Crashing Into Jake

by Sara Blackard

  “So that’s what this is all about?” Zeke’s concerned voice turned Jake’s head to the door.

  “Daddy!” Eva ran to Zeke and threw her arms around his waist, Jake’s heart clenching with the thought that he’d never have a child do that. “I tried, Daddy, but he’s still being a numskull.”

  Zeke pulled on a curl, a soft smile on his face. “Why don’t you go wait in the car and let me have a shot at him?”

  “Knock some dollars in him.” Eva’s serious tone was back.

  Jake snorted at another of Eva’s messed up phrases.

  “If I have to, I’ll knock a lot of sense into him.”

  “Good.” She hugged her dad and turned to Jake. “Uncle Jake, you listen and obey Daddy, okay? And brush your teeth. You can’t rescue your princess with stinky breath.”

  Jake and Zeke burst out laughing. Eva dashed out the door with as much energy as when she’d arrived. Jake turned away from the door to make coffee. He had to do something. Couldn’t just stand there and let Zeke wear down his already thinning defenses.

  “So you think you can’t keep her safe?” Zeke’s tone had turned back to his Army sergeant voice.

  Jake grunted.

  “So what do you call what you did out on that mountain?”

  “Almost getting her killed. That’s what I call it.” Jake slammed the lid down on the coffee pod and jammed the button.

  “That’s not what she said. She said you were amazing.”

  Jake snorted and turned around, leaning his back against the counter.

  “Seriously, man. And I’d have to agree with her.”

  “I almost got her killed. Couldn’t do a single thing after my prosthetic broke.”

  “She said you chopped that pile of firewood after the avalanche.”

  “Which she had to carry in after she’d practically starved for four days,” Jake yelled.

  The coffee beeped, and he spun to keep from punching something.

  “Seems to me, she’s the type who’d rather help than stand helplessly to the side.” Zeke’s quiet tone irked Jake, mostly because Zeke was right.

  “Zeke, man, I can’t. I’m a liability to her, and to you and the company for that matter.”

  “That’s a load of bull.” Zeke rounded the counter and pushed Jake’s shoulder to get him to face him. “You are one of the best men I know. You train harder and longer than any of us. Your leg doesn’t put you at a disadvantage. If anything, it’s made you a stronger person.”

  “Now who’s shoveling it?” Jake jerked his shoulder away. “My leg slips or breaks, and anyone I’m protecting is left vulnerable.”

  “That could happen to any of us. There’s always been that risk. Always.”

  “Yeah, right,” Jake scoffed.

  “You are a numskull. You’re going to throw away the love of an amazing woman, a survivor just like you, and the possibility of a family, over an issue that’s not even a problem.” Zeke’s voice dripped with the disgust Jake felt inside.

  Jake closed his eyes and shook his head. “It’s more than the leg. I have nightmares. I literally threw her across the cabin when she tried to wake me. I can’t—” He swallowed the tears that clogged his throat. “I can’t even keep her safe from me.”

  “You’re not alone in that.” Zeke placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder and squeezed. “I have nightmares too.” He rubbed his hand through his short, dark brown hair. “I accidentally hit Sam clear off the bed one night.”

  Jake’s stomach flipped at the thought. “No.”

  “Yeah. When I realized what I’d done, I freaked. Started bawling like a baby.” He cringed. “Told her I was sleeping on the couch so I couldn’t hurt her.” He chuckled and shook his head. “She told me to stop being an idiot. That she hated sleeping on the couch, and since she wouldn’t sleep without me, I wasn’t leaving the bed.”

  “But Chloe is so fragile.”

  “I won’t tell her you said that.” Zeke cocked his eyebrow.

  “I’m serious. Her body is weak from celiac.” Jake wished Zeke wasn’t blocking the only escape from the small U-shaped kitchen.

  “You love her.” Zeke shook his head and glared when Jake opened his mouth to dispute it. “You can’t hide it from me. And she loves you. Whatever happened up on that mountain bound you together.”

  “Nothing untoward happened. I made sure we didn’t go past kissing,” Jake quickly explained.

