"I'm sorry," he said as he slid beside her and scooted close enough for their shoulders to touch. "What else does the paper say?"
"Nothing. This just tells how long she's lived at this house. Sam wasn't finished with her investigation. She gave me what she had. This is only the last few years. I don't understand why she didn't see me. Sam doesn't even have her birthdate on here, just the address and her husband's name."
"I don't understand either."
Stephanie put the paper on the nightstand. Things about him were still bothering her, so she decided to ask. "Jake, why did you leave without telling me bye? Did you not think I'd understand?"
Jake climbed off the bed and paced in front of it several times, but didn't answer her.
"And we like each other, right?"
He stopped pacing and faced her.
"And we were friends, but yet when I was hurt. You didn't come to see me. Why?"
His phone rang where it sat on the table, and he audibly sighed, his shoulders slumped in, and he ran his hands through his hair.
"What's going on with you?"
"Nothing. I'm tired, we are short-staffed, and no one will leave me alone for even a weekend."
"You're lying. What's really going on?"
"This trip is about you, not me. Don't turn it around. You're not my doctor! I don't need to be psychoanalyzed every time I turn around!"
"Jake, why are you defensive? I just want to know why you didn't come to see me. I needed you."
"Look. My dad was almost killed in a car wreck. I've studied my ass off to get where I'm at now so I can move them back home. I left my friends behind to help my dad, and I think I've done pretty well, and then just when I was getting ready to move back home, my best friend in the entire world was shot." He stopped and gathered himself. "And all I can think about is that I want to visit someone in prison and kill them in cold blood. And I can't stand the fact that that asshole did this to you."
"Jake."
He held up his hand, and it shook. "I drove to the hospital all night, but when I got there, you were in surgery. The waiting room was full. You have so many good friends. No one saw me, and I left again."
"Why did you leave me without saying bye years ago?" She needed to know. She had to know.
"Because!"
"Because why?"
"BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE LEFT!" he yelled.
"What-what do you mean?"
"Stephanie, you are the light on a summer day and the rain in a storm." He walked closer to her and sat on the edge of the bed. His hand trembled as he touched her face. His thumb ran the length of her scar. "And I knew if I came to see you, I would have confessed my love for you and never left."
A tear tracked down her cheek. "I've been in love with you since I was fourteen years old," she whispered.
"I swear to you I didn't know."
"Year after year, you broke my heart a little more."
"I'm sorry. Did-did someone help you get over it?"
"No, I pick losers. Ironic, right? Did you?" She didn't want to know.
"No. I studied a lot. I didn't have time for a steady girlfriend, plus when I had free time, I watched this great girl play basketball."
"I can't believe you came to my games."
He smiled at her.
"Are you blushing?" Her hands touched his warming cheeks.
"Confession. I have your jersey."
"You do?"
"I'll show you sometime."
"The only other people I know that have it are my parents..."
"Hey. You do know Marlon and Cheryl Waterford love you, right? And they have done so much for you."
"I know," she said softly.
"But you're still angry."
"So angry. It's just another thing piled on me. I could have played for the WNBA, and now, I'm looking forward to when I get to use crutches."
"Oh, Annie." He squeezed her leg.
"Did they think I'd love them less?"
"You'll have to ask them if you want to know."
"That requires me to see them, and I just can't right now. I make an awful patient."
He squeezed her knee again and smiled at her.
She closed her eyes. "So, how badly did I embarrass myself last night?"
"You didn't. You were adorable."
"I don't want to be adorable," she muttered.
"I liked it."
"Why?"
"Because like I said last night, which you probably don't remember, I like you."
"I like you too."
He grabbed her face in his hands and bent his mouth to hers. His tongue slid across her lips until she opened his mouth to him, and his tongue snuck in and dueled with hers.
He pulled back, and she took in much-needed air. "I should have kissed you years ago."
She touched her lips. "I wish you had."
Chapter 16
Jake rubbed Stephanie's back as she drifted in and out of consciousness. He hated that some psycho had marred her beautiful skin. He traced each reddish mark with his fingertips.
"Jake?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you help me turn over? I'm stiffening up."
"Yeah." He helped her turn and watched her grimace and close her eyes. "What do you need me to do?"
"You can't do anything," she half-whispered, half-cried.
"I'm so sorry."
"Just hold me."
He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face in his chest.
"This feels nice."
"I agree."
She shivered in his arms. "I'm cold."
"Hold on." He found the blankets and covered them both up.
She touched his face. "You're not going to sleep, are you? Will you be okay to drive tomorrow?"
"I'll be fine."
"Would you even tell me if you weren't?"
"Probably not," he admitted.
"Jake, I need you to talk to me. I'm not okay with not talking."
He rolled to his back and stared at the dark ceiling.
"Please."
"I don't know what else I'm supposed to say."
"You know I have patients with insomnia."
"I'm not your patient," he practically growled at her.
"I never said you were, Jacob," she replied.
"Isn't it implied?"
"So we can’t talk about how you feel ever because you're afraid I'm what? Judging you?"
"I didn't say that."
