The Soldier's Surprise Family

A giant eye-roll threatened to pop from her head. Stubborn men. “You didn’t have to ask for help. I’m offering. My heart is hurting for these babies. I’m so sorry your mother isn’t coming, but I think this will work out well for the children.”

He sighed. “It’s funny if you think about it.” He leaned across the crib, picking up a stuffed ladybug. “This morning I didn’t even have a girlfriend. Now I’m talking about baby furniture and hiring a nanny. Seems I skipped a few steps from bachelorhood to fatherhood.”

The sadness in his eyes ate at her heart. “God has placed these kids with you. It’s going to be okay.”

He sighed. “Are you sure you want to take us on full-time? I have a feeling these will not be well-adjusted kids.” He gave her a lazy, lopsided grin. “I know I’m not well-adjusted—I’m barely housebroken. I don’t even know what a normal family should look like.”

“Well, the one thing I’m an expert on is family, and first let me tell you, there is no such thing as normal. Believe me, I know.” She could not hold back any longer; she walked over and hugged him. His frame tightened as if in fight-or-flight mode. She held him gently until he relaxed and gave her a stiff pat on her shoulder. “Garrett, I want to help those sweet kids.”

The muscles in his forearms bulged. Head down, he backed away from her. “They might not be so sweet.” Then he nodded, his face relaxing. “Okay, so I have a stocked nursery and a nanny. This might work.” He looked up. “Thank you, Anjelica.” Halfway to the door, he stopped. “What about the boy? I need to get him a bed, too.”

“I can call around, but if nothing comes up, we have a couple of bunk beds upstairs.” She brushed past him to cross the living room but paused in the doorway. The smell of earth after a rainstorm crossed her senses. Closing her eyes, she absorbed the scent. It was rich and dark.

“Anjelica?”

Jerked out of her own head, she jumped forward and bumped into him. Large hands steadied her. “Are you okay?”

Looking up, she saw the concern in his eyes. He looked that way a great deal when around her. He probably thought she was a complete flake and maybe he was right.

“I’m fine. We can move all the stuff in the morning.” She rushed past him. She needed some distance. That was it. Other than her family, and the one date she’d had with Jake Torres, she hadn’t been this close to a man in a long time. She’d forgotten how good they smelled, and how different they were compared to her.

“Can I use your restroom?” he asked.

“Sure—right through that door.” She pointed to the right of the staircase.

Standing in the middle of the living room, she lost her purpose. What was she doing?

Anjelica went back into the kitchen. Bumper barked, demanding attention. The little Yorkie looked like a rat just rescued from a flooded river. Anjelica grabbed a towel and rubbed down the little dog. Garrett and Steve seemed to have a great deal in common. Why did some men want to rush into danger?

Buela and Mom were always on her about getting back into the dating scene. She knew it was time. But not with Garrett. He had too much on his plate already.

The biggest problem was his job. He was a lawman and she didn’t see that changing anytime soon.

Talking to the dog, she made her way to the studio off her kitchen. “Just because I married one soldier doesn’t mean I want another one in my life. No thank you.” She held Bumper up so they were face-to-face. “Next time around, I want a man with a nice safe job. Maybe I should warn Garrett about the matchmaking duo. Now that he’s a single father, I’m sure they have bumped him up on their list.” She chuckled. This might be fun to watch, because it was not going to be her. Nope, his job was too dangerous for her peace of mind. But she was ready to date again.

In a few months, she’d be twenty-five. On her wedding day, she had imagined life with Steve in five and ten years. He’d be back home full-time, and they’d have two or three kids. She rubbed the little dog’s head and sighed.

Si Dios quiere. Her parents had taught her that saying for her whole life, to trust in God’s will. Sometimes it was easier to say she trusted in God’s will than live like it. The wind rushed against the wall and slammed the screen door. Hail hit the roof harder and the storm whirled around the old house.

Loud banging made her jump. The wind played games with her outdoor furniture. She rushed to the door.

Garrett gently caught her by the arm. His hard face looked even sterner. “You can’t go out there.” His voice sounded like a growl. “It’s even more dangerous than before. It’s late anyway—you should go to bed.”

She narrowed her eyes and pulled her arm out of his light grip. With her hands on her hips, she lifted her chin. “I outgrew a bedtime a few years back. What about you?”

The wind manhandled the hundred-year-old oak trees around her yard. The sound sent chills up her spine. She sucked in a large volume of air as she looked out the window. The force of the storm pelted the hail into the passageway. The rain came in at such a slant, looking as if it could slice through skin.

