by Melody Anne
Joseph felt a dam building up, holding back his very fragile emotions. So much had happened these past few months. So much was on his plate. He valued his strength, needing to be that man for his family. He couldn’t release the iron control he’d been using to keep calm.
“It’s okay, Joseph. It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to be frustrated. And it’s also okay to let it all go. You can be mad at me, at this man, at the world. And once you allow yourself to be angry, you can set those emotions free. Let it go, Joseph. Trust me to do what’s best for me. Also trust me to be strong for you once in a while. Trust us to make it through all of this together.
And that was it. The dam broke — and it broke as if a nuclear explosion had detonated right in the middle of it. His eyes filled and spilled over on the top of Katherine’s head. He loved her even more as she cradled him tight, not lifting her head to see the tears he was trying to hide, giving him this moment of grief and anger as she held him.
He shook with anguish as she whispered her love for him, lifting her hand to rub his cheek while her head remained cradled against his heart. He wasn’t sure if minutes passed or hours, but they didn’t speak while he held his wife and released the emotions that had been brewing for too long.
Finally, when he had a voice again, when the tears were dry, he cupped her cheek and turned her head so he could look into her loving eyes. “I don’t know how you touch me the way you do, my beautiful wife, but you make me a new man each day. You make me want to be better. You make me want to be the man you see. Talking about our last day together breaks my heart. I want an eternity with you at my side. I can’t live without you. I can’t promise my reaction to the man who hurt you will be for mercy, but I will promise to honor your wishes just as I did the day I was lucky enough to marry you.”
She was the one crying now as she gazed into Joseph’s eyes. He’d thought he’d known what love was before this moment, but he’d been wrong. His heart had grown in the last day even more with his wife. His love grew stronger whenever they were together. Her love would conquer any hate inside of him.
“Thank you,” Katherine said. She leaned forward and gently kissed him before she settled back down and rested her ear against his heart again. Now that she was at peace, she fell asleep in less than a minute. Joseph’s large hand rubbed gently along her back as he listened to the sweet murmurs she made as she dreamed what he hoped was beautiful, peaceful moments in some of their favorite places.
The last of his anger evaporated as he held his wife. He and Katherine had a beautiful love story, and she was completely right: they needed to continue their story with love and laughter, not pain and anger. After several minutes, Joseph lay back, pulling Katherine even more tightly into his arms — and then he promptly fell asleep.
Joseph woke before Katherine, his body aching from the uncomfortable position. Very carefully, he sat up, keeping her head cradled in his lap, and they remained that way for nearly an hour before her eyes fluttered, then opened, a smile instantly appearing on her naturally pink lips.
“You look very beautiful this morning, my love,” Joseph whispered, running his fingers through her white hair. “Even more beautiful than the day I met you.” It was true. Each new line, each hair that had turned silver, and each mark that showed their years had only made her that much more beautiful in his eyes.
“You’ve always been such a charmer, Joseph,” Katherine said with a girlish giggle he hadn’t known he’d missed until hearing it again.
“I only speak the truth,” he told her. He moved his hand from her neck and over her collarbone, his fingers trailing over the top of her chest. Just as he was about to move a little lower, they heard footsteps in the hallway.
Katherine’s eyes widened in horror as she swatted his hand away and quickly scrambled up, scooting away from him, straightening her rumpled clothing, and trying to tame her hair. He was greatly disappointed and vowing to kick every single person out of his house right then and there. The person walked on by and Katherine turned to him.
“Thank goodness they didn’t come in here. How mortifying,” she said as she looked at the door.
“Why do you say that?” he asked. It wasn’t as if they’d been doing anything, though if he’d had a few more minutes, that could’ve changed.
She blushed deeply as she looked at him. “Well, it looked really bad. With the back of the couch to the door, that makes it even worse. You’re sitting up while I’m lying down across your lap. If someone had come in, it would’ve appeared . . . well, it would’ve looked like . . .” She stopped talking as a giggle escaped her while her cheeks turned even pinker.
Joseph grinned — big and waggled his brows at her. “Maybe we should get back into position and see what happens.”
“Joseph Anderson, you, like all men, are terrible. That’s not going to happen.”
“You forget, my beautiful wife, that we have no secrets from one another. I know you’ve been naughty a time or two over the years.”
“Hush, Joseph,” Katherine admonished, looking at the door.
Joseph laughed with true joy as he looked at his blushing bride. He’d meant it when he’d told her she was more beautiful today than the day he’d met her. She’d aged with grace, maturity, and unimaginable beauty. He’d never stop loving or desiring her.
“We might not be spring chickens anymore, but you still make me feel like a young lad, and all of the parts are working just fine,” he told her. He sent a kiss through the air.
There was a tap on the door before it opened and one of their cleaning staff stepped inside, before blushing and looking down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were in here,” she said before quickly backing away.
