Gabe: The Alvarez Security Series (40 page)

“Hey, little man. How you feeling?” Jobe asked.

Ross looked up at his friends and said, “I got shot with a real gun. Did you know that? You can see it if you want.” In the process of pulling up his hospital gown, Jennifer tried to stop him.

Gabe stilled her hands, whispering in her ear, “Let him, babe. It’s his badge of honor.”

She looked over her shoulder, glaring into his face. “Badge of honor, my ass. Gabe…this is nothing to be excited about. He could’ve been killed.”

“But he wasn’t. And for him, he acted bravely. Let him have his moment.”

Pulling her lips in, she tried to still her pounding heart. “Men,” she said, shaking her head as Maeve laughed.

Ross pulled up his gown and showed the bandage on his side proudly. “It went right through. The doctor says that it didn’t hit my eternal oregans. It just hit my muscle. I didn’t even know I had muscle ’cause I’m not as big as you. But I did and it went right through.”

Vinny and Gabe exchanged looks, a secret message passing between them. Gabe reached his hand out and Vinny placed something in it. Jennifer looked on in confusion wondering what was going on.

Gabe leaned over Ross and the serious look on his face quelled Ross’ enthusiasm as the young boy looked first into his face and then at the purple cloth in his hand.

“Ross, when a soldier is wounded in action, the President of the United States gives him a special award called the Purple Heart. I was given this many years ago, but it never felt right for me. But now I know why…that’s because I was just holding onto it to give to you. For your injuries sustained in the rescue of you and your sister, I award you my Purple Heart.” Gabe pinned the medal to Ross’ gown and as he stood up straight, he brought his hand up in a salute.

Tony, Jobe, Vinny, and Patrick followed suit, saluting Ross as his bright eyes stared at Gabe with love and adoration, a smile breaking out on his face.

As the men moved forward to congratulate Ross, Gabe stepped back pulling Jennifer with him. He gazed into the huge, tearful, blue eyes that first captured him months ago in the alley. Holding her face in his large hands, he kissed her gently. “I love you more than life itself, baby. You…and that little boy, are my whole world.”

Closing his eyes, he then brought her head to his chest as he tightened his arms around her petite frame. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he let go of the regrets of the past and smiled as the future lay before him.

R
oss was nervous.
He had a job to do and wanted to make sure he did it just right. The doors opened and he looked anxiously to his right at his sister. She glanced down at him, admiring the way he stood so straight and tall in his child-sized tuxedo.
Mom and dad, I wish you could be with us today. You’d be so proud of him.
With a deep breath she said, “Are you ready for this?”

He couldn’t keep the grin off of his face, regardless of his nervousness. Taking her hand, he replied, “Absolutely, Jennybenny.”

With the music playing, the two of them walked down the aisle toward the man that cared for them. Saved them. Loved them.

Gabe stood at the front of the church, looking out on the crowd of family and friends. Smiling, he couldn’t help but notice that there were just as many grey haired guests as younger ones…and he would not have had it any other way. The doors in the back opened as the music changed and his eyes were drawn to the vision making her way toward him.

His breath halted and if Vinny had not leaned over and reminded him to breathe, he would have passed out on his wedding day. She walked sure and steady on the arm of Ross, looking every bit the princess he thought she was the first time he lay eyes on her.

Jennifer, a vision in her ivory gown with layers of floating lace, kept her eyes on the man at the front. Her giant. Rescuer. Love. With a squeeze of Ross’ hand, they continued past their friends toward Gabe.

Reaching the front, she bent to kiss Ross before he moved to stand with Vinny. After saying their vows and sharing their first kiss, she began to turn for their recessional back down the aisle.

Gabe halted her with a gentle pull on her arm. She looked at him in question, but before she could speak, he looked out at the crowd and said, “We have one more part of the ceremony that we wish to have you be a witness to.”

Her eyes flew to Gabe, wondering what he was doing.
This wasn’t part of the rehearsal!
Just then Ross, his impish grin lighting his face, stepped forward and stood between Gabe and Jennifer.

Gabe’s voice rang out, clear and steady. “I have just taken Jennifer to be my wife and now I publicly want to take Ross into the family as well.”

