Embrace

by Fernandez, Michelle

  Delilah giggles and it sends a warm tingle to my chest. This woman is like a force of nature doing things to my heart.

  “I’m adorable, huh?” she whispers as she cups my cheek.

  I meet her eyes and my lopsided grin on my face gets bigger. And despite the company around us, I kiss her soft lips, savoring the taste of her.

  I pull away and take her all in. Her chestnut hair falls forward over her shoulders, blue eyes suggestive, and I’m eager to take her back to the suite to have my way with her. Just like I had her in the shower, then on the bed, and one more time against the wall. Which is my new favorite position with her.

  “Delilah, I think you are an amazing woman. And being here with you and your family has made me fall harder for you. But I have another idea for falling harder if you’re ready to go.”

  She smiles. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Brody

  Her eyes light up and her smile warms my heart when she opens the door wider and motions for me to enter. Delilah holds up one finger telling me to give her a minute as I have a seat on the small sofa.

  I pick up a magazine and flip through the pages, keeping myself busy. I roll my eyes when I see my sister posing in a bathing suit on the beach.

  “The meeting is set for next month,” a man says through the speakerphone on her desk and the voice sounds familiar.

  “I look forward to presenting the new ideas and designs.” She leans back in the leather chair, twisting her lips as she skims the paper in her hand.

  “And I am looking forward to seeing them. I have seen your work, Delilah, and I’m impressed.”

  “The last project was simply maintenance and changing up some graphics,” Delilah says.

  “There is nothing simple about you at all.” A sting of jealousy hits me as the man clears his throat. “Let’s meet for lunch, say . . . tomorrow to go over some strategies?”

  He’s asking my girl out.

  Delilah glances at a calendar on her desk. “I’m booked tomorrow. But you are always welcome to make an appointment with the front desk. She has my schedule, Mr. Lindell.”

  Is that Kyle? Talk about whiplash. I knew I recognized that voice and his sly tactic. The jackass is using his Wayne Butters technique with my girlfriend. Asshole.

  I quickly stand, lean in Dee’s ear, and whisper, “Is that Kyle Lindell?” She nods and her brows scrunch together as if she’s wondering how I know him. “Hey, fucker!” I bellow into the speaker.

  The look on Delilah’s face is priceless as her eyes go wide. “Brody! What are you doing? He’s my client,” she gasps, quickly standing to her feet.

  “Brody? Is that you?” Kyle asks.

  I laugh and plant a kiss on Delilah’s lips. “So this is the way you’re trying to steal my girl before I formally introduce you?”

  “Wait, Delilah Marshall is your Kansas girl?” The question is more like a statement as he laughs between words. “You told me her name was Dorothy.”

  Delilah lets out a breath and relaxes her shoulders. “How do you two know each other?”

  “Kyle and I are good friends and we grew up together. He’s who we will be having dinner with next weekend.”

  “Yeah, about that. No can do, bro. I was going to call you. I have this wine caucus thing to go to.”

  “Brody, you told me we were meeting with Wayne Butters,” Delilah interrupts.

  Kyle and I start laughing and I don’t have a clue why I told her that. I kiss her cheek again and the scowl written all over her face tells me she doesn’t like being left out.

  “Wayne is Kyle’s nickname,” I tell her. “And a story he either needs to tell you or you may need to see in action.”

  “Should I worry?” Delilah raises her perfect brow, hand on her hip, giving me the death glare.

  “Not about me, I’d worry more about the women he uses that line on.”

  “Hey, listen, you two lovebirds, I need to run. Delilah, it’s nice to finally meet you. Brody, call me later in the week.”

  Delilah pushes the red button on the phone, and I rest my hands on either side of her hips, my face just inches from hers. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too,” she says. Her hands frame my face then she gives me a chaste kiss on my lips. “And I’m starving. Where are we going for lunch?”

  “Is there any way you can take off early today? There’s something I want to do with you.”

  “Brody, do you always have sex on the brain?”