“Do you think she heard anything?” Katherine asked in horror.
Joseph laughed again. “From the blush on her cheeks, it’s possible. But desiring my wife isn’t something I’ll ever be embarrassed about.”
“I need coffee before I shower and change,” Katherine said as she stood.
Joseph joined her, slightly disappointed his morning wasn’t going to end the way he’d been hoping. But that just led to anticipation of the night to come. He felt freer than he had in a very long time. And that made him want his wife all to himself.
They walked into the kitchen and had just poured their coffee when the butler stepped inside the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt so early in the morning,” he said. “I have a Dr. Whitman on the phone saying it’s urgent.”
Joseph lost his smile as he stared at the phone in the butler’s hand. It was never good when a doctor said a call was urgent. He went to grab the phone when Katherine stopped him.
“I think it’s for me,” she told her husband. He wanted to argue, instantly wanted to be the go-between, wanted to protect his bride. “Thank you,” she told the butler as she took the phone.
“Hi, Dr. Whitman, this is Katherine,” she said, her mood not shifting at all. Joseph paced in front of her, his coffee forgotten. He stayed close so he could try to hear Spence’s voice coming through the device.
“Good morning, Katherine. Since I’m ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure Joseph is hovering around you, could you put the phone on speaker so I don’t have him dialing me up the second we hang up?” Spence asked with a laugh.
Katherine joined him in laughter as Joseph glared at the phone. Katherine pulled it back and hit the speaker button, making Spence’s voice louder in the large room.
“Okay, you’re on speaker,” Katherine said.
“Well then, I have some news for you both. Dr. Manstein from Johns Hopkins and Dr. Raul Molina from Barcelona have agreed to team up to do your surgery. Don’t let this stress you, but we’re going to move ahead fast. They feel you’re ready, and they have the end of this week open,” Dr. Whitman said.
Joseph felt the color drain from his face as Katherine beamed at the phone. Was Joseph ready for this? He knew Katherine was, knew she hated to live with the unknown, but Joseph wasn’t sur
e he was ready. Things went wrong in surgeries all of the time. However, there was no way he’d voice his concerns to his wife when she obviously wasn’t concerned. Panic threatened to take him over. He had to turn away from Katherine so she wouldn’t see he was on the verge of losing control.
“I know you’ll have a lot of questions, but let me answer a few right off the bat. I know this is a quick turnaround, and ideally I’d like to have more time for you to prepare, but these are the best of the best and you couldn’t be in better hands so we can’t let this opportunity pass us by. The hospital is booked, set up, and ready to go. This truly is the best path forward. I know it gives you little time to talk and sort things out, but I think you should say yes.”
“Where will you be in all of this, Dr. Whitman?” Katherine asked.
“I’d love to be in the room with you, unless you say otherwise. I might be the best trauma surgeon out there, but I’m not a brain surgeon so I can only be in there with your permission. In this case I’m the JV squad, and I’m benched while the varsity team takes over.”
“Spence, this is rushed. I don’t like it,” Joseph said. He couldn’t hold back any longer.
Katherine reached out and took Joseph’s hand. “It’ll be okay, Joseph,” she whispered, taking a second to look him in the eyes. Spence was quiet as he waited for their answer. “This will be our best option and I don’t want to wait any longer. I want it done and over with.”
Joseph had to fight new tears at the thought of losing his Katherine. But if this was what she wanted, this would be what she’d have. He nodded at her. She leaned up, kissed him gently, and then turned back to the phone.
“We’ll do the surgery, Dr. Whitman, and I’d be honored to have you in the room.”
“I’ll be honored to be there. I want to witness your miracle because you are that, Katherine. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known.” He stopped and chuckled. “Just don’t tell my wife that and get me into trouble. She’s competitive and likes to think she’s tough.”
“I do always like to have blackmail,” Katherine said. Joseph couldn’t believe the two of them could joke at a moment like this, but he wasn’t going to complain as long as there was a smile on his wife’s lips.
“Come to the hospital this afternoon, we’ll go over all of the details, and I’ll show you both where the surgery will occur. That’s more for Joseph than you, but I want this to be as smooth, easy, and stress-free as possible for two people I greatly admire,” Spence said.
“We’ll do that,” Katherine said. Then they ended the call. They had a lot more phone calls to make that afternoon, a lot of family to tell. After that it would be nonstop planning. If something were to happen they couldn’t go in blind.
Surgeries didn’t always go well. Neither of them said that, but they both had it on their minds. Joseph vowed to keep that locked up deep down inside and to have the best time together over the next few days. He wanted her to go into that surgery with the will and desire to come back out of it. He wanted her to know she was so utterly loved she had to stay right there with him and not be tempted by that bright light calling her name.
