Finding Purpose (Colorado Veterans Book 1) Page 21

  His mother woke up from her coma with her mental capacity severely diminished. She’ll never be able to take care of herself, much less her son again, and after a long discussion with Carlo, the counselor, and the social worker, we petitioned the state to adopt him permanently. We’re waiting for the paperwork to go through but the lawyer says he doesn’t see an issue. We take Carlo to see Lateesha once a week at a nursing home in the city. It’s always difficult but we don’t want to cut her out of his life. He still needs to see her.

  Right now I’m sitting on some major news like a mother goose on an egg and it’s making me antsy. We’re all in the kitchen preparing for breakfast.

  “Daisy, you listening?” Judson asks from the table.

  “Um…sorry I was off in la-la land.”

  His forehead wrinkles. “You okay?”

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine. What were you saying?”

  He rolls his eyes like a petulant teenager and says, “With Carlo’s birthday coming up I think we should have a big party here at the house. Invite the family and he can invite his friends from school. The boys could stick around afterwards and we could do a campout by the pond. I’m sure we could get Dex to join us and maybe even Joel and his son.”

  I glance over to Carlo, trying to judge his thoughts on this and am happy to find him sitting enthusiastically on the edge of his chair, hands clasped together pleading for a yes.

  “Carlo, what do you think?” I prompt, already knowing what he’s thinking.

  “Yes, yes, yes! Please, Quinn? I’ve never had a campout or a party before.”

  My heart falls a little at his declaration. A kid his age shouldn’t just now be getting his first birthday party.

  I nod my head. “I think we can handle that. When are you thinking of doing this? I work the weekend before your birthday and am off the weekend after. If you want Dex there, you have to do it when we’re off. Think you can wait?”

  Carlo springs from his chair like a jack-in-the-box and rushes to me, throwing his arms around my waist. “I can wait till after. It’s really okay?”

  Smoothing my hand over his head, I respond, “If it will make you happy, I’m in!”

  He releases me and jumps across the kitchen in excited kid fashion, pumping his fist.

  I glance over at Judd and he winks at me.

  Later that day Judson and I are out on the property riding Comet and Jasper. Judson stops us at the highest point we can get to by horse and dismounts. He rubs Comet affectionately while I join him. We stand there overlooking our land. Everything is green right now except the large patches of white daisies that started to bloom a few weeks ago. There are some other colorful wildflowers blooming but the daisies dominate the open spaces. Judson was right when he told me all those years ago how beautiful they were.

  Glancing at him as he observes the countryside, I turn my focus back to the daisies. “How do you think you’ll like fatherhood?” His eyes never move but a small smile plays on his lips as he answers. “I think it will be just fine. Did I tell you that he asked to hyphenate his last name?”

  “He did?” I ask, surprised.

  “Yeah, he wants to be a Rivers but was afraid to abandon his mom so he asked if he could be Rivers-Brown since Brown-Rivers sounded like diarrhea. His words, not mine.” I bust up laughing at the comment. I guess that’s what you get from an almost 11-year-old boy.

  “Well, what do you think he’ll say about a brother or sister?” I’m doing everything I can to fight the smile trying to take over my face.

  “I have to be honest, Daisy, I don’t think I can take on another foster kid or even adopt right now. Maybe in a few months. Why? Is there a kid you’re attached to that we need to take in?”

  Tears well in my eyes. I get to tell him something I never thought I’d be able to say in my life and the hormones have me extra emotional on top of that.

  My lips quiver as I reply, “No, there is no other kid to foster.” I reach out and grip his hand. His left eyebrow rises as he focuses on me. The tears spill over my lids and run down my cheeks.

  “Judd, I’m pregnant.”

  A myriad of emotions zip across his features until he finally stops at the one I was hoping for…a smile. Bright and beautiful and happy.

  “You? But I thought…” he trails off.

  “Yes, me. I went to the doctor this week. I haven’t been feeling well but didn’t want to alarm you so I went on my lunch break. The urine test came back positive in his office so he did blood work and an exam, it’s confirmed. Judson, we’re going to have a baby. I’m 11 weeks along. I’m considered a high-risk pregnancy though so I have to be careful and will be pulled for desk duty sooner rather than later.”

  He lets out a whoop you’d expect in an old cowboy movie, startling the horses, and pulls me tight to him. I continue to cry because I’m a big emotional baby these days as he kisses my head and holds me tight.

  “Eleven weeks? That’s almost three months. How did you not know before?”

