Page 90 of Heston
Alex wasn’t sure what she meant. “Not so much proof, sweetheart, but—faith. Tom Landry and his son Jackie were the only bright lights in my world right then. They gave me precisely what I needed to get back on my feet and find you. To take thatstep into the dark and know that…” Alex gulped. “He’d catch me.” He, as in God, not Tom Landry.
“And to remember who you are,” she added, her breath warm against his skin. Both Kelsey’s shoulders lifted. “Maybe it’s God’s way of telling us you still have work to do.”
Licking his dry lips, Alex chose to believe his wife would always know more than he did. “Maybe.”
“Sara’s visited me before,” she whispered. “She’s happy, Alex, and she’s watching over you. Over us. You’re never as alone as you think, and I guess, neither am I. The ones who’ve gone before us are only a step ahead, which means we’re just a step behind. Sometimes we forget they’re just out of sight, not lost forever. Thanks for helping me remember.”
Threading his fingers into her lush chocolate tangles, Alex tipped her face up, needing one more taste. “I love you so damned much, woman,” he whispered before he covered her mouth and branded her as his once more. He kept the kiss short, but wet, hot, and thorough. There wasn’t one part of his body not aching for her when he eased back and wrapped her tight in his arms. “Tell me if I’m hurting you.”
Sighing, she planted a kiss to the underside of his chin. “Just the opposite. You did it again, sweetheart. You saved me. I feel better.”
“Then sleep.” Alex pulled the blanket over her exposed shoulder and up to her ear. “If you need anything, I’ll be here.”
“Thanks.” It didn’t take long before she went limp and fell asleep.
He lay there watching her. Loving her. Reaching out, he traced a fingertip over her plump bottom lip. Her lips weren’t blue or thin like they’d been when he’d first found her in that godforsaken trailer, and her cheeks were pinker and fuller, not drawn like when he’d arrived earlier. The network of worry lines at the corners of her eyes were once again perked upwaed, andhe could only hope they’d turn back into laugh lines once Kelsey processed everything he’d just told her. Because it was true. Tommy and Jackie had saved him, and in doing that, Alex had been able to save Kelsey, who, for time and all eternity, would always love her first two baby boys.
Taking a deep cleansing breath, Alex thanked God again for allowing him more time with the miracle that was his wife. He held Kelsey close for as long as she needed, but when she groaned in her sleep, Alex recognized the difference between an upcoming nightmare and annoyance that he might’ve been holding her too tightly. Because, hey. He wasn’t holding her for her sake as much as his. Relaxing his arms, she rolled away from him. Ordinarily he’d spend hours spooning with her, but he needed to save Mother from his kids.
Lifting carefully out of bed, he dressed. It’d been a long time since he’d been as scared as he’d been these past weeks. Losing Kelsey would’ve destroyed him, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Kelsey was every last breath in his body and the reason he was able to keep on keeping on. Might sound cliched, but without her, he really was nothing.
Closing the bedroom door behind him, he drew in a sigh of contentment and assessed the new life unfurling before of him. Handling his kids was a given. Yes, Lexie and Bradley would keep him busy, but time spent with them was pure pleasure, not work. Caring for his dad was another done deal. Mel wasn’t going anywhere but back home with Alex, once Kelsey was strong enough to make the move. The light in his life might be a fragile glow at the moment, but Kelsey had proven her courage and determination before. She’d soon be back on her feet.
As if on cue, the persistent tension that had plagued his shoulders and neck for most of his adult life gave up their hold. A startling wave of warm oxygenated blood rushed up his scalpinto his brain. The goosebumps caused by the loss of that grip chilled him.
So this was retirement, huh? Felt like a brand new life, like a hearty dose of exhilaration and freedom. Okay, then. Upward and onward. The TEAM was in excellent hands. With Obermeyer and the Wirths in the ground, Kelsey and London had nothing to worry about. Let the future begin.
He stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of Mother sitting with Lexie and Bradley. Leaning against the wall outside his bedroom door, Alex crossed his arms over his chest to enjoy what he was seeing: Mother on the couch across the room, reading one of Lexie’s storybooks to his children. Bradley was sitting quietly on her lap, listening, but nosey Lexie jabbered away beside her as only she could do. That girl was too smart for her age. She needed more mental stimulation and—
“But why don’t rats have fuzzy tails like squirrels?” she asked.
“Because rats and squirrels grew up in different neighborhoods,” Mother answered. “Squirrels live in tall trees, so they had to grow furry tails to help navigate through the air when they jump from branch to branch. But rats don’t want to live in trees. They like keeping their grubby, little rat feet on the ground.”
“But why?” Lexie asked earnestly, her brows knitted together, which made her look so damned cute.
Alex rolled his eyes.Lookout, Mother. Here comes the never ending, ‘Why, why, why?’
Mother looked her in the eye. “Think about it this way, honey. Were all of your daddy’s Marines just like him?”
Lexie’s lips puckered into an adorable pout. “That’s a really silly question. Of course not. Not just anyone can be like my Daddy,” she replied with attitude and the cutest, “Hmmpf. Everyone knows that.”
Alex nearly laughed out loud. Yup, Lexie was his daughter all right.
The loveliest smile broke through Mother’s usually stern countenance. “Well, it’s the same with squirrels and rats. Not every animal in the world wants to fly through trees. So squirrels grew furry tails to help them fly better. They use those furry tails like rudders, while rats use their furless tails to keep cool, and sometimes, to run through tunnels and grip sewer pipes beneath the ground.”
Lexie stared up into Mother’s face. “What’s rudders? And if rats can grip pipes, why can’t they grip branches? Why don’t they want to live in trees with squirrels? Then they could be friends and maybe they could teach each other fun stuff. Besides, climbing trees is awesome. My Daddy built me a treehouse, and it’s my favorite place in the whole wide world because I can see forever when I’m up there. Sounds to me like squirrels and rats use their tails for the same reasons, Sasha. Are rudders like steering wheels? My daddy’s got a steering wheel in his car. He lets me sit on his lap and drive sometimes. I even get to honk the horn.”
Alex didn’t need to hear more. He knew who needed to spend more time with his kids. Someone who could challenge Lexie. Someone who was a helluva lot smarter than him. Mother. And to get her to agree, she needed to be happy again, like she’d been when she had Justice Sandler in her life.
Alex intended to get to the bottom of what happened with their alleged marriage. Sasha hadn’t ever given him a straight answer. Had she divorced Justice or had she run out on him? For that matter, had they ever legally married? Was he pining away the same as she was? Had he cut himself off from his family and friends, too? Alex needed to know. Because the woman reading patiently to his children had motherhood stamped all over her. The false mystique Sasha Kennedy had created to keepeveryone away, was about to end. Alex might not be her boss anymore, not that she knew it yet, but she deserved to be as happy as he was.
And he was just the man to make it happen.
Epilogue
“I’m so excited!” London squealed when Heston stopped his Challenger at the entry to his parents’ circular drive. The white stucco, red-clay tiled hacienda ahead radiated the same glow coming off London, and the driveway would take them right to his parents’ front door. Just. Not. yet.
The lazy trip from Virginia to Arizona had been time well-spent. Maybe it was just the steady vibration of wheels on the road. Maybe simply being together long enough to really communicate did the trick. Heston didn’t want this unique time of their lives to end. As soon as they stepped into Mama’s house, everything would change. Not in a bad way, but he’d have to deal with his dad, Mama would take up all of London’s time, and Heston didn’t want to share.
