Scooping the last of his chocolate pudding from the cup, Jaxon swallowed quickly and replied, “Me.”
Smiling, she nodded and they all jumped up to take their plates to the kitchen sink. As the others headed to the living room, he stood at the sink and rinsed the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Miss Ethel wrapped the leftovers in plastic wrap, humming as she worked.
“How did you like the pool today?” she asked.
“It was okay…kinda cool…kinda scary,” he admitted.
“I didn’t learn to swim until I was a young woman,” she said. “We didn’t have access to a pool when I was a child, but my husband insisted I learn.”
His eyes grew wide as he looked over his shoulder at her. “You were already grown up when you learned?”
Nodding, she said, “Yes. I was terribly afraid of the water at first.”
He remained quiet as he continued to rinse off the silverware. Finally, he asked, “Did you see that little girl? The one who was swimming all over the place?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied. “Quite the little mermaid, wasn’t she?” Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said, “She helped you when you went under.”
Blushing, he had wondered if she had actually seen him do that, since she had not said anything. Covering, he said with false bravado, “Augh, it was nothin’. I was just playing.”
“Well, it was nice to see her talk to you anyway.”
“She said she practices all the time…she was really good.”
“Hmmm,” she hummed.
“I’m pretty good at some stuff, but not like her.”
Miss Ethel turned to face him, placing her hands on his shoulders. “We all have different talents, different gifts. You are a good ball player, a good student with math, a good brother, and you make me laugh more than I’ve ever laughed in my life.”
He grinned up at her, his smile infectious. She pulled him in for a hug and kissed the top of his head. “But, mostly, sweet boy, I want you happy. Whatever you’re doing, I want you to do it because it makes you happy, not because someone else is forcing you to do it.”
His smile slid off his lips as he leaned back to peer up at her face. “Did you hear that man yelling at her?”
With a pat on his back, she nodded. “Now, head into the living room and you can watch some TV before bedtime.”
With a whoop, he turned and ran out of the kitchen, her eyes following him all the way.
That night, Jaxon finished brushing his teeth and ran into the older boys’ bedroom. Miss Ethel’s house had three bedrooms upstairs. Two of them held twin beds and bunk beds, allowing three boys each. Zander, Cael, and Rafe all slept in one room, while Jayden and Asher shared his room. They all shared a large bathroom at the end of the hall.
A smaller bedroom held a single bed with a small bathroom attached, but she kept that room available in case she had to take in another boy for a short period of time.
He grinned as he jumped onto Cael’s bed, ready for story time. Each night, Zander would read to the rest of them. Sometimes he read modern stories, but he often read from a large, unabridged book of fairy tales.
“What do y’all want tonight?” Zander asked.
“Little Mermaid,” he called out, his smile bright with anticipation. His eyes were trained on the Disney book lying on the shelf, but as Zander picked up the larger book, he asked, “It’s in there too?”
Before Zander had a chance to respond, Miss Ethel walked in, sitting in the wooden, straight-back chair next to one of the bunk beds. “I think most fairy tales are in Zander’s big book,” she answered. “They are classics.”
His brow crinkled, he said, “But I like the Disney version. The cartoon movie made them look like they were really under the water.”
“Yes, and those are fine. But, all boys and girls should read the classic versions as well,” she said, smiling at the six pairs of eyes pinned on her.
“How come?” Jayden asked, sitting cross-legged on the bed next to him, their poses identical.
“Many of the old fairy tales did not end as happily as we would like, but they served their purpose at the time.”
They all quieted, each scrunching their faces as they tried to understand.
Smiling, she continued, “The original stories often taught moral lessons that are lost in the Disney versions. Moral lessons were given in story form, to teach us to think about our lives. In the classic version, Hans Christian Andersen didn’t have the mermaid marry a prince. Instead of focusing on happily ever after, he used the story to warn us that our actions have consequences.” Nodding toward Zander, she said, “You may start, dear,” then moved over to the twin bed in the corner, settling down next to Jaxon as he listened.
The story told of a young mermaid who desperately fell for the prince but had to make a deal with the sea to gain legs. Dancing for the prince caused horrible pain, but she loved him so much, she suffered the agony to make him happy. He fell for a princess and married her, breaking the little mermaid’s heart. The only way she could become a mermaid again was to kill the prince, but she refused and died, becoming sea foam.
As Zander finished the story, Jaxon’s face crumpled, his heart heavy at the unhappy ending. “I don’t like that story,” he complained, looking up into Miss Ethel’s face.
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her embrace for a hug. “But, think. She loved him so much that she was willing to sacrifice her voice and take on great pain, just to be with him. And in the end, she was willing to give all for her love. So, while the story is tragic, it exemplifies her love.”
“Did you give up everything to love us?” Asher asked, his young voice small, but his eyes holding emotion way beyond his years.
She leaned over to engulf him in her arms as well. “Oh, my dear boys. I gave up nothing and gained everything. Having all of you gave me exactly what I needed in life after my dear husband died. The house is full of life and energy, laughter and fun.”
Still pouting, he slumped down and said, “I still like the Disney version better. I like that the prince and princess get together in the end.”