  “I didn’t mean that.” Zeke rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a fool and let your pride lose her. She’s the future you always prattled on and on about.”

  “I don’t prattle, and that was before.” Jake crossed his arms, squeezing the hope that expanded in his chest.

  “Okay, droned. Droned on and on about the wife you’d find that was perfect for you.” Zeke stepped around the counter. “She’s miserable. You’re miserable. It’s not too late to grab hold of that happily ever after Eva’s so nuts about. You’ve never been a coward, Jake, so stop acting like one.”

  Zeke’s words pinched. He’d known all along that he couldn’t live without Chloe, but the idea of not being enough for a girl like her had been overwhelming. Jake rubbed his hand across his chest. Zeke was right. He was crazy to let her go.

  Warmth spread and scattered his cold fear at the thought of seeing her again. He had to get to New York. Chloe questioning him about not seeing how people really saw him came to mind. If he was wrong about how others reacted to him, he couldn’t trust his perspective on this either. A slow smile grew. He’d just have to trust Chloe and her insistence that they would work.

  He took off toward his room. “I need to get to New York.”

  “Finally.” Zeke threw his arms up. “I was starting to worry I’d have to knock you out and throw you on the plane.”

  “Plane?” Jake called from his room as he threw clothes into a bag.

  “I have a jet waiting for you. You’ll be in New York in under four hours if you hurry.”

  Jake rushed from his room. “I’m ready.”

  Zeke shook his head. “Man, you need to brush your teeth, maybe dress in something other than sweats. You’re going to woo your future wife. You can’t do that looking like you just rolled out of bed.”

  Jake looked down and cringed at his sawdust-spotted sweats and paint-splattered t-shirt. “Right. Tell the pilot I’ll be there in thirty, and he better be ready to go, or I’m taking his plane and flying myself.”

  Zeke threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll be sure to tell him. I’ll throw in that the last plane you flew, you crashed. That might get him moving.”

  Jake pulled off his shirt as he headed for the shower. He felt lighter than he had in days, probably years. He had four hours to come up with a plan, something that told Chloe he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d also have a lot of groveling to do. And kissing, lots and lots of kissing.

  Twenty-One

  Chloe paced in front of the fireplace in her and Piper’s room at The Plaza in New York City. Her father had insisted that she be comfortable after her ordeal and had reserved the Royal Suite. His quiet comment about how much he knew she loved Eloise had stifled her objection to the opulence. Now, she was grateful for the semi-privacy the suite provided.

  She’d fallen asleep the night before, the instant they had gotten there, then she’d isolated herself from the others. Her appetite was nil, which surprised her. All the days they’d been stranded, she’d had to work hard not to obsess over food. Now, she just ate because she knew she had to.

  She simply wanted to be alone. Wanted time to recollect all that had happened and work out whether what she and Jake had found was all in her head or not. After hours of poring over her memories, she understood without a doubt that Jake loved her. She stopped and scrunched her forehead—or at least cared for her.

  She paced the room again and stood in front of the window that overlooked Fifth Avenue. The fading sun painted the sky like juicy tangerines and grapefruit flesh nestled into deep, dark plums. Hmm, may
be she was hungry. She shook off the thought. Decisions had to be made before she could stop to think about eating.

  The honking of horns and cacophony of traffic filtered through the glass. She missed the quiet. Missed the two-tone dee-dee-dee call as chickadees flew from tree to tree. Missed the sound of snow falling from branches with a thump.

  But mostly, she missed the crackling of the fire. The slight rasp of Jake’s calloused fingers as they made slow circles on her arm. The quiet conversations that filled her heart more than any concert crowd ever had.

  Lights blinked on throughout the city, but she barely saw them. Her reflection stared at her, daring her to take a real risk. It might cost her the chance to make it big, but she might gain something much more important than fame.

  She closed her eyes and saw Jake’s vulnerability as he had told her about his hurts. He was worth any risk. She couldn’t stay here without knowing for sure. A slow smile built in her reflection. It filled her with calm and confidence.

