Chapter two

Two weeks have passed since I was shot, meeting Kelly. I'm at full recovery and dressed up in my dress pants and button down shirt, tucked into my pants. I have to wear men's clothes because of my broad body build.

I had a bouquet of flowers, walking in the hospital. I bump into Claire and her jaw drops at the sight of me. "She is going to drool when she sees you," she says with a smile, walking around me, checking me out. 

"Where is she," I ask softly as she stops in front of me. 

"Her office, three doors down on your left," she says pointing behind her. 

She walks with me and I knock on her door. "Not now please," she chokes, calling through the closed door. 

Moments later my phone rings and it was Kelly. I answer it and say in a soothing whisper, "Open your office door. I'm here."

She stays on the line and opens the door with haste. I end the call, putting my phone in my pocket as she flies into my arms. Claire takes the flowers from me before I drop them and I take Kelly in a comforting hug. Claire takes Kelly's phone and places it and the flowers on her desk before leaving us alone in privacy. 

I guide her back into her office and close the door. She lets out a calming breath and I rub her back in comfort. Something was bothering her and I was going to wait for her to say something first. I didn't want to further upset her than she already was.

Someone else was knocking at her door and she sighs in disappointment. She steps away from me and opens the door, sniffling. "Oh, sweetheart," an older woman in a pencil skirt says in sympathy. "I just got a call from your mother. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you Joyce," she says in a choked whisper, hugging the other woman. "I was about to leave."

"I hope you're not driving in your condition," she says softly. 

"I can drive her home," I say softly as Joyce jumps back from Kelly in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I didn't realize she had company," she says with her hand to her chest. "Have we met?"

"Jennifer Williams," I say softly, shaking her hand. "I was going to surprise her, but didn't realize it was bad timing."

"This is the Jennifer you told me about," Joyce asks with surprise. 

"Yes," Kelly chokes quietly, coming back in my arms. "Can you take me to my parents house please?"

"Of course, grab whatever you need," I say softly and kiss her forehead. 

She grabs her phone and the flowers I brought and chokes quietly, "They're beautiful, thank you."

"I came to ask you to that dinner I promised when I made full recovery," I say softly and she smiles lightly. "I understand that won't happen anytime soon. I'm sorry for your loss."

"My sister was killed in action, in Iraq. She was due to come home tomorrow and wanted to meet you," she chokes quietly, lower lip trembling. 

"Her name was Jamie," I ask softly and she nods vigorously, coming in my arms. "I served with her a few years ago, before I became a cop. I was honorably discharged when I saved her life when her gun jammed. It's the four round scars on my chest and stomach."

She laughs through her sobs and I was confused. "Now I understand what she meant by seeing 'The iron goddess'."

"That's what everyone called me in our unit," I say with a laugh and tears fill my eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to save her this time. She was like a sister to me over there."

"You don't have siblings," she asks in a choked whisper.

"My father took my older sister with him. Told my mother he didn't want her growing up with a freak. She died before we could meet as adults," I choke quietly.

"Your father is an asshole," she says wiping my eyes and I laugh. "Let's get out of here."

"Can we make a quick stop before your parents house? I thought maybe I could make you dinner tonight," I say softly as we walk out to my car.

"I'd like that, I'm sure my parents will enjoy it," she chokes with a smile.

When we get to my car I open her car door and she climbs in the passenger seat. Once she's in I close her door and get in the driver's seat. "Chivalry still lives," she says with a smile.

"My mother raised me to treat a woman with respect. She gave me a feminine name to protect me from people like my father, but raised me more like a man," I say quietly and she takes my hand from the center console. 

"I'm happy to have met you. I haven't been this happy since before I met Katie," she chokes quietly. 

"You don't have to worry about her anymore. My uncle is one of the judges and he gave her a long sentence without parole," I say in a protective whisper. 

"Carrie wasn't joking when she said you'd protect those in your inner circle," she asks in a choked whisper. 

"If it came down to it, I'd give up my last breath if it saved your life," I say quietly and kiss her fingers.

