by Elle James
She smiled. “I thought we might fry them tonight.”
“Are you sure your stomach can handle that?” He’d noticed that she woke up every morning and munched on crackers, stating that she had a sensitive stomach and the crackers helped. Never having had a sensitive stomach, Jack accepted that as part of her routine.
“I should be okay.” She tipped her head toward the bathroom. “You go and get your shower.”
After his frigid shower, he stepped out to the smell of fried fish, which was a nice change from the Dutch oven garlic roasted kind. “Are you about ready for a hamburger and French fries?”
She grinned. “Sometimes, but I know that the fish is better for me.” Her lips twisted. “Well, maybe not fried, but then neither are French fries and hamburgers.”
“True.”
She scooped the fish onto the plates, spooned baked beans next to them and canned asparagus.
Jack smiled. “Always have to have something green, right?”
She nodded. “Yes, I would prefer a fresh salad, but canned asparagus will have to do.”
Thankfully, Hank and Sadie had left a bowl of fresh fruit in the cabin which they had been going through daily for snacks.
“I can’t imagine what I’d be doing for meals if you hadn’t come along with me. I probably would’ve just eaten stuff straight out of the can and burned all the fish. So, thank you for saving me from my own lousy cooking skills. Back in Coronado, seems like the only good meals I ever get are when Wolf cooks and invites us all over.”
“Wolf?” Anne asked.
“One of my teammates. He fancies himself a chef. I think he’ll make a good one once he gets done with the Navy.”
“My mother was a good cook, and she taught me what she knew. When my father came home, he would man the grill, cooking up the tenderest, juiciest steaks you could ever imagine. He also made a mean pot of chili.”
“Your parents sound amazing,” he said.
She nodded. “They were. I just didn’t have them long enough, and I didn’t have siblings to share my grief when they passed. I swore that, if I ever got married and had children, I would definitely have more than one. Family is everything. When you don’t have family you have nothing.” She set down her fork, having cleaned her plate. “So, you see, you’re very lucky to have the sisters you have, and that your parents are still alive. I envy you.”
He tilted his head and studied her. “I think my sisters would like you.”
“If they’re anything like you,” Anne smiled, “I’m sure I’d like them, too.”
He laughed. “They’re nothing like me. They’re all into clothes and makeup and going to the beach.”
“They’re not married?” Anne asked.
“Not yet. They got their degrees, and they’re working on establishing themselves in their careers first. One of them is an aeronautical engineer, which seems like an oxymoron for a woman who likes to have her hair and nails done once every couple of weeks.”
Anne shook her head. “Just because a woman is smart doesn’t mean she doesn’t like to be pretty. What does your other sister do?”
“She’s into graphics design and marketing and is able to work from home.”
“And home is where?”
“The outer banks of North Carolina, close to my parents.”’
“I bet they like having her near.”
“When she’s home. I mean she works from home, but she does a lot of traveling.”
Anne laid her hand across the table, and he took it in his. It was a gesture they performed quite often, as if it were the natural thing to do.
“What about you, Anne?” Jack spoke softly. “Where do you see yourself a year from now. Five years from now? I mean, if Derek weren’t an issue.”
“I’d like to go back to school,” she answered, without hesitation.
“What do you want to study?”
“English, creative writing. I know it’s practically useless and all you can do is teach with that, but I thought, one day, I’d like to write children’s books. At least in my off time.”
He could see her doing that, and she’d be good at it. “You like children, don’t you?”
She nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“What about marriage and children of your own?”
She stiffened. “I like to think it could happen.” She looked away and then back to him, capturing his gaze. “What about you? Where do you see yourself?”
“In five years, I will have put in my paperwork to retire from the Navy and probably spend the last year training new Navy SEAL recruits.”
“And after that?” She cocked a challenging eyebrow.
He grinned. “I’ll probably go to work for Hank.” He looked around the tiny cabin. “With perks like this, who wouldn’t?”
“What about family?” she persisted.
His grin broadened. “I’ll definitely visit them more often.”
She shook her head. “No. I mean, a family of your own—wife…children.”
He shrugged. “Maybe then.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Not sooner?”
“My life as a SEAL keeps me away from home. It wouldn’t be fair to a wife or children to have their husband and father gone all the time.”
“My dad wasn’t in the Navy,” Anne said, “but he was gone a lot, too. Once when I was a teenager, I asked my mother how she could live like that with her husband always gone? She smiled and hugged me and said she’d rather have him some of the time than not at all. She said love’s like that. And every time he came home, you could see the joy in her eyes. She loved him with all her heart, and he loved her.”
“Not all women can deal with their husbands being gone all the time.”
Anne stared across at Jack. “Then they don’t love them enough. They obviously aren’t right for each other. Not like my mom was right for my dad and vice versa.”
“How did they know that they were right for each other?” he asked.
“I asked my mom the same thing.” A smile curved her lips and her face softened. “My mom said when you can’t imagine life without him. It was as simple as that.”
“And did you feel like that with Derek?”
