Holding a Hero

by Layne, Lyssa

  She nodded and bit her lip nervously.

  Rich frowned and nodded toward her expression. “Why you doing that?”

  “Are you mad?”

  “That you saved me from killing my patient? Absolutely not!”

  Relieved, she let out the breath she was holding. “Good.”

  “You’re welcome in my OR any day.” He leaned over and kissed her, making her melt into the arms he had wrapped around her.

  ***

  Rich walked her through the airport until they reached security. He held her against him, one hand on her hip, the other rubbing her back. He had a very calming effect on her. She leaned against him taking in his scent. She was very familiar with this smell. It was Paul Sebastian; Nick had worn the same cologne. She inhaled deeply as he kissed her forehead.

  “You should think about what I said about starting over.”

  Katy kissed him, playfully biting his bottom lip. “Where do you think I should go?”

  He smiled. “Well, I hear Baltimore is a great town.”

  She grinned and kissed him, ready for his next trip to New York.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Katy’s house was still standing and there were no major catastrophes that welcomed her when she arrived at home. Overall, she considered it a successful overnight trip. As she cuddled with Nicky, Nora filled her in on what she’d missed.

  “Mom came by.”

  “She did?” Katy was surprised. It had been two weeks and Abby hadn’t texted or called to check on either of her girls.

  She nodded. “She and Alayna went to lunch.”

  “What happened?” Katy’s stomach crawled wondering what that lunch had been like.

  “I think they made up. Mom told her Anthony was still going to move in and asked if she could come to her next doctor’s appointment.”

  Katy smiled. “Good.”

  “She’s also going to take us to Papa’s instead of him coming to get us.”

  Katy nodded. Tomorrow she was working at the hospital and it was the Fourth of July. She knew it would be a busy shift, it always was, so the girls and Nicky were going to spend the weekend with Andy.

  With a kiss on his forehead, Katy sat Nicky down to play with Nora while she went to find Alayna. The teen was reading while she lay on the couch. Katy sat beside her, lifting up Alayna’s feet and placed them in her lap.

  “Heard you talked to your mom.”

  “Yeah, I think she’s okay...for now. I’m going to go back home with her after the Fourth.”

  Katy nodded. “Good, I’m glad you’re working things out. Have you told Billy yet?”

  “Yeah,” she said with a laugh. “We were messing around last week and I told him we wouldn’t need to use protection since I was already pregnant.”

  “How’d he take it?”

  “He freaked out and hasn’t talked to me since.”

  Katy patted her leg. “I’m sorry, Layney.”

  She shrugged. “At least I have you and Mom, right?”

  Katy smiled. “You’ll always have us.”

  ***

  Two weeks later and it was Rich’s turn to visit St. Luke’s. A day hadn’t gone by that the two doctors didn’t talked. Katy was trying not to get too involved, but the more she learned about Rich, the more she did and the fonder her heart grew.

  Over dinner at her favorite restaurant in Chinatown, Katy held up a pair of chopsticks. “The trick is to keep them flat against your palm.”

  Rich furrowed his eyebrows, deep in concentration and followed Katy’s instructions. He focused on his egg roll and almost in slow motion, he picked up the food. “Ah-ha, got it!”

  Katy clapped while she laughed at his excitement. Rich leaned forward and gave her a kiss before feeding the appetizer to her. “So how’d you perfect this?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “My ex and I used to live on Chinese food. I always insisted on using chopsticks because it keeps my hands agile for surgery.” Katy laughed. “In fact, we started using chopsticks for every meal.”

  Rich smiled and pinched her chin playfully. “Do you ever stop working?”

  Katy blushed and looked down, embarrassed.

  Rich tilted her face toward him. “I like it. You’re a devoted doctor, it’s quite admirable how dedicated you are.”