He’d prove to her that she was better off on earth at his side, than in the peace of the heavens. He needed her to keep shaping him into the man he wanted to be to meet his maker. He wasn’t there yet. He needed more years with her to get there.
Joseph pulled Katherine into his arms and held on tight, a single tear falling. He wiped it away, not willing to show her. He had to be strong; he had to be the man she’d married. He had to keep them together. And that was exactly what he was going to do.
Chapter Eight
Brackish had been waiting for what seemed like forever to go on his first official date with Erin. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so nervous, even finding himself checking his phone every three-point-two seconds to see if she’d messaged him.
Ugh. He couldn’t stand those couples who were so attached at the hip, they couldn’t manage to function without one another. He hadn’t even slept with this woman yet and his mind was filled with her. What in the hell was wrong with him?
Brackish had been a professor for years at a college where he’d been surrounded by women of all ages, races, body types, and personalities. He’d never been this consumed by one of them. But this spitfire of a waitress had his hormones, and his mind, in a jumble.
Brackish blamed his disinterest in the opposite sex on a number of things. There was a time he’d been a typical young man, interested in sex, love, and maybe even marriage. Then he’d met Janice. They had been hot and heavy from the start, both of them in their early twenties. Within six months they were living together. And after a year he was in a high-end jewelry store looking at jewelry he couldn’t afford, figuring love would conquer all. He’d pulled out his platinum credit card after settling on a stunning pear shaped diamond when his phone had buzzed.
When he’d looked down at the message he’d felt himself grow cold. The smile he’d been wearing for the past hour instantly evaporated, taking away the smile from the salesclerk as well. It was one message: short, sweet, and to the point.
I’ve found another. I’m sorry, but I’ve moved out. Don’t call. Don’t text. And don’t come for me. This has been brewing for a while. We’ve grown apart and I’m not happy. I wish you well. Goodbye.
Brackish had looked up at the salesclerk and turned his phone around, letting the man read the message. Brackish hadn’t spoken as he turned without another word and walked out of the store. He hadn’t tried to call her, and didn’t try to message her. He’d walked three miles back to their home because he hadn’t wanted to be in a car with a chatty driver.
When he’d stepped inside their apartment it had looked as if she’d never been there. Gone were the teal and gold throw pillows. Gone were the framed pictures of the two of them on the wall. Gone were the lacy pieces of lingerie hanging from the hooks on the back of the bathroom door. Gone were the spices she’d used to make unique desserts. Gone was the kitten they’d adopted only two months earlier. There wasn’t a single trace of her left in the place.
He’d moved inside their bedroom and looked with disgust at the bed they’d made love in so often. She hadn’t seemed closed off the night before, she’d seemed happy and in love. He truly wasn’t sure where it had all gone wrong. He’d gone through many emotions over the next year after she’d left. There’d been disbelief, anger, and even grief. It had closed him off from his friends and women for quite a while.
Somewhere in the following fifteen years he’d lost interest in dating. Sure, he’d hooked up with women — he was human, after-all. But he hadn’t had a serious relationship since that Dear John message. And then, out of the blue, there was Erin — and wonder of all wonders, he didn’t feel like holding anything back.
Brackish stepped from his truck and looked at the small cute house that didn’t look as if it belonged in that rundown neighborhood. The neighbors on either side of Erin had overgrown lawns, garbage flung from one side to the other, and a couple of broken-down vehicles. Erin’s place had a few flowers planted, a decently groomed lawn, and a clean but slightly peeling front porch.
Since Erin had worked the late shift, they’d agreed he’d pick her up at two in the afternoon, giving her time to sleep. He walked to her door, feeling a little nervous. He really liked this woman.
He knocked . . . then waited.
“Coming,” he heard called out, kicking butterflies up in his stomach. Brackish took some deep breaths as he clutched the flowers he’d brought her, nearly snapping the delicate stems.
And then she was standing in the doorway, taking his breath away. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans that showcased her incredible hips and legs. The pair of red heels allowed a few toenails to peek out that were painted the same red, and also matched the sweater that hugged her incredible chest and waistline. His eyes traveled up to her flushed cheeks then zeroed in on her painted red lips. When her tongue swep
t out and traced along them he felt his groin tighten, making him shift in front of her.
“Hi, Steve,” she said, her voice slightly breathless.
“You’re stunning,” he said in lieu of a greeting.
The smile that overtook those luscious lips made his greeting totally worth it.
“Thank you,” she said, clutching her fingers together in front of her. He wondered if she was having just as difficult of a time keeping her hands off of him as he was of keeping his off of her. “Come in, I’m just about ready.”
Though it was difficult to make his legs work, he managed to step forward. He thrust the flowers out in front of him like an awkward teen, not knowing what to do next. “I got these for you,” he said, feeling more than a little lame.