, but Dee called me 'Poppa'. I think they made a decision and they were trying to just slide it in there without a lot of notice. They want the connection with us, baby boy. Let's not make them self-conscious about it, okay?"

  He wrapped his arms around my neck and held me tightly. "I know, but after thinking we'd never be able to keep them and then having Rashad call me Dad? Fuck, Derek. It's another dream come true. You were the first one, you know," he whispered.

  I pulled him back a little from where he'd burrowed into my neck and kissed him gently. It was set to be a great day at Camp Valentine.

  My mind went back to that day when I was standing on the pier in Key West, Florida, looking into those eyes…those fucking blue eyes that owned me the moment he asked to take my order at that shitty diner. I remembered saying the wedding vows as we both cried, and I remembered how happy we were when we made promises to each other for the rest of our lives. The commitment was meant to be shared with extensions of us…two boys who'd never had anyone love them, save a grandmother who only had a short time with them. They’d had to grow up too fast but they were still little boys, and by some higher power, we'd been entrusted with their care. It was a miracle.

  "Yeah, it is, and right now, we have two boys in the living room waiting for us to come back and let them finish opening their Christmas gifts. They're going to be ours, Gray. You know it and I know it. We need to get used to it," I whispered.

  He smiled and dried his tears. "Yeah, they still haven't found their big gift."

  "HOLY CRAP!" Ray shrieked.

  I laughed as I put Gray on the floor. "Spoken too soon, Dad."

  Gray giggled. "Don't you wanna call me Daddy?"

  I slapped his ass as we went back to the living room to enjoy our first Christmas together as a family. Our life was going to be amazing.

  Twenty-One

  Derek

  "MAN! My head is freakin' fryin'," Dee complained. We were sitting in the bleachers at West Point Military Academy for Ray's graduation, and it was hotter than the third circle of Hell, I was assuming.

  I was working for the field office of the FBI in Tampa, as a training agent, and I actually liked the job. I'd worked for the worst Sheriff's Department in the State of Florida for a year, as it was documented. I’d tried to do the job to the best of my ability, but when I caught another deputy taking a bribe from a liquor store owner during spring break, I had enough and quit that night after the end of my shift.

  I contacted Danny Offer to find out if the Bureau had anything to offer in Florida because I had a family to support and while I was glad I’d finally gotten enough, that wouldn’t pay the mortgage.

  It turned out they had an opening at the Tampa field office, and since it was only about twenty-five miles from our home, I was pleased to take the job. I'd been there for nine years, and our family had gone through changes. Many good, and a few bad, but it was a good life.

  After we adopted Rashad and Dewayne Vaughn, they changed their names…their choices. Rashad became Raymond Richard Valentine, honoring my father, Rick, who we eventually lost the year Ray graduated from high school. The whole family missed him terribly.

  Dewayne changed his name to Derek Carson Valentine, but he still stuck out his hand and introduced himself with a big smile as Dee. They didn't make a big deal out of it when they were in public schools in Clearwater, but when we transferred them to private schools when Ray started high school, the boys embraced their name changes, as well as the life changes.

  Gray worked as a guidance counselor at a public school in a suburb of Tampa and he loved his job. I was happy he found something he felt was rewarding and he never complained. He enjoyed his job, and I supported him.

  Much to my surprise, Gray didn't end up bringing home a string of kids as I predicted he would when he took the job. He had, however, developed a fighting spirit that would put an MMA fighter to shame when it came to the welfare and safekeeping of the kids under his guidance, just as he had when our sons first came into our lives.

  Presently, we were at West Point for our oldest son's graduation. Over the years, Ray and I had firmly bonded over our love of shooting, and I was busting my buttons at his successes. When Ray was fifteen, I took him deer hunting in Texas while Gray and Dee visited with my parents and the Tuckers. I had no idea how he'd take to it at the time, but I was pleasantly surprised.

  "This is a Vanguard. It's a bolt action, so let's go out and let you learn how to shoot a rifle. If we get a deer, we'll give it to Quinn. Your dad's not a fan of venison unless it's in Marisol's stew. Come on," I prompted to Ray.

  I put up bottles and cans so he could get a feel for the rifle, and we practiced before we went out to the deer stand on Quinn's property. The kid's first time out, he shot an eight-point buck, shocking and shaming me in equal measure. I was supposed to be the hunter in the family. It would figure my son would show me how it was done.

