She turned toward the sandbar and tried to swim but her wet jeans dragged her down. She kicked off her shoes and slid her jeans off, letting them sink to the bottom. She looked over her shoulder and could see two shark fins moving toward her. She swam faster, praying under her breath. The sandbar was a few yards ahead.
She felt under her for the bottom. Not quite shallow enough to walk. She looked back to see the dorsal fins closing in on her. She swam faster, ignoring the cramp in her leg, the weariness that wracked her body. Her foot scraped the sandpaper like skin of one of the sharks. Her heart nearly gave out. She pushed on, kicking with all her might.
Finally, she felt the sandy bottom beneath her. She dropped her legs and rushed against the waves that crushed against her. A wave knocked her down, but she got up and trudged forward, keeping her eye on the disappearing sandbar.
When she reached the dry sand, she collapsed on her knees, out of breath. Within minutes she felt a slap of water against her ankles. She looked up over the horizon. The tide was rising quickly. In less than fifteen minutes, the sandbar would be under water. She glanced out over the darkening sea. Two dorsal fins still lingered along the shore, mere feet from where she sat.
She drew her legs up to her chest, shivering in the cool, night air. The sun was setting. Soon there would be nothing but black water surrounding her. And a hoard of hungry sharks.
She looked wistfully at Conrad's cruiser. The two men she cared about most in this world were on that boat fighting for their lives. "Please survive," she whispered.
Chapter Eighteen
Aidan moved quickly, jumping on deck and grabbing for the gun from Conrad. He had a hold of Conrad's wrist but Conrad still had the gun firmly in his grip. Aidan kicked the back of his knees and Conrad dropped immediately. Aidan jumped on top of him, never letting go of the hand that held the gun.
"Get in the Travis's boat," he yelled at Ross. "Answer the radio. Push the button on the receiver."
Ross moved quickly at his father's command, but there was no mistaking the terror in his expression. Aidan's rage went up a notch.
"You think you can murder my wife and kidnap my son and get away with it? Not tonight," Aidan said through gritted teeth.
Conrad laughed. "I've got money and power. I can get away with anything."
"Oh yeah?" Aidan asked. He elbowed Conrad in the nose with all his strength. A loud cracking sound was immediately followed by a blood curdling scream. The gun slipped into his hand and Aidan stood, putting his foot across Conrad's neck.
"You broke my nose, you animal!" Conrad cried.
"Next it will be your neck if you don't stop sniveling. Get up!" he said, pointing the gun at Conrad's chest. "If you so much as breath the wrong way, there's going to be a whole lot of lead flying into your body. I don't have any reason to let you live."
Conrad stood up, with his hands holding his nose. Blood ran down his face as he whined like the simpering coward he was.
"Now get in the captain's chair before I change my mind."
Aidan tied Conrad to the captain's chair with the docking rope. Once he was satisfied the sobbing psycho was tightly secured, he hopped aboard the Coastguard boat. Ross lunged into his arms, and Aidan hugged him tightly, a million emotions flowing through him.
"You okay, buddy?" he asked.
"I'm okay. Travis called. He's coming."
He kissed his son's cheek and hugged him again and again. "You were very brave," he said.
"Jamie told me to be brave. She said that you would come for us."
Aidan let his son go and moved to untie the boat from the cruiser. "Now, we need to find her. Grab that flashlight, son." He turned on the boat's lights.
Aidan's eyes searched the surrounding water, but the sun had set and it was too dark to see anything. His insides sank. A wave of pain washed over him. She'd sacrificed herself for Ross. For him. He had to find her.
She had to be alive.
He moved the boat slowly through the dark water. They rocked violently in the rough surf as the waves crashed brutally against the hull. The tide had come in and it was difficult to tell where the sandbar was anymore. He turned on the computer screen to see if he could find her. It was difficult with the seas so rough. Nothing stayed in one place.
"Jamie!" he called over the treacherous winds. "Jamie!"
Ross's small voice joined him and they both called, over and over again for her. No response. He took the flashlight and moved it slowly along the water, back and forth. He thought he saw movement.
Jamie standing in knee deep water. He didn't miss the dorsal fins circling her about five feet away. There was no time.
He sliced through the ragged waves in seconds, coming as close to her as possible. "Ross, hold the helm steady!" he said.
He rushed to the side of the boat and lifted Jamie out of the water with one fell swoop and set her down on the deck.
She was shivering, her skin was clammy and cool. He grabbed some Coastguard blankets and wrapped them around her wet body. He carried her to a seat near the helm, where she collapsed. Ross lunged towards her as she gathered him up in her arms, snuggling into her embrace, his tiny arms circled her waist. Aidan felt a lump in his throat.
He bent down and kissed Jamie on the forehead. The night had been too much for her, the terror, the sharks, the battering of the sea. She was going into shock. She looked up at him, and her stare was blank. And then the smallest curve of a smile played on her lips and was gone.
"Thank you," she whispered.
She rested her head against the seat and hugging Ross to her chest, she closed her eyes.
Ross and Jamie were fast asleep, when the real Coastguard arrived to take Conrad to jail.
