“Thanks, man.” I hugged him roughly, knowing I would miss having him by my side every day.
“I’ll miss you, brother,” Jared whispered into my ear. I nodded and pulled away.
“Yeah, me too. I’ll call you when I land.” With one final handshake, I reached for my bags and slowly hobbled over to the curbside check-in counter, where I deposited the luggage on the metal shelf.
“Welcome to Aussie International, where are you traveling to today?” The burly man behind the counter asked.
“I’m headed to the States. San Antonio.” I set my confirmation paper and my ID on the counter in front of him. A few minutes later he had my bags tossed on a belt and my boarding pass tucked in my hand.
“Would you like a wheelchair, mate?”
“No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”
“Of course. Well, it looks like you’re all set. Gate C-13.”
I tucked my boarding pass into my pocket and slowly made my way inside the bustling airport. Getting through security took a while, but eventually I found my gate and took a seat close to the breezeway, waiting for the boarding process to be called.
Staring out at the tarmac, I couldn’t help but feel peace that this chapter of my life was closing. I was ready to be home on the ranch and working the simple life again. Less complication, less… everything. I was pulled from my reverie when a soft voice spoke.
“Hi,” she said. I turned my eyes to find Nova standing a few feet away from me, a bag slung over her shoulder. She wore a long-sleeved white blouse with fitted jeans that were rolled up at her ankles. Her blonde hair was curled and free, resting around her shoulders and face, which was still dusted with spots of bluish bruises. Her eyes held mine, timidly, as she waited for me to speak.
“Hi.” Straightening up in my seat, I pulled my crutches from the seat next to me in hopes she would move just slightly closer. She glanced at the chair and then back at me before shaking her head.
“I’m sorry. I just…can’t,” she whispered, turning her head away.
“I understand, Nova. Don’t worry.”
At my words, she seemed to relax a little. She turned to face me again and I attempted a gentle smile in her direction.
“Headed home?” She prodded, fidgeting with her fingernails.
“Yes. I think it’s about time.”
“Are you on this flight to San Antonio?”
“Yes. You?”
She nodded affirmatively, sadness etched across her face. She waited a few more moments before clearing her throat and catching my gaze once again.
“I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you did to get us out of there. I’m sorry you got hurt.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Nova. You should have never had to go through those things, and I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner or prevented it from happening at all.”
“You couldn’t have stopped it. You weren’t even around. But, because of you, I’m here and safe now and those evil men won’t be able to do this again to anyone else.”
I nodded, glancing toward the runway again.
“I hope you get better soon,” she whispered before turning away to join her parents on the other side of the waiting area.
My eyes couldn’t stop watching her as she walked away and my heart clenched at the thought that I’d never see her again after this. Just then, the speakers in the waiting area crackled to life and the attendant’s voice sounded above us.
“Flight 3870 to San Antonio is ready for pre-boarding. Anyone needing assistance, injured, military personnel, or families with small children may board first.”
I stood and pulled my crutches under my arms after flinging my backpack around my shoulders. Carefully, I maneuvered toward the gate and handed my boarding pass to the agent to scan. I slipped into my seat on the plane carefully, making sure not to hit my leg on anything as I moved between the row of seats to the window. People began flooding into the cabin, stowing their bags and searching for their assigned seats. Moments later a thickly muscled man with dark hair and slipped into the aisle seat of my row, leaving the middle seat empty. I watched as person after person passed by and imagined who would get stuck between us.
Moments later I glanced up in time to see Nova’s eyes get wide and her face blanch as she stood at the end of my row, staring at the small seat. Of all the seats on this airplane, somehow she was assigned to the one next to me - me and another man. I didn’t think, I just acted.
“Hey man, you want the window?” I asked, tapping his arm and motioning for us to switch.
“Sure.” He smiled and stood, accidentally bumping into Nova, who whimpered. He gently apologized and then moved out of the way to allow me to slide out so he could take window seat. Once he was settled, I slid into the middle seat and waited for Nova to take the last one. She trembled and I looked at her with confidence.
“You can do this.” I whispered, opening my hand in a gesture to take her bag. She stared at me for a moment before nodding and handing me her canvas tote, which I slipped underneath the seat in front of her. When I was free from her space I moved as close to the guy as I could, giving Nova enough space to relax, and at the same time trying not to touch her. The guy eyed me warily and gently shoved me away. This was going to be an uncomfortable flight, but I’d deal with it.
Nova sat there quietly and tucked her hands in between her knees, looking across the aisle at her parents. Her mother reached across and brushed her hand across her arm.
“You’re okay.” Her mother softly encouraged. Nova nodded as if the she hadn’t been sure before, but the information from her mom relieved her a little.
Mr. Drake leaned forward and caught my eye, nodding in thanks to my solution and protection of his daughter. I know that everyone always says that stressful situations make you feel more, but there was something else deep inside of me. A sense of protection flared up inside and I couldn’t bear to look at that terrified face. I had to fix it for her. I needed to fix everything.
