Sometimes the squeeze got a little tight, thanks to her protruding stomach. She crawled at an awkward angle, trying to fit through the hole without hurting the baby. Since she couldn’t see anyway, she tucked her chin in effort to protect her face. Gabe had mentioned a bat roost in this part of the cave.
She was so focused on bracing for the bat encounter the sound of the waterfall took her completely by surprise. Before daylight pierced the black, Jessie knew it was close as the complete absence of light lessened. Then the first welcome slices of sun reached her and she prepared herself for the frigid water she would have to go through.
She tried to see through the waterfall ahead to be sure she wouldn’t be nose diving into danger, but couldn’t. Space was tight and she had no clue what was on the other side, but going back wasn’t an option. Lobo and Carter might die if she stayed put waiting for a cavalry that might or might not appear.
She took a deep breath and thrust herself into the bone chilling cold. Ice ran through her veins as she emerged on the other side, gasping for air. She gave her surroundings a cursory glance to figure out where on the property she was.
The back of the house was a couple hundred feet away. Jessie gulped some air into her lungs and forced her frozen legs into action. She sprinted across the lawn, hoping against hope that the back door was open. As she neared her goal, Kevin’s head appeared when he emerged from the front of the cave.
He burst into action, racing for the front door as she barreled through the back. Carter and Lobo were gone but she didn’t have time to wonder what had happened to them. She dove for the shotgun, pumping it as he crashed through her front door. Without thinking, she took aim and pulled the trigger.
She pumped the gun again and took aim, her breath coming in rapid heaves as she stood trembling and ready to fire again if needed. It took her a second to realize that the first shot had more than done the job.
Slowly, she set the gun down and sank to the floor. Too shocked to cry and too tired to move, she just sat and shivered. The heat of the house pierced her frozen skin, compounding the tremors that already wracked her body.
“Jessie? Jessie? Oh thank God. Are you okay? Jessie?” Harmony flew at her from the stairs, falling to the floor to pull Jessie into an embrace. “I have the man and your dog. I took them upstairs. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Gabe?”
“He still isn’t answering his phone. Neither is Vance.”
“Ethan. Call Ethan. I don’t know how to reach Bobby. Ethan will,” Jessie could barely think. She was so cold.
“Okay. Is his number in your cell phone?”
“Yeah. Or Hailey.”
Jessie was vaguely aware of Harmony calling Ethan and the conversation they had. She was so completely overwhelmed. With an injured man and dog upstairs, a dead man on her doorstep and two people she loved missing, she couldn’t begin to process what should happen next.
All she wanted was for Gabe to be there. She wanted him to take her face in his hands. She wanted him to kiss her in a way that cleared her mind of anything but him.
She closed her eyes, picturing his face, his arms, his laugh. How blissful it would be to slip into oblivion—to let her subconscious revel in warmer memories.
But there was this stupid, nagging voice in the back of her mind that told her it wasn’t fair to leave a nineteen-year-old kid to handle this chaos on her own. She pushed herself up off the ground and placed the shotgun on the kitchen island.
“Ethan didn’t answer his phone. I left a message,” Harmony seemed dangerously close to losing her grasp on calm.
“Cell coverage is horrible in these hills,” Jessie rationalized. “They could just be in between pockets of coverage. I know the closest hospital is in Springfield. That’s about an hour away. How bad is Carter?”
“The wound itself isn’t bad, but he’s lost a lot of blood.”
“Is Lobo?”
“Hurt, but I think he’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Let’s load them into the Plymouth. We’ll head to Springfield and keep trying to call on the way.”
The urge to panic was shoved firmly aside. She pulled on her boots and coat, ignoring the layer of mud and clay that covered her. Together, she and Harmony went to check on the patients. Lobo whimpered softly, but stood to greet Jessie. He kissed her face as she knelt to thank him for saving her life twice in twenty-four hours.
Carter was pale but awake. His pasty complexion worried Jessie. Harmony had used a sheet to staunch the flow of blood. Making it to the hospital was a long shot, but staying here was a death sentence.
“If you lean on me, do you think you can make it back down the stairs?” Harmony held an arm out to Carter, who nodded weakly and accepted the help. Jessie followed behind them, her dog limping at her side. She grabbed a pillow off the couch on their way out.
Once the cop and the dog were situated in the back seat, she fired the old car to life and the makeshift ambulance headed for the main road. But not before cranking the heat up.
She had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel as the car sailed around the roller-coaster roads. They nearly lost the back end on a particularly sharp curve and Jessie backed off the accelerator a bit.
Ice still covered the roads, invisible but effectively turning the winding blacktop into a skating rink. Harmony revealed her Catholic upbringing by the litany of hail Marys she was sending skyward in between attempts to reach someone on the cell phone.
“Oh dear Lord,” Harmony squeezed her eyes shut. “Tell me again why we didn’t just dial 911.”
“I’m pretty sure there’s no 911 service in Ava. And I’d be shocked if they had more than two ambulances in town—both of which headed to Springfield this morning… from my house.”
“Don’t you think they’d be back by now?”