Tears roll down her cheeks and takes my hand in her lap. Her phone rings and she answers it in a choked whisper, "I'm with Jennifer...She was coming to surprise me about a date...We're coming over...Love you too."

I pull into the store a few minutes later and get out to open her door. She takes my hand and we head in to get some things for dinner at her parents house. She helped pick things out for the dinner and it seemed to help her calm down about her sister. 

We were walking by the baby department of the store on our way to check out when she stops to look at one of the cribs on display. I step behind her as she looks down at the doll laid in the crib. "Were you and Jess ready for your daughter," she asks quietly as she brings my hand to her stomach. 

"I never took down the nursery," I choke quietly. 

She looks back at me as tears roll down my cheeks and turns in my arms to give me a hug. "Maybe we can make use of it," she says softly and I kiss the top of her head. 

"Are you saying you want to move in with me before our first date," I ask with a laugh.

She laughs with me and meets my eyes. "My lease is about to expire. I've been looking for a bigger place and haven't been lucky. I really don't want to sign another two year lease," she says with a sigh and presses her forehead in my chest.

I lift her chin and she meets my eyes. "When does it expire," I ask softly and tears fill her eyes. "I have plenty of rooms, we don't have to share a room right away if your not comfortable."

"It runs out in two weeks," she chokes in a whisper, looking down in the crib again. "I don't want to be there for another reason. It's not something I want to talk about right now."

"I can have you moved in before then," I say softly, giving her a kiss. 

I meet her eyes and she seemed completely distracted. I sweep my thumb over her bottom lip and her breaths hitch. "Jennifer," she says in a breathy whisper as she steps flushed against my front and her hands on my chest. 

"Shhhhh," I say quietly and place my finger to her lips. "Let's leave the past in the past and focus on us. We both could use a fresh start."

When we got to her parents house she was calmed down. Her mother opened the front door as I was getting out to open her passenger door. She comes out to greet us and I grab the groceries for the back seat. Valerie looks at me confused and Kelly says softly, breathing in the scent of her flowers, "Jennifer offered to make us dinner tonight."

"You don't have to..."

"Please, I was going to cook for Kelly tonight. You and Victor can take this opportunity to learn more about me," I say softly and she nods after a moment.

"Do you remember how Jamie kept saying how she couldn't wait to get back home so she could see 'the iron goddess'," Kelly asks her mother as we walk inside and Valerie nods lightly. "She was talking about Jennifer."

We walk inside and Valerie calls for Victor. She comes to stand in front of me with tears in her eyes and asks in a choked whisper, "How did you know Jamie?"

I set down the groceries and unbutton my shirt. I point to the fresh scar on my stomach and say, "I got this one taking the bullet for Kelly." I point to the four older, similar scars and say in a choked whisper, "These four saved Jamie, five years ago when I toured with her in Iraq. Her gun jammed and I shielded her."

I hastily fasten my buttons with shaky hands and Kelly places her hands over mine. My breaths were coming in quick and shallow, like I was having some sort of anxiety attack. "Look at me Jennifer," she says in a soothing whisper and I meet her eyes. "Deep breaths, in and out slowly."

I close my eyes and did as she said. She fixes my buttons as my breaths calm down. She places a soft kiss on my lips when she's finished and I meet her eyes. "She was relieved when I told her we were testing waters. She told me I shouldn't let you slip from my grasp," she chokes with a smile.

"She's wrong, I'm the one who shouldn't let you slip from my grasp," I choke quietly. "All those women I told you I rejected, including Carrie, don't know about my condition. It's not something I broadcast. Not everyone is accepting like your family. 

"Jamie walked in on my taking a shower in the middle of the night while the rest of the base was asleep. She saw everything and gave me the nickname. She was the only one who knew the real reason behind the nickname, everyone else just called me that because I did my workout in my uniform pants and a sports bra."

Kelly's cheeks redden and clears her throat. "What was it you were making for dinner," she asks quietly, taking a step away from me with her hands shoved in her pockets. 

I laugh and say with a smile, "Spaghetti and homemade meatballs. You should change into some comfortable clothes.

"I still have some of Jess' maternity clothes. I didn't have the heart to get rid of anything. You're welcome to go through and pick what you want," I choke quietly and she looks down at the floor. "I'm sorry, I understand if you want me to leave."

