Bang!
Tara’s body jerked.
The shot was shockingly loud. Deafening without the ear protection she wore to the range.
Muffin’s eyes widened.
Tara reached for her, but her left arm wouldn’t cooperate.
Something slammed into her back, crushing her and Muffin into a heap against the wall with a strangled cry.
Bang! The sound filled her ears, filled her head. Her mind turned fuzzy and the room dimmed.
And then, like an explosion, came the pain.
“Tara!” Jeff hadn’t wanted to tackle both women, but it was the only way to knock down and possibly disarm the shooter before she fired again.
He gripped Tara around the waist, yanking her off her attacker as he spun to the left and onto his back with Tara on top.
The security guard who’d unlocked the door rushed in, his weapon pointed at the brunette who sat slumped against the wall, blinking rapidly, her wig askew. “Don’t move.” Another man and woman in uniform swarmed into the bathroom behind him.
Confident the gun-toting bitch was no longer a threat, Jeff rolled to his side, gently sliding Tara face up onto the floor. Rising to his knees, he bent over her. “Are you hurt?”
And then he saw the hole in her black sweater, a glistening wetness soaking the surrounding fabric on her upper left chest. “Oh, God. No no no.”
Jumping to his feet, he snagged a stack of paper towels from the counter. Somehow managing to keep his voice calm, he called to one of the security guards who hovered nearby. “She needs medical attention. Now.”
The man spoke into his radio as Jeff returned to Tara, kneeling next to her on her injured side.
Eyes squeezed shut, her breath was coming in short gasps.
“I got you, honey.” Jeff pressed the wad of towels against her wound.
She inhaled sharply.
“I’m sorry, but you’re bleeding.” He scanned the rest of her body for injuries and found nothing obvious, but now blood slowly seeped onto the tile beneath her. Had the bullet gone straight through?
He glanced down at his shirt. A dark blot covered the left side of his chest. Probing with his free hand, he found no holes, no wounds. Tara’s blood.
His throat squeezed shut.
Not now. He couldn’t lose her now.
Out of pure desperation, he slid his right hand beneath her shoulder and pressed both palms, trying to hold her together, to keep her blood inside where it belonged.
She grunted and her face scrunched up tight.
“I know. I’m sorry. Just stay with me, baby. You’re going to be okay. Someone will be here any minute to get you fixed up.”
Goddammit. Where were the doctors and nurses? Where was the code red call or whatever the fuck code they used to mobilize an emergency team within the hospital?
Across from him, the woman who’d been gunning for Tara screeched as she was cuffed and hauled to her feet. She raged and fought the guards who dragged her from the restroom, her level of hysteria nearly matching his own.
That woman had tried to kill Tara. She’d nearly succeeded.
She still might.
No. Just…no. He couldn’t have found Evan only to lose Tara. He needed her. They both did. She had to survive this. He had to believe.
“I love you,” he said, sitting on his heels as he leaned in to kiss her cool forehead. Tears he hadn’t been aware of splashed onto her pain-creased forehead. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. I’m right here.”
Eyes still squeezed shut, she reached for his arm, her grip weak as a newborn. Then her hand slid away and dropped to the floor.
Her face went slack.
Jeff’s blood froze. “Tara?” No no no no no. “Tara.” His heart slammed against his chest like a kicking stallion. He couldn’t lose her. “Stay with me, babe. Come on.” He gently lowered his forehead to her own, watching her chest rise and fall, the movement almost imperceptible. “I love you, Tara Fujimoto. I need you. Evan and I need you. Please, honey. Please fight.”
Where was everyone? They were in a fucking hospital. The response time should be near instant, right?
He closed his eyes and gulped at the air, unable to hear anything over the buzzing in his ears. Please don’t die.
He’d already decided to take a chance on a future with her. He already knew he wanted—hell, needed—her in his life. He didn’t need a reminder from the universe to take the risk.