She shook her head. “And that should have been my first sign. I was so desperate to have somebody of my own, I didn’t see how wrong he was for me.” She pushed to her feet and carried her plate to the sink.
Jack followed with his and helped dry the dishes while she washed. “You talked about a future with children, but you don’t talk about a future with another man,” Jack commented as he dried the last dish and laid it on the shelf.
Anne concentrated on the sink as she pulled the plug and let the water drain out. “I don’t,” she said.
“Is it that you don’t trust men to treat you right?” he asked.
“It might be partly that, but mostly, I don’t trust my own judgement anymore. I thought I knew Derek, and I was so painfully wrong.”
She raised a hand and nodded. “I know, not all men are like Derek.” She laid that hand on his chest. “And you’re a perfect example. You are absolutely nothing like that man. You’re kind. You’re generous. You’re loyal to your friends and your family. And, as far as I can tell, you would never raise a hand to a woman.”
He captured her hand and pressed it to his chest. “Well, I for one hope you don’t give up on men. You deserve a family of your own and the kind of love that your parents shared.”
She nodded. “I’m starting to believe that myself, thanks to you.”
He raised her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. “Never sell yourself short because some man made you feel less than you are.”
She leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Thank you for your confidence in me.”
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her gently.
She slid hers around his waist and leaned her cheek against his chest.
Jack knew he needed to be gentle with h
er, but in that moment that jolt of passion that raced through his body threatened to overwhelm him. He wanted to do more than just hold her. He wanted to kiss her and make love to her.
When he tried to set her at arms-length, her arms tightened around his middle. He held her a little longer, even though he felt his control slipping. Finally, he tipped her chin back and stared down into her eyes. “I want to kiss you so badly,” he said, “but I know what you’ve been through. I don’t want to scare you.”
Before he could say another word, she leaned up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his. She loosened her hold around his waist and wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her even harder. When she opened to him, he slipped his tongue into her mouth and caressed hers.
They stood in that moment, suspended in time. Though the future was unclear, the past faded, and it was just them in the fishing cabin in the middle of nowhere.
When he finally lifted his head, he stared down into her eyes again as she stared up at him.
Suddenly, her eyes widened, and her face grew pale in the light from the single bulb dangling from the ceiling.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have kissed you so soon.”
She shook her head and covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, don’t say that,” she said through her fingers. She didn’t move her hand from her mouth. “And,” she gulped, “don’t think this is any reflection on that kiss, but…” She ducked around him and flew through the door.
“Anne,” he called out after her and ran to catch up, grabbing the flashlight from its mount on the wall. He cursed himself for moving too fast, for not giving her time to get over Derek. “Wait, Anne,” he called out.
She ran out across the field toward the river.
“Anne, wait!”
Then she fell to her knees and bent over, her body heaving.
Jack caught up to her, bent over and laid a hand on her back. “Anne, are you okay? Anne? Sweetheart?”
“Leave me alone.” She moaned and vomited.
“Anne, are you sick? Well, obviously, you are.” He felt helpless. “Do I need to call Swede and have him come pick us up or send an ambulance?”
“No,” she said. “I’ll get over it.”
“I don’t like seeing you like this.”
“Really,” she said, “I’m fine.” Then she threw up again. “Leave me alone. I’m going to be perfectly fine. I just shouldn’t…have eaten…fried food.”
He held her hair and stood beside her, refusing to leave her. “You can’t be fine if you’re still sick.”
“I’m not sick,” she insisted. “I’m pregnant.”
Jack reeled back. “Pregnant?”
“Yes, dammit. I’m pregnant. Even though Derek tried to beat the baby out of me,” she sobbed.
Jack’s gut clenched. “That bastard.”
“He wanted me,” she said. “No babies. That’s when he nearly beat me to death. But he didn’t kill me or the baby.” She looked up into his eyes. “The baby didn’t choose its father. But I’m its mother. I’ll be damned if I let anyone kill it.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Jack smoothed the hair back from her face. “You’re going to make a good mother.”
A nearby sound reminded him of where they were and what could be out there in the night. He shined the light around to make sure they were alone. When he did, a dark shadow, about the size of a dog, only rounder, moved nearby. He shifted the beam to discover a small bear.
Jack froze.
It was a cub. Where there was a cub there was a mama bear.
He swung the flashlight beam and encountered another shadow just like the first and still did not see the mama. “Anne,” he said softly, “can you get back to the cabin?”
“I think so,” she said.
“Then do it quickly,” he said, his tone intense, praying she got the meaning.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Anne asked, raising her head.
“We’ve got company.” With his free hand, he helped her to her feet, turned her around and said, “Run.”
At that moment, a large shape lumbered up over the riverbank toward them.
Anne screamed. She took off running as fast as she could toward the cabin. She needed time to make it there. If the bear caught her movement and took off after her, she wouldn’t make it.
Jack didn’t follow. He turned around and shined the light in the bear’s face and yelled, “Hey! Over here!”
The bear’s head swung toward Anne and then back toward Jack.
Jack yelled again. “Hey! Over here!” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Anne slide to a halt and turn back toward him. He yelled, “Keep going! Get the gun!”
