The Fledge Effect Read Free Page B

giggled. “I love you too, dad.”
“Now get some rest,” Jack said. He
peered over to his wife, “Your mother and I have
some things to discuss.”
“Okay, dad. Will you read me a story after you talk with mom?”
He nodded. “Of course.” He kissed her forehead.
Christine and Jack walked out of her
bedroom, leaving her door cracked enough to
let in some of the hallway light.
They entered into the kitchen, snapping
on the light. Christine smiled at the good news.
But she knew what it entailed. “So when do you
start?”
“Tomorrow.”
Sadness filled her eyes. “Will you ever
be home?”
He rubbed her shoulders, attempting to
calm her down. “I will be as much as I can. I
promise. But, for now, this is what I have to do.”
“No, no it’s not,” she said, shaking her
head.
“What do you mean?” He held her
close. Her perfume lingered up his nose. The
smell of gardenia, and rose petals reminded him
of their wedding. He never wanted to forget
what it was like.
She had worn her mother’s dress. An
eggshell white, with laced sleeves. Her vail,
laced to match with red roses stitched at the
bottom. No one had objected. Even the in-laws
had supported their love for each other. It had
grown with each day since then.
She broke his drive down memory lane.
“I can work. I can get a job here. Then you can
get your old sheriff job back. It is, a safer, job
here as well.”
He shook his head. “No. You need to be
by Katie’s side at all times. An in-home nurse
would cost way too much, anyhow.”
“What can I do to make you stay?” she
pleaded, hoping there was something that she
could do.
“You know that if I had a choice, I
wouldn’t leave. Do you?”
She nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“Then, please. Do not make me feel
guiltier than I already do. I don’t want to have
to leave all the time. But it is what I have to do,”
he shrugged, “Besides; I think I’ll be plenty safe.
My new partner has been on the force for almost
a decade.”
“Yeah, but you were the sheriff here for
almost that length. What’s your point?’
“I’m saying, the most we would probably do is drug busts or something like arresting
robbers.”
Her gaze dropped to the ground. She
rubbed her forearm, scared. She twirled her
wedding band around her finger, as she tried to
think more positive. But, the crease lines in her
brows suggested to Jack that she feared the
worse. She feared his inevitable death with the
new job.
He lifted her chin. “I’ll be fine. I’ll take
care of myself. I promise.” He leaned in, planting a kiss on her lips. “ I promise .”
Tears streamed down her face, reluctant to let him leave. She held tight onto his
shirt, breathing in the scent of his cologne. She
inhaled deep, holding her breath until she
couldn’t hold it anymore. She could feel his
arms tighten around her back. “Don’t… go.”
Jack patted her golden, brown, hair.
“Shhh,” he hushed. “I’m not going anywhere for
the rest of the night. I’ll be here until morning.
That is eight hours you have me for.”
“ Not long enough .”
He rocked them both, side to side. He
chuckled. “You remember the first time we
danced?”
“Yeah,” she giggled. “It was our first
date. We were at our tailgate prom. You, heh,
danced like a fool. What was that dance you did,
called?”
He pulled away, placing his palms flat
in the air, one behind him, faced up, the other
in front of his face faced down. “The Egyptian.”
She laughed as he mimicked the moves.
“Oh, my!”
“Yeah, it was cool then.”
“It was never cool,” she laughed.
He grabbed her around the waist.
“Then what about the dance at our wedding?
Was that not cool?”
“No, that was very traditional.”
He grabbed her hand, swinging her
around in a circle until they reached the living
room. “Still, not as cool.”
He grinned as they danced to inaudible
music. Her head, on his chest, was warm against
him. He rested his cheek on the top of her scalp,
humming the Wedding