“Please, Tara. Stay with me,” he whispered, his throat in a vise.
Strong hands gripped his shoulders and tugged. “Sir? Let us in so we can help her.”
Oh, thank you Jesus. Reluctantly, he released Tara, handing over her life to the care of the half dozen men and women who swarmed into the room, filling the air with commands and vital sign readings as the group closed around her, shunting him to the side.
Within seconds, Tara was on a gurney and out the door, leaving Jeff in the suddenly silent room, covered in her blood.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE NEXT MORNING, Jeff held Evan in his arms as he walked down the hall toward Tara’s hospital room, his stomach jittery.
He’d been talking to Evan’s physician when Kurt called to say Tara was awake and asking for him. Jeff couldn’t get there fast enough.
She’s going to be fine.
He’d believe it when he saw her with his own eyes. She’d been in surgery for hours, and then in recovery. And no one had been able to tell Jeff anything because he wasn’t family.
Sleep had been elusive, his mind conjuring all kinds of scenarios, both good and bad. Instead, he’d focused as much as possible on Evan and his dad, and during the late hours, he’d stayed in contact with Kurt and tracked the news.
Muffin was in police custody, and her husband was already trying to distance himself from her actions even as he announced that he had no plans to run for President.
Kurt and Caitlyn had done a quick turnaround after returning from Boston, and flown to Wilmington last night. Kurt brought with him a medical power of attorney Tara had given him at some point, which meant the hospital staff could share her condition with him. He’d been keeping Jeff apprised of her general status—protecting her until he knew what Tara wanted—and had alerted Tara’s parents, who were expected to arrive this afternoon.
Jenna and Mick were already making plans to drive up once Jenna’s doctor cleared her to travel.
Did Tara realize how many people loved her? Did she believe that Jeff was one of them? He’d meant every word he’d said to her on the floor of that bathroom, but he might have to convince her.
“Is Miss Tara hurt bad?” Evan asked, hanging on to Jeff’s neck with his good arm.
Not as bad as it had looked. Jeff’s heart had almost stopped when he saw the blood, and in that moment he’d known: He would face down any obstacle to have her in his life permanently.
What if she didn’t feel the same?
“Yes, but she’s going to be okay,” Jeff said. She could have fucking died. “The doctor says she’ll be able to go home in a few days. But she’s probably in a lot of pain. And tired, so we won’t stay too long.”
“We should get her some socks.”
Jeff smiled. God, he loved this kid so much. “Good idea, bud. I’m sure she’d love that. You can pick out some when we get back to your room.”
“Okay.” Evan smiled.
Jeff’s steps slowed as he approached the open door to Tara’s room. Kurt’s deep voice came from within, the words unintelligible. Jeff’s ears buzzed at the sight of Tara sitting up in the huge bed, her dark hair spread across the pillow, face sallow, dark circles under her eyes.
He stood there for a moment, unable to breathe.
“Dad.” Evan tugged at Jeff’s neck.
Tara looked up and smiled. “Hi.”
He tried to respond but nothing came out of his mouth. He cleared his throat. “Hi.”
“We’ll give you a moment.” Kurt gestured him inside and squeezed his
shoulder as he passed.
Caitlyn followed. Tall and tough with red-brown hair and clear green eyes, she was what Jeff had always thought of as his type, and gorgeous to boot, but he only had eyes for Tara. “She’s strong.”
He met her gaze for a second and nodded. “I know.”
Caitlyn gave him an encouraging smile and left the room, closing the heavy door behind her.
For a moment, he could only stare, unsure which of the five million questions whirling through his mind he should ask first.
Evan wriggled and Jeff set him down.
“Hi, Miss Tara!” His son walked up to the side of her bed and took her right hand. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”
With a tired smile, she said, “Thank you.”
Evan pointed to his right shoulder, and then to her left. “We both have big bandages,” he said, struggling over the last word.