Laughing, she said, “Nothing wrong with that, my dear. Moral lessons have their place, but happily ever after does too. They teach us that forever love can happen. The Disney version gives us a great chance to learn to take risks. Sometimes, they are absolutely worth everything.”
Later that night, tucked into his own bed, he dreamed about the little girl in the water and how easily she swam. It seemed to him that she took big risks for so small a person as she dove into the deep end of the pool. If she can take such risks, I wonder what I can do.
3
Eighteen Years Later
The ambulance raced down the street, the siren blaring as Jaxon cursed at the vehicles not moving out of the way. Finally, gaining a break, he drove through the cars parting like the Red Sea and pressed on the accelerator, turning onto the road leading to the hospital.
“ETA two minutes,” he called into the radio.
“Jesus, how do you deal with the drivers who don’t get the fuck outta the way?” Bob Sisco, the newest rookie, asked him.
“Gotta stay cool, keep your eyes on the road. You can press through, but you don’t want to cause another accident.” What he did not mention was that, as a medic driving an armored ambulance in Afghanistan when he was in the Marines, he had learned to drive in all manner of conditions—and staying alert was the difference between life and death for all involved.
He heard Mary Bibby, the attending paramedic in the back, radio the updated stats of the patient they carried to the hospital just as he turned into the ER ambulance lane. Stopping at the entrance, he recognized several of the staff that were awaiting their transfer.
He jumped out and rushed around to the back, meeting Bob at the doors that the hospital staff had now opened. As the patient was rolled out, they assisted Mary as she alighted, keeping the IV and EKG lines untangled. Running along, th
ey made it to the ER bay before relinquishing the patient.
Mary stood with the ER nurse, giving her report, while Bob and he unhooked their monitors as the hospital hooked the patient up with their own. As Mary finished, he and Bob walked out of the bay and moved to the nurses’ station, ready to fill out the paperwork required.
“Always paperwork,” Bob said, taking the tablet that he handed to him.
“It’s a lot better than the old days when we had to do all the paperwork and then the hospital staff had to try to enter it all. It’s a lot faster and more accurate now.”
“Hey, Jaxie.”
He recognized that voice but had hoped to make it in and out of the hospital without hearing it today. Turning, he gifted a smile to the pretty nurse beaming up at him. He knew the look in her eye, the one that said she was pissed he had not called and that she was offering him a redemptive way back into her good graces with a date ending in a tumble at her place.
Her finger raked down his arm and she leaned in, just enough to brush her breasts against his side. “Been missing me?”
“You know me, Susie, busy as always.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she maintained the sugary voice. “But, you used to always have time for me. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
Handing his tablet back to the receptionist he looked over Susie’s head and watched as Mary walked toward him, a raised eyebrow and smirk combo on her face.
“Sorry, Susie, I’m just not…um…I’m getting…married.”
Blinking, she reared back. “M…married? You must be joking?”
Ignoring Mary’s chortle and Bob’s wide-eyed, mouth hanging open expression, he said, “Yeah. Tomorrow. So, uh…gotta go.”
With that he turned, grabbed their equipment and hustled out the door. Climbing into the driver’s seat, he started the ambulance, calling in their location and ETA for arriving back at the station.
“Married? That’s the best you could come up with to get rid of Miss I-can-have-sex-in-any-position-you-want?” Mary cackled.
“Oh, shut up,” he grumbled, focusing on driving and not on the jocularity from the back.
“I didn’t know you were getting married tomorrow,” Bob said, his brows drawn down.
Mary’s laughter reached epic proportions and he bit out, “I’m not! Jeez. I just needed to shut her down.”
Bob's head swiveled to look at Mary, still laughing, before going back to his profile. “But why? She’s hot!”
Patting him on the shoulder, Mary quipped, “Oh, little grasshopper, you have a lot to learn.”
“Grasshopper?”
“She’s referring to Kung Fu,” he groused.
“Huh?” Bob questioned, the look of confusion still on his face.
“Jesus, man. Kung Fu? Probably the greatest western show on TV back in the 1970’s.”
Bob jerked his head around. “I wasn’t born then.”
Mary slapped his shoulder, saying, “What the hell do you think the Classic TV channel is for?”
Shrugging, Bob said, “I never watch it. I figured that was for old people. Anyway, what does that have to do with that hot nurse?”
By this time, his eyes had rolled in his head so many times, he wondered how he stayed on the road. Sucking in a deep breath through his nose before letting it out slowly, he said, “Bob, let me put it plainly so you can get it. I fu—uh, spent some time with her one night. She likes to party and at one time I was dumb enough to shit where I work.” Seeing Bob’s eyes widening again and assuming he still was not getting it, he clarified, “That means I slept with a woman that I see at work. Not a good idea. Especially since it was just fun for me and she’d like to keep things going. So now, I have no interest in her, but I still have to see her around. Ergo, an awkward situation.” Taking his eyes off the road for an instant to glance at his rookie partner, he growled, “Does that make it clear to you?”
Mary leaned back, still chuckling to herself, and Bob nodded. “Sure, I get it. Sorry, man.”