  “When it comes to you, yes. But that’s not what I had in mind. That will be later tonight.”

  “I suppose I can take off early.” She opens the calendar on her desk. “I don’t have any appointments for the rest of the afternoon. I’ll just let the front desk know I’m no longer in the office and they can call me if they need me.”

  “Then it’s settled.”

  * * *

  We drive in a comfortable silence as our fingers lace together. I finally exit after thirty minutes on the freeway. Her dark sunglasses shadow her eyes. I can sense her confusion when she angles her head as I drive through the wrought iron gates, passing the sign, West Meadows Senior Living.

  With her next to me, it’s like seeing West Meadows with a fresh set of eyes. Palm trees line the two-way winding road to the manicured lawn. As we get closer, various colors of flowers adorn the large porch and facility workers in their white crisp uniforms pushing patients in their wheelchair around the small pond.

  I have come to terms with Matt’s death, forgiving myself and knowing I have done my part in taking care of Laura and the boys. I have laid everything out on the table and told Dee about my pre-navy days, and the stories of being a Saint Clair with Wayne Butters. Now it’s time to tell her about my dad.

  I glance over at Delilah and I wonder what she’s thinking when we park. The pit in my stomach is twisting into knots. She slides her sunglasses on top of her head and turns to face me.

  Delilah reaches over and the mere touch of her hand is the unconditional support that comforts my uneasiness. She has no idea the man I want her to meet may not remember me today. And yet, here I am, taking a chance for her to meet my dad, my hero. I want this woman to know everything about me, which is inevitable, and my worst fear.

  With our hands linked, we walk through the main entrance and I take a deep breath. My heart is thumping so loud I swear Delilah can hear it. Fear, anxiety, and unforeseen events play in my head. I’m afraid of what condition Dad will be in today.

  I have never come here of my own free will. Usually it’s Avery asking me to come with her or Doctor Williams requesting my presence. I’ve fought in battles, gotten shot and my leg almost ripped to shreds, and I’m scared as fuck right now. But with this woman by my side, I feel like I can do this.

  “We are here to see Gerard Reinhardt,” I tell the nurse at the desk, then I glance at Delilah to see her expression. Her smile is all the comfort I need as she squeezes my hand. “My name is Brody, his son, and this is my girlfriend, Delilah.”

  The nurse checks the list of permitted visitors then passes us stickers with our names written on them. We enter the double doors to the left and before I even realize it, we are at the threshold of my father’s room.

  I take in a deep breath and slowly enter, leaving my proverbial armor at the door. He’s staring out the window, silent and still. I motion for Delilah to hang back by the door, nervous of how he’ll be today.

  I rest the brown paper bag that holds our lunch on the table, then take a seat in the empty chair next to him.

  “Gerard,” I say cautiously. “Hi. How are you doing? Do you remember me?”

  Dad slowly turns to face me, and I swear I saw a tug at the corner of his mouth or was that my imagination?

  “I brought some food,” I continue. “Would it be all right if we had lunch together? Or would you rather take a walk around the pond? It’s a beautiful day.” I glance up at Delilah who’s patiently watching our inter
action.

  “I like food,” he says with a chuckle. “What did you bring today?”

  I motion Dee to come closer as I hold out my hand. “Gerard, I hope you don’t mind, I brought my girlfriend with me. This is Delilah.”

  Dad eyes her outstretched hand, and he slowly reaches up to shake it.

  “Hello, Mr. Reinhardt. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you,” Delilah says sweetly then sits in the chair next to me.

  “You have the prettiest eyes, just like my Stella. Only hers are green.” Dad’s melancholy voice fills the room. “She’ll be home soon.”

  The lump in my throat grows as he rants on about Mom. The many days when she sat on the balcony painting, her delicious goulash, and the way she brushed her hair twenty-five times on each side. Listening to him, it reminds me of the love they once shared. Dad’s smile grows as he continues to speak of Mom as if she’s still with us. And in a way, I feel her here, watching over me in this very moment.