  He leaned in and let his lips lazily brush over hers as his hand moved to her neck and pulled her closer. Katy closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the taste of Rich on her lips. The waiter cleared his throat as he set their check on the table. Katy quickly pulled away while her face flushed red again and Rich laughed at the interruption.

  After he signed the credit card receipt, Rich broke open a fortune cookie and read it aloud. “Good things come to those who wait.” He cocked his eyebrow and with a sly smile asked, “Want to head back to my room?”

  Katy giggled as he took her hand and pulled her out of the restaurant. Rich sang along with the radio as they made the short trip back to his hotel. Once inside the building, Rich opened his hotel room door and swept Katy into his arms, causing her to squeal. Rich’s deep throaty laugh rang through the air as he carried her over to his bed and gently placed her on it. He hovered above her and asked, “Staying the night?”

  Katy leaned up on her elbows and nodded.

  Rich ran his finger down her cheek as his lips closed in on hers briefly. “Good, I packed the pajamas you left at my place.”

  Katy laughed as she slid her hand around his neck and pulled him on top of her. She knew it would be another all-night make-out session, and she was okay with that. For once in her life, she wasn’t going to rush this relationship. Still, she wondered what those delicate surgeon hands of his could do to her body.

  ***

  Dr. Baudin and Dr. Garrity walked down the corridor of St. Luke’s in their navy scrubs, discussing the surgery they had just completed. Despite their playful petting behind closed doors, at the hospital he was completely professional. He snuck in some flirting here and there, but only when it was appropriate. Katy loved the time she spent with him at the hospital almost as much as the time they spent away from it.

  Rich was asking her about the technique she’d used when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was another navy uniform, but not scrubs. She held her hand up to signal Rich to stop and took a few quick steps forward.

  As she moved toward the men in blue, she recognized Murph in his FDNY uniform. Katy’s heart race and she felt her body move to a run. As she got closer, Murph turned around. He held up his hand and gave Katy an okay sign which didn’t calm her any. He held out his arms to stop her, and she grabbed them as she breathlessly mumbled, “Who is it?”

  Murph let her catch her breath before he tried to divert the question. “Just another routine day at work,” he answered her question.

  Katy glanced at the room he was standing outside. She knew by his answer who was on the other side. She let go of him and slowly entered the room. Jesse sat on the edge of the bed, an oxygen mask over his face. Her pace picked up again as she ran to his side and took his hand in hers.

  Jesse stared at their hands before he looked up at her. He moved the mask from his face and in a raspy voice, he mumbled, “I’ve missed you.”

  Katy looked at his soot-covered face. He was unrecognizable to most, but Katy had stared into those green eyes of his so often that she could picture them with her own eyes shut. She reached for a wet rag and began to wipe his face, clearing the filth away.

  He squeezed her hand, but she refused to look at him. She focused on cleaning away the ash, trying to avoid those eyes she knew and loved. He reached out and pulled her chin to look at him, transferring black smudges from his hand to her face.

  He looked into her baby blues, through the veil of tears clouding her vision. “Kate, baby, don’t cry. I’m okay. Really, I’m fine.”

  He pulled her into an embrace and Katy hugged him. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Even though they hadn’t talked in over two months, her
love for him had never died. In this moment, she remembered everything she loved about Jesse and it made her sick to know he was here, hurt, and she had no clue.

  He kissed her forehead. His beard, scraggly from not shaving in a few days, rubbed her skin as he held her close. “Kate, please take me back. I screwed up, but I’ll make it up to you.”

  Katy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight away the memory of why she’d kicked him out in the first place. She’d also temporarily forgotten how much she hated sending him to work, not knowing if he’d come home safely to her. She let go of him, pulling away as he rested his hands on her hips.

  She glanced through his chart and put an oximeter on his finger to test his oxygen level. It only took a few seconds to register results for Katy to read. “Looks like your oxygen level has returned to normal. I’ll start your discharge papers.”

  He jerked her hips to him. “Dammit, Katy! Will you just talk to me?”