~
The night that followed Ross's kidnapping was chaos. Reporters were camped out along the dock when they arrived, police cars and ambulances swarmed the parking lot and the local towns people were out in spades. Aidan was just glad that his son and Jamie were alive and safe. Nothing else mattered.
Travis nearly tore Aidan's head off for taking the Coastguard boat, but managed to cover up for him. No one in law enforcement wanted to press charges anyway. Everyone loved Ross and the kidnapping of a child of Seabrook was something that united the whole town. Aidan wondered if he imagined the gossip, he'd thought had gone on about Lauren for all these years.
Jamie had spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, during which Aidan nearly lost his mind. She'd developed hypothermia from the cold winds and waters, and afterwards developed pneumonia. It had been touch and go at one point, but he'd stayed by her bedside, sneaking Ross in to see her when he could. He couldn't bear to lose her, after everything they'd been through together. After what she had done for Ross. For him.
But he did lose her.
When she finally left the hospital, she said her farewells. She was going back to Palm Beach, she'd said, where she belonged. Seabrook wasn't the place for her. She was so sorry for all Ross had been through, simply because she'd dated a crazy man. She'd left Thorn as a parting present to Ross.
Aidan wanted to be with Jamie, more than anything in the world, but he realized, sometimes you can't go back.
And sometimes, you have to let go.
Epilogue
Jamie stood at the edge of the lagoon, Villa Milagros looming behind her.
Before she even heard the footsteps, Jamie knew he was there. She turned to see Aidan carrying a small bag. He walked up to her and his expression was unreadable.
"I just wanted to see her one last time," she said, a lame explanation after all that had transpired. But she didn't trust herself to say more. There were no words to describe her feelings of sadness, remorse, despair. There were no words at all.
He nodded, understanding her, and his smile was small but sincere. "It's alright," he finally said. He stood next to her overlooking the ocean.
"How's Ross?" She expected an angry reply, but she had come all this way, and she had to know that he was okay.
"He's doing fine. He bounced back quick. Thanks for asking. He's missed you, Jamie. I hope you know that."
They both stood silent for a moment, watching the waves crash softly against the dock. "I'm sorry about it. I wanted you to know that," she finally said.
He shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Jamie. I never blamed you for what happened. If you hadn't thrown yourself overboard, Ross could be dead right now." he said. "You saved his life."
She looked at him, into the gray eyes that had haunted her every waking moment for the last few months.
"You're a good man," she said quietly.
Aidan grasped her hand. "Come with me" he said and led her to the end of the dock. He released her hand and took a small urn out of the bag and turned to her.
"I'm here to say goodbye," he said. "To Lauren. To my past." He tipped the urn slowly into the wind. A stream of ashes caught in the breeze and in seconds had melded into the ocean. "Maybe she can rest in peace now. Close to her son."
He raised his arm and cast the urn into the rolling waves. "I should have let her go a long time ago." He grabbed her hand and silently led her to the grassy banks that sat opposite the lagoon. He turned to her, and ever so slowly lifted his hand and stroked it against her cheek.
"I've missed you," he said.
"After everything that happened?" she asked with disbelief.
He nodded. "Do you know what Villa Milagros means?"
She blinked back tears. Of course, she knew. Her mother had named their beloved home.
"It's Spanish for House of Miracles," she said.
His smile was warm. "Do you believe in miracles?"
She somehow managed to find her voice. "I don't know."
He laughed softly. "Well, I do."
He dug in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to her. She read it and took a step back from him.
"But this can't be" she whispered. "How could my name be on the deed of Villa Milagros?"
He stepped close to her and leaned over, brushing her ear with his lips. "Believe in miracles now?" he asked.
She pulled away from him and simply stared at him, not believing him. She gave him back the paper and waited for an explanation. None came. She tried to find her voice.
"Villa Milagros belongs to Ross and… to me?" she finally asked.
"I figured he'd need help decorating," Aidan said.
He took her hand and knelt down on one knee before her. "I love you, Jamie. I always have. Please, marry me? You will make two very lonely guys the happiest people on earth."
Tears streamed down her face and her legs were ready to give way. Her voice was a mere whisper. "I love you, Aidan Brice. Yes, I will marry you."
Aidan laughed as he rose and kissed her, pulling her completely off the ground in a twirling embrace. Ross and Thorn came tumbling out of the house and ran to them.
Ross broke between them and jumped up into Jamie's arms and hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you're back," he cried as he flung his tiny arms around her neck.
Jamie gazed at Aidan beaming with joy as he watched his son happily ensconced in her arms. Ross looked over at his father and raised his small hand up to him, catching Aidan's high-five with glee.
Jamie knew she was finally home.
~
Dear Wonderful Reader,
Thanks so much for sharing Aidan and Jamie's journey to finding true love. I hope you enjoyed reading their love story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you have a minute, I'd appreciate it so much if you could leave a review on Amazon so others can enjoy their story too. Thanks!
Lots of Love,
Genevieve Goodwin
Never Date Your Ex Page 20