She doesn't say anything and I look at her parents. They look at me with sympathy and tears roll down my cheeks. I take a step towards Kelly, hesitate and walk away. I got to my car before she called out to me. "Please don't go," she chokes quietly, taking my hand from behind me. 

"I haven't talked about her since she died. I'm sorry she comes up a lot when I'm with you," I choke in a whisper and turn to face her. "I'll make sure her things are gone before you move in."

"I'm sorry," she chokes quietly coming in my arms. "I'd love to go through her clothes. Don't get rid of anything."

"I'll try not to talk about her as much. You just show a lot of similarities with your pregnancy that she went through," I choke quietly and she looks up at me as we walked back in her parents house. "You absentmindedly bring your hand to your stomach when you get lost in thought, just like she did. She said it was her way of getting the baby used to her touch so when she got upset her touch would calm her down."

She raises her hand to her stomach as tears roll down her cheeks and I wipe them away. "Today, in the store, I kissed you when you were getting emotional about your apartment. You got the same lost look in your eyes, as if for a moment nothing mattered," I say in a soothing whisper and give her a kiss.

"Kelly, did you get her to stay," Valerie asks as she walks in from the living room and Kelly breaks from the kiss. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your moment."

She places her forehead on my chest and lets out a sigh. "You're not the first to interrupt our moment," I say with a smile and Kelly groans. "Am I still able to make dinner tonight?"

"Kitchen is all yours," she says with a smile and leaves us alone in the foyer. 

"Come, before she comes back," Kelly says with a laugh and leads me by the hand.

We enter the kitchen and together we get started on forming meatballs. I catch her eyeing me from the side and ask with a smile, "Is this turning you on or are you imagining me naked?"

"How did she put up with you with the raging hormones," she asks in a breathy whisper. 

"She couldn't keep her hands off me," I say in a seductive whisper and she shutters next to me. 

I place the meatballs in the oven and start working on making the garlic sauce for the garlic bread. Kelly stands to the side, watching my every move and her breaths hitch when I reach in her direction for the loaf of Italian bread. I cut the loaf in half, like a sub and spread the garlic sauce over both sides of the inner loaf.

I wrap it in foil and place it in the oven as well. I turn from the oven into a kiss from Kelly. Her arms wrap around my neck, holding me in the kiss. I bring my hands to her waist and she shutters against me.

"Jennifer, are you up to staying the night," Valerie asks as she enters the kitchen with Victor.

Kelly breaks away from me and storms out of the kitchen. I clear my throat, confused if I should go after her or not. She's showing similarities to Jess and when she stormed off, she needed time to cool off. "I'm sorry," Valerie chokes quietly. "She's been sensitive the last two weeks."

"I'm not sure what that was, she just...," I say quietly and run a hand in my hair. "Can you finish this? I'm sorry, I just want to make sure she's okay."

"Of course," Victor says with a light smile. 

"Meatballs and garlic bread will be a half hour," I say softly and leave the kitchen to go find Kelly. 

I follow the sound of her cries upstairs and behind a door with Jamie's name on the outside of it. I knock on the door and she chokes through the door, "Go away."

"Its Jennifer," I say softly and moments later she opens the door. "She feels bad for upsetting you."

"She's not why I stormed off," she chokes in broken sobs and sits down on the bed. "I can't control myself around you. These damn hormones are driving me crazy."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't making it easy for you in the kitchen. I was trying to make you aroused, just didn't realize how aroused I was making you," I say softly and sit on the bed next to her. "I'll stop if it's making you uncomfortable."

"Are you staying the night," she asks in a choked whisper, hugging her sister's stuffed bear to her chest, avoiding my eye contact. 

"Only if you want me to," I say softly and she looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Please," she asks in a choked whisper, looking at me with pleading eyes.

I put my arm around her and she breaks into uncontrolled sobs. I rub her back in comfort and she turns her face into my chest. She holds onto me and the bear and I gently sway side to side for her to calm down. "I'll stay," I say in a soothing whisper and she lets out a calming breath.