"No, you implied that. I don't want to be your freaking therapist! I just want you to talk to me. People in relationships talk to each other. Unless I'm reading this all wrong, which is entirely possible." It would break her heart if she was.
"Tell me something. Why do you wait until the last minute to take something for pain? I think you could avoid some of your issues if you just took some damn pain meds," he spat at her.
"I—"
He cut her off. "It kills me watching you in pain every day."
She took a deep breath. "I'm afraid I'll get hooked on the pills. I have so many patients who started with getting hooked on pain meds, and I've seen Courtney struggle so much with addiction. I don't want that for myself, and now I've broken doctor/patient confidentiality. Just great." She sighed and struggled to turn back over.
"Stephanie, let me help you."
"No! I can be stubborn too!"
"Dammit," he cursed.
She turned herself over, and he heard her whimper in pain.
"Annie, don't do this."
"We'll talk in the morning," she bit out. "Or knowing you, probably not."
He bit back a retort and turned to his back. The bed began to shift, and he turned his head at Stephanie's sharp intake of breath. Her entire body vibrated.
"Stephanie?" He touched her side. "What's wrong?"
"Ca-catch. Ba-my back. Hip."
His hand found her back under the covers and her T-shirt, and he began to massage it with one hand while rubbing her hip with the other.
&
nbsp; "I'm so sick of this." She took a shuddering breath as her back finally unlocked.
Jake kept on rubbing as her body relaxed and she started to drift off to sleep.
"I'm not giving up on you," she murmured right before falling asleep completely.
*******
Stephanie twisted her hands together as they waited for someone to answer the door at the address Sam had provided. "It's early. Maybe we should have waited," she said just as the door opened.
A teenager stood there. His hair was spiked and blue on one side, and his ears had about five earrings each. "May I help you?" he asked politely.
"Um, well. I..." she stuttered.
"Who is it, Shane?" A lady stepped up behind the teenager and put a hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him to the side.
"I don't know. They haven't said."
"Hey, your breakfast is ready."
"Thanks, Mom." He nodded to Jake and then looked at Stephanie. He stared a second longer than expected, his brow furrowing slightly before walking back inside.
"May I help you?"
"Is that your son?" Stephanie blurted.
"Yes. What's this about?"
"I'm your daughter." Subtle wasn't her middle name.
The lady went pale and fell slightly onto the door frame. Jake took a step forward in case he had to catch her. She looked two seconds from passing out.
She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. "Shane. SHANE!"
The boy was at her side a second later and grabbed her arm. "What's wrong?"
"Help them inside, please. I don't have a ramp. I'm sorry."
"That's okay, ma'am," Jake answered her. "I can get her if Shane brings the chair."
Jake carried her to a couch and sat her down while Shane parked the chair next to her.
"I don't mean to be rude, but what's going on?" Shane asked.
"My name is Stephanie Waterford, and I'm..."
"My sister."
"Um." Stephanie looked at her birth mother, Emily, who still looked pale, but she managed a nod in Stephanie's direction. "It would seem so. Nice to meet you," she finished lamely.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
Jake squeezed her hand.
"Shane, that was rude," Emily told him.
"I was shot."
Emily's gasp was loud in the quiet room, and Stephanie swung her gaze back over to her. "Who did this to you?"
"He's in prison."
"Why are you here?" Shane asked.
"Shane!" Emily admonished.
"That's okay. I didn't know until now. I didn't know I was adopted." Stephanie had a death grip on Jake's hand, and he made sure his leg was touching hers.
Emily twisted her hands together. "I don't know what Cheryl told you."
"She's told me nothing."
"When you turned seventeen, I thought it would be an excellent time to see you. I stuck to the adoption rules, except I didn't wait until you were eighteen like I should have, and Cheryl turned me away."
"Where had you been up until then?"
"I went to prison for killing your sperm donor."
"What?"
"Mom."
"Shane, will you go to your room for just a minute?"
"I know the story."
"I know that, son, but it's hard to tell in front of you."
"Fine." He stomped toward the back, and a door slammed.
"I was fourteen and had a crush on this older boy who mowed our lawn. One day, he cornered me in the garden shed and took what he wanted, and you were the result of that. I never told anyone, and I thought I was doing the right thing by giving you up. We had a closed adoption.
"The following summer, my dad hired that same guy back because he didn't know. I never told anyone who the father was or what happened. I avoided him, but he caught me alone one day and tried to rape me again, and I stabbed him with some garden shears. It turns out his dad was a lawyer. He was mowing yards because his dad was punishing him for getting another girl pregnant. Well, I lost in court. I think the dad might have known the judge, and I went to juvie for manslaughter." She took a deep breath. "I was there six years."
The front door opened, and a handsome man walked in. He looked like an older Shane without blue hair or piercings. "Hey," he said as he entered the house and looked around the room. "I'm Chad," he introduced himself and shook Jake and Stephanie's hands before turning to his wife. "Shane?"
"He's here. He's fine. Stephanie, this is my husband, Chad. Chad, this is, this is my daughter, Stephanie."