  Turning, she stomped to the door, yelling to the others somewhere in the suite, “We have to leave. I have to get to Colorado now.”

  Her voice faded, and her feet froze. Jake stood in the living room, his hands twisting in front of him. A door clicked closed, but she couldn’t tear her gaze from him.

  He cocked his eyebrow. “Colorado?”

  His deep voice raised the hairs on her neck and arms. Her words bottled up in her throat, so she nodded.

  “Why?” He took a step closer.

  “You.” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed the emotion from her throat. “I’m going to Colorado for you.”

  His eyebrows pulled together. “But your interview.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” She shook her head and inched forward. “Nothing matters to me as much as you do.”

  He closed the space in two steps and lifted his hand to her cheek. He was here. Her entire world shifted right on its axis. She closed her eyes and leaned her head into his touch. She had to know. Had he come for her or because of his job?

  “Why are you here?” Her voice wasn’t more than a whisper as her breath stalled in her chest.

  Jake brought his other hand up and cupped her cheek. He trailed his thumb over her lips, his gaze holding hers.

  “We seem to have a similar problem. Nothing matters to me but you.” He leaned close, his lip brushing hers. “Nothing.”

  She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. Heat exploded from her chest and left her weightless. He’d come for her. To a city full of people. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, and she wondered if love could expand so much within her it’d flash out through the windows like all those sci-fi movies.

  He put her feet down and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. I was an idiot. Eva called me a numskull. I should’ve never left you at the hospital.”

  “Why did you?” She leaned away, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

  His fingers flexed against her back, and he cringed. “I was afraid.” He closed his eyes, swallowed, then held her gaze with a pained stare. “Scared I couldn’t keep you safe. Scared my leg would rip off, and I couldn’t save you.”

  “I’m not worried.”

  “I am.” He sighed. “But I don’t want to hide away in my cabin anymore. I want to explore life with you, traveling to hear your voice lace peace within me and keep the overenthusiastic fans away.”

  Her laugh came out breathless and happy. “I don’t even have any overenthusiastic fans. Piper does.”

  Jake’s expression grew serious. “We’ll figure out who it is, I promise.”

  “I know you guys will. Besides, I think Rafe has a vested interest in keeping her protected now, beyond just because she’s Davis’s sister.”

  He walked backward, pulling her with him until he sat on the back of the couch. “Chloe, I have little I can offer you, but I can’t imagine being away from you again. Wherever you are, New York, Texas, Nashville, and anywhere in between, I want to be right beside you.”

  Could someone faint from happiness? Chloe blinked her eyes to clear the tears. She didn’t want to miss a second of him.

  “I think a ranch in Colorado sounds nice, too.” Chloe leaned against him. “Someone once told me I should look into going indie. That sounds mighty appealing.”

  He smiled, then grew serious. “My entire life I dreamed of following in my family’s legacy, serving my country honorably, and having a family to share life with. I thought I’d lost that dream. But then I was assigned to protect you and all that changed.”

  He moved from the couch, reached into his pocket, and kneeled on his prosthetic knee. Her pulse beat in her throat and her mouth went dry. He twisted the ring in his hands.

  “I bought this ring while doing reconnaissance during a mission in Turkey.” His ears turned pink, and Chloe smiled. “It’s silly, really. What kind of guy buys a ring while on a mission when he doesn’t even have a girlfriend? But I saw it and knew it was the one I was supposed to buy.” He lifted it up to her. “I buried it in the back of my drawer. I’m surprised I didn’t chuck it.” He shook his head. “I’m screwing this up.”

  “No, no you’re not.” Chloe covered her lips with her fingertips.

  “Chloe Rose Fields, you make me want to be brave again. You’ve brought joy into my gray life and song into my spirit. Will you share this life with me and be my wife?”

  “Yes.” Her answer caught in her throat. She stepped into him, threaded her hands through his hair, and kissed him. “I love you, Jake Silva, and I can’t wait for the adventures life has for us.”

  He kissed her while he stood, lifting her off her feet. When he set her down, her knees almost collapsed beneath her. She gasped as he slipped the ring on her finger.

