He clenched his jaw and turned back to the window. “Good. She needs to be checked out.”
Her hands twisted in her lap. He could feel the hot anger shooting across the packs at him from her. From Rafe and Zeke as well.
The helicopter touched down, and he stayed in his seat as Rafe helped Chloe into a waiting wheelchair. Piper stood just inside the glass doors to the hospital, her hands wringing in front of her.
“Take the helicopter to my ranch.” Zeke patted the pilot on the shoulder. “I’ll have someone waiting to unload this gear.”
“Copy that.” The pilot nodded.
Jake grabbed Zeke’s arm before he could jump out. “I’m heading back with the helicopter.”
“You need to be checked out too.” Zeke’s eyebrows pinched.
Jake shook his head. “Nah, I ate well. Drank enough. Nothing’s injured.” Except my pride. He kept that last part to himself.
“What about Chloe?”
“What about her?” Jake averted his gaze to the red-rocked mountain behind the hospital.
“I don’t know, maybe the fact that there’s so much emotion bouncing between the two of you there was hardly room for me and Rafe in the helo?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Really?” Zeke’s tone called Jake out.
Jake turned to Zeke, meeting his steely gaze, forcing his face to remain emotionless.
Praying his friend would drop it and let him go.
“Really,” Jake choked out.
Zeke stared Jake down. When Jake thought he would cave, Zeke snorted and shook his head.
“Whatever.” He climbed out of the helicopter and turned back. “You’ve always been a horrible liar, Jake.”
With that, he slammed the door and took off for the hospital. The sinking of Jake’s stomach as the helicopter took off reminded him he hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. He didn’t have an appetite, anyway. Probably never would again.
Sosimo and June waited at the ranch’s landing strip when the helicopter touched down. Of course a happy couple would be waiting for his return. Another turn of the knife jabbed his heart to make sure he bled out completely.
June stepped up, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she handed him one of his prosthetics from his cabin. “Zeke called and said the other one was busted.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Jake slipped the limb on, taking a deep breath.
“I’d like to talk to you about what happened, see how it failed.” Her eyes widened, and she quickly fumbled with her words. “That is … I mean, when you are up to it.”
“Cariña, why don’t you let Jake get out of the helo?” Sosimo wrapped his arm over her shoulder and stepped back.
“Right, of course.” June’s fair skin blushed to match her red hair.
Jake eased out of the helicopter, testing his weight on his leg. He half expected it to buckle from underneath him. June launched herself toward him, wrapping him in a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.” She sniffed and squeezed harder. “We’ve been so worried.”
His throat felt thick, and he sucked the inside of his cheeks between his teeth to keep his emotions under control. Sosimo shook his head, throwing his hands up in an I-give-up motion. Jake patted her on the back. She pulled away, wiping her hands across her wet cheeks, and tucked into Sosimo’s side.
“We brought your truck down. The keys are in it.” Sosimo pointed his thumb to Jake’s Toyota. “Head on over to your place. You need a shower.” Sosimo scrunched his nose. “You’re making my eyes water.”
June gasped and smacked Sosimo on the chest. “Don’t be rude.”
Jake forced a chuckle. “Thanks.”
Finally, he could escape.
Could hide himself from the world.
He waved his hand and trudged his way to his truck. When he pulled up to his cabin, he groaned. Samantha’s vehicle was parked in front. He didn’t want to visit with Zeke’s wife. He wanted to take a shower, then try to not think about how Chloe was doing at the hospital.
As he turned the ignition off and stepped out of the vehicle, the door to his place swung open. A gleeful squeal preceded Eva as she barreled out of the cabin. Her skinny legs moved so quickly that her curly pigtails flew straight out behind her. Jake barely had time to brace himself before she jumped into his arms and wrapped her limbs around him.
“Oh, Jake, I’ve missed you so much.” Her tiny voice caught, and she buried her face deeper into his neck.
Jake squeezed his teary eyes shut and cleared his throat. “I missed you too.”
