Memories of You - Signed Paperback

Chapter One: Cat

“Well, this is a surprise,” I said, dropping three oversize menus on the table. “Y’all haven’t come in for lunch in weeks.”

My husband and two of his buddies sat in the corner booth in their coveralls, and I couldn’t help but notice the butterflies in my belly at the sight of Brooks. Yes, I’d just seen him earlier that morning. But he’s got such a way about him that any time he trained his green eyes on mine, I was a goner.

Brooks slipped an arm around my waist from his seat at the table, hugging me close to his side. “I missed you.”

Hawkins snorted. “It’s Wing Wednesday. He missed the half-priced wings.”

My husband reached one of his long arms across the table and tried to smack the smile off his buddy’s face, but Hawkins swatted his hand out of the air with a laugh.

“I’m glad to see you either way.” I gave Brooks a quick kiss then stepped out of his reach, conscious of the fact that I was at work. “What can I get y’all to drink?”

Mills held up a finger. “I need a beer.”

“But you’ll have a Coke?” I knew these Marines wouldn’t really drink in the middle of their workday, off-base lunch break or not.

“Yep,” he responded. “But I do need a beer.”

“Don’t we all?” I chuckled. “And how about you, Hawk?”

“Also a Coke.”

“Same,” Brooks said. “Actually—”

“Root beer?” I finished for him.

He winked. “Thanks, babe.”

“Any appetizers or do you want to get straight to the wings?”

Brooks checked his watch. “We’d better just get wings. The usual?”

It had been a while since they’d been able to come in for lunch, but since they used to always get the same thing, I knew exactly what he meant. I nodded and picked up the menus that hadn’t even been acknowledged by the three men. “You got it. I’ll put them in and be right back with your drinks.”

After one last smile for my handsome husband, I headed for the point-of-sale system mounted to the wall next to the bar. I entered my ID number when prompted, followed by their order. Every Wednesday, the restaurant offered bone-in wings in any flavor at half-price. When these guys came in, they always got the same thing: a dozen honey-hot, a dozen medium, and a dozen hot-barbecue. I added extra ranch for Mills and an additional side order of carrots and celery for Brooks. When everything looked good, I closed out of the computer and headed for the fountain machine to get their sodas.

“Is that your hubby over there?” Jami asked, nodding over the bar at Brooks.

“Sure is,” I replied. I couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across my face as I followed her gaze.

The older woman winked at me. “He’s a cutie.”

“Agreed.”

“How long have you two been married now?” she asked.

“Just had our ten-year anniversary in September.”

Jami whistled. “Have you thought about having kids?”

I smiled tightly and focused on filling the red plastic cup without spilling Coke all down the sides.

The kid question. It was becoming more and more common for people to find out how long we’d been married and then immediately ask whether we were planning to have kids. Personally, I found it annoying. It was no one’s business but our own. It was also personal. And yet, people just couldn’t seem to keep their curiosity to themselves. Usually, I had a smart-mouthed answer on the tip of my tongue in these moments. But the older I got, and the more frequently it came up, the more polite I was in my response.

“Someday,” I said, placing Hawk’s Coke on the black tray in front of me and reaching for another cup.

“Well you’re not getting any younger,” Jami said with another wink.

I swallowed. “I’m only twenty-eight. There’s plenty of time for kids.”

Jami waved a hand. “I had my first kid when I was eighteen and my last when I was twenty-one. Now, they’re all adults and living their own lives, and I’m the hot, young Glamma, you know?”

I nodded, not taking my eyes off the task at hand. I’d been working at Brews N Cues for the better part of the last decade. I’d gotten the job only a few weeks after moving to San Diego from Texas. I’d known no one, so this place became like a second home to me. As was common in the industry, the restaurant had seen its fair share of turnover throughout the years, so Jami and I hadn’t worked together for very long. She had big, curly hair and an even bigger personality. She wore lots of makeup and always had some kind of bedazzling on the back pockets of her jeans. She was middle-aged and acted much younger, so yes, if she had grandkids, I could definitely see her referring to herself as a glamorous grandma.

“You don’t want to wait too long or you’ll be my age still taking care of little ones.” Jami made a face like that would be the worst thing in the world to her.

I cut Jami a look and tried to remember I was at work and needed to stay professional in front of our customers, but I really wanted her to stop talking. As mature as I was nowadays, I still had my limits. Little did Jami know Brooks and I had already gone down a long road together when it came to having kids.

We’d started trying right after we’d gotten married. I’d been eighteen, just as Jami was when she’d had her first kid. Would I have loved to get pregnant and become a mom back then? Absolutely. Which was why I’d been crushed each and every month that went by without it happening. And those times when it had happened but hadn’t ... well, panned out? Even more crushing.

We’d needed to pause our plans to start a family every time he left for training and then for eight months while he was gone on his first deployment. We resumed our efforts when he got home … but suffered two losses. Eventually, we’d decided to stop trying. We’d figured it wasn’t in God’s plan for us just yet. Then, it was time for another deployment. He wound up getting shot during an attack right at the beginning of it, and after making it through such a terrifying ordeal together, we felt strong enough to try again to start a family. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and then he left for his third deployment.

It seemed like there would never be a good time for us to try for kids. So, I avoided thinking about it. And I definitely didn’t want to talk about it with Glamma Jami.

I finished filling the last cup for the guys and placed it on my tray, then slid it onto my palm. The good thing about being a server was that there was always a reason to cut an uncomfortable conversation short without offering up more of a reason than tending to our tables. If these walls could talk, they’d tell about a million half-finished stories.

“Here you go,” I said, placing the cups on the table in front of Brooks, Mills, and Hawk. “Your wings should be up any minute.”

Brooks eyed me carefully, his lip twitching slightly like he wanted to ask me something but thought better of it.