  “Well, would Stella mind if we start lunch without her?” I ask as I take the sandwiches, chips, and bottled waters out of the bag and set them on the table.

  “Do you have banana bread in there too?” Dad asks, his eyes peeking in the brown bag. When I pull out three slices, his smile widens. “Thata boy, Brody. I knew you wouldn’t forget.”

  My name coming from his mouth staggers me momentarily.

  “Gerard,” I question gingerly, not sure if I should use his name or not. And if my dad is here, I will relish this moment and hope he will stay for a while so Dee can get to know him.

  “Delilah, did you know that Brody is going into the navy?” My dad says it more like a statement, then turns to me. “When do you leave for Virginia, son?” He picks up the half-cut sandwich and takes a bite.

  “Soon,” is all I can say, quickly picking up on which time frame he’s in right now.

  “Well, I’m proud of you, son.” A tear stings the back of my throat hearing those five words from my dad, the closure I have been longing for. He holds out his arm, showing Dee the blacksmith hammer tattooed with the numbers 27:17. “Brody has the sword and I am his hammer. I have done my job and sharpened this man the best I know how.”

  I pull up my sleeve and display my sword. “Iron sharpens iron.”

  His fingers brush over the sword tattooed on my skin, then his eyes meet mine. “Wear it proudly, son. Never forget.”

  I fight the tears welling in my eyes as Dad locks his gaze with mine. No longer is there animosity against the man before me. He is no longer an empty shell of a man. This is Gerard Reinhardt, my dad, my hero.

  “Yes, sir. I will wear this proudly and I will never forget,” I tell him.

  After we finish lunch, Delilah gathers the napkins and wrappers and tosses them in the garbage near the door.

  “Delilah,” Dad calls out to her before she returns to her chair. “Can you grab that journal on my nightstand and hand it to me?” Delilah does as he requests. He opens to a page where the silk ribbon lays in the seam and hands it back to Delilah. “Do you mind reading these pages to me? My vision is not what it used to be, and I love the sound of your voice.”

  “Yes, sir,” she says as she takes the leather journal from his hand and glances at me for the briefest of seconds. I smile and wrap my arm around her so I can lean in and follow along as she reads his words aloud.

  She clears her throat before she begins.

  “This is the day my son will carry my name. Just like I have done for my father. And he for his father and the many Reinhardt fathers before me. But what do I call him? I promised Stella I would give him a powerful name. I stare at the little miracle in the arms of my beautiful wife as they sleep so soundly in the hospital bed. I want to freeze time but know I can’t. I leave for a three-month deployment next week. Being away from the two most important people in my life is physically breaking me. I pray they will be safe while I’m away. And I hope he’ll know who I am when I return. I pray that he will grow up to be the man he is destined to be. A man that will reach for the stars and never settle for less. His little fingers will eventually take the hand of a woman and make her his. And I pray he will cherish her heart as I do my Stella’s. I can’t wait to hear his laughter when I crack a joke or his cries when he falls off his bike. Good things are coming and the perfect name he will have is after my great grandfather, Brody. He was a strong-willed Irishman, never gave up and valued family . . .”

  While Delilah reads several more pages, my heart swells hearing about me and how I got my name. And it dawns on me he needed these journals to remember when his brain cannot.

  Dad yawns and I take that as our cue to let him rest and I hope the next time we visit, it will be just like this one. And if it’s not, at least I got this moment to cherish.

  As I help him to the bed, prop his frail body on the mattress, and pull the covers over him, I catalog this moment to my memory. Listening to his words, feeling the connection, and watching the smile on his face has me believing he remembers every bit of our life together.

  I lean forward, press a kiss on his forehead, and leave my lips there for a beat. In a weird way, I feel like my father is gently telling me there’s not much time left.

  When I stand up and look down at my dad, he grips my hand in both of his and tells me, “Your father must be very proud of you.”