Moments later we were watching the airline safety procedures being played out in front of us, accompanied by a speech informing us of the rules of the cabin. Once it was finished, the lights dimmed and the engines whirred loudly beside us. I let my head fall back into the headrest of my seat and closed my eyes, letting the sound of the engines lull me to sleep.
A few hours later I woke to the smell of mint rushing into my nostrils and a heavy weight on my shoulder. Blonde hair clung to the sleeve of my shirt, and tiny breaths of peace rose and fell gently beside me. She didn’t notice of course, and she definitely wasn’t pulling away. I let her sleep and gently rested my head against hers and fell back into the blackness of my dreams.
Chapter 9
San Antonio, Texas
Nova
Heavy breathing broke through my sleepy haze. My eyes flew open, and I became aware of pressure on my head. I froze, realizing I had fallen asleep and was touching Davis. My breath quickened and I tried to tell myself that it was just him, that I’d be fine.
I’m not a captive anymore. I’m safe. My parents are right next to me. I’m not a captive anymore. I’m safe. My parents are right next to me. I’m not a captive anymore.
I repeated the mantra to myself a few times until my breathing calmed and I felt the pressure on my head lift slightly. I jerked away from his shoulder and straightened in my seat. Glancing worriedly over to him, I saw his eyes crack open and hold my gaze.
“I… I’m… sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Fear rippled through my body for no reason. Logically I knew that Davis wasn’t the Demon in my dreams, but the idea of us touching terrorized me.
He cleared his throat, wiped his eyes, and shifted in his seat.
“I didn’t want to wake you. I figured you’d need the sleep.” He smiled gently and gave me the space, not letting my reaction affect him in any way.
“I’m sorry, Davis. I shouldn’t have touched you.” He moved his hand toward mine but I whimpered and clamped my fist
s between my knees, adjusting slightly so I was facing away from him. His sigh was audible before he spoke.
“Sorry. Won’t happen again.” I just nodded before glancing over at my sleeping parents. It appeared that we had slept most of the way to the States. The speakers crackled to life above us, informing that we would be stopping in Los Angeles, then heading to San Antonio.
When we landed, Davis asked the man beside him if he needed to get up, and then he turned to me and motioned for me to stand. I quickly stepped up and moved back up the aisle, allowing them both room to maneuver around me. Davis slid back into the row and moved all the way over to the window seat, allowing for there to be space between us. I slipped into my own seat and breathed a huge breath of relief as we watched most of the passengers get up and leave.
We were lucky enough to keep that empty seat unoccupied when the plan was boarded again. No one came near us and I repeated my safe phrases over and over in my head until we were taking off the runway and heading home.
I fell asleep again for the three-hour flight. I woke to the cabin lights coming to life and my mother tapping my shoulder.
“We’re about to land, baby. Time to wake up.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I ran my fingers through my hair and straightened my sweater.
Glancing over at Davis, I saw he was asleep against the window. Finding that place inside of me that gave me courage, I gently tapped on his arm with my fingers, waiting for him to stir. When he did, I jerked my hand back to myself as I waited for his eyes to crack open. They did, and they looked at me, lines crinkling around the edges as he smiled softly. The darkness in his eyes was glistening as he captured my gaze, almost seemingly peering into my soul. And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I let him see the fear, pain, and anguish that boiled inside.
“Nova…” He started to speak, but I cut him off, not ready to hear what he had to say.
“We’re landing.” I turned my eyes away and shuffled my belongings into the canvas bag beneath the seat.
The landing was a little bouncy but eventually smoothed out and we taxied toward the gate. We came to a stop moments later, and my parents stood, motioning for me to stand between them. I pulled my tote over my shoulder and slid between them, glancing back at Davis as his face fell just a little before he turned to grab his own things. He waited for my parents to move forward, then stepped out of the row and into the aisle, shuffling behind us in silence and eventually breaking away from us as we walked down the airport corridor.
We pushed through the revolving glass doors into the baggage claim area. Once our bags were collected, my father pushed the weighted cart out the door and into the garage while my mother and I followed behind.
Heading up to the parking garage, I noticed Davis standing at the curb waving down a taxi as it passed him by. A few more taxis passed by without stopping as he struggled to hold his bags and crutches at the same time.
“Dad?” I pointed toward Davis. He took in the scene and sighed, then looked at me worriedly.
“You sure you can handle this, baby girl?”
“I’ll be fine. But, I don’t think it’s right to have him taking a taxi with all his stuff after everything he did.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t be very kind of us if we didn’t offer to help.” He nodded and then purposely walked toward Davis, calling his name.
I watched as my dad reached out for Davis’ bags while Davis protested, glancing warily between my father and I. A knot formed in my stomach at the apparent refusal, knowing that he may be ready to be separated from me and our situation. I noticed a few words were spoken and his eyes flung to mine once again, holding my gaze with his beautiful darkness, waiting for my approval. I nodded slightly and his shoulders relaxed before handing the bags to my father and following him, albeit a little uncomfortably.
My parents situated the luggage in the back of my dad’s extended cab pickup truck and took their seats up front.
“You sure about this, Nova? I can call a friend or a taxi,” Davis hesitantly whispered in my direction, standing a few feet away.
