Mrs right zakrzewski ant.., p.27
Mrs. Right (Zakrzewski Anthologies), page 27
Jackie nodded, not trusting herself to speak. They’d undoubtedly think of a plan, but she was afraid to hope it would do any good. A cloud of hopelessness was taking up permanent lodging above her head. Her Kolya had left her, as surely as he had left her when she knew him as Leo all those years ago.
Chapter Eleven
KOLYA
There was a weight on him like the most perfect blanket, and warmth seemed to radiate throughout his entire being. And then there was that heavenly scent. He struggled to identify it but slowly surrendered and let it wash over him, suffusing him with happiness. There was something he had to do, a ladder he had to climb. A name, a thought, an image drifted before him. Jackie. He had to reach out, had to call for her, to find her. But right now, he was replete: the weight and the scent filled him with joy and peace.
Chapter Twelve
JACKIE
“It’s not working.”
Jackie’s words came out in a tired whisper. Bill put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
She had tucked Grisha into the baby carrier, tight against her chest, zipped her puffy coat on top, and then covered her shoulders and his head with a lovely shawl that Brenda miraculously had in her suitcase. No one had given her a second glance when she and Bill entered Kolya’s room. Jackie worked quickly and quietly to get the jacket and scarf off and unstrapped Grisha while Bill pulled the sheet down to Kolya’s waist. Grisha was drowsy, but Jackie held the pacifier to his lips, hoping it would keep him quiet as she laid him tummy side down against Kolya’s chest.
Then she and Bill stood back and watched.
Nothing.
If anything, it looked like Kolya’s heart rate slowed slightly, rather than increased. Had his eyebrows moved together again? She desperately wanted to believe they had, but they were definitely relaxed once more.
Grisha began stirring, and Jackie gnawed at her lip. She had wanted this—wanted Grisha’s movements and sounds to reach Kolya, but she feared any noise would bring attention to them and doom her attempts. The baby pushed his head up to look inquisitively at his daddy’s chin. The pacifier dropped from his lips, and he began to babble.
A quiet moan of anxiety escaped Jackie’s lips, and then despair like she hadn’t felt in years crept over her in reaction to Kolya’s continued lack of response. Grisha had been her last hope. If Kolya didn’t respond to him, the son he loved so completely, then he was well and truly gone. Now she was probably going to get in trouble for bringing a baby in, and it all would have been for naught.
In seconds, visions of the life that probably lay before her flashed through her mind: transporting Kolya’s unresponsive body back to New Mexico, or maybe having to move them all closer to her family in Virginia, and watching her beloved move further and further away from her like a disappearing image on an Etch-A-Sketch. A return to a black and white existence, devoid of the happiness that had been hers for such a very short time.
“Shhhhh.”
She hadn’t realized she was crying until Bill spoke to her, turning her so that she lay firmly within his embrace.
“Don’t give up, Jackie. He fought tooth and nail to get back to you before, and I cannot believe he won’t do it again.”
Jackie sniffed, trying to get herself under control. Grisha was poking at Kolya’s mouth now, and his baby sounds were getting louder.
“What is going on in here?!”
The nurse’s voice from the doorway was sharp and accusatory.
Jackie moved instinctively towards the bed to scoop up Grisha, while a woman’s shriek was heard from the corridor.
“A mouse! I saw a mouse!”
“What in the world . . .” The nurse turned her head for a second and then barked her rebuke at Jackie before moving back into the hall.
“No babies in here. I’ll be back in a moment, but the baby has to go.”
Jackie reached down to pick up Grisha, her eyes still watching the departing harridan. A loud commotion was audible from the corridor, and she could make out Brenda’s far shriller than normal voice carrying on about mice in a hospital.
Her eyes returned to her hands, and she froze, moving back in surprise.
Kolya’s arms were crossed protectively over the baby, and his eyes were open and his focus intent as if he were trying to identify his surroundings.
“Jackie?” The voice was raspy, almost a croak, but it was his.
“Kolya?! You’re awake!”
“What’s going on? Why was there yelling? Is Grisha all right? Don’t let them take our baby.”
Even as he spoke, his right hand, with a line still attached, was protectively soothing his son’s back. His tone changed to quiet reassurances as he spoke to him in what Jackie assumed was Russian, and Grisha happily babbled back.
“Kolya . . . You’re here. You’ve been gone for three days. I was afraid I had lost you.” Her voice cracked, and she tried to hold back her tears.
“Gone?” He looked into her eyes, and Jackie felt like she was standing under a waterfall of emotions. He frowned slightly, and his eyes swept around the room, pausing on Bill before returning to Jackie, his hand never stopping its caresses.
“Is this a hospital?”
“Yes. You fell on the ice when you were walking with Bill and Brenda.”
“No, you fell saving Brenda,” Bill interrupted. “You pushed her out of the way of a skidding bike and quite possibly saved her life.”
Kolya’s teeth worked at his lower lip, and Jackie bent over him to touch those chapped, dry lips with her own. This time there was no doubt. His lips parted instantly under hers, and she felt his exhale down to her toes. Her Kolya was back.
“Oh God, my love. I was so scared.”