A gasp ripped through Jennifer as tears sprung to her eyes. Blinking to keep them at bay, she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

“Ross had wonderful parents and I cannot replace his father. He and I have talked and agreed that he’d like me to become his legal guardian along with his sister.” Pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, he knelt down in front of Ross and said, “Here they are, buddy. The official papers that say we belong to each other.”

Ross gave a whoop and threw his arms around Gabe’s neck. Jennifer’s legs gave out and she fell to the floor next to them. The three, now a family, hugged as the congregation cheered.

Later at the reception, Jennifer danced in the arms of the man she loved. Looking around, she saw Vinny on the dance floor with Bertha and Lucille, swinging them both around at the same time. “Looks like Vinny has his two dates lined up for the evening,” she joked.

She felt Gabe’s laughter from deep in his chest as he agreed. “This is probably the one wedding where he couldn’t hook up with a friend of the bride. At least not one that is under seventy years old.”

All of their couple friends were on the dance floor also, swaying to a slow song, each lost in their own world.

As he moved her around the dance floor, she saw Sherrie sitting next to Monty, talking and smiling. And…three tables over sat Tony. Alone. Staring at Sherrie. And scowling.

She sighed and Gabe immediately looked down. “What’s wrong?”

“Tony and Sherrie. Why can’t they get together?”

A cloud passed over Gabe’s face as he said, “Man’s been through a lot. I just don’t know that it’s in the cards for him.”

She peered into his eyes, a question on her lips, but Gabe just shook his head. “Not my story to tell, babe. But I wouldn’t hold out hope for those two.”

Sighing deeply, she let it go and continued to snuggle close to his chest. Seeing Ross dancing with Cora brought a smile to her face again.

“How long had you and Ross been planning that surprise?”

Smiling, he replied, “For at least a month. But I gotta tell you, babe. Been thinking about it ever since that first breakfast at the Center.”

Her smile warmed his heart as he stared at the beauty that had given herself to him. Leaning down, he touched his lips to hers. A kiss promising forever.

*

THIRTEEN YEARS LATER

“Mom, I don’t
see him,” complained twelve-year-old Benjamin. “Why does Lisa get to sit on dad’s shoulders?”

“Because your sister is only eight and is shorter than you. You’ll be like your daddy and she will, unfortunately, be my height,” Jennifer explained.

“There he is. I see him,” Benjamin called out excitedly.

The ceremony was over and the soldiers were now at liberty to find their families. Jennifer could not wait to see him and as she turned around, there he was. Benjamin started forward, but Gabe held him back.

“Hold on, son. Let your mother see him first.”

Ross stood proudly in front of the sister that had become his mother. She seemed tinier than he remembered even though it had only been a year since they had been together.

Jennifer stared at the man that filled her vision as tears filled her eyes. Over six feet tall, with his sandy, blond hair buzzed off. Not quite as big as Gabe, but still…a huge man. His uniform was neatly pressed and the name
LAMBERT
proudly on his chest. As her eyes lifted, she saw the Green Beret on his head, signifying the graduation from Special Forces training.

“Jennybenny?” the familiar voice spoke.

Throwing her arms around him, she let the tears flow as she held him close. After a moment, she stepped back allowing Benjamin and Lisa to have a chance at a reunion. Gabe stepped behind his wife, pulling her back into his chest. Leaning down, he whispered, “He’s good, baby. It’s all good.”

Ross moved over to Gabe, sticking his hand out for a shake, when Gabe pulled him in for a hug. “Good to see you, buddy. Congratulations.”

The two men hugged, causing Jennifer to cry once again. The rest of the family and friends moved in for congratulations as Gabe moved back a little. Watching the boy grow into a man, one who now took his place in the world, caused his heart to pound.

The eyes of the little boy he could not save had become a faded memory, replaced by the eyes of the man standing in front of him. Smiling, he tucked Jennifer back into his arms, kissing her head, and said, “Let’s go everyone. We’ve got some celebrating to do.”

Feeling a pull on his waist, he looked down at Jennifer’s teary eyes. Wiping her wet cheeks, he said, “I love you, baby. You and that boy…and now our children…are my world.” Her smile was the only response he needed.

The End