We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses. – Alphonse Karr
Jolene had not realized how much she had missed cooking with her mom for Thanksgiving. They laughed and joked as she did the prep work and Helen did the actual cooking. Cheryl and Dean helped where they could and Bunny sat at the kitchen island, taste testing everything.Currently Jolene was cutting and peeling apples for her mother’s now famous apple pies. As the knife slid just under the green skin, she thought about how much she nearly lost. Nearly missed out on. Her baby siblings. Her niece. JD’s high school graduation. His graduation from Navy boot camp. Neo. Her mom finding happiness.The apple in her hand blurred and her hands began to shake. The sounds of the other women around her laughing and talking slowly faded away. A warm hand gently took the knife and apple out of her hands. A ragged sob escaped her as she was pulled into a very familiar chest.Neo liI do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book. – J.K. RowlingNeo handed Jolene one of his T-shirts before guiding her into the bathroom. She had prepared for tomorrow to be emotional. Last Thanksgiving was the day that her life changed, her world shattered. Whatever line you wanted to use to describe a life altering event, it would fit.Nearly being murdered by your husband has that effect. Falling apart on your new boyfriend is more than embarrassing. She looked at the shower and thought about how excited she had been only a few hours ago about his promise of a shower together. As water sprayed from the large showerhead on the wall and fell from the rain head on the ceiling, she wasn’t sure that she was ready for this. Not now. Not after confronting her memories of last year. Or facing everything that she nearly lost.It felt like she was in a trance as Neo stripped out of his clothes and then carefully removed her clothes. Taking h
May your walls know joy; may every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility. – Maryanne Radmacher Hershey“Reese!” Cooper called from the front room of the main house. “Reese!” he called again, moving deeper into the house and heading for the laundry room just off the open concept kitchen. “Damn it, Reese!”“I keep telling you, call me JD. Reese is my dad.” He replied as he screwed in the last anchor for the shelves above where the washer and dryer will go. “I’m not used to answering to it, yet.”“Yet?” Cooper chuckled as he propped his shoulder against the door frame. “You act like you haven’t had the name your whole life.”He was a few inches taller than JD and had short dark blonde hair and pale green eyes. Having been a linebacker in high school, he was bulkier than JD was. The deep tan of his skin and dark lines of his tattoos only seemed to emphasize his muscles. Today he wore jean shorts and a dark gray tight Under Armor T-shirt.“I ha
US Navy Seabees – We build, we fight.“That son of a bitch!” The chief muttered with a grin as he looked past the sailors that were cleaning the equipment parked in the large hangar. He gave a small shake of his head as a rare smile crossed his face. “Owen Reese! You sorry fucker! What the hell are you doing here?”Reese laughed as he approached Chief Pollard with an arm lightly slung around Dean’s shoulders. “You salty old bastard, they haven’t kicked you out yet?”“They did, but then they realized that I knew everything and brought me back.” The gray-haired man replied as they shook hands. “This cannot be little Denise.”“Hi, Chief.” She smiled at him as she discreetly looked past him, and her eyes landed on JD.“Damn, girl.” He pulled her in for a hug and she accepted it from the man who she only vaguely remembered. “I’m sorry about your momma.”“Thanks.” She whispered and blinked back tears as he let her go.“So, Chief,” Reese said as he turned them so that their backs were both t
Selecting a wedding dress is more than just a fitting… it’s a process – a memory in the making. - Olivelli Cape TownReese woke up and found himself alone in the large bed. He rolled out of bed and found his sweatpants where he had dropped them before crawling into bed the night before. If his wife was downstairs in the kitchen making more cookies, he was going to haul her deliciously plump ass back to bed.Bypassing the house shoes, he was grateful that the company here agreed to the radiant heating in the floor, he headed to the door and then down the hall. He peeked into the nursery where all four babies were sleeping soundly. Then he continued his way down the hall towards the faint light that was coming from the floor below.Approaching the stairs, he heard the soft voices of the women. “Dad lived in barracks the whole time.” Cheryl laughed. “Drove a god awful old beat-up pick-up and squirreled away the majority of his check.”“But it paid off for him.” Bun
If it wasn’t for each other, I’m sure a lot of us would have gone crazy. That’s where the cohesion comes in. We were brothers. – Clancy LyallThere was a loud pinging noise that preceded the screen of JD’s phone lighting up the dark room with double bunkbeds. There were a few grumbled complaints from his bunkmates as they were drifting back to sleep it did it again. Again, they voiced their complaints, but not too loudly. They had all received messages in the middle of the night from time to time.Cooper was notorious for getting messages from women who had names in his phone such as Gayle – wholesome and Christina – Blonde, tits, waitress, freaky and some were more descriptive. A few even had emoji’s to depict everything the women were willing to do. Or had done.The occasional ping was soon replaced by pings going off back-to-back and the phone screen never going dark. “What the fuck, man?” Cooper asked as JD’s phone dinged with another message. “Tell your gi
Well, maybe a tired bunny could sleep in a bed… just this once. – Just Go To Bed by Mercer MayerDean looked at the ring on her left hand and couldn’t help but smile. JD knew her so well. She loved her skull and would not want to replace it. Even if it meant that she was now Mrs. Jonathon Daniel Reese.Sy had done the wedding ring by himself and to JD’s specifications. Her pearl that was carved into a skull with tiny emeralds in his eyes was now encircled with a silver wreath with tiny white and black diamonds flashing.It wasn’t big and gawdy like some would expect with who her uncle was. But if anyone truly expected that, they did not know Owen Reese at all.He was well known for spoiling the women in his life. He took care of his employees. Protected his friends. Supported other local businesses.Sure, she had heard the rumors about him. And yes, he had a few former employees that were now incarcerated. There were some felons and parolees on his payroll.O
It’s not what’s under the Christmas Tree that matters … it’s who’s around it. – Charlie BrownReese grunted an objection as Helen slid out of bed at an hour that was way too early for him to be awake. A year ago, he would not have thought twice about staying up all night after working at one of his clubs. There were many days that he would close a club in the early hours, go work out and run a half marathon around the park, stop at the job sites, have breakfast with a few of his princesses and check in at the office before finally heading to bed.Now he was quite content to let someone else close his clubs. He still got in a daily workout and runs and had even done the local Jingle Bell Run before they left Morgan City for the holidays. His foremen and site managers still checked in with him daily but were glad that he no longer started the workday on site. Most of his meals were with Helen and the triplets, Dean and Gigi joined them most mornings and evenings. And he s
What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet. – Anne FrankThis New Year’s Eve was completely different from the one a year ago. No one was in the hospital. There were no wives or stepmoms trying to escape an abusive relationship. As far as they knew, Cheryl was the only one that was pregnant. Although they all teased Jolene and Dean. Both took the good-natured ribbing in stride.“Come on,” Bunny grinned as she poured more champagne into her flute. “It seems that we can’t have singles. Even our little princess had to share her birthday with three others.”“It’s going to have to fall to you.” Dean nudged her new sister-in-law with her shoulder. “I’m not even out of high school. O would probably kill me.”“Without a doubt.” Reese agreed with a smile. “Although, I am partial to all of my princesses. I might just make JD disappear.”“Bury him in a concrete foundation?” Jaxon suggested.JD shook his head and