Sweet Affliction [Sweet Awakenings 4] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Nicole Morgan Read Free Book Online Page B

any of them were lucky enough to come across. And just as simply as he’d said the words he stepped back to stand beside his wife and saluted Nick’s urn.
    So here they were, leaving Miramar on their way to Coronado NAB to stand on one of the high rocks to scatter Nick’s ashes in the ocean. It surprised the hell out of him when Adam had supplied the navy with a notarized copy of Slater’s last will and testament. He knew the two were close at one time but never knew they had kept in touch this whole time.
    He watched as Adam’s hand reached across the console of the SUV to take his wife’s hand. Rex couldn’t help but smile. Clearly there was quite a bit more to his friend, Adam, than met the eye.
    He looked down as Shelby rested her head on Rex’s shoulder. She’d seemed tired all day, but she held up without lending a hint to her exhaustion. God how he loved her. He was one lucky son of a bitch, and he knew it.
    A tap on his shoulder had him look to the seat behind him. Jack, who was sitting with Tamara, looked stressed.
    “Yeah?”
    Jack shook his head in frustration and nodded his head toward Tamara, who looked equally annoyed. He couldn’t help but smile. Jack and Tamara never argued, but whenever they did it was an instant moment of satisfaction for him. Jack needed to be brought down a peg or two once in a while, and Tamara was damn good at doing it.
    “What’s the problem?” he asked them.
    Exhaling a big breath, Jack answered. “Would you please tell her that when Colleen says JJ is fine, that it actually means that he is fine.”
    Rex bit back any laughter that was itching to break free. Why on earth Jack thought he would win an argument over their new baby with Tamara he had no idea. The man was clearly an idiot.
    Giving a sympathetic smile to Tamara, he asked, “Why don’t you think he’s fine, sweetie?”
    She looked at him for a few seconds and rolled her eyes at her husband. “I guess I don’t really think that. Colleen wouldn’t lie to me.” She held up her hand to interrupt Jack, who’d started to talk.
    “But it’s just that when I called she kind of scolded me for nearly waking him up after she’d just gotten him down for a nap. I asked if he’s been fussy, or colicky, or even sick, but she swore he wasn’t.”
    “Okay then. There’s your answer. You said it yourself, she wouldn’t lie to you. Especially not about JJ.”
    “Yes I know. It’s just she sounded kind of tired or like she was at her last rope. Maybe he’s too much work for her? What if…”
    “Oh for God’s sake! She is at her last rope with you. You call her about every fifteen minutes!” Jack snapped out so abruptly that everyone in the SUV heard him and glanced to the backseat.
    Tamara’s cheeks flooded with embarrassment. “I don’t call that much.”
    Despite her protests, the inflection of her voice gave her away. Rex felt a tug of sympathy for her. Tamara was a loving soul, and baby JJ was her whole world. He winked at her and gave her a smile before turning to Jack.
    “You pull me into an argument with you and Tamara again over my godson, I’ll kick your ass first then take her side.”
    Jack flipped him the finger and put an arm around Tamara, who was trying to stifle back some tears. Despite not having a family of his own, Rex was pretty damn lucky to have these people in his life.

Chapter 8
     
    Nick woke to the sound of humming, singing. She was there with him again. Her soft voice was like a healing melody that made him feel peaceful. He could picture her lulling a child to sleep with her angelic sounds.
    Slowly he opened his eyes, careful as to not have the light startle him like it had the past few times he’d woke. Faint memories of waking several times for only a few minutes only to quickly fall back under came back to him. Each time he remembered her being there, yet he couldn’t remember seeing or hearing the man she called her father.
    He was coming to expect her to be there, like