“I’m fine thanks,” she replies, shaking his outstretched hand, trying to hide a blush and something more.
What the hell is going on between those two? Josh doesn’t seem to want to release his hold on her.
By the look on Jason’s face, he doesn’t like the way Josh is looking at Grace. He moves closer to her, laying his claim by wrapping his hand around her waist, a move Josh frowns at.
Grace looks to be embarrassed, and maybe upset. “Rona, I’m sorry but we can’t stay. I just wanted to call in as we were passing to see how you are.” Collecting her purse and jacket after looking at my sons, she starts to leave.
“See you around, Grace,” Josh says. Grace just looks in his direction—blinks—then ignores him.
Guess Josh really is over my Rona.
“Don’t worry, Grace, we’ll see you soon,” I reply, as they’re on their way out.
“How are you doing, Elise?” Josh asks, turning his attention to my daughter-in-law.
“I’m fine thanks, Josh. Would you like a cuddle?” Elise asks, offering up one of my sons.
I can’t help laughing at the look of panic on Josh’s face.
“Um, no. I’m good. I don’t mind looking, but I don’t touch.”
“Actually Dad, we had an ultrasound the other day,” Jake says, a huge grin splitting his face.
“And?” I ask.
“We’re having twin girls.” He sounds so damn proud.
When Jake was injured and received his honorable discharge from the Marines, I prayed him coming home would help him to decide which direction he wanted to take his life in. And I couldn’t have been happier when he really did pull himself together and went after Elise and the happiness he so deserved. That’s all a father can ask for.
“Oh my God, Jake, Elise, that’s wonderful.” Rona tries to stand up.
“Sweetheart, you stay right there.”
“I think on that note I’m going to go, before I catch the twin syndrome! I’ll see you around.”
“Goodbye Josh, take care,” Rona says, as he leaves.
I sit down next to my wife with my arm around her. Jake and Elise bring our sons over to us, giving Cody to his mother and Travis to me.
“We’ll see you both later.” Jake keeps his arm around Elise as he leads her out of the house.
Sitting quietly on the sofa with my wife makes me feel like the luckiest man alive. I have an amazing wife who’s given me twin sons out of love.
What more could a guy ask for?
“Thank you for making my life complete, Rona.”
“You complete me Cade, you and our boys.”
The End
When We Meet is a short novella, written to run alongside From This Moment, the first book in the series.
It starts when Grace Langdon is in the hospital, recovering from being attacked by Nick Lucas. In the hospital, she meets Josh Mitchell.
This is the start of their story, which will conclude in New Beginning, a full-length novel due out 2015.
Turn the page to read