Breathless (29 page)

grabbed Dave's arm and lead him into his office
closing and locking the door behind them.
"What's up, James?"
"I need some advice and we're close enough that I
think you can help," James replied pulling a box
from his pocket and opened it.
Dave whistled, "Wow.
For Alex?"
"Of course; I can't lose her, Dave.
If one more
thing happens to her, I think I'll go nuts."
"So what do you need me for," he asked tossing
himself into one of the chairs.
"Am I doing the right thing? Look how badly my last
marriage ended."
"Do you love her?"
James smiled, "I think I have from the minute I
walked in the door and saw her sitting in that chair
so prettily, so prim.
Her hair is like a living thing it
radiates her energy.
Her eyes are like pools I could
drown in.
When I hold her, that's all I want to do
is hold her.
When she cocks her head to one side
and gives attitude I can do nothing but
smile.
She's everything I ever wanted and never
knew it."
Dave watched James describe Alex and felt a pang
of jealousy, "To be that in love was a dream for
every man and woman, some of us fall short,
James.
You've got the real deal.
Ask her? Then
you'll know. "
"Thanks, Dave," James smiled, snubbing the
cigarette and heading out to find Jeff.
"How's it going," he asked when he found the
pudgy manager.
"We should be back up in a few weeks, barring
further problems.
I'm going to need overtime
from your guys."
"No problem.
Just make sure they have
materials."
"I will.
So, Alex is alright?"
"Yeah," he replied and began to walk away, "Jeff,
can I ask you a question? In confidence?"
"Sure. "
"Has Nancy ever lost a baby?"
"Can I ask why you're asking," Jeff asked shocked.
James explained what happened with Alex and her
not knowing about it, "That's rough.
Tell
her.
She'll find out somehow.
And if she does
and knows that you knew, she may take it badly."
James shook his head, thanked Jeff and got in the
car.
Shaking off the bad mood, he headed back to
the hospital.
Alex woke up feeling stiff and a little
sore.
Without the constant flow of pain killers
through her IV she had a better sense of her
injuries, however, minor.
Groping for the call
button, Alex found the interminable thing and
pressed it.
"Well hello there," came a chipper voice that Alex
immediately recognized as her nurse, Nancy, "Nice
to see you awake.
I found a brush to run through
your hair.
That handsome gentleman of yours
promised to bring you some things from home," she
prattled as she began to brush the tangles from
Alex's hair.
"James," Alex sighed, smiling.
"That's him.
He's a fine man.
He loves you an
awful lot. "
Alex smiled again.
It was the only movement that
didn't hurt at the present time, "Casts," she asked.
"They come off in about six weeks.
Both arms are
broke."
"Damn.
What am I supposed to do?"
"Well, you'll be here for about another week or so,
so you'll have the nursing staff to help."
"Great," Alex sighed allowing Nancy to continue to
comb her hair, "When is he coming back?"
"He's here, beautiful," answered James from the
door.
Setting the bag down on one of the chairs,
he crossed the room and kissed her offered cheek,
"I'd prefer one on the lips."
"I haven't brushed my teeth in days, James," Alex
grinned.
"Well then, I have a solution," James stated walking
back to the bag, opening it and pulling out a
toothbrush.
Alex giggled and tried to lift her arms to accept the
tool, "Damn casts."
"I'll do it," offered Nancy, getting a cup of water and
the hospital toothpaste.
James chuckled as he
watched Alex endure the scrubbing that the helpful
nurse applied to her teeth.
Rolling her eyes, Alex
accepted a drink and rinsed her mouth into the
bedpan and took another drink of water.
"Better?"
"Yeah."
James leaned over and kissed Alex on the mouth,
both of them reveling in the renewed closeness,
"Oh, God, I missed you," he whispered against her
lips.
"Ahem.
Don't mind me.
I'm just going to get her
dinner tray," joked the nurse before bustling out of
the room.
"Tell me everything," Alex demanded, "My last
memory is crawling in that tunnel and a loud
explosion."
James detailed the attack in the alley outside of the
Planned Parenthood office and Francine's tragic
death, "Since he just participated in the assault on
Grayson he could be released on bail.
Tad must
have done that before coming here to kill Grayson."
"Poor Francine; I'm sorry for you too, James.
You
lost an innocent child because of me," Alex said
tears forming her eyes.
James looked her over and completed the details on
what happened once he arrived at Hasani, "All ten
of the officer's died from burns when the oxygen
tank exploded.
Everything in the plant from the
weld shop forward has been destroyed.
Jeff is
working on reconstruction now."
Alex let the tears come as James finished his tale
including Tad's last minute attempt on James' life
and her own, "Where is he now?"
"Tad," James asked, "He went through about two
hours of surgery to repair the damage to his
groin.
He'll never have children; that's for
sure.
Anyway, the cops arrested him and had him
transferred to the prison hospital up in Danbury as
soon as he was stable.
He's still there awaiting
trial.
His family has called in some hot shot lawyer
from Boston and is declaring he went insane."
"He did, James. He wasn't like that when we were
together. "
"I know, Alex. You couldn't have loved him if he was
that way. "
Alex shook her head in agreement and stared at
James.
There was something troubling in his eyes,
although he was happy to see her.
Perhaps it was
the loss of his child that drew his brows together,
"Are you alright," she asked.
"Yeah.
Alex, there's something I need to tell
you. "
"Okay," Alex replied.
James grasped one of her hands being careful not to
brush against the sore ribs, stitches or broken
bones.
He rubbed the calloused thumb across the
back of her hand and stared into her eyes, "Alex,
I've actually lost two children in this disaster," he
began.
Alex looked at him and flinched.
She had felt the
stitches in her stomach and wondered about them,
the sense of something missing had been there
since she had woken up, "What are you saying?"
"Alex, the injuries you sustained in the explosion
triggered a miscarriage."
"Miscarriage; I wasn't even pregnant."
"Yes, you were. "
"Oh, God," Alex began to cry, "I killed our child.
I
killed our baby."
"Alex, no it wasn't you. . . "
"Yes, it was!"
"No, it wasn't Alex," James declared reaching up to
hold her head in his hands careful not to brush
against any of the bruises or cuts, "This was Tad's
fault.
If he had been sane he never would have
done what he did.
It's his fault, Alex. "
"Oh, James for you to have lost two children," Alex
cried wishing she could hold him.
"Alex, we'll be fine.
We'll have others, I promise
you.
Our house will be so full of noise you're going
to miss the silence. "
"Others, our house; James, what are you talking
about," Alex asked confused.
"I guess I jumped the gun, huh," he laughed pulling
the small velvet box out of his pocket and opening it
to display the diamond ring inside, "Will you marry
me," he asked expectantly.
"James, after all we've gone through, and
everything that's happened.
.
. ," Alex began
tears streaming from her eyes.
James face fell, "I understand; if you don't love
me. . . "
"Love you? Oh, James, I didn't think I could love
more, but as of right now I do.
Don't you
understand? The first time we danced at Grayson's I
thought my whole body was on fire.
You held me
so close and our bodies just fit together like pieces
of a puzzle.
My skin tingled with the thought of
lying next to you at night and feeling your skin on
mine.
Every time you spoke my name I was
entranced and when you smiled at me, all I wanted
to do was explore every inch of that
mouth.
James, your kisses leave me breathless
and your love makes me realize that dreams come
true.
I want nothing more than to marry you and
have a houseful of children who have your eyes,
your smile and to share in our love."
"Is that a yes," James asked flabbergasted.
"Yes, it is!"
James wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her
soundly, "We're going to be a family, Alex.
I
promise.
And I’ll leave you breathless forever. "