“Do you have their phone number?” Jessie snapped. “This seemed like the fastest way, okay?”
“No, no. It’s fine. It’s fine,” Harmony was most likely trying to convince herself as much as Jessie.
The phone rang and both women were torn between weeping and cheering.
“Hello?” Harmony answered, mouthing the name “Ethan” at Jessie as she listened. At the first break in the conversation, she filled him in on their current status.
Jessie could hear Ethan’s response from the driver’s seat. It was obvious he blamed himself for leaving. Harmony listened intently to him then hung up to relay the information to Jessie.
“There’s a hospital on the south end of town. They’re all there. We’re supposed to call when we get close and he’ll have someone meet us at the emergency entrance.”
“Did he say where Vance and Gabe had been?”
“No. He said they’re okay, but I got the feeling that was up in the air for a bit. I’ll feel better when I see them for myself.”
“You okay back there?” Jessie glanced in the rearview mirror. Carter’s eyes were closed. At first glance it looked like she might have lost him. “Harmony, he’s not dead, is he?”
“No,” she twisted in her seat. “He’s still breathing. But he doesn’t look good.”
“Great,” Jessie groaned. “I do not need Gabe’s boss to die in my backseat. That would be bad.”
“I think we’re almost there. Look… there’s the exit Ethan told me to watch for.”
Harmony navigated Jessie to the hospital, calling Ethan again when it seemed they were close. An army of medical professionals met them at the door, but Jessie only had eyes for the man standing at the front of them.
He looked ready to climb out of his skin he was so frustrated with waiting. She eased the car into park, taking a second to close her eyes and take a few deep breaths while Carter was removed in a flurry of activity.
Gabe was there, at her side. He opened the car door and knelt to the ground beside her, taking her hands in his. They stared at each other for a full minute, their eyes saying all the things tumbling around inside that they just couldn’t
voice.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” Gabe stood, pulling her out of the car and into his arms. “Harmony, are you okay?”
“Physically? Yes,” she smiled a little shakily.
“Room 204.”
Harmony needed no more than that. She was out of the car and off in search of Vance.
“Lobo,” Jessie pulled back on Gabe.
“Ethan will take him to the vet.”
As if on cue, the car was being moved. She hadn’t even noticed him. Knowing Lobo would be taken care of, she allowed herself to be led inside.
The ensuing flurry of medical care left her a little dazed… dazed and wishing she’d married Gabe sooner. She knew her life savings would be gone when they were done. If it weren’t for the baby, she would have insisted she was fine. As it was, she’d gladly hand over every earthly possession to know the baby was okay.
Once the doctor informed her “Your daughter is fine,” she found the first real measure of peace in her day. They had shooed Gabe out of the room, but she could see him, though. Worry etched every line on his face and his eyes never left hers.
“She’s fine,” Jessie mouthed, watching as the weight of the world melted from his shoulders at his comprehension of words. A smile broke across his face. Jessie’s own smile was muted. Now that she was warm, now that the baby was safe, all she wanted was sleep. The last of her strength slipped away and she closed her eyes, if only for a minute.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Gabe’s face was the first thing she saw when her eyes opened again. At the slightest movement, he was leaning over her, brushing the hair from her face.
“Why am I hooked up to all of this crap?” Jessie scowled at the IV protruding from her hand.
“To keep you hydrated. They were afraid you’d start contracting if you got dehydrated.”
Jessie’s scowl deepened. That didn’t make sense to her. It seemed like overkill. She just wanted to go home. Only home had a dead guy in it.
“Kevin. Kevin was the dirty cop. He’s at the house. In the living room.”
“Carter told us. Sounds like you, Harmony and Lobo really saved the day.”
“He’s a good dog.”
“I’ll let that slide under the circumstances.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about the house. It’ll all be cleaned up before you go home.”
“I killed a man.”
“A man who would have killed you and our baby.”
“But I killed him,” Jessie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to rid herself of the image.
“Apparently while Carter was getting an update from me, Kevin killed Aleksander and jacked with my steering wheel so I wouldn’t notice it until the first big curve on the way home. We flew right off the road in the middle of no cell coverage. Vance hit the windshield. I had to walk for help.”
“As long as you had a reason for not calling.”
“Very funny. You shouldn’t have sent Ethan after me.”
“I was worried about you. He taught me to shoot his gun before he left.”
“Obviously,” Gabe chuckled at that one. Jessie thought about reprimanding him for the tasteless joke, but she liked the sound of his laughter too much.
“You’re not going to be in trouble at work because of me, are you?”
“You saved Carter’s life. I don’t think he’ll be out to give us trouble anytime soon.”
“When can I go home?”
“Give it a night. I want to be sure you’re both okay. Besides, that gives our cleanup crew time to work.”
“A hotel is cheaper than a hospital.”
“Now’s not the time to worry about that. Worst case scenario, we take out a loan against the land. We’ll figure it out.”
Jessie nodded. It was odd having options. She was used to being limited to the cash under the mattress and the whims of others.