  Holding back the tears only because I know my dad is gone, all I can say is, “Yes, sir, he’s told me he is.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Delilah

  “Wake up, sleepyhead,” Brody’s gravelly voice whispers in my ear, sending tingles down my spine and between my legs.

  “What time is it?” I grumble, pulling the covers over my head.

  “It’s oh-four-hundred.”

  “In the morning?”

  He chuckles. “Yes, sweetheart. In the morning.” He pulls the covers off my face and kisses my neck. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “On top of the three or so orgasms you gave me last night?” I open one eye and grin. “Can you give me at least an hour to sleep?”

  He’s on his side, elbow bent, leaning on his hand, and surveying my naked torso. His free hand caresses my tummy. “As much as I’d love to give you more, that’s not what I was talking about.”

  “Then, why are we up so early?” I ask, then notice he’s fully dressed as I prop up on my elbows. “Are we going somewhere?”

  “Yes, we’re going somewhere. Like I said, I have a surprise for you. So, I need your beautiful body out of bed and ready in thirty minutes.” Serena is sitting beside the bed watching us as if she understands. “Serena, wanna help me out here? Can you tell Dee that we have reservations?”

  Serena barks once and walks back to her oversized bed in the corner of the room.

  “Serena agrees with me. Reservations at the ass crack of dawn is crazy and ludicrous,” I huff. I look at him through my lashes as he levels his stare.

  We have a stare down for a brief moment, then he taps his watch. “You now have twenty-nine minutes.”

  “You’re not joking,” I retort, pulling the covers back over my head as I plop back on the pillows acting like a bratty child.

  “Get up, lazy bones.”

  “Why can’t you surprise me when the sun comes up?” I pout.

  “Because it’ll be too late then. Here, let me help you up.” Brody pulls the comforter completely off, then picks me up, hauls me over his shoulder, and my naked ass is in the air.

  “Brody! What are you doing?”

  He gives me a playful smack with his hand on my butt then kisses it. “If we didn’t have reservations, I’d put you back on that bed and have my way with you, again.” He lightly kicks the door open to the joining bathroom, stands me on my feet, and turns on the shower.

  “At least tell me where you’re taking me.”

  He frames my face with his hands and presses a kiss to my lips. He tastes of toothpaste and it makes me wonder if he even got any sleep at all. He’s weari
ng faded jeans and a gray hoodie and my curiosity piques at where we are going this early in the morning.

  He grabs my waist and pulls me against him.

  “I love surprising you. Just give me today and if you don’t like this surprise, then I promise I won’t surprise you anymore.”

  “Grr . . . I hate surprises.” I put my hand under the streaming water to test the temperature.

  “Just face it, Kansas, I keep you on your toes.” He hands me my towel and I throw it over the shower rod. “Do you trust me?”

  Our eyes lock and I smile. Not only do I trust him, I’m falling for him.

  “Of course I do.” I pile my hair up in a bun and pin it with a clip.

  The smile on his face grows, displaying his perfectly white teeth. “Good, hop in the shower. I need you ready in less than twenty-five minutes. It’s a bit chilly out, so layer up.”

  “Can you at least tell me if we’ll be indoors or out?” I ask as I step into the shower.

  “I’m going to make you a cup of coffee,” he says, clearly ignoring my probing as he walks out of the bathroom.

  “Fine, ignore me! Two can play that game, Reinhardt!” I yell.

  “After your surprise, you won’t be able to resist me, Kansas!” he bellows.

  I can’t resist him anyway.

  * * *

  It’s an hour and a half later when Brody finally parks. With our fingers linked, we walk across the parking lot, and a man wearing a baseball cap with the words Top of the World on it greets us with a warm smile.

  “Good morning, Hank.” Brody shakes his hand. “Delilah, this is Hank. Hank, this is my girlfriend, Delilah.”

  “Hello there, pretty lady,” he says as he tips his ball cap. “You ready to see the world in a different way?”

  I turn to face Brody and more perplexed at what we are doing and what Hank is talking about.

  “You didn’t tell her yet?” Hank asks, turning to Brody.