“No. I joined the Civil Air Patrol during high school and learned how to fly fixed-wing planes. When I graduated, I learned how to fly helicopters as well. I took all of the EMT and paramedic courses. One of my instructors took a job over in Saudi Arabia flying medical transports. When he offered to get me a job working over there as well, I jumped at it.”
“How old were you?” she asked, taking another bite of her food.
Justin was pleased to see a little color coming back into her cheeks. “Twenty-one. I flew helicopters over there for just under five years. The pay was amazing, more than I could hope to make here in the States in a decade.”
“What made you come home?” she asked, pushing her plate away when she was finished.
“My uncle died. Like you, we were not raised by our mother.”
“What happened?” she asked.
Justin shook his head. “That’s a story for another time.” He stood and picked up the dirty dishes and carried them back into the kitchen. He rinsed them and then placed them with the dishes from earlier into the dishwasher. He added some soap and turned it on.
Jessica was still sitting at the table when he returned. “Feel like watching a movie?”
She lifted her head and slowly nodded. “Sure. Could I get some pain medicine first though?”
Justin nodded, “Sure.” He disappeared and then came back with a small bottle in his hands. He handed it to her and then waited while she took two of the tablets. She pushed her chair back, following him back to the large couches. She settled herself into the corner of one and audibly groaned. She was beginning to feel the effects of the day and could feel her muscles cramping up in response.
“So, what kind of movies do you like to watch?” Justin asked, surveying the large collection he and his brothers had amassed over the years.
“No horror. Maybe a comedy?” she suggested. That was always a safe choice.
“Comedy it is.” Justin picked out one of his favorites, a story about a family that took a road trip across the country and the various tragedies that eventually drew them closer together.
“So, you’re from Arizona?”
She nodded her head slowly as the movie loaded. “Yeah. I’m starting to think I should have stayed there. Or at least found a job someplace without snow.”
“Never been here in the winter?”
She laughed softly. “I’ve never been out of Arizona until this trip. I guess I thought it didn’t snow around here until much later in the year.”
“The mountains can get snow as early as Labor Day.”
Labor Day? But that was in September. What was I thinking? “Yeah, the Arizona desert is looking better all the time.”
“You’ll love the Colorado winters if you give them a chance.”
“Maybe.” She watched as the movie began and several minutes later, she asked him, “Are your brothers coming back tonight?”
“Kaillar is. Mason will spend the night in Frisco and then head home tomorrow or whenever the storm abates.”
“I feel horrible that you all had to come out in that nasty storm to find us.”
“Don’t be. We’re all part of the search and rescue team for the county. Finding people who are lost or in need of assistance is what we do.”
“Well, thank you. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get warm again.”
Justin glanced at her T-shirt and then spied her wet socks. She’d removed her tennis shoes, but her socks were wet through. “Why don’t you go put on some warmer clothes?”
Jess blushed. “I would if I had any. I figured I would have plenty of time to do some shopping once I got here.”
Here? Justin was confused and asked, “Where are you headed?”
Jess looked at him and then smiled. “Here. Silver Springs. I took the job as the new elementary teacher.”
Chapter 6
A few hours later, Jess asked if there was some place she could lie down and get some sleep. The stress of the day had caught up with her and she’d been yawning nonstop for the last twenty minutes of the movie. And now that she was warm again, she was having trouble keeping her eyes open.
Justin had slipped upstairs, returning with a red flannel shirt and a pair of dark grey sweatpants that were nice and soft from having been washed so many times. “I realize those are going to be way too big, but they’ll be warmer than what you have on right now.” He added a pair of white tube socks to the pile of clothing and then suggested she go change before they watched the movie.
She’d done so, rolling the sleeves up on the shirt, and rolling the waistband of the sweatpants down and the ankles up. She knew she probably looked silly, but with the added dryness of the too-large socks, she was warm. That’s all that mattered.
“Sure, follow me. We only have two guest rooms in the main lodge.”
“Main lodge?” Jess asked, following him as he carried her suitcase around the staircase and to a small hallway on the other side of the house.
“Yeah, we have six guest cabins as well. Each one is slightly different from the others.” He stopped in front of a wood door. “So, you’re a teacher. How old are you?”
Jess laughed. “Not as young as you think I am. I turned twenty-four last month.”
“Twenty-four? Huh.”
“How old are you?” Jess asked, thinking that turnabout was fair play.
“Twenty-seven. I’ll be twenty-eight at the end of the month.”
“Gosh, that old?” Jess teased him. It felt good to laugh, even though there’d been precious little in her life the last six months to evoke such emotion.
“Here it is, and I should probably warn you I’m known for getting even.” Justin winked at her as he pushed the door open to reveal a small bedroom with a bed, dresser and night stand. The log furniture and the quilt that covered the mattress fit the space perfectly.
“Thanks. The room is gorgeous.”
“Glad you like it. The women at the church make the quilts and then auction them off at the annual Christmas Bazaar. If you’re going to live here, you’ll hear about it soon enough. Do you sew?”
