Chapter 24
"What if I told you I was wounded in Vietnam? The wound still bothers me, especially on rainy days. Could you fix me up something to help with that?" AJ asked curiously.
"Sure, are you a bath or shower person?" Krista asked starting to move out from behind the counter. When she came around the counter, AJ saw she was much larger than when he had seen her in his office. If he knew anything about women and babies. Krista was carrying twins! Clearing his throat, "Well, I'm more of a shower man, myself. Just doesn't seem to make sense to sit in a bath, when I can be in and out of a shower in no time."
"Well then, I would suggest massage oil, rather than bath salts if the problem is on the surface. If it is internal then I would suggest tea..." she waited for his answer not knowing that he was staring at her tummy as she wandered over to the shelf.
"I really don't know. How can you tell? All I really know is it hurts like hell. Want to take a look at it, and give me a guess?" he offered.
"You don't know if the pain is internal or on the surface?" she questioned looking at him oddly.
"Krista, I have so many wounds that when they start hurting, I really don't know what's causing the pain. The big one just throbs. I lay awake at night eating aspirin, hoping the pain will ease," he confessed. "Look - if you don't want to, I understand. I should have gone to a doctor about it years ago, but I'm stubborn."
"Hummm that is not a good quality in a parent, Albert!" she muttered as she took bottles from the shelf and began to mix them together at the counter. She made him something that smelled exactly like the tea she had been drinking. "This is a massage oil, rub it on like this," and she showed him how, "And this is a bottle of the mix that you put in hot water for tea, you only need three to six drops per cup depending on your pain level at the time, I added some chamomile to the tea also to help you sleep."
"You think this will work? It would really be wonderful after all these years of suffering with the
pain," he said. "How did you learn about all these oils, and homemade medicines?"
"I studied, I'm a licensed aromatherapist. I'm sure that it will work."
"You drank this in your tea a little while ago. Are you in pain? Is it the childr…child?" he questioned. "I don't mean to pry, but if something is wrong with the child or you, I think I deserve to know."
"There's nothing wrong with the baby. I am sure of that. Now, would you like me to rub a bit of this on for you so you can see if it helps?" she offered hoping to distract him.
"If you don't mind, I would appreciate it, Krista," he replied unbutton his shirt and pulling off his
undershirt. His upper body was covered with tiny scars, but there was a large one under his breastbone near his ribs. "Here, this is the one that is forever keeping me up nights."
She gulped at the sexy chest before her, she could tell that he kept in shape with his uniform on, but once his shirt was off she could see all the muscles that the cloth had hidden. Placing a fragrant drop in her hands she warmed her hands and the oil by rubbing them together quickly and then massaged it into the scar he indicated. Slowly and carefully allowing the warmth from her hands to penetrate his skin. Looking up at him she asked, "Would you want something that would help the scars to fade also?"
"Now why would I want that? Nobody's interested in what this old chest looks like," he laughed. "Krista, what's wrong with you?"
"All the women you know are crazy then! Nothing, why?" she hedged.
To be continued…