“Don’t be scared, sweetheart. Please don’t be scared. I never wanted you to be afraid again.” His eyes closed briefly, and Jackie could tell he was trying to figure things out.
“You . . .”
“I told you that baby can’t be here.”
The nurse was back, and Jackie again moved to pick up Grisha, who was now sticking his fingers into Kolya’s mouth.
“No, please. Don’t take him away.” Kolya’s words were muffled between the kisses he was obediently giving Grisha’s fingers.
“Mr. Polivanov! You’re awake! Why didn’t someone tell us?” The nurse’s voice had changed to astonishment, and she moved quickly to his side.
“Take this baby, please. I need to examine him.”
“No. Please let him stay. Just for a minute.”
The nurse stepped back, obviously startled by Kolya’s vehemence, and Jackie saw her nostrils flare before she turned back towards the door. “I’m going to let Dr. Hubbard know. She’ll want to see him immediately.”
Jackie stared at the two males she loved more than life itself. She could breathe again—the weight that had lodged itself deep in her chest for the last three days finally lifted.
“I told you he wouldn’t give up.”
Bill’s voice was husky, and Jackie saw that he, too, had tears on his cheeks.
“That was Brenda yelling about a mouse, wasn’t it?” Her voice cracked as she smiled at her husband’s oldest friend.
“Yes, I think so. But I’m not even going to ask.”
“Nope. Me neither. He’s back, and that’s all that matters.”
“Can we go home?” Kolya’s words were muffled, thanks to Grisha’s determined efforts, but they were coherent and most definitely sensible.
Jackie laughed, relieved to see color was returning to Kolya’s features.
“The doctor will probably want you to wait ’til morning, at least, but we’ll go home soon. I promise.”
Dr. Hubbard swept into the room, and her face broke into a wide grin.
“Mr. Polivanov. So nice of you to join us. How are you feeling? I see you’re finally taking some of the childcare burden back from your wife.”
Jackie grimaced in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry if broke the rules. I thought he might wake up if he heard the baby, and it seems it worked.”
“No harm, no foul. It’s not on my list for coma protocol, as far as I can remember, but I’ll have to keep it in mind for the future. For the moment though, I think I’ll be able to get a better look at your husband if you’re holding the baby, Mrs. Polivanov.”
She spent several minutes examining Kolya and checking his cognition. He needed to be reminded of how many days he had lost but was otherwise able to answer all of her questions.
“We’ll do a final scan in the morning, but if everything looks good, I see no reason why you shouldn’t be discharged. And since I have tomorrow night off, and I was lucky enough to score a babysitter, I can take you off my list of patients to worry about when I’m out celebrating Valentine’s Day with my hubby.”
Jackie gasped. “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. It’s all been so crazy that I completely forgot.”
“I probably won’t be able to get you flowers, but if you know where my phone is, I think I remember there’s a song there for you.” Kolya’s voice sounded like he was getting tired, and Jackie felt a pang of worry that the doctor seemed to notice.
“Fatigue is completely normal, given all he has been through. Are you paying attention, Mr. Polivanov? It will probably take several weeks for your energy to return to what you’re used to. You’ll have a lengthy list of instructions when you leave, but the most important thing is not to push too hard too fast.”
The doctor had moved away from the head of the bed, and Jackie stepped in.
“I’m going to take Grisha back to the hotel now, but I’ll be back first thing in the morning. And don’t you dare worry about flowers or anything silly like that. You’re all I want, and you’ve come back to me. That’s the best Valentine’s Day present I could ever wish for.”
Kolya nodded, and his eyes closed briefly before he focussed on her again. “Let me kiss you both one more time, and then I’m going to close my eyes for just a few minutes. I love you, Jackie.”
“Oh God, Kolya. I love you, too. Thank you for coming back to us.”
Chapter Thirteen
JACKIE
Three days later, with a remarkable return of strength, Kolya walked through his front door and into his living room, Jackie at his side with Grisha in her arms and her mother bringing up the rear while the puppy ran happy circles around them all. A beautiful desk stood before the bay window overlooking the mountains in the distance. For a moment, Jackie and Kolya both stared at it in confusion.
“That arrived this morning. I hope you don’t mind that we unboxed it. We thought we’d get the mess out of the way before you came in.”
Her father’s words came out amidst hugs and exclamations of concern and reassurance.
“It’s beautiful,” said Jackie’s mom. “It looks like it’s French Provincial, but it also looks like it was designed for that exact spot.”
A slow smile spread over Kolya’s face.
“French! When I was sleeping, I heard people speaking Spanish, but I kept thinking I had to remember something French, and I was so confused.”
He turned to help Jackie with her coat, her father having already walked off with his delighted grandson.
“That’s where we were coming back from when I fell. Brenda had seen it in an antique shop and wanted to show it to me. Happy anniversary, my love.”
“Oh, Kolya. It’s beautiful. Thank you. Although I can’t believe how much it almost ended up costing us.”
He took her face between his long, strong fingers and looked deeply into her eyes.
“We’re here, and we’re together. I saw a thing of beauty, and I knew it was meant for you. That’s all that matters. I love you, Jackie.”