Jess shook her head. “Not a stitch.”
Justin laughed at her quip. “They’ll change that, just you wait and see.”
“They are more than welcome to try. My grandmother tried to teach me to crochet, but it never quite caught on.” They were now standing inside the small bedroom. She couldn’t help but admire how big and strong this man looked next to her. She was 5’6” in height, a nice normal height in her opinion. Not too short to reach things on the top shelf. And not so tall that she couldn’t get away with wearing heels.
But compared to him, she was a dwarf. Justin was easily 6’4”, maybe even 6’5” in height. He had broad shoulders, but a trim waist. He had removed his outer winter gear while she’d been cleaning up and now wore well-worn blue jeans with a navy blue flannel shirt.
The sound of a door shutting had Justin turning his head towards the sound. “That must be Kaillar. Want to come meet him?”
Jess was so tired and she could feel her energy slipping away. “Maybe tomorrow?”
Justin searched her eyes, seeing that the day had taken its toll on her. “Of course. Get some sleep, alright?”
“I will.” She watched him turn to leave, stopping him at the doorway. “Justin…?”
“Yes?” He turned back into the room.
“Thank you.”
He searched her eyes, looking to see what might be going through her lovely mind. “For what? We’ve already talked about me finding you.”
“I know,” she nodded. “Thank you for restoring my faith in humanity. It’s been a while since someone did something nice for me without wanting something in return.”
“That’s too bad. You’ll find the people of Silver Springs live to do nice things for people. We’re like one big family here.”
Jessica smiled tiredly. “Family sounds nice.”
Justin looked like he wanted to say something, but then he cleared his throat and nodded in her direction. “You’re more than welcome. See you in the morning.”
Jess watched the door close behind him and then sprawled onto the quilt on the bed. Justin had offered her kindness because it was the right thing to do. And he hadn’t expected anything in return.
She lay there in the dark, trying to turn her mind off. Her forehead hurt, her shoulders were achy, and her heart was in a state of confusion. Over the last few hours, she’d been on a mental rollercoaster: thoughts of Jason and his betrayal. Of little Thomas and how short his life had been. Of her grandmother and everything she’d done for her granddaughter; but the happy thoughts were overshadowed by the knowledge that she would never talk with her grandmother again.
And then there were the various emotions associated with being here in Silver Springs. Thankfulness that she’d been rescued from the mountain road. Excitement and trepidation over her new job. And a sense of curiosity about the man who’d taken her into his home and made her feel important. As if she mattered in this world. That feeling alone was addictive to her, and as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, she lectured herself about not falling back into her destructive patterns. It was time to stand on her own two feet; time to try and figure out what kind of person she wanted to be.
She wondered what advice her grandmother would have given her in dealing with Jason and her future. No doubt, it would have included reading her Bible, spending time in prayer, and finding a church to attend – all things she’d grown up doing regularly, but what had that ever gotten her?
She’d spent years trying to follow the rules. She’d been the recipient of more judgments from well-meaning parishioners than most kids her age. They’d either pitied her for having grown up without her parents, or they had summarily judged her unworthy and lacking in some way. She’d heard more than once that she wasn’t living up to her parents’ memory. What those self-righteous women didn’t know, is that they had more memories of her parents than she did!
She removed the borrowed shirt and sweatpants, slipping beneath the covers and feeling her exhausted body sink down into the soft mattress. She immediately closed her eyes and a sigh of relief leaving her mouth. She was warm, safe, and that was all that mattered in that moment. Everything else could wait until the morning.
Chapter 7
Justin closed the door to the guest bedroom and leaned against the wall in the hallway. Jessica’s words had gripped his heart and he’d had the strongest urge to pull her into his arms and offer her the comfort of a hug.
It’s been a long time since someone has done something nice for me without wanting something in return.
How could that be? From what he could tell, she was a beautiful young woman who had chosen one of the most noble of professions – teaching. And yet, he sensed a sadness and anger in her that didn’t make any sense. He had a strong urge to help her. He tried to convince himself it was purely platonic, but he couldn’t get the smell of her perfume out of his head. Or how her hair looked so soft. He’d wanted to reach out and touch it.
But all of that he pushed aside as he replayed their conversations. There had been something in her voice when she’d mentioned her parents.
“Hey, where’s she at?” Kaillar asked, coming around the corner to where Justin was.
Justin pushed away from the wall. “Calling it a night. She’s exhausted. Dark circles under her eyes that go beyond the stress of today.”
“How’s her head?”
“She’s gonna be bruised for a while. Her eye will probably be black and blue by tomorrow morning. She hit the back of that truck pretty hard, and the airbags in the steering wheel didn’t deploy.”
Kaillar raised a brow. “She’s lucky she’s alive!”
“Yeah. So…” Justin rolled his shoulders. “Is it still snowing?”
Kaillar nodded his head. “I almost stayed in town myself. That second hairpin curve was downright scary tonight.”