“Yep. We’re bandage twins.” She gave him a weak fist bump.
Evan bounced on his toes. “Are your feet cold? My dad said we could get you some socks.”
She laughed and met Jeff’s gaze, making his stomach tumble. “That would be nice of you. My feet are always cold.”
His sweet face beamed and he stood taller.
Jeff knew that feeling. When Tara looked at you like that, you couldn’t help but feel on top of the world.
“I have to go back to my room soon,” Evan said, “but I’m supposed to get out today. I could come play games with you so you won’t be bored.”
Tara stroked the boy’s hair, her eyes shining. “I would love that. Although, fair warning, I’m not great at making Xs and Os with my right hand.”
“That’s okay,” Evan said. “I’m not great with my left.”
The corners of her mouth curled and her gaze shifted to Jeff, the question clear in her eyes.
What the hell was he waiting for?
He opened his mouth to say everything he’d been feeling, to tell her how much he loved her, that he wanted her no matter what they had to do to make it happen, that he and Evan would be lucky to have her in their lives.
All that came out was, “Marry me.”
Maybe the meds had addled Tara’s brain, because she could have sworn Jeff just asked her to marry him. “What?” she said, heart ready to leap out of her chest.
He finally moved to her side, across from Evan, his hands hovering above her as if afraid to touch. Settling his fingertips lightly on her cheek, he said, “That’s not what I meant to say.”
Her whole body deflated. “Oh.”
“Not yet, anyway,” he said in a rush. “I wanted to tell you how much I love you. How scared I was that I was going to lose you. How mad I am that you”—he glanced at Evan and hesitated—“jumped in front of me.” His eyes flashed with an amalgam of emotions. “That I think what we have is worth fighting for.”
Oh.
Her body warmed. He does love me.
His face was serious, his golden brown eyes earnest as he brushed her tangled hair out of her eyes. “But ‘marry me’ kind of sums it up nicely.”
“I love you,” she said, gripping his hand with her own and tugging him down so she could press a kiss to his soft lips. Closing her eyes, she savored the feel of his warm skin during the too-brief connection.
“You guys,” Evan said.
They broke away with a shared laugh, Tara’s cheeks heating.
“I love you,” Jeff said softly as he straightened, his hand lingering on her uninjured shoulder. “I know we have a lot to talk about, a lot to figure out.” He eyed Evan with a hint of concern. “But I am going to ask you again.”
Tara let out a long, slow breath, exhaling all of her demons and fears. So this is what love feels like. Caring more for the other person than for yourself. Knowing you’d do anything to be with him. Not wanting to spend a second apart. Wanting him to be happy even if that happiness can’t include you.
Love was glorious and painful and she couldn’t regret a minute of the life that had brought her to this moment, no matter how hard. Jeff was worth it all.
“Spoiler alert,” Tara held his gaze. “I’m going to say yes.”
EPILOGUE
TARA SAT ON a folding lawn chair, staring up at the window of clouds visible through a break in the forest. The air cooled quickly as the sun descended, and Jeff worked with quiet concentration to build a fire.
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. Six months ago, the forest had made her anxious. She’d preferred to drown her thoughts in the noise and bustle of city life.
But that had been life before she knew that someone could love her enough to stick around. Could find her worthy of commitment. Before Jeff.
The silence didn’t bother her as much these days. She didn’t need to fill the void of loneliness. And she’d come to appreciate the outdoors in a new way.
Mainly because she saw it through Jeff’s and Evan’s eyes. The raw beauty, the wildness, the calming effect of being surrounded by nature. Before camping with them, she’d never known how bright and numerous the stars could be. How content she could be to simply stare at the sky for hours while holding Jeff’s hand.
And she could happily lie in the RV by his side, listening to him breathe, forever.
It didn’t happen often enough for her taste, but they’d been taking things slowly, letting Evan work through his issues while getting more comfortable with Tara as a permanent fixture in his and Jeff’s lives. Honestly, Evan had come around more quickly than either of them had expected, but it wasn’t always easy.