“Yes. It’s fine.” Without another word, I turned and stepped up into the truck and closed the door behind me before I could second-guess myself.
Davis hobbled around the truck and opened the door, sliding his crutches inside and hefting himself into the seat, grunting with the effort. When he was situated, my dad pulled out of his parking spot and made his way out of the garage.
“So, where do you need to go, son?” My dad asked, glancing in the rearview mirror as he waited for directions.
“I’m on the outskirts, sir. Little town called Jamestown.”
“Really? Where is your house? We’re from Jamestown as well.”
“Oh. Um, my grandparent’s ranch is out on highway seven, past the Richmond ranch.”
“Jack and Elsie Matthews? Those are your grandparents?” His wide eyes and smile brightened his face.
“Yes, sir.” He nodded, glancing over at me.
“Well, how about that. Really small world, I’d say.” Dad tapped the steering wheel with his fingers and drummed out a short beat.
“Agreed, sir.”
My mind reeled. He lived less than ten minutes away from me, but I didn’t remember ever seeing him around, which although not impossible, it was unlikely. Especially since we were neighbors.
“What school did you go to?” I asked, curious about his history.
“Well, I actually went to school in Trunksville, but moved to my grandparent’s ranch just before my senior year in high school. I completed my studies from home that year before I left for college.” I briefly caught sadness fall across his face before her turned it away from me to look out of the window.
That explains it. “Where did you go to college?”
“We’re alumni for the same school, actually. Texas State.”
My eyes went wide and then I tried to picture him in school, wondering if I had ever noticed him before. He caught on to my whirling thoughts and grinned in my direction.
“I was a bit ahead of you, graduated the year before you arrived.” He answered my unspoken question. “I’ve been in Sydney ever since.”
“Why’d you move to Sydney?” I found myself curious to know more about this man. He kept in his own space on the other side of the truck but answered me patiently with each question.
“Well, I was recruited into Corinth during my third year, and when I graduated, I was assigned to Sydney.”
“How did you know about Corinth? What do you mean by ‘recruited’?” I wondered how someone got involved in that line of work, or even if maybe one day I might be interested in getting involved myself. Of course, I had a lot of fixing to do before I could even begin to think about that.
“That is a long story and should probably wait for another time.” His voice dropped sadly and he turned to look through the window at the passing scenery.
I nodded and turned my face toward my window, suddenly feeling like I was interrogating him. Growing a bit uncomfortable, I decided to let the conversation go and watched the streetlights light the highway as we headed through the west side of town and out of the city limits toward the farmlands.
Eventually we drove through the center of Jamestown, passing by all the familiar places of my childhood. The general store, the feed store, and the veterinary clinic all lined the main road, with little shops huddled together in every direction. We came to the other side of town and headed west across the river, turning onto highway seven toward the Matthews Ranch. Eventually, we pulled up to a wide green pasture and gravel road that led up to a large two-story white country house with a full wraparound porch. There were lights on inside and whinnies echoed from the horses that ran to greet us along the wooden fence.
The front door to the house opened and the porch light flickered to life as Mr. Matthews stepped out. Our headlights flooded the area and my father pulled to a stop. Mr. Matthews waved as my father stepped o
ut of the truck and greeted him.
“Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Drake,” Davis spoke before opening his door and stepping out. He took one last look at me and held my gaze – almost as if he was memorizing me. He smiled softly and his eyes crinkled once again before shutting the door and cutting off our connection.
“Davis?!” Mr. Matthews exclaimed, rushing toward Davis and nearly knocking him off his crutches when he grasped him into his thick arms.
Davis wrapped his arms around his grandfather and buried his head in his shoulder. I watched as Mrs. Matthews came out on the porch, realization dawning in her expression when she saw who was standing in their driveway. She ran and drew both of her men close as my father patted Mr. Matthews’ shoulder, probably telling them everything that Davis had done. And I’m glad they would know. They deserved to know what kind of grandson they had.
As soon as my dad delivered Davis’ bags inside the house, he stepped out of the way and moved back toward to the truck. His eyes swung up into the rear view mirror and he winked at me, before reversing the car to turn around and head home.
That little gesture brought a sense of normalcy back to my world. My dad, the fun-loving, charismatic, overprotective, and yet silly man. For the first time since “the event,” as I had deemed the past week, I felt like hugging my father. I wanted to feel his embrace and his security.
As soon as we pulled up our own ranch, I hopped out of the truck and rushed around to the other side as my dad stepped out. When he turned around to face me, I slowed my steps, and his eyes got wide as he stepped back, uncertainty and worry etched in his face.
“It’s okay, dad,” I said as I moved into his embrace and slowly wrapped my arms around him, cautiously counting down to calm myself from freezing up. He gently wrapped his thick arms around me, pulling me in tighter to him, and the emotions broke through his toughened exterior. He cried, kissing my hair, my forehead, and my cheeks over and over as if I was so precious to him. I knew I was, and I was glad that his touch was finally welcome. I felt safe, a feeling that had been harshly ripped from my grasp.
Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) Page 9