With muttered words under his breath, Garrett pushed her farther into the kitchen. “Is there a room without so many windows?”

“My studio.” Bumper barked and jumped around her feet. “There’s just the garden doors, but I have shutters over them. It’s in there.” She pointed to the door on the other side of her table. “But my animals. What—”

“They have shelter.” He opened the door, flipped on the light and peered in. “This is good.” He took her hand and pulled her inside the studio space and closed the door.

Sitting on the wooden bench her grandfather had carved, she patted the empty spot next to her. His big frame took up the rest of the space, long legs stretched out in front of him.

Total chaos reigned outside. She often thought of the wind as a gentle lullaby at night, but not now. It expressed itself like a two-year-old in a full-blown temper tantrum, a giant two-year-old. It sounded as if trees were being tossed around.

Bumper buried her head under Anjelica’s arm. Her heart slammed against her sternum. “Dear God, please keep everyone safe.” Thunder rolled, but in the studio they couldn’t see the flashes of lightning. The walls rattled. The lights went out, plunging them into darkness. “Oh no, I left candles in the kitchen.”

“We’ll be fine. It shouldn’t last long. We’re safer in here in case any furniture or branches get tossed into one of your windows.”

Another clap of thunder was followed by a loud crash. This time the whole earth shook. An explosion sounded too close. Had something hit the house? Blood rushed to her ears. “What was that? Oh, my babies have to be scared.”

His long fingers found her hand and took hold. “It’s okay. Good thing about Texas is the storms never last long. So this is your grandparents’ house?” His voice reached out to her, low and soothing.

She knew he was distracting her and she let him. “My great-grandparents had the property and a small house. My grandparents started this house and added on and updated as the family grew. They wanted to move into town and have a smaller place, so they sold it to Steve and me.”

As quickly as the wind had started, it was gone, the silence heavy. Anjelica held her breath and waited, but she couldn’t even hear the rain anymore. “Is the storm over?”

He squeezed her hand. “Stay here while I check the damage.” He stood. He flipped the switch, but the room stayed dark.

“I’m going with you.”

He frowned and opened his mouth, then shook his head. “Stay close to me. There could be lines down. We don’t want to rush out and make things worse. Trees and structures could still fall.”

Bumper squirmed in her arms. “Let me put her in the washroom and get the flashlights.”

As they exited the back door, she gasped. Her world had been turned upside down. She prayed she’d find everyone safe and sound.

Garrett’s warmth and solidness comforted her. Looking around, she found most of the rocking chairs and some of her wind chimes were missing. Broken pieces of ceramic projects littered the ground. Frantically scanning for the piece celebrating her wedding and then pregnancy, she didn’t find it. It was her favorite, whimsical shapes and swirls with sunflowers, frogs and butterflies in an asymmetrical layout.

She gasped. Large pieces of it were scattered across the porch. She found one of the frogs on the bottom step. She picked it up and ran her thumb along the jagged edge where the leg had been.

Garrett rushed to her side. “What is it? Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Sorry. It’s one of my wind chimes. I started this one when we bought the house. Each section was tied to a memory.” She made sure to smile at him. “It’s just an object, right? The memories are in my heart. Let’s make sure everyone’s all right. That’s the important thing. Not broken pieces of clay.”

“Are you sure?” He looked back at the porch. “Was it the one with the big sunflower and bugs?”

She had to laugh. “Yes, butterflies, ladybugs and frogs. Steve loved frogs. He always had a pet one growing up. He wanted to put a pond for frogs on the property. I didn’t want the cleanup or risk to children. I was going to decorate the nursery with frogs if we had a boy.” She closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts. “I’m sorry—this doesn’t matter.”

“Do you want to gather it up?”

“No, it... We need to take care of my poor babies.”

The beams of their flashlights scanned the area. Debris, both natural and man-made, cluttered the yard. As they walked past the empty garden, she let out her breath with a sigh of relief. Her pens and outbuildings all stood strong. He followed her to each shed and helped her check the huddled groups of animals. Everyone was safe and accounted for. Her father would be proud of his work.

Garrett’s phone went off. Glancing down, he pulled his lips tight. “I need to go. We have low water crossings that need to be barricaded.” He glanced at her little farm. “Everyone is safe for now. You stay inside until we can get someone out here to look deeper at the damage.”