She shook her head, tears shining in her eyes. "It's not worth it. You don't deserve this." Tears spilled down her cheeks.
Jake stood, moved to wipe her tears, but instead turned toward Trent, and hit him in the eye. "You don't deserve her, Trent, and you know it. The only reason you treat her bad is because in your sick mind, you think it'll make her stay with you. How'd that work for you?"
Trent's eyes narrowed, and suddenly, Jake flew to the ground, Trent landing on top of him. Jake's back became wet from water splashing around him. Trent rose to his knees over Jake, and then grabbed Jake's collar, dragging him to where the water was deeper. Jake gagged, trying to remove Trent's hands.
Tiffany yelled something, but Jake couldn't hear anything other than the water getting into his ears.
"This is how it's going to end." Trent shoved Jake's face into the water. His nose burned, and everything went quiet as the water covered his head. Jake tried screaming, but practically no sound escaped, and all he ended up with was water in his mouth. He kicked and grabbed at Trent, finally able to pull his face out of the water.
Jake gasped for air while still fighting Trent.
Trent scowled. "Don't worry. After I've taken care of you, Tiffany's coming home with me, and I'll treat her exactly as she deserves. She'll learn never to walk away from a real man ever again." He forced Jake under the water again. Everything went quiet again, and Jake fought harder. His lungs felt like they would explode, and terror ran through him. He needed air, but he wouldn't be able to fight off Trent much longer.
Then Tiffany would be forced to go home with that jerk.
Jake felt a rush of energy, and he managed to push his head up out of the water. He gasped for air again, his lungs burning. This time, he saw Tiffany walking into the water toward them. She screamed at Trent, hitting him in the back when she reached them.
Trent ignored her, and shoved Jake under again, but with less force. Jake managed to push himself up again, but fear tore through him when he looked over. Trent had his other hand wrapped around Tiffany's neck. She fought him, but he was slowly forcing her toward the water, too. Jake screamed, though it wasn't much after fighting for air under water.
Trent looked over at Jake. "Would you drown already?" He let go of Tiffany, shoving her away, and then used both hands to force Jake back under.
Jake grabbed Trent's arms, kicked at his torso while fighting to get out of the water. White dots danced in Jake's vision. He didn't have much time left. Through the silence, he brought his knees toward his chest, readying himself for one final kick. He had to break free, or he wouldn't survive—and neither would Tiffany.
He kicked with all his might. Stars continued to dance in his vision, but he saw Trent fly backwards. He broke free.
Jake found the ground, steadied his feet, and then sprung to the surface. He gasped, choked, and spit water out.
Trent splashed a few feet away until he managed to stand. His eyebrows furrowed, and he held a fist up toward Jake, shouted profanities and insults, and charged toward him.
Jake moved closer to Tiffany. Pain shot though his foot as he stepped on a sharp stick. He held his breath, dipped under the water, and pulled it up. It was long, a couple inches thick, and covered with short, prickly stubs. He kept it under the water so Trent wouldn't see it.
"Why don't you go back home?" Jake shouted. "Tiffany doesn't want anything to do with you."
"Doesn't matter. She's my wife." Trent lunged for Jake's neck, but Jake pulled out the stick and swung it across Trent's face. It left several scratches.
Trent tried to grab the stick, but Jake pulled it away. He hit Trent in the arm, digging the points in as far as possible. Trent swung at the stick, missing.
Tiffany rushed at Trent, shoving him in the back. Jake used his other arm to help her push him. He kicked Trent's knee, and he stumbled, falling into the water. Tiffany wrapped her hands around his neck, forcing him under.
"Take that," she shouted, continuing to hold him.
Trent grabbed at her arms, and Jake dropped the stick. He pushed Trent's arms away from Tiffany.
He turned to Tiffany. "Let go."
"What?"
"Not like this." Jake let go of Trent, and then so did Tiffany. Trent jumped up, gasping for air. Two police officers ran toward the water, shouting something Jake couldn't hear over Trent's splashing and sputtering. He turned his back on Trent, trying and failing to listen to the officers, and then turned back just in time to see Trent grope for him. Jake stepped back, out of his reach, and the police splashed beside him. They pulled him by his shirt, dragging him out of the water.
Jake took Tiffany's hand, and they made their way to the beach.
"Are you okay?" the officer asked.
Tiffany wrapped her arms around Jake, burying her face into his chest. She shook as she held him.
"Let's get you two to the ambulance," the officer said. "We'll ask you some questions while the medics check you out."
Tiffany leaned against Jake as they walked across the beach toward the flashing lights. Jake continued gasping for air between coughing up water. Tiffany kept looking at him, giving him looks of apology. As if any of this had been her fault.
Jake looked around for Trent. He was still near the shore, and now he was in handcuffs. The two cops near him appeared to be questioning him. Jake let out a sigh of relief.