“Everyone’s been so worried, but I knew you’d be okay.” Eva put her small hands on his cheeks. “You’re so brave and strong. I knew nothing would keep you away for long. Plus, I was praying really hard. God always listens when you pray, so I knew you’d be okay.”
Man, she was killing him. “Thanks, honey.”
“Rafe said you were protecting a princess. Did you save her?” Eva chatted while he carried her to the cabin.
His energy seemed to leak right out of him. “Nope. She saved me.”
Eva’s bright blue eyes grew wide above her freckled cheeks. “She did.”
“Yep.”
“Wow.” Eva looked out over the meadow in awe. “I want to be a princess like her.”
“She’s special, that’s for sure.” He needed to stop talking about Chloe before he lost his resolve and drove down to the hospital.
She’d probably forgive him if he groveled well enough. He scoffed. She’d forgive him even if he didn’t. That’s the type of person she was. He had to stop thinking about her. He still couldn’t keep her.
He stepped into the house, and a savory smell set his stomach to grumbling. Maybe he could eat something. Sam wiped off the counter and gave him a smile.
“Eva, we’re going to let Jake rest.” Sam stopped in front of him and cringed as she scanned him up and down. “And shower. You look horrible.”
Jake laughed, setting Eva on the ground. “I feel horrible.”
Sam sobered. “Are you all right? We’ve been so worried.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Jake nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.
Sam stepped up and gave him a quick hug. “I’m glad.” She sniffed and stepped back. “I have stew on the stove for you.”
“I made you your favorite peanut butter cookies.” Eva hugged his leg.
“Thanks.”
“Come up to the main house when you’re ready.” Sam placed a hand on his shoulder, then grabbed Eva’s arm. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go bake some more treats.”
“Yeah!” Eva took off for the door. “See you soon, Jake.”
The door clicked, and familiar silence surrounded him. Why did it now feel stifling when before it had been his companion? He shook it off and got in the shower. When thirty minutes of steaming water and a bowl of thick stew didn’t loosen the weight of loneliness, a sinking feeling hardened his gut. Without Chloe, life threatened to be a barren tomb.
Chloe stared out the hospital window as snow fell lazily outside. The low, gray clouds matched her dreary emotions. When Jake hadn’t followed her in, her heart had sunk. As the hours passed and he didn’t show, her heart shriveled and died. It surprised her that the monitor next to her continued to beep at a steady rhythm.
Piper’s phone rang, causing Chloe to jump. Piper’s forehead scrunched as she looked at the phone number and excused herself into the hall. Rafe’s gaze lingered on the door before turning back to Chloe.
“Did you get any more information on my stalker?” Chloe asked Rafe now that Piper had slipped out of the room.
“Yeah.” He looked back out the door.
“And?”
“It appears the dude is stalking Piper, not you.”
Her eyes darted to the hall where Piper chatted on the phone. The lunch the hospital had served curdled in Chloe’s stomach. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
“Whoa, Snappy. You aren’t cleared to
leave yet.” Rafe held his hands in front of him to calm her down.
“We have to leave. Go hide until we can find this guy.”
“Chloe, I’m not about to let anything happen to Piper.” His tone was one she’d never heard before. “We have it under control. You don’t need to worry. I promise.”
She tucked her legs back in the bed. How could she have been so blind? She pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head on her knees. If only Jake was here to help her talk this through. She scoffed at herself. She needed to purge thoughts like that out of her head. It was obvious Jake was done with her.
Rafe cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Chlo.”
Chloe shook the doldrums from her unsettled brain. “What?”
“Jake, the numskull.” Rafe rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry he hasn’t come by.”
Had her thoughts been broadcasted so clearly? She pushed her lips up, though she feared it was more a grimace than a smile. “It’s okay.”
“What happened between you two?”
“We … I—”
“Chloe.” Piper came rushing in with her hand over her phone. “Hello, America wants you to come out for an interview.”