Jackie wrapped her arms around his neck and felt the joy of his lips greeting hers once more. He was alive, he was whole, and he was home.
“I love you, too. Always.”
About the Author
Meg Napier is absolutely delighted you found and read her story, Second Homecoming! Please visit www.MegNapier.com to learn more about her and her array of novels and short stories, all of which start with the word “Second.”
Meg fell in love with love during childhood and set her sights on bringing stories about good people thrown into frustrating circumstances to as many readers as possible. Life got in the way and slowed down her resolve, but she’s making up for lost time and hopes you enjoy the riveting tales available now and the exciting ones still to come. Keep up with her on Facebook: facebook.com/MegNapierAuthorPage
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Wickedly in Love
A CHRONICLES OF A DANCING HEART DUET SHORT STORY
OLIVIA BOOTHE
CHAPTER 1
Take Me For A Spin
As I sat on the Santa Monica white sandy beach, sipping my now-warm French vanilla iced latte, I allowed the waves to lap at my feet. It was February, and the late afternoon sun provided minimal warmth, but I reveled in the refreshing air and the coolness of the ocean. Wiggling my toes, my hot pink nail polish gleamed under the water.
Warmly snuggled inside an oversized hoodie, I’d plopped my beach chair at the edge of the water in the back of Tom’s beach house—well, our beach house now—hours ago and hadn’t moved since, unable to put down KG Fletcher’s latest release. She’d been my favorite romance author for years, and I hadn’t been able to stop swooning over my new book-boyfriend.
I placed the finished paperback against my chest and sighed with delight. Happily-Ever-After satisfaction achieved.
The salty breeze whipped through my hair and the briny scent of the sea filled me with peace.
Closing my eyes, I took in another deep breath. Ah, yes. This.
This moment right here—sitting on the sand, in the back of the beach house where Tom first confessed not only his darkest demons, but also his love for me—reminded me that every day, I experienced my very own happily ever after.
We lived in New York City but had come to the Santa Monica beach house for a much-needed mini getaway, but also to celebrate our anniversary. Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, and Tom and I would be married for a year. I could honestly say it had been the best year of my entire life. Mr. Iced Double—what I’d dubbed him when we first met—was the epitome of masculine perfection, and he’d spent every second of every minute since we’d said ‘I Do’ worshipping me. Adoring me. Making sure he made me the happiest woman alive.
Sure, every marriage has its ups and downs, and our road to happiness was certainly paved with a hearty dose of twists and turns, but our love had surpassed all of that. And now, I couldn’t wait to get started on the next leg of our journey as husband and wife.
Ever since he’d gifted me the dance studio in Soho, making my dream of giving others the gift of dance, the place had been filled with little girls and boys dreaming of becoming principal dancers one day.
And I couldn’t deny that shortly after getting married, and after several months of teaching at the studio, a new desire began to kindle inside my heart—the desire of motherhood. Seeing all those little smiling faces made me want to start a family with Tom. We’d agreed to give ourselves a year to explore each other deeper, to truly enjoy being newlyweds, blissfully in love.
And we had been. But the anticipation of finally trying for a baby had me bubbling with new-found excitement and wonder. I closed my eyes and let a smile tug at the corners of my lips, imagining Tom playing on this beach with a little version of himself or perhaps one of me, being the amazing father I knew he would become. Our lion. Our protector. Our hero.
My phone buzzed inside my beach bag, popping my lovely daydream, but the personalized tone announced my husband’s summon, which was perfect timing. I’d forgive him this little intrusion into my bubble.
Reaching for the phone, I pressed talk and placed it to my ear as the smile plastered on my face refused to fade. “Hi, my love,” I answered.
“Hey, beautiful,” he drawled. “Picking you up in fifteen minutes. Be ready.” His voice was languid and tainted with a touch of grim darkness, sending a sharp claw scaling down my back. Suddenly, it felt like the sun had been eclipsed by a cluster of ashen clouds.
I sat up straighter. “Is everything okay? Did something happen at the office?”
There was silence on the other end, followed by a deep exhale.
Yeah, my lion was riled. “Tom, what is going on?”
“Just a shit day at work and…”
That pause sent my heart scrambling up my throat. “Babe, what happened?”
“My brother, he called and… and things are not good back home.”
Now it made sense why he was in a foul mood. Tom’s childhood had been marked with severe trauma, starting with the fact that his father had been an alcoholic, who not only abused his mother, but him and his twin brother, James, as well. His mom wasn’t able to leave their father and, refusing to watch the abuse any longer, at the age of eighteen, Tom enlisted in the military and never looked back.
Well, there’s more to that story, actually. While he was stationed in Afghanistan, his fiancée cheated on him with his childhood best friend, so Tom had zero fond memories of home. It wasn’t until his father passed, and James asked Tom to be his best man two years ago, that Tom finally made the trip back home and faced his demons, including his own battle with substance use.
He managed to patch up his relationship with his mom and brother, but he still seldom visited home. Except, his mom had been recently diagnosed with dementia, and he and James took turns taking care of all her medical needs. James still lived in the Lake George area, which made it easier for him to look in on their mother, but in the last month, he and his wife, Penny, had decided to move in with Adeline.
