Nanny for the Army Rangers by Krista Wolf

 

Twenty-Nine

 

 

DELILAH

We spent a lazy day at home, all five of us. Liam was still playing with the twins as we finally rolled in with a hot deli breakfast, and we feasted together only a few minutes after getting them fed.

As hard as it was to look them both in the eye after last night, it was fun seeing them in the fatherly roles. The guys had a surprising amount of patience for the little ones, even when they were cranky or frustrated. They each took turns dealing with both Jace and Courtney, and traded off on other duties, too. But whether it was climbing around the still-too-big swing-set or rolling a rubber ball back and forth through the grass, Liam and Julius both seemed to genuinely adore playing with their children.

What an adjustment this must’ve been for them.

I tried to imagine my best friend Corrine passing on such a responsibility to me — my whole life changing forever in the span of a few measly seconds. The ramifications were mind-boggling when you thought about it that way. It humbled me to think just how close we all were to something like that, whether we realized it or not.

Corrinne didn’t have any children yet of course, but there was always tomorrow. But if there were anyone in this universe who she’d trust with them, I knew it would be me.

Somewhere around noon the twins went down for their afternoon nap. With the house all cozy and silent, it left the three of us staring back at each other with the same tired eyes.

“Meet me in Snoozeville?” I laughed, only half-joking.

“And where would that be located?” asked Liam.

“Just past that door down there,” I pointed at my room. “About five minutes from now.”

“Done,” they both agreed, much to my surprise.

Sure enough, five minutes later we were all cuddled up in my bed. The queen-sized bed was definitely crowded with three people, but we made the most of it with the guys spooning me from either side.

“I was talking with Duncan,” I said, as we attempted to drift off. Whether or not we fell asleep, I was enjoying the relaxation. “About… Roman. And Kara.”

“How far’d you get with that?” Julius yawned.

“Not very,” I admitted.

A measure of silence passed as we stretched out in the bed. On the other side of me, Liam propped himself up on an elbow.

“You want to know what happened to them,” he said plainly. “Don’t you?”

The look in his eyes put an instant lump in my throat. Words failing, I nodded without saying anything.

“Fair enough.”

I watched as the air slowly left his lungs, leaving him somewhat deflated. Just as I was about to tell him to forget it, he inhaled deeply.

“Roman and I graduated from the flight academy together,” he began. “He stayed with it, though. Got checked out on eleven different types of aircraft, and saw all sorts of combat in the Gulf. He eventually worked his way into the test flight program, where he became a legend. He pushed every envelope, broke every record, at least until Kara announced she was pregnant.”

They were close to me now, pressed in on either side. Visions of last night came flashing back, but for the moment I pushed them away.

“Roman was thrilled,” Julius continued, taking over for his friend. “He was ready to build a family. Planned to retire this very year.”

He drove his point home by pointing a finger at the bedspread.

“That’s when Kara got sick,” he said somberly. “And everything changed.”

Somewhere outside, a cloud passed in front of the cold afternoon sun. It sent a shadow dancing across the room.

“She developed a very aggressive form of Leukemia,” Liam sniffed. “There was no warning, no catching it early. She could’ve gone through chemo in the beginning, during her first trimester, but it would’ve meant the end of the pregnancy. Instead, she held out for the children’s sake. By the time she had the twins, she was too weak to survive.”

My face was suddenly streaked with tears. I couldn’t even imagine.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Yeah,” Julius agreed. “We all were. Kara died in childbirth. Three months later Roman was out over the ocean, on one of his last test runs. He was a hundred and twenty miles east of Savannah when he disappeared from radar. Transponder never triggered. His aircraft was never found.”

“Oh my God…”

“Yeah,” Liam sighed. “It happens. Only it’s not supposed to happen to your friend who was weeks from retiring. Especially when he’s the sole parent of two beautiful babies.”

I was horror-stricken. Sorry I’d asked! Still, I had to know. And now I did.

“Do you understand now,” said Liam, “why this place is so important to us?”

I nodded solemnly. “You’re building it back up for Roman and Kara. It’s not just about Jace and Courtney. It’s about a legacy. A gift they wanted to give their children, but were denied.”

“No, not denied,” Julius said firmly. “Only delayed.”

Each man’s voice had grown thicker throughout the conversation, heavy with sorrow. Without thinking about it I slid my body upward, extending my arms on either side to pull them in close to me.

“Come here,” I murmured.

A big leg slid over my thighs, pinning me snugly to the bed. On the other side, a strong arm went over my body. The two men nuzzled their faces into my neck, their stubble and beards tickling my skin. As I stared up at the ceiling, I could feel their bodies relaxing against me. Their breathing changed, becoming slow and regular.

It happens.

Shit. What a terrible doctrine to adopt and live by. But then again these men were soldiers. Rangers. They knew the risks, and accepted them going in.

Still…

I couldn’t help but yawn myself, feeling the comforting weight of their limbs over mine. The breathing against my shoulders was warm and reassuring. The blankets were trapping three times the normal body heat.

Not denied,I thought to myself, my eyelids drooping. A legacy delayed.

I thought of the house, the twins, the future. The beautiful photo of their handsome parents, resting on the shelf in the living room.

Then the gates of Snoozeville flung open, and sleep took me.