“What?” Chloe sat up, her heart jumpstarting.
“They picked up the story somehow. They know you won’t be able to make it for tomorrow’s show, but they want to interview you the next morning.” Piper’s excitement mirrored Chloe’s own.
This could be it. This could be the break they needed. She chewed on her bottom lip.
“Tell them I can come for the interview, give them all the juicy plane crash details, but I’d like to perform a song with my band as well.” Chloe’s gut twisted at the demand. Would they accept or was she throwing her chance to being discovered out the window?
Piper relayed the message in a much more diplomatic way. She truly was amazing at this stuff. Her smile beamed from her face as she gave Chloe a thumbs up. Chloe kicked her legs, and they both did a happy dance while Piper finished the call.
Piper hung up, and Rafe roared, wrapping Piper in a hug and spinning her around. He set her down and pushed her hair behind her ear. The touching motion caused Chloe’s eyes to tear, so she picked at her hospital blanket to avert her gaze.
“Excuse me.” A nurse peeked her head in the room. “I’m going to have to ask you to keep it down in here.”
“Sorry.” Piper stepped away from Rafe, her hand rubbing her cheek where Rafe had touched.
Derrick, a man Zeke had said would help Rafe, stepped into the room. He had said little to her, instead kept watch while Rafe stayed close.
“What’s up?” His deep, steady voice was mellow and unaffected by the excitement pinging through the room.
“We need to head to New York.” Rafe clapped Derrick on the shoulder.
His dark eyebrow cocked. “Okay.”
Piper sat on the end of the hospital bed. “Chloe’s going to be interviewed on Hello, America.” She scrunched her forehead. “Is it too late to charter a private airplane to fly us all out there?”
“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Rafe pulled out his phone.
Derrick went back into the hall to keep guard, putting his phone to his ear. Piper called Chet and told him to get the band packed and ready to go. They’d all come to see Chloe shortly after she’d arrived. They’d driven to Glenwood to help however they could with the search and rescue. It had been sweet of her bandmates to want to help.
Chloe turned her gaze out the window as the chatter blended together. She wanted the excitement to overtake the sadness. Wanted the joy this opportunity gave them to bubble up and drown her in giddiness. It didn’t, though—just kind of fizzled in the bottom of her.
Maybe it was better this way. Putting distance between her and Jake would give her the space needed. It would also keep her from doing something royally stupid like catch an Uber to Jake’s and demand he love her as much as she did him. Maybe once she got over the hurt and anger, she’d have the strength to fight for him. Right now, she barely had the strength to hold her tears in that threatened to fall. She reached for the nurse’s call button, determined to get out of this hospital and Colorado as fast as possible.
Twenty
Jake huffed and tossed the wood planer onto the worktable. He grabbed the board he’d been working on and tossed it into the pile with the others he’d destroyed. He had thought working on his cabin would help him keep his mind off the fact that Chloe had left. It hadn’t taken her long to get over whatever it was they had and get back to what drove her.
Jake had protested when Zeke had come by to tell him. Jake had argued she needed to stay in the hospital longer, make sure everything checked out. The look Zeke had given Jake told him Zeke didn’t buy that load of goat dung. Now, Jake wasn’t just a jerk, but he was a selfish jerk. He’d almost caved when Zeke asked if Jake wanted to go to New York with Chloe, make sure she stayed safe.
He stomped out of the spare room he’d turned into a workroom. Maybe he should just go to bed. He shook his head. With how amped up he was, that would only bring more nightmares.
He slumped in his armchair, the fire the only light in the room. His bearded dragon, Rex, touched his nose to the glass of his tank and cocked his head.
“At least I still have you.” Jake scoffed as he reached into the tank and pulled the lizard out.
Rex clung to Jake’s forearm as he rubbed his finger down the lizard’s back. The rhythmic motion normally settled him, but not tonight. He stared out the window as the snow fell lazily against the inky night.