They talked for a while longer before Jessie drifted off to sleep again. She vaguely overheard Gabe turning away visitors, insisting that Jessie needed her sleep. She wanted to reassure her loved ones that all was well, but couldn’t quite muster the energy to wake up.
By the time sunlight was once again streaming through her window, Jessie was more than ready to leave. She drove Gabe crazy with her insistence that they unhook her and send her home.
Eventually the IV was taken out and she was given permission to shower and dress. Hailey had brought her clean clothes early in the morning, sneaking past a dozing Gabe long enough to give Jessie a hug.
“Lobo’s going to be fine,” she’d whispered. “He has a broken leg, but no permanent damage.”
“Thank you,” Jessie whispered, hugging her back fervently. “Thank you so much for everything.”
“You two learned to whisper in a sawmill,” Gabe opened one eye.
“I’m leaving, I’m leaving,” Hailey held her hands up in surrender.
“Jailer,” Jessie accused.
Now, as she showered and dressed in fresh clothes, she felt squeaky clean and eternally grateful for a friend that was willing to cross grumpy Gabe.
“Is Vance going home today?” Jessie asked as she sat on the end of her bed waiting for her walking papers.
“He left an hour ago.”
“What? That is totally unfair!”
“Yeah, well, he’s scarier than you are.”
There wasn’t much to do with that information other than pout… which she did. Just when she was ready to stage a coup, a nurse came in with paperwork for her to sign and a wheelchair.
“I feel ridiculous,” Jessie groused as the nurse wheeled her through the corridors. “This isn’t necessary. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“It’s hospital policy, ma’am,” the nurse patiently informed her in a voice that hinted she’d had many similar conversations before. Jessie couldn’t get past the fact that the woman had called her ma’am.
“People treat me like I’m a real person now,” Jessie observed as she settled into the car.
“You’ve always been a real person, Jess.”
“I was never ashamed of who I was,” Jessie continued. “But I knew what other people thought. Most of them looked right through me.”
“Then they were the ones missing out,” he reached over to stroke her cheek with his free hand.
“No, seriously. It’s weird how people treat me now. Like I’m good by association.”
“Association with what?”
“You.”
“Wow. I don’t see it that way at all,” he shook his head. “Any fool can follow the rules. It takes a special kind of person to keep a kind heart through the worst this life has to offer.”
Jessie didn’t know what to say to that so she changed the subject. “Is the Jeep totaled?”
“Pretty much,” his shoulders sank.
“I’m going to miss it.”
“I think maybe I should get a truck. Now that I’m a country boy again and all.”
“As long as I can keep the Plymouth. We’ve become friends.”
“I wouldn’t dream of parting you.”
It struck Jessie in that moment how far she and Gabe had come. Suddenly she wasn’t worried about losing who they were to marriage. Instead, she was excited find out who they would become together.
That knowledge caused all of the worry and tension of the past month to melt away, leaving her almost buoyant as they pulled down the now-familiar gravel road. Her home was filled with laughter and friends who’d gathered to wish them well.
She knew rumors of her past would have spread with all of the goings-on over the past days. That didn’t seem to deter the people in her living room now.
“You took ten years off my life this week, young lady,” Milo admonished as he wrapped her in a bear hug.
“You old goat, everyone knows you’re going to live forever,” she teased him back.
Her house was actually cleaner than it had been before it all began. Looking at it now, it was hard to beli
eve there’d been a body in her doorway 24 hours ago. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to thank everyone for all they’d done.
A part of her would always miss the vibrancy of Cherokee Street, but she was deeply in love with her new home. Maybe one of these days she’d get around to painting a mural on the side of one of their outbuildings or tiling a mosaic on the trashcans for nostalgia’s sake.
From her vantage point on the floor with Lobo, she could see Harmony leave the room visibly upset. Jessie waited until she could extract herself discreetly before following. She found her sitting on the front porch swing of the log cabin, her arms wrapped around herself for warmth and comfort.
Jessie eased onto the swing beside her, sitting in silence and looking out over the property. It was already starting to transform; it was slowly coming to life. She could almost see it bustling with activity as it would be.
“He’s leaving,” Harmony finally broke the silence.
Jessie didn’t speak at first as she tried to process what Harmony was telling her. “Going where?”
“He doesn’t know. He’s decided to be some vigilante or something. He’s going after the rest of that human trafficking ring.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. He loves you; I know he does.”
“Yeah, well, I offered to go with him. He wouldn’t hear of it,” she stopped, watching as Vance approached from the main house.
“So, ah, what’s with you becoming Batman?” Jessie folded her arms and leaned back in the swing to look up at him. “I was kind of looking forward to none of my loved ones being in immediate danger.”
“I wouldn’t say Batman, so much,” he cracked the smallest of grins. “I mean, I’m not a billionaire and don’t plan to wear a costume. And I won’t have cool gadgets….”
“Why are you doing this?” Jessie interrupted.
“For you,” his eyes met hers. “And for all of the ones I didn’t help.”
“I get it,” she admitted. “It’s not so very different than what I’m doing here, I guess.”
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