  “I thought I couldn’t get pregnant so I was blaming the crappy feeling on stress. I haven’t thrown up but I have felt nauseous and tired.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I can hear the slight irritation in his voice.

  “I wanted to make sure it was real and I wanted to do it while we were alone. I figure we’ll need to talk to the counselor about how to discuss this with Carlo. I’m not sure how he’ll take it.”

  “Best day of my life,” he murmurs against my hair.

  Judson

  She’s going to have my baby. I never thought I’d see the day. I was excited to adopt Carlo and was content with that, but her news changes everything for me. The best part is about to happen though because I brought her up here on this overlook, before I knew about the baby, for the sole purpose of asking her to marry me. She’s been crying into my shirt for the last five minutes so I grip her arms and push her back a little so I can look at her tear-stained face.

  “Daisy, I brought you up here for my own selfish reasons. You told me several times when we first got together that you wouldn’t marry me because we couldn’t have a family. Carlo changed that when we decided to adopt him.”

  It takes me a second but I finally get on one knee and dig the little black box out of my pocket. I tug her hand forward gently and kiss her fingers.

  “Daisy, we’re about to be a family of four. Your former logic no longer holds, so you know the answer I’m expecting, right?” Her tears are back, running in heavy streams down her face. Her nose is red and her lip is quivering. She nods a little.

  “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything. I’ve wanted you in one shape or form since the moment I saw you, but for today and the rest of our lives, I want you to be my wife. I’ll do my best to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

  Her head begins to nod so hard she looks like a dashboard bobblehead on a bumpy road.

  “Yes!” her voice comes out strained but excited.

  I open the box and pull out the ring that was my mother’s. It’s only a one-karat princess cut with baguettes on each side but it’s still beautiful and perfect for her little hand.

  Her eyes widen. “Your mother’s ring?”

  “If you want your own we can go looking on your next day off. This one just meant something to me so I asked my mom for it.”

  “God! I love it. No, I don’t need another ring.” Her response is one of the things I love about her. There’s no muss, no fuss, what you see is what you get. Beautiful, classy but casual, easy to please, straightforward, hard-working and sexy. You can’t find women like that anywhere anymore. I’m so damn lucky.

  Carlo: Seven Years Later

  I step up to the podium and scan through the crowd, finding my whole family, plus Ms. Polly in her wheelchair and Dex and his family. I deliberately make eye contact with Judson first, then Quinn, next is Dex and finally with my little sister, Lila. She’s squirming in her seat like little kids do when they’re bored, until I w
ink at her. Then she straightens her back, sits up tall and flashes me a smile most jack-o’-lanterns would be proud of. I chuckle softly into the microphone before I start my speech.

  “Hello, my name is Carlo Rivers-Brown. I was told being the class valedictorian required me to give a speech. As most of you know, I have no problem talking, to or in front of people, but I knew this speech would be hard. If you haven’t heard my story, let me give you a quick overview to bring you up to speed. I was born to a poor single mother and an abusive drug-dealing father. Until I was 10 years old, I was in and out of foster care as my mother was in and out of jail and the hospital. To make a long story short, Officer Hannigan, now Rivers, and Officer Dexter responded to several calls at my apartment and took a special interest in me.

  “Before it was all said and done, I was adopted by Judson and Quincy Rivers officially, and unofficially by Officer Dexter. They became my family. I got lucky when my little sister, Lila, was born and I learned what it was like to love someone more than myself for no other reason than just because she existed. If it weren’t for those people and their families taking me in, loving me and setting a good example of what honorable people are like, I wouldn’t be standing here today.

  “They saved me, both in the figurative and literal sense of the word. Today, I want to dedicate this accomplishment to Judson, Quincy, Dex, and Lila. You changed my life the day you found me on that closet floor and again when you found me in the sewage drain. I’ll do everything I can to make you proud and to pay forward everything you’ve given me. I promise to find the purpose in my life and work hard for it.” I swallow hard, trying not to cry. My buddies would never let me live that shit down.

  I focus back on the crowd as a whole and away from Quincy’s face. I can’t stand to see her cry and of course she is. She acts tough but she’s a serious softie. I finish my speech with an attempt to motivate my fellow classmates about their future, and return to my seat. When the graduation ceremony is over and I’m through taking pictures with my family, an older white-haired man in a Navy dress uniform, layered heavily with medals, approaches us. Judson straightens next to me and smiles at him. The man stops in front of us and shakes Judson’s outstretched hand.