“She’s amazing, Rex. You would’ve really liked her. She sings like an angel, her voice soothing the beast that rages inside me.” His habit of talking with the dragon didn’t bother him as much as it had when he first got Rex. Sometimes Jake needed to talk things through, and Rex was a superb listener.
“She got all excited when I told her about you, said she’d always wanted a pet lizard or boa or something. Imagine that, a prissy rich girl wanting a reptile for a pet.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s not prissy, though. She’s tough, has the strength of a fighter, and won’t back down.”
Unlike him.
He pressed his thumb and finger against his eyes, then pinched the ridge of his nose, trying to fight the memory of her breaching his borders and kicking in the door to his heart. His wounds hadn’t bothered her. He closed his eyes and could almost feel her small fingers massaging his leg. His skin had zipped with every rub. His leg hadn’t felt that good since his surgeries.
She’d even woken him from his dreams without him freaking out. He rubbed his lips with the back of his knuckle, then growled low. Thinking about kissing her wouldn’t help him at all. He put Rex back in his tank and stalked to the kitchen. Grabbing a cookie from Eva off the plate, he bit it in half and chewed his frustration out.
Why was he dwelling on this? He’d gotten what he wanted. She had moved on, and Rafe and Derrick would keep her safe.
So why did it feel like he was making the biggest mistake of his life?
The cookie turned to sawdust in his mouth. His shoulders slumped as he tossed the rest of the cookie on the plate. He had done the right thing in pushing her away, hadn’t he? He shook his head. He hadn’t gone wrong there.
Falling in love with her had been the mistake.
One he’d regret the rest of his life.
“Uncle Jake.” Loud banging opened Jake’s eyes to bright sun filtering through his living room window.
He rolled his neck. He hated when he fell asleep on the recliner. Gave him a headache the rest of the day.
The pounding intensified and made him cringe. “Uncle Jake, are you in there?”
“Come on in, Eva.” Jake stretched, trying to get the kinks out.
Eva opened the door with a bang and ran in, only to skid to a stop and run back to the door. She slammed it—hard—and Jake flinched. He’d have to find the essential oil roller Zeke’s stepmom had given him for his headaches.
“It’s not early, silly.” She giggled and shook her head. “It’s almost lunchtime.”
Jake peered at the clock on the wall. Huh, he’d slept better than he thought.
“I’ve come to talk some sense into you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and put on her serious face.
He’d have had a hard time keeping a straight face if her words didn’t fill him with dread.
“Huh.”
“Uncle Jake, why’d you let Miss Chloe go?”
Yep, dread was right. “She’s better off without me.”
Eva shook her head, her curls swinging with the enthusiastic motion. “Nah-uh. She’s not. That’s not what Uncle Rafe said.”
“What do you mean?”
“He said she’s sad, that she’s hardly eating and all the light has gone out of her.”
Jake stood fast, almost dumping Eva on the floor. He set her on her feet and paced to the kitchen.
“Why isn’t she eating? She practically starved while we were stuck in that cabin.” He speared his fingers through his tangled hair.
“Rafe says she’s hardly come out of her room in the suite they’re staying in. Piper’s worried she going to mess up the interview.” Eva grabbed his hand and gazed up at him with watery blue eyes. “They say it’s your fault. That you’re a numskull. Are you a numskull, Uncle Jake?”
His chin drooped to his chest. The thought of Chloe hurting weighed heavy on his shoulders.
“Yeah, sweetheart, I’m a numskull.”
“Then stop being one and go rescue her.” Eva stomped her foot and placed her hands on her hips.
He wanted to. His heart raced with the thought of going to her. Yet, fear wound its icy fingers through his gut and squeezed.
“It’s not that easy.” Jake leaned against the counter.
“Yes, it is.” Eva crossed her arms. For a four-year-old, she was persistent. “You just fly to New York and apologize.”
“Eva, I can’t protect her. Can’t take care of her the way I need to.”
Crashing Into Jake Page 13
