Chapter Twenty-Eight #3
“I wanted to spiral,” he admitted. “It turns out that after I left, Jodie had a fling at the hospital with a doctor. Happens all the time between single people in hospitals,” he said with an eye roll. “Young ones, at least.”
“I appreciate that clarification before I got worried.”
“You have nothing to worry about, I assure you. As he was Kaylee’s biological father, I couldn’t move forward with my paternity petition.
He stepped up and paid his child support, but didn’t have any contact with Kaylee.
Jodie allowed me to keep visiting them until my enlistment was up, and then I moved away.
For years, I sent Kaylee cards for her birthday and gifts for Christmas, until one year, when they were all returned due to no forwarding address.
When I got to Denver, I located Jodie again, and it turns out she had gotten married and moved to Illinois.
From what I could tell from her social media, they were happy, and Kaylee was getting a little sister within a few months.
Knowing they were both happy was enough for me, so I stopped all attempts at contact.
I didn’t want to come between her and her new husband or make her feel like she had to maintain a relationship with me.
That wasn’t fair to her or Kaylee when I wasn’t her father. ”
“But you kept the paperwork?”
“I’d honestly forgotten I still had it,” he said with a shrug.
“I was cleaning out my desk and came across the folder in the bottom drawer. I planned to shred it since social security numbers were involved, but then I got a call from the hospital and left. I wasn’t hiding it from you.
It’s something from my past that I don’t even think about anymore since it’s irrelevant, but I’m sure at some point I would have told you the story.
The thing is, it’s generally frowned upon to talk about other women in a new relationship after professing your love to someone. ”
“I’ll give you that point,” I whispered, closing my eyes for a moment. “My past involves several relationships that were based on lies, and my knee-jerk reaction is always to shame myself for trusting someone when I knew they would probably lie to me.”
“Is that how you truly feel about me?” he asked, and I heard the heartbreak in his voice.
“No, that’s why it hurt so much. I’ve trusted you from day one and took everything you said at face value. You’ve always been straight with me, and if I’d stopped long enough to remember that, this could have all been avoided. I feel incredibly stupid, and I wouldn’t blame you if you hate me.”
“Baby doll, no,” he said, wiping a tear from my cheek that had fallen as he explained the truth.
“I don’t hate you, and you’re not stupid.
You are the most important person in my life.
We approached the situation from two different perspectives.
The way I behaved made you feel unsafe, and you left.
That’s on me. I should have been man enough to explain my PTSD and how I react to situations rather than pretend it would never happen with you. ”
“I didn’t feel unsafe. You’d never hurt me, and I know that. I left because when I’m angry, I cry, and there was no way I was going to let you see me cry.”
His smile was tender when he wiped another tear. “Yet here we are. Only now you’re crying from the pain I caused you. I wish I could rewind to last night and start over again.”
“If only life worked that way,” I teased, my eyes heavy as he rubbed my cheek. “I love you, Major. If you still love me, maybe we can forgive each other and move forward instead of backwards?”
“If I still love you? Woman, if you ever question how much I love you, ask anyone in the ER about the man who came through those doors with you on that gurney. You’ll never question that love again.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s officially Christmas Eve. Do you think I’ll be out of here in time for the event at the park?”
“First, you have a scan in the morning that has to come back clear of any gut leaks, and if I had to guess, I’d say it will because you had one heck of an army doc stitch you up.”
“I’ll have to thank him,” I said with a smile.
“He’d like that, but you have some healing to do. If they release you, the only place you’re going is home to our bed, where said army doc will be your nurse.”
“Or you could climb into bed and hold me while we watch the livestream as Santa leaves Bells Pass to deliver presents.”
“We can do that, but I assure you, he brought mine early. I’m looking at her,” he said, leaning in to kiss my lips, oxygen tube in my nose and all.
It was awkward in this position, but I promised myself I would make up for it once I was released.
“Now, you need to listen to the doctor and get some sleep if you want to get out of here in the morning.”
My nod was slow. “I’m tired and my side hurts. I need another kiss.”
His laughter was soft as he leaned down and brushed his lips across mine. “This doctor has something better for your pain than a kiss, and he’s going to go get some for you.”
Smoothing my hand over his cheek, my eyes drifted closed. “Nothing is better for my pain than your kisses.”
As I dropped into dreamland, I was secure in knowing we’d always find a way to meet in the middle.