When they reached the parking lot, he and Tiffany were led into the ambulance. They each sat on a bench across from each other. A medic examined her ankle while another checked Jake's breathing. Once they ascertained that his lungs were in good working order, they moved to his face.
"That's a deep wound, but it won't need stitches. Let's get it cleaned out so it doesn't get infected."
Once he and Tiffany were finally done, officers separated them for questioning. Jake still had trouble breathing, but managed to answer all of their questions.
When they were finally allowed to see each other, Jake ran to Tiffany, who now had crutches and a wrapped ankle. He threw his arms around her and held her tight. She leaned her head onto his shoulder, sobbing.
"Are you okay?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.
She looked up at him. "I'm so sorry, Jake. I'll never forgive myself."
Jake shook his head. "It's not your fault. I'm just glad you're safe."
"He almost killed you." She ran her fingers along his face.
Jake winced at the pain of her light touch.
"Just look at what he did to you." She frowned.
"I don't care. It's worth it knowing you're safe. I told you I would protect you."
Her eyes shone with tears. "I'm so sorry about lying to you about my name."
"Nonsense. You didn't lie—you just told me your new name."
"Still, I should have told you."
Jake kissed her nose. "Don't worry about silly details. It's an honor to spend time with you. I do have one question, though."
Tiffany looked nervous. "What?"
"Do you want me to call you Elena or Tiffany?"
She looked relieved. "What do you want to call me?"
"I want to call you whatever you want to go by."
She swallowed. "Well, I guess I don't need a new identity now. Do you like Tiffany?"
"I think it's beautiful. Just like you." He pulled her closer, and then placed his lips on hers. She relaxed in his arms and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him while balancing on the crutches.
Thirty
Tiffany set the napkin on her plate. "Thank you so much for such a delicious meal." She looked at Dawn, Jake's mom, and smiled. "It was so good, I overate."
Several of Jake's brothers around the table laughed.
"It happens often," Brayden said, rubbing his stomach. "We all have to go on diets after coming back home."
"What are you going to do now, though?" Tiffany asked him. "Since you're living in Kittle Falls?"
Brayden looked thoughtful. "That's a good question. I suppose
I'll have to stay on a diet at home and work, and then throw it all out the window when I come here to eat."
"Every day?" Dawn asked, winking.
"Good luck with that," Cruz said. "Mom's going to fatten us both up now that we're back home."
"Stop teasing your mom," Robert, their dad said. "I'm sure if you ask nicely, she'll make healthy meals. We're just glad the two of you are moving back to Kittle Falls."
"Now we just need to work on you two." Dawn turned to Rafael and Zachary.
"Oh, we'll convince them," Brayden said. "Just wait and see."
"When is your grandpa coming back down?" Robert asked. "Now that I know how to play poker, he needs to come back so I can beat him."
Tiffany smiled. "I'll have to call him and ask. He had such a great time visiting."
"We'll have to work on moving him here, too," Cruz said, looking at Rafael.
"I'm not moving from LA," Rafael said, "but I do plan on visiting more often. I promise. I've been back more since Dad was in the hospital, right?"
"Yes, you have," Dawn said. "And we couldn't be happier." She turned to look at Zachary, who was busy typing on his laptop.
Brayden pretended to cough, and said, "Zachary."
He looked up. "What?"
Everyone laughed.
Jake leaned over to Tiffany. "Poor Zach has always been lost in his own world. It's part of what makes him a great writer, though."
"Are you moving back to town?" Cruz asked, ruffling Zachary's hair.
"Sorry. I'm staying in New York. One of these days, I'm going to get a big publishing deal. Then I'll fly you all over for a big celebration."
"You can write from anywhere," Brayden said. "You know that, right?"
Zachary rolled his eyes at Brayden. "Of course. But my agent thinks I'll have a better chance if I can meet someone in one of the publishing houses. She's setting up a meeting for early next year."
"Just think about it," Robert said. "Your mom and I would love nothing more than to have all our boys back home."
"One day," Zachary said, turning back to his laptop.
"Are you excited about working in the hospital?" Tiffany asked Brayden.
He frowned. "No, but it's only temporary. I'm going to use the money from selling my practice in Dallas to start a new one locally. Another thought I have is to open an urgent care facility here in Kittle Falls. Whenever anyone gets hurt, they have to travel a half an hour to the hospital. There are a lot of broken bones and other emergency situations."
"Heart attacks, too?" Tiffany asked.
"More than you'd imagine," Brayden said. "I'd love to help the town by starting an urgent care practice. We could also have a few smaller practices in the building, such as my cardiology clinic. If I could get a two or three more doctors to join me, we could make this happen." His eyes lit up.