  When we pulled into the Tuckers’ driveway, they all came outside the house and gave the large animal the once over and praising Ray for his clean shot through the head. Quinn and QJ, who happened to be at his parents’ home that day, helped me haul it out to their backyard where Quinn gutted it immediately. He and I did a celebration dance we’d learned back in the day when we were in the tribal dance troop. I turned to see Ray was surprised at our actions, but it was as we’d been taught…thanking the spirits for providing the game for the kill.

  “You’re from a tribe yourself, and we thank the Spirits for providing. I’m not sure what your ancestors did for a good hunt, but you’re a Valentine now, so let me show you,” I told Ray. QJ and Ray laughed that afternoon as the deer bled out and we taught them how we thanked the Great One for providing. I’d never forgotten it.

  The Tuckers butchered the deer and were happy to have it. After that first hunting trip, Ray and I made a pact to always be grateful for the bounty. Every year when we went hunting, Ray managed to hit something, keeping the Tucker's freezer full and joining Quinn and me in the dance. I was happy to hand something down to my son. It was something I’d never forget.

  Over the years, Ray worked up to better and better rifles, and eventually, I started taking him to the range so he could practice. It was something we did together, and as time went by, he became a better shot than me. It was no surprise to me when the Army came knocking. Ray was a sharpshooter at his private high school, winning many matches with his skills, and they took notice of that sort of thing.

  The worst part of the graduation was that Gray and I had to accept our son would be in the Army, for real. That was the part Gray hated, but in all honesty, I was proud of Ray for the young man he’d become and the special bond the two of us had developed.

  "I know, but let's be thankful it's not raining. They have the ceremony rain or shine. Remember all the trouble your brother got into when he was late getting back to school after he surprised you at your Eagle Scout ceremony," I reminded Dee as I looked around for Gray.

  "Oh my God! What are you doing here?" Dee gasped as Ray walked up to present him with his Eagle Palms. The whole damn family was crying as we watched the two of them.

  "Shh. I'm not here. I'm in the infirmary with the flu. I gotta leave in the morning to get back to school, but I couldn't let you do this without me. We worked on this together, and I wanted to be here to see it through.”

  Unfortunately, there was a huge ice storm in DC where he was getting his connecting flight, and he was in a world of shit when he got back to school late on Monday night. With all that, you'd never hear Ray say he was sorry for the punishment. He was as proud of his little brother as we were all proud of both of them.

  I saw Gray walking over with two Army baseball caps in his hand. I wasn't sure if he'd just purchased t
hem or they were left over from when Ray came home for visits. Over the years, we'd met his friends and a boyfriend or two, but he wasn't serious with anyone as far as we knew.

  Thankfully, 'Don't Ask/Don't Tell’ had been repealed years prior to Ray attending West Point, but there was still some animosity for gays in the military. Ray wasn't flamboyant at all, but the fact he didn't have to hide his sexuality allowed us to take a deep breath. It didn't mean he didn't get shit about it, but he could hold his own. The kid had the fight inside him, just like my Gray.

  Gray sat down next to me and handed Dee a cap. "I know it's not much, but at least it'll shade your eyes. I saw your brother in line. He looks very handsome," Gray offered to Dee.

  I grabbed a hat and pulled it on, slipping my long hair behind my ears. It was back to my normal length, and the FBI didn't force me to cut it. It was loose, just as my husband preferred, and I almost wished it was short again because it was hot as fuck as we sat on those bleachers.

  "Has he received orders yet, or do we get time for a family vacation?" I asked as we looked around as the cadets marched onto the field.

  "He's home for a month before he has to report. He'll get his orders tomorrow, from what I’ve learned. I can't believe he's graduating. It seems like yesterday when I…" Gray began.

  I knew our son’s choice if joining the military was hard for Gray to accept because I remembered how hard it was in the beginning for the four of us to get used to each other, but over the years, they'd grown into the most amazing young men I’d ever met. We were both in awe of their strength to survive the shit life threw their way, and we were so proud of them.

  "Don't forget, he chose this path, baby boy. We left the decision up to him, and he chose West Point. I know you're just as pleased with him as me," I reminded. I knew Gray didn't want him in harm's way any more than he wanted me working in law enforcement, but it was the life we'd chosen. Seemed the Valentine men had protection in their DNA, whether they were born to it or not.