Anne took off running again as the bear altered her direction and charged toward Jack.
Chapter 14
Anne ran as fast as she could back to the cabin and through the open door inside. Her heart thundered in her chest, and her breathing was ragged. She hadn’t wanted to leave Jack alone outside to defend himself against the bear. But the only defense against a bear that size was a gun.
His rifle stood beside the door where he’d left it. She reached for it. When her hands wrapped around the metal barrel, she grabbed it up into her arms and ran back outside. Thankfully, Jack had taken her out for target practice and shown her how to operate the rifle and how to flip the safety switch off. Clouds skittered across the sky, alternately blocking the light from the stars and letting them shine though.
When Anne could see him, Jack was using the flashlight to bash against the bears paws.
The bear roared and swung a mighty paw, smashing into Jack’s arm, knocking him to the ground.
Anne flipped the safety switch, lifted the rifle to her shoulder, aimed it above the bear’s head and pulled the trigger.
The loud bang made the bear jerk back and away from Jack’s crumpled body on the ground. Only for a second. Then she went after him again.
Anne aimed for center of mass and pulled the trigger again. The bear roared, dropped down on all fours, turned and ran toward the river.
Anne fired one last time just to make sure the bear wouldn’t return. Still carrying the rifle, she ran to Jack and dropped onto her knees beside him.
“Jack,” she cried.
He lay as still as death. A cloud covered the sky again, blocking the light. Anne scrambled for the flashlight and held it over Jack’s body. He had lacerations from where the bear had torn into his skin. There was blood everywhere. She checked his neck, pressing her fingers to the base of his throat. She could feel a pulse, and it was strong. She let go of the breath that she had been holding on a sob.
“Jack,” she said, “you have to be all right.”
He stirred and moaned. Then his eyes popped open, and he raised his right arm to block his face. “The bear!” he called out.
“Gone,” Anne said. “The bear’s gone.”
He tried to raise both arms toward her, winced and groaned. He clutched his left arm with his right hand and moaned again. He lay back against the ground, his eyes closing. He mumbled something.
Anne leaned closer. “What, what did you say?”
“Sat…phone,” he whispered, and then passed out. His body went limp, his arms falling to his sides.
She shined her light down at him to make sure he wasn’t bleeding from an arterial wound. That’s when she noticed his left arm lying in an awkward angle, the bone in his forearm appeared to be snapped.
Anne sobbed, lurched to her feet and dry heaved all the way back into the cabin. She ran, carrying the flashlight and the rifle, wanting to be prepared in case the bear returned. She scanned the interior of the cabin, desperately searching for the satellite phone. She found it next to the lantern in between the two beds. She snatched it up in her hands and ran back to where Jack lay. She didn’t want to leave him alone too long in case the bear came back.
When she reached him, she sat on the ground with the rifle across her knees and held the satellite phone cl
ose to the light. She tried to remember what Swede had said about calling for help. Her fingers fumbled across the keys, and finally, she got it right. She lifted the phone to her ear and waited while it rang.
It only rang once when Swede’s voice came on the line. “Jack, what’s wrong?”
“Jack’s unconscious,” Anne blurted out before another sob blocked her throat.
“What happened?” Swede asked.
“Bear attack,” Anne said. “We need to get him medical attention.”
“Are you still at the cabin?” Swede asked.
Anne nodded. “Yes.”
“Stay on the line. I’m going to get on the other phone and get medical airlift scheduled to come get him.”
“Thank God,” Anne said.
“Can you tell me what kind of injuries he’s had?”
“Lots of lacerations from the bear’s claws. His left arm is…broken. It looks bad.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Please hurry.”
“Making the call now,” Swede said, and the line went blank. Remembering her first aid training from high school, Anne grabbed the rifle off the ground and ran back to the cabin. She yanked comforters and quilts off the beds and grabbed towels from the bathroom. Anne returned to where Jack lay on the ground and shined the light down on the cuts. Some of them were deep and still bleeding. She tore strips from the towels, wrapped them around the cuts and knotted them over them to provide pressure to stop the bleeding, being very careful when she moved his arm. Her stomach roiled, but she needed to stop the bleeding on that arm.
Jack groaned, but he didn’t wake.
The pain had to be so bad that being unconscious was better for him anyway. At least, that’s what Anne told herself. She tucked the blankets around him and counted the seconds, praying that the air lift would arrive soon. Fifteen minutes later, she heard the thumping of rotary blades echoing off the sides of the hills. Her heart leapt. “You hear that, Jack?” She smoothed a hand over his forehead. “Help’s on its way.”
A few minutes later, the helicopter landed in the clearing beside the cabin. The emergency medical technicians leaped to the ground, carrying what looked like a toolbox. A couple of the EMTs unloaded a stretcher. Once the medical personnel took over, Anne stood out of the way, still holding the rifle just in case the bear decided to return. They checked all of Jack’s vital signs, loaded him onto the stretcher and moved him to the helicopter. Inside, they hooked him up to an IV.