  She looked at him, tears threatening again as she shook her head. “I can’t do this.”

  “If we love each other, we can do anything. My life has been miserable without you and Nicky.”

  Katy bit her lip and asked, “Why did you leave in May? What did you have to take care of?”

  Jesse looked down. “I...I can’t tell you yet. Everything exploded and it’s still working itself out...” He looked up at her and said, “I promise though, I won’t leave again.”

  Katy scoffed and shook her head. “You can’t tell me the truth and yet you want me to take you back?”

  Jesse squeezed her hips again. “Do you miss me?”

  Katy’s face dropped and she sighed. Even though she’d been seeing Rich, she really did miss Jesse, and so did Nicky. Jesse knew her better than she knew herself, he’d grown to know her better than her husband had. He could anticipate when she was going to be upset about Nick, he could tell what kind of day she’d had without asking, and he helped her son to know his biological father.

  Katy bit her lip, deciding to follow her instinct rather than her heart. “Get your stuff in order and then we’ll talk.”

  Jesse leaned up and kissed her, taking her by surprise. He pulled her close to him, his fingers threading through her hair as she kissed back. They were both trying to make up for lost kisses over the past two months until Katy pulled away.

  “Take care of yourself,” she said as she wiped off her face and walked out of his room. She hoped it didn’t take him long to get things in order. She was afraid if it did, it might be too late.

  ***

  During dinner that evening, Katy’s mind was clouded from the day’s events. The meal she was sharing with Rich was mainly eaten in silence, until he touched her hand, bringing her out of her thoughts.

  “You haven’t eaten all night.”

  It was true. Katy had simply pushed her food around her plate. She didn’t even bring the fork to her lips to pretend she was eating.

  “Sorry, my mind is somewhere else.”

  He patted her hand. “We’ll make it an early night.”

  She forced a smile and nodded her appreciation. The waiter cleared their meals and as they waited for the check, Rich watched her closely until he said, “He’s the best friend, isn’t he?”

  Katy looked at him, confused. How did he know about Jesse? She knew there was no way he could have Googled it.

  He gave a half smile and as though he’d been able to read her mind. He reminded her, “I asked around about you.”

  Now she knew what they’d been discussing when she saw him talking to Tiffany.

  She nodded. “Yes, the firefighter today was my husband’s best friend. My…” Katy trailed off. Her what? Ex-boyfriend? Ex-lover? Ex-fill-in husband?

  “You love him?”

  Katy was surprised by his forwardness, but she nodded. “I do.”

  He didn’t move his hand off hers. “Then why aren’t you together?”

  She sighed. “It’s a long story.”

  The waiter brought over the check, saving her from having to go into details. As they walked to the car, he took her hand in his and asked, “Give any more thought to starting over?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “It’s a girl!”

  Alayna beamed at her mother as Katy moved the ultrasound wand over her belly. School was about to start back up and Alayna was almost halfway through her pregnancy. Katy watched as the two celebrated another female being added to the Garrity brood. Poor Andy.

  Katy printed off images for both of them and cleaned the gel off Alayna’s stomach. She remembered watching Nick’s face as they found out they were having a boy. He would have been just as excited for a girl, but a boy meant there was someone to pass on the Garrity name.

  Alayna sat up, staring at the images Katy handed to her. She hugged her aunt tightly. “Thank you so much, Katy!”

  Katy squeezed her niece back and took Abby’s hand as they did. Billy had never returned any of Alayna’s phone calls once she told him, which was no surprise to either Katy or Abby. It had broken Alayna’s heart and both of the older Garrity women’s. She was learning adult lessons as a teenager due to the grown-up choices she’d made.

  Katy knew Anthony was the one who convinced Abby to work things out with Alayna. She was really starting to like him. Despite never having been married or having any kids, he was a family man who fit in perfectly with the Garritys.

  Alayna walked to the waiting room to tell Nora the good news, leaving the Garrity widows together. Tears fell down Abby’s cheeks as she hugged Katy.