“No problem. Now if we can leave my sex life outta this conversation, let’s get back to the station.”
Bob, quiet for another minute, piped up and said, “But what happens when she finds out you’re not married?”
He cursed under his breath and Mary’s laughter rang out once more. Pinching his lips, he refused to answer, having no idea what he would say when the persistent nurse found out.
Grateful to pull into the station, he stayed busy as they repacked the ambulance and he moved to fill out the reports needed for the Captain.
Bob stayed out of his hair until another call came out. Hustling back into the ambulance, he glared at the rookie, who threw up his hands and said, “I’m learning. No personal questions!”
“Thank fuck,” he said, and they pulled out into the street.
Carrying their equipment into the sports arena, they followed one of the managers toward the locker room outside the pool where an older man lay on the floor. According to a witness, he had left the pool and headed into the sauna. He came out several minutes later, stumbling, holding his chest, and his breathing was erratic.
Jaxon nodded, noting the man’s color was flushed, but he was conscious. Kneeling, he immediately began talking to the man in a quiet voice, asking him his name, age, and what happened. Glad the man was responsive and able to answer the questions, he nodded to Mary as she hooked him up to the EKG.
Bob inserted an IV line into his hand and wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his other arm. As the results came in, Mary radioed in the man’s vital signs. Working together, they moved him onto the stretcher. Stepping back, he knew it was time to give Bob more responsibility, so he allowed him to go out with the patient while he quickly packed up their equipment.
A splash caught his attention and he looked through the doorway into the pool. A single woman was swimming laps, her long body and powerful shoulders cutting through the water. Her movements were graceful as well as strong and he was mesmerized. As he was staring, she hauled herself out of the water and jerked her swim cap off her head while pulling off her goggles.
Water droplets cascaded down her body, tanned skin tight over lean muscles. Her long hair fell over her shoulders and the color caught the bright florescent lights over the pool. Her deep russet hair glowed, but he noted there were lighter streaks of red as well.
He stood, rooted to the spot, unable to take his eyes off her, when she lifted her head. Her blue eyes hit him and he was struck by her beauty. He watched her gaze drift from his head to his boots and back up.
“Chapman!” Mary called, jerking his attention back to his task at hand. Bending, he grabbed the portable equipment and with a nod toward the beautiful swimmer, he hustled out of the building and into the cab of the squad.
Bob was in the back with Mary, working with her as he drove to the hospital. Never having lost focus when on a call before, he was glad for the emptiness in the front of the cab. Shaking his head, he wondered what had just happened.
“Morgan!”
Morgan dropped her head for a moment, still standing near the window of the pool with a towel in her hands, wiping her face. Staring out the window, she watched as the handsome EMT climbed into the cab of the ambulance and drove away. His dark hair, long since needing a haircut, curled over his ears. His body filled out the navy pants and short sleeved polo with the city rescue service logo on the pocket. His muscles bulged at the sleeves and caused the material to pull slightly over his chest.
“What are you doing?” her dad barked.
Sighing, she fought not to roll her eyes. She had heard that particular bark every day for her entire twenty-four years of life. “I was just taking a breather while they finished on Mr. Carson—”
“Who? Who’s Mr. Carson?”
Turning, she looked at her dad standing with his hands on his hips in his usual uniform of shorts, t-shirt, and gym shoes, with a whistle and stopwatch hanging around his neck. His formerly red hair was now intersper
sed with grey and his ruddy cheeks were just as red. His eyes, still blue and sharp, were shooting fireworks toward her.
“Mr. Carson. The older man who is in here almost every day during lunchtime?” She saw no recognition in his eyes. Huffing, she waved her hand to the left and continued, “He swims laps in that lane for about thirty minutes?”
Still no response. “Jesus, Dad, you might want to take a look around sometime and see what else is in the world. Or, say, even what is going on in this facility.”
“Maybe when you shave another half-second off your time I’ll be able to do just that,” he bit back, his face unsmiling.
Pinching her lips together, she bent to the table, snatched her goggles and cap up in her hand, and walked back to the pool. He stopped her with a hand on her arm, forcing her attention back to him.
“You want this. You’ve wanted this your whole life. I’m just making sure you get a chance to have your dreams come true.”
With a curt nod at his words, she dove into the water. Not even a minute passed before she could hear her father shouting orders and directions to her from above. The water had always been a refuge…and a prison.
She loved the feeling of gliding through the water like a fish, moving easily from one end to the other. But, for as long as she could remember, her father dominated her every movement. She needed to be faster, stronger, better than anyone else. It did not seem to matter to him how many trophies and ribbons she won, there was always another goal to work toward.
“Get up here!” the next shout came, drawing her out of her musings. She swam to the side and looked up at her father, seeing the anger building.
“What the hell are you doing, Morgan? It’s like you’re down there daydreaming,” he accused.
“Dad, I’m just off my game today. It’s fine. I’m fine. I just got distracted earlier.”
Standing there, frustration rolling off him, he finally said, “Get out. Hit the weights for the rest of the afternoon and get your mind back on the goal. I want you here for another three hours—”
Jaxon Page 2