“We’re having a barbecue at our place tonight,” Mills told me.

“We’ll be there,” I replied without hesitation.

We all lived in military housing on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Olivia and Matt Mills lived just a short walk from us with their baby girl, Amelia. Spencer Hawkins and his wife, Ellie, lived on the opposite side of the base.

I was as close with Olivia and Ellie as Brooks was to their husbands, so it was the perfect situation. I dreaded the day the Marine Corps would inevitably break up our fun with someone getting orders to a new base. We all knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, so we made sure to take advantage of our time together, hanging out as often as we could.

“Are you working a double today?” Brooks asked, his smooth Southern accent reminding me of home after conversing with Californians all morning.

I shrugged. “Not unless Casey decides to call out again. I’ll keep you posted. I should be home before you, so I’ll wait for you to head over there.”

“I’m sure Olivia would love some company if you want to go over right after your shift.” Mills picked at the paper on his straw. “She says she’s been going a little stir-crazy at home alone with the baby.”

I swallowed. I did not begrudge my friends for having a baby even though we didn’t. But being around them, mixed with Jami’s line of questioning, had all sorts of emotions swirling within me about kids.

“Sounds good,” I said. “I’ll see what time I get out of here. Lemme go check on my other tables and find out if your wings are done.”

I patted Brooks’s shoulder and made the rounds through my section, stopping at each of my other tables to see if they needed anything. I’d run errands for them all day if it meant not standing at the bar and resuming my conversation with Jami about my reproductive plans.

I was able to visit with the guys a little bit in between serving other guests, and after they finished their meal, I asked my manager to keep an eye on my tables while I walked them out. Mills and Hawk said their goodbyes and then hopped into my husband’s truck so we could talk.

“Thanks for coming in,” I said, one hand on my hip and the other shielding my eyes from the sun as I looked up at his tall form.

“Thanks for the great service,” he said in a low voice, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“Did you leave me a good tip?”

“The best.”

“Good, because you left quite a mess for me to clean up.”

Brooks shook his head. “That was all Hawk.” 

I reached up and pushed his shoulder. “I’m just kidding.”

“Is everything okay?” he asked, suddenly serious.

“Yeah, why?”

Brooks shrugged. “I saw you talking to that new bartender. Did she say something that made you mad?”

I couldn’t help but let out a short laugh. “How did you know?”

“You get this look about you when you’re trying not to unload on someone.”

“What, like a twitch?”

“Something like that,” he replied, putting his hand at the small of my back and pulling me to him, kissing me softly and then resting his forehead on mine. “Never forget how well I know you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, disentangling myself from his arms in case any of my customers came out of the restaurant. I wasn’t big on PDA.

“Really, though, what did she say that got you upset?”

I sighed. “She asked when we were going to have kids.”

His lips stretched into a thin line, and he leaned back against his truck. Tucking his arms across his chest, he looked over my head, scanning the parking lot for a moment. Finally, his eyes found mine. They were unmistakably hopeful.

“Do you think we should start trying again?” I asked, fidgeting with my wedding ring.

Brooks shrugged. “Do you?”

It was how the conversation seemed to go every time. We both tried so hard not to force the other one into it that we always wound up deciding not to decide quite yet. Which, I supposed, was a decision all by itself.

Truly, I had no idea how long it would take us to conceive. Maybe even if we started trying now, we wouldn’t get pregnant for another year or two. If we waited a year or two to try, that would extend it even further. The whole thing made my head spin.

I threw my hands up. “You know what? Let’s just try. See what happens.”

He didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. He just stood there with his arms crossed, still as a statue, staring at me. Had he even heard me? I saw his jaw clench, and anxiety settled deep within me. Had I said the wrong thing?

After what seemed like forever, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around my waist, spinning me around. I laughed out loud as I flew through the air, his strong arms easily lifting my petite frame. When he set my feet back on the ground, he kissed me once on the forehead.

“I take it you’re excited about this,” I deadpanned, my eyes burning. I hated when my emotions got out of control, so I focused hard on leveling them back out. Too many feelings made me squirm.

“Dang right, I’m excited,” he said, his Southern accent coming out in full force. 

I tried not to allow the fear of letting him down creep over me like it always did. Maybe this time would be different.

“Well,” I said, stepping away from him and hooking my thumb over my shoulder, “I should get back. Have a good rest of your day.”

“Oh, I will, now. See you at home.”

“See you.”

❤️ Amnesia Romance

❤️ Reunion Romance

❤️ Military Hero

❤️ Emotional Reconnection

❤️ Small-Town Vibes

San Diego Series:

📚 Forever with You - Vince & Sara

📚 Back to You - Spencer & Ellie

📚 Away from You - Matt & Olivia

📚 Christmas with You - Cooper & Angie

📚 Believing in You - Jake & Ivy

📚 Memories of You - Brooks & Cat

📚 Home with You - Owen & Rachel

📚 Adored by You - Noah & Paige

Related Standalone:

📚 Trusting in You - Eric & Lucy

Note: Chronologically, this one fits in between books 5 & 6 of the Kailua Marines series. These worlds all collide, so if you’d like to read them in chronological order, that’s how it goes! :)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LOVED IT!!

"Wow Jess did it again! What an incredible book. I absolutely loved everything about Cat & Brooks’ love story! Such an easy read and such a sweet story!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I won't spoil it, it's a must read!!!!

"I love an author that can make you feel everything that the hero/heroin feel. So many times my eyes welled with tears, my heart squeezed with love. I have devoured each book in this series, read this one in full on it's release day. Love Jesse, and her first hand knowledge of military wife life."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ She did it again!

"I have loved every book in this series and they just keep getting better and better. Just when I think she can't top my favorite story, she does it again. I love Cat & Brooks story so much!"