  Never had she seen a ring as unique as the one now nestled on her hand. It had a diamond inset in the middle surrounded by eight smaller diamonds to form a circle. Connected to that, two rows of curved golden arches created open petals and connected to the gold band.

  “It’s gorgeous.”

  “A rose for my rose,” Jake whispered against her neck, the touch sending shivers down her back. “I love you, Chloe.”

  She couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down her cheeks as she kissed him. There was no containing joy when it sprung forth. She wasn’t sure how long that Kissing Time lasted, but she knew over ten minutes had passed before the others returned and they could share their news.

  “Welcome back to Hello, America. We are so excited to introduce you all to America’s next country starlet, Chloe Rose.” The perky blonde host turned to Chloe with a million-dollar smile that could blind someone, making Jake sweat with nerves for Chloe. “Chloe, it’s so good of you to join us.”

  “It’s a pleasure to be here, Shelly.” Chloe appeared cool as a cucumber, and Jake marveled at how beautiful she was.

  She’d fretted all last night, modeling outfit after outfit. He’d thought she looked beautiful in all of them and told her so. When she’d stepped out in the turquoise dress that flared when she twirled, Jake hadn’t been able to say a thing, his eyes bugging out and his mouth gaping open. Rafe had slapped him on the back and claimed they had found the outfit. She’d blushed prettily as she had given him a kiss and went back to her room to change.

  Now, he wondered if she should’ve worn a different outfit. She was stunning and glowed with happiness. She’d have men clamoring to her the instant the interview finished. Jake clenched his teeth.

  “Chloe, we hear you had quite the ordeal last week. Could you tell us about it?” The co-host, Brian, leaned forward in his seat, concern crinkling his forehead.

  “It was an adventure for sure, Brian.” Chloe animatedly described the plane crash and what followed, her arms waving with dramatic flair.

  His ears heated as she painted him in a light much more heroic than necessary. He pulled his earlobe and shifted on his feet.

  Rafe leaned close. “Man, I think I want to marry
you after that story.”

  Jake elbowed him in the side. “Shh.”

  “Now, Chloe, just between you and me.” Shelly leaned in close with her hand on her face like she was sharing a secret. “It seems like this Jake and you shared more than just a few stranded days in the wilderness, if you know what I mean?”

  Chloe smiled, looked at the giggling audience, then glanced at Jake. Her smile broadened before she turned back to the hosts.

  “There is. We’re getting married.” She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers.

  “Oh, how exciting.” Brian shielded his eyes with his cue cards. “Is your fiancé here with you?”

  “Yep.” Chloe pointed, and Jake’s heart thundered in his chest.

  “Come on over here, Jake.” Shelly waved her hand for Jake to join Chloe.

  Rafe pushed Jake’s back and propelled him forward. His hands had never sweated like they did at that point, and he tried to wipe them inconspicuously on his pants. The scar on his cheek itched. This was a mistake. He made it to the stage, shook the hosts’ hands, gave Chloe a peck on the cheek, then took the tall chair next to her. He forced his mouth to smile and his leg not to bounce.

  Shelly fanned herself with her cards. “Whew. If this is what rescuers look like, sign me up!”

  Jake’s neck heated as Chloe glanced at him. She bit her lip, and her eyes sparkled in amusement.

  Brian rolled his eyes dramatically. “Shelly, you realize that means a plane crash and half starving to death, don’t you?”

  “If it gets me stranded in a cozy cabin in front of a fire with someone like Jake, I’ll take it.” Shelly motioned up and down Jake’s body.

  He heard Rafe guffaw off stage.

  Chloe saved him from the embarrassing comments by taking his hand. “Jake’s amazing. I’m so blessed he wants to keep me around with how much trouble I’ve been so far.”

  He lifted her hand and kissed it. “Most exciting assignment I’ve ever had. She had my heart racing long before the plane crashed.”

  The crowd ahhed. Jake clung to Chloe’s fingers as Shelly and Brian asked a few more questions. She rubbed slow circles on his skin with her thumb. Her hand trembled slightly, so he wasn’t sure if the motion was to calm herself or him.