  Judd speaks first, “Sir, I’d like you to meet my son, Carlo.” He looks to me and back to the man with obvious pride in his eyes. I’ll never get tired of that.

  “Carlo, this is Commander Hayden.” My gut clenches a bit. I owe this man big time. How do I convey that without coming across like an idiot?

  I thrust my hand in front of me and he grasps it firmly and shakes. “It’s a pleasure,” he says with a smile.

  Finally, after what seems like forever with both the men looking at me, I snap out of my slack-jaw stupor and say, “Commander, it’s great to finally meet you. I’m so glad you could make it. Thank you for the recommendation for the academy. I’m certain it’s why I got in.”

  He shakes his head, smile firmly in place. “No, kid. I saw your transcript. You got in because you worked hard. On the football field, in the classroom and in your community. The Naval Academy is lucky to be getting such a well-rounded, hard-working young man. My letter was only a formality. You earned it.”

  I’m so glad my skin is darker and makes it harder to show the blush that I’m sure is spreading from my neck to my face. “Thank you, sir.”

  The Cheshire cat grin of pride hasn’t left Judson’s face. Before we can say anything else Lila returns from the bathroom with Quinn, squealing my name. When I turn and take a few steps to her she leaps up into my arms like she has springs on her feet. It’s a good thing I lost the scrawny kid body somewhere along the way and packed on muscle as I grew taller or she’d knock me down when she jumps to me like this. I blow a raspberry on her cheek and listen to her laughter ring out in my ear.

  Quinn leans in and asks, “Do you know who that is?”

  “Yes, Commander Hayden. He’s the guy who wrote my recommendation to the academy.”

  Quinn shares a wobbly smile and chokes out, “He’s also the man who saved Judson’s life.”

  “What?” I ask, confused. Judd never talks about the IED or what happened over there.

  “Commander Hayden is the one who saved his life. Got pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding and carried him over a mile to help. Judson keeps in contact with him, called him for your recommendation but neither like to talk about it.”

  I stand there, stunned, reviewing what she’s just shared with me. I just shook hands with the person responsible (in a roundabout way) for all that I have. As Judson is shaking the man’s hand again and saying goodbye, I set Lila down and approach.

  “Commander,” I reach my hand out to his and grip tight when he takes it, “I’d like to thank you for…everything.” I glance at Judson who’s standing like stone looking at our clasped hands. “And I mean everything.”

  The commander pauses, his smile faltering as he gets my meaning. He returns the squeeze and says, “It was my pleasure.”

  I’m sure he understands what I’m trying to say. He releases my hand and strides away. I turn to face Judson and see for the first time in years, a vulnerable expression cross his features. I hug him and say, “thank you,” low enough for only him to hear. He hates attention and accolades.

  Pulling back just enough to keep half of the embrace, but close enough to keep the words between us, he says, “You helped to give me purpose. Our family gave me purpose and I’ve never been more proud in my life of anyone as I am of you.”

  Before we can get too choked up my friends hustle over to our group, horsing around and getting loud. Judson steps away from me as my boys pull me into their huddle, excitedly making plans for a wild night of celebration. As I glance up, I see Lila at his side, holding his hand as his lips meet Quincy’s. I think to myself as I watch them. I want a love like that someday. One that makes me better, stronger, complete.

  The End

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  Coming June 2017- Finding Heart (Colorado Veterans Book 2)

  Marina Rossi is a tornado of personal chaos, always stumbling into trouble no matter how hard she tries not to. After being scarred by her family and placed into foster care as a teenager, she finds solace with Jasen until he’s moved to a new home. Because of all she’s endured her biggest fear becomes being alone and her only goal in life is to create a loving family of her own

  Jasen “Dex” Dexter aged out of the foster care system and dove straight into a career as a sniper in the Army. After nine years of service his platoon was ambushed, forever changing the course of his life. Now a police officer, Dex is known for being patient, calculated and methodical. He enjoys the solitude his life provides and wants to keep it that way.

  Dex’s perfectly arranged life is turned on its head when he encounters Marina in a compromising situation. Even after twelve years apart it only takes them seconds to recognize one another. As Marina faces more trouble than one woman should, Dex feels his orderly life slipping away. While he tries to sort out his conflicted feelings, Marina becomes the perfect target for a crazed stalker. If Dex doesn’t make a decision, it might be too late for both of them.

 

 

 
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