"Oh, Brayden," gushed Dawn. "I couldn't be prouder of you."
"Mom." Brayden looked away. "Stop."
The brothers all exchanged good-natured conversation for a few more minutes before everyone helped clear the table.
With so many people cleaning the kitchen, it sparkled in a matter of minutes. It never ceased to amaze Tiffany, and she loved every minute spent with the large family. She'd always dreamed of being part of an actual family, and now she knew what it felt like.
Jake's brothers all grabbed their winter coats and headed outside for a game of basketball in the driveway.
Robert came over to them. "I've never properly thanked either one of you for all your help with the shop." He looked into Jake's eyes. "You really went above and beyond the call of duty. And for that, we can't ever thank you enough, can we, hon?"
Dawn came over, and took Robert's hand. "No. Jake, we were unfair to you. You were grieving the loss of Sophia every bit as much as us. We shouldn't have expected—"
"Demanded," Robert said.
Dawn nodded. "We shouldn't have demanded that you take on all the work. Not when you needed the break as much as we did. And we want to make it up to you. Think of it as payment, plus interest."
Jake looked over at Tiffany, and they exchanged a look.
Robert cleared his throat. "Son, we've set up a fund for you. When you're ready to purchase a home, we have a generous down payment for you."
Jake looked back and forth between his parents. "Are you sure? You don't have to."
"Yes, we do." Dawn's eyes filled with tears. "We're so sorry for the way we treated you."
"Oh, Mom. Dad." Jake wrapped his arms around both of them. They hugged him tight, and Tiffany couldn't help getting teary at the sight.
Dawn and Robert stood back. He patted Jake on the shoulder. "Your mom and I are going to the shop to check on Bella and Calvin. They deserve a bonus as well." Robert winked at Tiffany, took his wife's hand in his, and then they headed outside.
Jake turned to Tiffany. "Can you believe that? A down payment on a house?"
Tiffany slid her arm through his. "All your hard work paid off. You're going to make some lucky girl very happy one day." She gave him a playful grin and then ran out of the room.
He chased after her, catching her halfway down the hall. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Gotcha. You lose."
Tiffany nestled closer. "Actually, I think I won." She kissed his cheek, lingering where the stitches had been. There wasn't even a mark thanks to the creams she'd given him. "Want to watch a movie?"
"I'd love to." They went into the living room, and Jake turned on the TV as Tiffany got comfortable on the couch. The news came on, and Trent's ugly mug showed front and center. Jake turned the channel as quickly as he could, hoping Tiffany hadn't seen it.
"Turn it back," she said. "I want to hear what they have to say."
"You do?" He turned the station back to where it was, and then sat next to her. They held hands as they listened.
Trent's face remained on the screen. The two newscasters discussed his jail sentence. "Trent Saunders is facing life in jail for a lengthy list of felonies. The two charges of attempted murder in Kittle Falls are only the beginning. In Seattle, he's being charged with the attempted murder of Alfy Petosa, forgery, counterfeiting, tax fraud, aggravated assault, and finally, grand larceny."
Tiffany looked over at Jake. She tried to take in everything the newscasters had said. Had Trent done all that while they were married? Why hadn't she known that he was involved in so much wrongdoing? How could she have not realized what danger she had been in?
"He's going to jail for a long, long time," Jake said, pulling some stray hair behind her ear. "You don't have to worry about him anymore. I'd be surprised if he gets out before he's old and gray."
She looked into Jake's eyes, butterflies dancing in her stomach. Even though they'd seen each other every day for months, he still had that effect on her. She ran her fingers through his hair. "Not only that, but I have you now. I couldn't ask for anything more."
He held up her hand, adjusting the sparkling diamond engagement ring. "Me neither." He pulled her close and placed his lips on hers. Tiffany wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back.
Everything was going to be okay. No, more than that…it was going to be perfect.
Meet the Hunter brothers of Kittle Falls…
Seaside Surprises: Jake, the heartbroken son who never left Kittle Falls
Seaside Heartbeats: Brayden, the successful cardiologist
Seaside Dances: Zachary, the struggling writer
Seaside Kisses: Rafael, the disillusioned fashion designer
Seaside Christmas: Cruz, the wild tattoo artist
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Other books by Stacy Claflin
The Transformed Series
Deception (#1) - free
Betrayal (#2)
Forgotten (#3)
Silent Bite (#3.5)
Ascension (#4)
Duplicity (#5)
Sacrifice (#6)
Destroyed (#7) - Coming Soon
Hidden Intentio
ns (Novel)
A Long Time Coming (Short Story)
Fallen (Novella)
Taken (Novella)
Gone Trilogy
Gone
Held
Over
The Complete Trilogy
Dean's List (Standalone) - Coming Soon
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Seaside Surprises: A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters) Page 16