Chad's eyes widened, and he sat down beside Emily and grabbed her hand.
Jake squeezed Stephanie's hand.
"Why did my—why did Cheryl send you away?"
"I don't know. You'll have to ask her."
"I'm sorry that happened to you," Stephanie said quietly.
"Thank you."
"So, I think I need to go."
"That's fine," Emily said. "You are welcome here anytime."
"Is it safe to come out now?" Shane asked from the hallway.
"Yes," Chad answered his son. "I think your sister is leaving right now. Will you help them out to their car?"
Jake stood and had Stephanie in his arms before she could blink. He carried her out the door with Shane behind, pushing her wheelchair. He continued to the car and waited until Shane opened the passenger side door before placing her inside.
"If you open the trunk, I'll put in her chair."
"Thanks, man."
Shane looked over at Stephanie, and they locked eyes through the window. He managed a small smile that Stephanie returned before she turned her head away and wiped her eyes. Shane lowered his head. "I'll see you, man," he said and stomped up the stairs into the house.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jake asked as they backed out of the driveway.
Stephanie glared at him, then laughed incredulously. "Are you kidding me right now?"
"I guess that's a no."
"You'd guess right," she answered and turned back to look out the side window.
"Let me know if you need to stop for anything," he murmured.
She didn't answer, just continued to stare out the window.
Chapter 17
"Stop that!" Diana smacked Landon's hand as he reached for a chocolate chip cookie. "I said after lunch."
"You are no fun," he grumbled and stuck an entire cookie in his mouth when his mom turned back to the stove.
"I saw that."
After swallowing the cookie, he took a swig of milk. "You did not!"
"Wanna bet?"
"No," he laughed.
"I didn’t think so. Hey, can you set the table?"
"Sure, how many are coming today?"
Diana counted people in her head. "Four and three kids? Well, plus you and Courtney, if she makes it in time."
"Are you positive about that?"
"Nope. I teach English, not math." She chuckled. "Hey, can you get the big basket off the top shelf for the rolls?"
"Yep," he answered and reached into the top cabinet. His shirt rode up, and when he turned to put the basket on the counter, Diana was staring at the scars on his stomach.
"Did that hurt?" she asked softly.
"Yes and no. I know that doesn't make any sense."
Before Landon could blink, Diana was hugging him. "I'm sorry you got hurt, but I'm so happy you're here."
"Me too," he said and hugged her back. "I'm sorry I wasn't at first."
She gave him one last squeeze and stepped back. "It's all right. I wished I'd known, though."
"I couldn't tell you. Courtney has helped with that, but I still struggle some days. I don't know if it's vanity or what."
"You've never been vain, son." She stirred something on the stove before turning back around to face him.
"It just reminds me that someone died, and I feel like it's my fault because I was working on the truck."
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault."
"And the e
xplosion wasn’t yours."
"Touché."
The door opened, and Leslie entered and made a beeline to the cookies.
"No cookies until after lunch!" Landon told her.
Leslie paused right before the cookie hit her lips. "Like you waited."
"I did. Ask mom!"
Leslie looked at the half full glass of milk sitting on the counter before turning toward their mother, who had turned around to hide her smile. She grinned at her brother before stuffing the cookie in her mouth.
"I saw that," Diana told her and added salt to the pot.
"What? You did not!"
Landon laughed. "She caught me too!"
"I knew you lied." Leslie drank the rest of the milk.
"Where's everybody else?" Diana asked. "Landon, carry this to the table, please."
"Damon is showing Chloe a butterfly out there. They'll be inside in a second. Where's Courtney?"
"She went to see Stephanie. I think she had something to give her. I'm not sure."
"She usually goes with you or Sam, doesn't she? She doesn't like to go by herself."
Landon took a deep breath and grabbed the apple cider pitcher from the fridge, setting it on the table. "Sam and Dylan are struggling with Drew, so Sam was unavailable. And before you ask, she wouldn't hear of taking me with her. I don't like her going by herself."
Leslie frowned. "I'm worried about Sam."
Damon and Chloe entered through the side door. Damon set Chloe on her feet, and she zoomed through the kitchen to the living room to find her toys.
Jace and Daisy and their kids followed a knock on the door. Hannah went to play with Chloe, and Jace set Jackson beside the toys. "Are those cookies I smell?" Daisy asked.
"After lunch!" Landon and Leslie answered at the same time, and both laughed. "Jinx, you owe me a Coke!"
"Siblings."
"Hey, Daisy, have you heard from Dylan?"
"No. What's happened?" she asked, suddenly worried.
"Drew is happening," Landon answered.
"There's more?" Daisy asked, concerned.
"Yeah, but I really think you should talk to Sam," Landon said.
"No more gossiping, guys. Get the glasses from the cupboard and gather the kids. Lunch is ready."
*******
Stephanie was in the recliner with a heating pad on her back and hip as she searched for information on Emily Johnson on her laptop. She knew Sam would get it for her but didn't want to bother her right now with all that was going on in her life.
Broken Ties (The Healing Series Book 5) Page 12
