It was a great relief to know that Jamie’s troubles were finally over and Randall was grateful he had played a part in helping her through her difficult times. Now she could focus on the things common to most young adults: her job and potential relationships. The latter of which might involve John.
Randall watched as the two sat on the front steps of Jamie’s apartment building talking. His son was in rare form, talking a mile a minute while Jamie smiled profusely, covering her mouth at certain points in the conversation to hide a giggle. At times her eyes went wide as John shared information she must have found exceptionally amazing. The two had clearly formed a connection and Randall sensed he could be seeing more of Jamie in the future. As a father, he was happy for his son, who had been so wrapped-up in his research that he really hadn’t pursued a relationship for quite some time. Maybe things were changing.
John and Jamie finally stood and exchanged a long hug, followed by a kiss. Randall watched his son walk down the stairs, looking back at Jamie as he did, almost tripping and falling in the process. This elicited yet another laugh from her as she smiled and shook her head. John recovered and flashed a sheepish grin at Jamie who waved back, a warm smile on her face. She watched him all the way back to the car and waited for him to get in.
“It looks like the two of you hit it off.”
“I really like her, Dad, she’s so down to earth, and funny, too,” John said, putting on his seat belt.
“I see what you mean, son. She reminds me of your mother.”
John pulled the rental car away from the curb, turning one last time to wave to Jamie. She waved back, smiling until the car turned from her street, leaving father and son alone for the first time in days. The two sat quietly in the car as they made their way to the airport to catch a flight home.
“What are you going to do when you get back home?” Randall asked.
“I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess the first thing I’m going to do is see how Jacob is doing. After that, I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll apply for a teaching position. After all, it seems to be the family vocation.”
Randall smiled.
“How about you, Dad?”
“I have classes starting soon and need to get things ready for the fall term, but first I’m going to take a long nap.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes, the fatigue finally catching up with him. His body sank into the car seat.
The two men sat in silence for several minutes.
“You know, I wouldn’t want to repeat what we just went through, but I’m glad we did it together. I understand what you and Sam went through and, to be honest, I feel like I’m more a part of your life now,” John said, staring at the road ahead.
“Me too, son. You and your sister are the two most important people in my life and I’d never trade a moment spent with either of you for all of the money or accolades in the world.”
Now it was John’s turn to smile.
Sitting in the car, warmed by the glowing tropical sun, Randall realized, for the first time in many years, that he felt content.
The late afternoon sun was drooping low on the horizon, casting a long streak on the aquamarine sea as a trade wind lazily plied its way through the palm trees. The scene was as different from the harsh beauty of Antarctica as night is to day.
Randall and John dropped off their rental car and caught the shuttle to the airport. The terminal was busy with travelers arriving to start their adventure and others catching flights back to wherever they called home. For his part, Nick Randall was happy knowing that John was safe and that this chapter of their life was closed. He had had his fill of adventure and looked forward to returning to the quiet life of academia.
About the Author
Robert Rapoza is the author of THE RUINS, a 2015 Adventure Writers Competition Semi-Finalist, which was released on April 10, 2016, by Ravenswood Publishing. THE RUINS, formerly THE VILCABAMBA PROPHECY, an action packed thriller set in the Peruvian jungles, and is the first adventure of archaeologist Nick Randall and his daughter Samantha Randall.
His second thriller, THE BERMUDA CONNECTION, will be released on November 20, 2017 and continues the adventure as Nick Randall is joined by his son Johnathan. This recently completed work finds the two searching for clues that lead them from the sunny Bahama Islands to the frigid Antarctic continent. The third book in the series, THE DEVIL'S HEART, is a work in progress with an anticipated release in 2018.
Also available on Amazon is the short story NAZCA, which follows Randall as a graduate student on his first adventure.
Born and raised in Southern California, when not writing novels, he enjoys hanging out with his wife Holly, daughter Heather, son Ryan and dog Bandit. He and his family enjoy the outdoors, taking bike rides along the beach and camping along the California coast. A die hard Red Sox and Patriots fan, when not watching sports, he also enjoys coaching his son Ryan, a pitcher and 1st baseman.
A member of the Southern California Writers Association he was selected to the 2015-16 Debut Authors program of the International Thriller Writers Association and was among several new authors featured at the Debut Author session at ThrillerFest in New York City.
The ideas for his novels are drawn from his interest in archeology and science and his love of adventure stories. Bob has always been drawn to these topics and is fascinated by the technology utilized by ancient civilizations. This interest has provided fertile ground for his entertaining books. History is rich with mysteries waiting to be solved and Bob enjoys asking questions about these mysteries and offering ideas about what they might mean.
Learn more about his books at www.robertrapoza.com.
The Bermuda Connection (A Nick Randall Novel Book 2) Page 26
