By that point, Ricky's head was on a swivel, his eyes wide as he looked first at Jack, then at Caitlin, and then back again. "You still want me to come back to live at the house even though I screwed up big-time today?"
"Yeah, kid, I do."
Caitlyn's heart felt lighter than it had since she'd seen Jack broken and hurting on the floor of the annex. "See, Ricky, I told you he would understand."
Before they could continue the conversation, a nurse came into the room. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to check Ricky's vitals."
Jack moved out of her way. "I'm going to borrow Caitlyn for a few minutes, kid, but we'll be right out in the hall."
He led her down to the same window where she'd spoken with Marlene earlier. "I want to apologize for something I did earlier."
"There's no need. Once I knew what had happened, I wanted to throw a few things at the wall myself."
Jack's mouth quirked up in a small grin. "That might have been fun to watch, but that wasn't what I want to apologize for."
He moved closer to her, settling his big hands on the curve of her waist. "I want to apologize for letting you walk away after you shared how that numbskull ex-husband of yours treated you when you lost the baby and everything that followed. He must have been one selfish bastard to walk away from his wife when she needed him the most."
Caitlyn let Jack draw her into his arms, surrounding her with gentle strength. "I hated him for that, but eventually I realized that he wasn't worth even that much emotion from me. I don't love him; I don't hate him. If anything, I pity the man for having such a small mind and an even smaller heart. If I were really petty, I could also mention a few other features of his that weren't all that impressive in size, either."
She drew comfort from the deep rumble of Jack's laughter. "I'm glad you've gotten past him and the pain he caused you, because he has no clue what life is all about. Joe and Marlene couldn't have children, but that didn't mean they couldn't have a family. I want a family of my own, but I want one like Joe had-with the woman I love and a son who is just like me even if we don't share the same DNA."
Something like hope was blossoming in Caitlyn's chest as Jack's words curled around her heart. "That sounds like a wonderful plan, Jack. Do you have anyone special in mind?"
His hold on her tightened briefly before he eased back far enough to look down at her. "I'm going to say what I should've said earlier, Caitlyn, when you told me you love me. I hope you meant it, because I love you so damn much that I can hardly breathe when you're not with me. I want to share every day of my life with you and with Ricky, if he'll have us. If it's okay with him, I want to ask the detectives to see if the DA will push for Ricky's mother to give up her parental rights so we can adopt him. You know, to make him officially ours. If he doesn't want that, I'll at least ask the court to make us his permanent guardians."
Suddenly, she could see her future in exquisite detail. Her, an ex-soldier, and three children, starting with a certain teenager. "I'll want at least one more child, Jack, preferably two. A girl and a boy."
The simple joy on Jack's face was everything she could've hoped for. "That sounds great to me, Caitlyn. Anything you want as long as you'll marry me."
"I will, and preferably as soon as possible." Then she paused and bit her lower lip. "But first, I'll need to tell my parents that we're dating. Springing a fiancé and a grandson on them all at once might be a bit much."
Jack laughed again, looking far more carefree than he had when he first walked into Ricky's hospital room. "Maybe just tell them that you plan to put that gift certificate they gave you to good use as a honeymoon getaway. I'm betting they'll be okay with that."
She brushed a kiss across his lips. "They will be. They just want me to be happy."
"That's what I want, too," Jack said right before he kissed her back. "And will they be okay with it being a package deal?"
"All the better. But before we start making any more plans, maybe we should go see what Ricky thinks of all this."
Jack kissed her again. Then he took her by the hand, and together they headed back into Ricky's room to invite him to be a founding member of their brand-new family.
Epilogue
FIVE MONTHS LATER
Marlene slipped outside, glad to find a minute alone. It was warm for a December night, and the fresh, crisp air felt good. Even out there on the patio, she could hear the music and watch the wedding guests enjoying the reception. Caitlyn and her mother had done a wonderful job of planning the wedding, and she appreciated them enlisting her help in pulling it all together.
She stared through the window at her three sons. "Joe, look at our boys. They all look so handsome tonight."
Some folks might think she was crazy for talking to her late husband, but she just knew he was right there beside her on this special night.
"We couldn't have picked a better wife for Jack. Caitlyn has such a big heart, and she loves him so much. Those shadows in Jack's eyes have almost disappeared now that she's come into his life. And they already have their first son. You'd like Ricky, too. He's so much like Jack was at his age, and we all have high hopes for him."
She turned away from the window to look up at the stars overhead. "Joe, I miss you so much, but our boys have stepped up to help me keep moving forward. The business is really flourishing under Jack's supervision just like you hoped it would. Tino hasn't said anything specific, but I suspect he'll be coming home to stay soon. When he does, I pray that he'll find someone special who will love him the way he deserves. Then there's Mikhail. It will be interesting to see where his path takes him. Regardless, you know I won't be satisfied until all three of our boys find the kind of happiness that you and I shared."
Before she could say more, the door behind her opened. Jack walked across the patio to stand beside her. "Talking to Dad again?"
There was no use in denying it. "Yes, I wanted to let him know how the wedding went."
Bless him, Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I hope you told him hi from me."
"Tell him yourself." She softened her remark with a smile. "Now, I'm guessing you didn't come out here to interrupt my conversation with Joe for no reason."
"We thought you'd want to know Caitlyn is about to throw the bouquet. After that, I want one last dance with you before the two of us take off. Ricky also mentioned something about wanting to show you the new moves I taught him. I apologize in advance for any damage he does to your toes."
She laughed and let her son lead her back inside to rejoin their family and friends. As they stepped through the door, she glanced back one last time and whispered to the night air, "Hey, Joe, one down, and two to go."
To Diane and Paul-thank you both for your friendship and all the laughter!
Acknowledgments
Books may start off as a glimmer of an idea in the back of a writer's mind, but in the end, they're never a solo act. I want to thank all of those people whose contributions have made this book better than I could have ever made it all on my own.
So a special thanks to:
My amazing agent, Michelle Grajkowski, for always being there for me. Your friendship matters so much to me.
My fabulous editor, Sue Grimshaw, for your immediate enthusiasm for Sergeant Joe's Boys. Your incredible responsiveness and excitement for this project have been a much appreciated gift to me.
The entire team at Loveswept for all your hard work on Always for You: Jack. Your unflagging support and amazing talents have contributed so much to making my book all bright and shiny!
BY ALEXIS MORGAN
Sergeant Joe's Boys
You Can't Go Home: Jack
Always Be True: Tino (coming soon)
Love, Always and Forever: Mikhail (coming soon)
Snowberry Creek
A Soldier's Heart
A Time for Home
Christmas on Main Street (anthology)
More Than a Touch
A Reason to Love
Warriors of the Mist
Honor's Price
Her Knight's Quest
My Lady Mage
PHOTO: LUMINA PHOTOGRAPHY
USA Today bestselling author ALEXIS MORGAN has always loved reading and now spends her days imagining worlds filled with strong alpha heroes and gutsy heroines. She shares her office with Nimbus, a noisy parakeet who fortunately shares her taste in music. Alexis is the author of more than thirty books, novellas, and short stories that span a variety of genres: American West historicals; paranormal and fantasy romances; and most recently, contemporary romance. Alexis has been nominated for numerous industry awards, including the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America, the top award in the romance genre.