The boy’s physical injuries had fully healed—as had hers—but he still sometimes woke from nightmares. And he still sometimes worried that Jeff—or now Tara—might leave him for good.
She understood the feeling. Her insecurities might never fully go away. But the three of them were learning to trust each other and themselves.
She could wait forever as long as she had the Pataravas in her life.
The fire crackled to life and Jeff poked at it with a long stick a few times before standing and dusting his hands on his jeans. Heat crept across her skin like the tendrils of a vine as their gazes met.
He gave her a sheepish grin. “What?”
She stood and circled the fire pit, pushing her hands into his open parka and hooking them around his waist as she molded herself to him.
“Cold?” he asked.
Looking up at him, she shook her head. “Not anymore.”
One hand cupped her cheek, the other wrapped around her back as he leaned forward, his gorgeous smile widening as their lips met and he finally closed his eyes.
Every kiss felt like falling all over again. She was so in love with this man that it scared her and thrilled her in equal measure, but his kisses alone were worth the fear of losing him. The soft push and pull of his lips, the sweet caress of his tongue, the gentle nibble of his teeth.
When they kissed, nothing else mattered.
All of the other men, all of the heartbreak had led her here to the best of men, the prize. She couldn’t regret a moment of her past if it meant Jeff was her future.
He broke away, holding her tight, tucking her against the rise and fall of his chest, her ear tuned to the rhythm of his heart. “That never gets old.”
She laughed and licked her lips. “Agreed.”
Behind her, the door to the camper—which Jeff had spruced up rather than replaced—slammed open. Evan had awoken from his post-hike nap.
The two-year-old rescue dog that he and Jeff had adopted after finding a house in Virginia jumped to its feet and bounded toward the boy.
Evan descended the steps and sat on his haunches, rubbing the dog vigorously. “Lulu.” He giggled as the chocolate lab mix licked his neck. Laughing was good. It usually meant there’d been no nightmares. Standing, he declared, “I’m hungry!”
“Hey, bud.” Jeff slowly disengaged from Tara with a chuckle that held as much relief as humor. “I think I hear our future,” he said under his breath.
If Jeff hadn’t been making sure of that, he wouldn’t be the man she loved.
But patience wasn’t exactly her strong suit. Sure, she could wait forever if she had to; that didn’t mean she wanted to. But Evan had just started pre-K at a Montessori school near his house, which meant a new school, new friends, and a whole new world.
On the heels of all the changes he’d faced since his mom had whisked him away to North Carolina ten months ago, Jeff worried it might be too much.
But so far, the kid had shown nothing but resilience. At least at school. In the evenings, he sometimes melted down, tired from holding it together all day long.
Who didn’t? Most adults just hid it better. Or they drank too much. “If he’s anything like Robbie,” she said, “he’s going to be a walking grocery bill.”
“We should buy stock in Wegman’s now.”
Evan ran over, careful to avoid the fire, and took Tara by the hand, dragging her toward her abandoned chair. “You, sit here.”
“Okay.” She plopped into her seat with a smile. “Now what?”
Evan loved to play games, especially those where he got to order the adults around. No shocker there. “Wait here.” Face filled with glee, he grabbed his dad’s hand and dragged him toward the camper. “Come on.”
Jeff laughed and shrugged. “Be right back.”
Loud whispers and giggles came from inside while Tara watched the clouds morph and shift overhead. If she remembered correctly, Jeff had said they were cumulus, their puffy shapes limned with gold as the sun dropped low over the Shenandoah Mountains.
“Don’t look!” Evan yelled from behind her as the door rattled open.
Tara covered her eyes. “Okay.” Early on, she’d worried that she and Evan might not get along long-term. That he’d be mad at ending up with her instead of his mother. That she might not be able to love him as much as she loved Jeff.
Blind Justice Page 22