Justin looked at him. “You okay?”
“Fine. The tracker’s fine as well.”
“Good. I better call Jeremy and let him know everything’s okay. I also think I’ll suggest they cancel basketball practice tomorrow morning.”
“That’d be a good idea. No sense in people getting out if they don’t have to.”
Justin nodded. “I’ll suggest he make phone calls tonight. It’s only 8:30 p.m., most people will still be awake.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the pastor’s number, walking to the large picture windows and watching the snow fall as he waited for the call to connect.
“Justin?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Just wanted to let you know everyone’s safe and sound.”
“Very good.”
“I also think it might be wise to cancel practice tomorrow morning,” Justin suggested.
“Already ahead of you. I made the calls about two hours ago.”
Justin smiled and then sobered. “Did you know the school board hired a new elementary teacher?”
“I did. A young woman from somewhere out West, I believe.”
“That’s who I rescued this evening.”
“Really? Well, I look forward to meeting her. Is she staying at Sarah’s?”
“No, she bumped her forehead pretty good and I didn’t want her spending the night alone. I brought her back to the lodge with me. Between Kaillar and me, we’ll check on her through the night just to make sure she doesn’t have any negative side effects.”
“Why do I sense there is something else you want to say?” Pastor Jeremy told him.
“I had a chance to talk with her for a bit tonight. I sense she is very troubled, angry even, about events that happened in her past.”
“And this bothers you?” Jeremy asked, intuitive as always.
“Yeah. I guess it does. She seems kind of alone and maybe a bit lost. I was wondering if you might talk to her?”
The pastor was quiet for a moment and then he offered some advice: “Justin, I am always available to talk to those in need. But might I suggest you stop trying to figure out what is wrong with her, and just be her friend? You’ve only just met her, and while I’m not discounting what you’re sensing about her, she’s new to town and a friend will mean much more than a counselor.”
Justin smiled. “Point taken. I just don’t like seeing her hurting. There’s more to her than meets the eye.”
“Justin, you are one of the best men I know. I cannot think of a man better suited to befriending a new member of our community. Just be careful that your motivation is in the right place.”
“I get where you’re going with this. I would never want to do anything that might make it harder for her to be here in Silver Springs. I’m just concerned that she needs help.”
“So, no romantic interest there at all?” Jeremy asked. He was about the same age as Justin, having graduated from the high school in Silver Springs the same year. But while Justin had been busy flying around the skies, Jeremy had attended Bible school in the Midwest and married the love of his life. Lacy was a sweet girl and had fit into their little community without even trying.
Justin paused before answering. Had he noticed how beautiful Jessica was? Yes! Most definitely. Especially after bringing her back to the lodge and getting to know her a bit. “She’s gorgeous. And I enjoyed talking with her, but she’s troubled. I don’t know that I can help her with whatever’s bothering her, but I can’t seem to let it go either. I feel compelled to try and help her, while she’s here.”
“Don’t worry about that being a short amount of time. Paul Sherman told me she signed a two-year contract, so she’s going to be here for a while. Why don’t you bring her into town tomorrow afternoon and introduce her around? I’m sure Lacy will want to have her over for dinner, and you and your brothers are welcome to join us as well.”
Justin smiled. “I never turn down Lacy’s cook
ing, but I would imagine Kai and Mason will have other things to do. How about I bring her in after breakfast in the morning? I can drive her down in one of the trackers and that will give her time to figure out where she’s going to stay.”
“Didn’t you hear? Part of her contract is a lease on the old Williams place. Jeff was back here a few weeks ago and has decided to stay in New York. His wife’s doing well and he told Shirley down at the real estate office to start renting the place out. They left all of their furniture here as well.”
Chapter 8
In fact, Justin hadn’t been made aware of that information. “I hadn’t heard that Jeff was back in Silver Springs.”
“Yes, I believe that’s when you and your brothers were escorting that group of archery hunters around in September.”
“Not that it did any good. I am constantly amazed that intelligent men would pay thousands of dollars to come hunt in Colorado, and then not do everything they could to make sure they knew how to properly and accurately shoot their weapon of choice.”
“I spoke with Kaillar last Sunday, and he made it seem as if the hunter had purchased the bow from a retail shop in Denver right before driving to meet you.”
“That’s about what it seemed like. He had this bag of accessories, none of which had been opened. I spent two hours, opening morning, installing them before turning him loose to practice on a target Mason set up for him.”
“Did the man get lucky enough to hit anything?”
“That man couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn if he was standing right in front of it. He was a terrible shot, and by his own admission, hadn’t ever shot a bow and arrow before coming to see us.”
“Makes a good case for making out-of-state hunters pass a basic test, doesn’t it?” Jeremy chuckled and then continued, “Well, to summarize: the school board agreed to provide her with adequate housing for the first two years of her contract. They leased the Williams property the day before Jeff went back to New York.”
“Well, living just a block away from the school will be very convenient.”
Three Brothers Lodge - The Complete Series Box Set Page 4