  “I’m lucky to have you taking care of her.”

  Katy shrugged. “You know I’d do anything for those girls.”

  She nodded, wiping the last of her tears away. “How are things with you?”

  Katy smiled. “Actually...really good.”

  And they were really good. Katy had published her research paper. Nicky was growing into pure boy, climbing on everything, playing in dirt, and almost eating her out of house and home. Her marathon training was hard, but rewarding, and things with Rich were progressing well.

  It had only been a few months, but the two doctors connected on so many levels. She loved working beside him in the operating room, trying new foods and experiences with him, but she still wondered about those delicate hands of his. While they’d gotten to know each other better, they’d only been in the same city six times over the months they’d known each other.

  Abby squeezed her hand and smiled. “I like to hear that.”

  They walked out to the waiting room and saw the girls jumping up and down while they screamed with excitement. Katy laughed and wondered how she could ever leave them.

  ***

  Jesse drove the New Jersey turnpike for what he hoped was the last time. Today was the official court date, and he had everything in order. His lawyer swore things would be finalized today, which meant he could then go back to Katy and Nicky.

  He couldn’t wait to get back to life with his family. He’d found the perfect house for them to move into. It was in the suburbs, so it was a little bit of a drive to work for both of them, but the kids would be able to play in the yard and ride their bikes to school.

  Shifting into park, he took a deep breath. This was it. He turned off the engine and got out. He closed his door and saw his lawyer waving him over. They walked into the courthouse together. As they passed through the metal detector, Jesse’s nerves came back. He’d been so close to this moment before, but today was the day.

  Upon entering the courtroom, they found out the judge was running behind. Jesse paced back and forth in the hallway of the courthouse. Things needed to be completed today. He had to get Katy back, he was running out of time and was afraid he was going to lose her forever. His hands shook as he ran his fingers down his face. After today, he could tell her the truth and things could go back to the way they were.

  Nearly two hours later, the bailiff called his case and his heart raced in his chest. He sat next to his lawyer in the s
tuffy, crowded room. His attorney insisted that he wear his FDNY dress uniform, just in case they needed any leverage. The scratchy material was rubbing against his neck, driving Jesse crazy. He pulled at his collar and poured himself a glass of water, trying to fight off the nausea that had built in his stomach.

  As the judge started the proceedings, Jesse looked over at his daughter and grinned. The past didn’t matter. He’d be leaving here today with her. He’d get Katy back and they could start their lives together as a new, complete family.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Katy pulled on her scrub top in the doctors’ lounge at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She felt a peck on her cheek and turned to see Rich. She gave him a big smile as he lifted her up for a hug. Surgery had kept him from being able to pick her up from the airport.

  He kissed her as he set her down. “Did you have a good flight?”

  She nodded. “Slept the whole way, figured I wouldn’t get much while I was here.”

  He laughed. “I hope not.”

  When they walked into the hallway, he let go of her hand he’d been holding. It was time for them to be professional.

  “Menotti wants to talk to you after your surgery.”

  Katy raised her eyebrows. Dr. Leroy Menotti was Rich’s boss, the head of the cardiothoracic department. Rich shrugged as he grabbed a chart, heading into his patient’s room as Katy continued to the OR, her mind wondering what the boss could possibly want.

  ***

  Katy sat on the counter in Rich’s cabin drinking a glass of red wine. She watched as he cut up a salad and hummed along to the radio. He’d sneak a kiss each time he passed her. When he refilled her wine glass, his lips pressed against her collarbone. She closed her eyes and let out a small moan.

  His lips continued along her clavicle as his tongue dragged over her skin, pushing the strap of her tank top off her shoulder. He kissed back the opposite direction, doing the same to the other side. Then his lips danced up her neck and nibbled on her ear. His breath was warm on her, making the hair on her neck rise as he whispered, “I thought maybe we could have dessert first.”