CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Ryan ended the call and lowered the phone to his lap. He stared out the large picture window in the family room that looked out over the back verandah and beyond it to the large backyard that was currently covered in snow. It was a gloomy day which sort of matched his mood.
The day had started out well enough, and even though the conversation with Hannah had included things that had been difficult—even unfathomable—to hear, he’d felt good about it. He’d hoped that Hannah would take his words seriously and embrace the friendship his family offered to her.
Even the call with his doctor had gone okay. His bloodwork hadn’t been perfect, but nothing had been so amiss that it required intervention. He would have another blood draw to check levels in a month, barring anything else popping up unexpectedly.
Given that the house was quiet, he’d decided to call Tyler at the office. Their conversation had circled around to the kidnapping, and Tyler had shared a few more details that they hadn’t talked about when the guys from BlackThorpe had visited. The further out he was from it all, the more Ryan wanted to know the details. Wanted to understand what had happened to all of them.
It seemed to be pretty obvious that they’d had some sort of airborne chemical agent used on them. There was no way the terrorist group would have been able to subdue them all without using something like that.
Though he’d questioned Marcus and Alex about Yazen Halibi, his read on the situation hadn’t been entirely on point. From all accounts, the man had been on the up and up with them. He just hadn’t realized that someone from the new terrorist group had been using him to get to BlackThorpe. Not knowing that had cost Halibi his life.
Halibi had been a valuable connection in the Middle East, and his death—when it was well-known in certain circles he’d been working with BlackThorpe—had undermined the trust their other Middle East contacts had in them. Losing Halibi and one of their employees, coupled with the loss of the contacts—both established and potential—had all been very devastating for BlackThorpe.
Ryan hated knowing that all the work they’d put into establishing contacts so that they could work safely in the Middle East was now of no benefit. People would view BlackThorpe as risky, and not only would they refuse to work with them, there likely were people looking to take them out.
The worst part wasn’t that they couldn’t just do the hostage rescues, it was that the work they did tracking down children was now at risk. A couple of years earlier, they’d been contacted by a man whose wife had taken their two children back to Iraq. Following a divorce in which the husband won primary custody, the wife had fled the country with the children during one of their weekend visits with her.
Desperate, the man had come to BlackThorpe asking for help to get them back. It had been the first time BlackThorpe had undertaken such a mission, but it hadn’t been the last. Any of the successes they’d had over the years had been because of Halibi and the connections they’d made through him.
Frequently, Halibi had traveled with Than to meet with contacts, to try to build rapport with them, and now that was all gone. He wasn’t even sure they were back at square one. It was more like they were in the hole because now BlackThorpe needed to rebuild their reputation, and only then could they try to re-establish connections they’d once had.
Would they ever be able to help anyone in any capacity in the Middle East again?
Ryan heard voices and realized that his parents were home. He thought about going into the kitchen to talk with them, but he just needed a little more time to process what he’d heard earlier from Tyler. The anger that had eased a bit after his conversation with Alex and Marcus, had returned. This time, however, with the added information from Tyler, his anger was more directed at the situation as a whole rather than just at Marcus and Alex for not allowing him to do his job.
He sat slumped in the recliner, his head propped on his fist as he used his thumb to scroll through his email before moving on to his social media. Realizing he’d never made a call to the therapist, he pulled out the card Gabe had given him and placed the call. When someone answered, he explained that Gabe had referred him and then asked for an appointment. Apparently, Gabe’s name was the magic word because in no time at all, he had an appointment in two days’ time.
Ryan still wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but part of his motivation, especially after hearing Hannah share about her past, was that she might be willing to go if she saw him going. And if he did manage to benefit from it like Gabe thought he might, then all the better.
When Ryan got home from his first session a couple of days later, he wasn’t sure what to think. He’d gone in convinced that the therapist would ask him questions that he’d be reluctant to answer, and that it would be a lot of long silences since he really wasn’t one to spill his guts.
No one was more surprised than Ryan at the stuff that had come pouring out of him. Stuff about his dad. About his family and his job. In fact, they’d barely had time to touch on the kidnapping. And Gabe had definitely been right about it feeling good to talk to someone who wasn’t family or a friend. If the therapist had known anything about the situations Ryan had touched on because of his sessions with Gabe, he hadn’t mentioned it.
Walking into the kitchen, Ryan found that several of his siblings had already turned up for supper. He wondered how long it would be before they settled back into their normal lives once again. It wasn’t such a big deal for Gabe since he and Maya were still living at the house, as was Tristan. But the others all had spouses and homes now, and in the case of Sammi, Bennett, and Makayla, children as well. It couldn’t be easy dragging them out each day, so Ryan was grateful they were willing to do so.
“Do you really think that’s something that would work in this area?” Bennett asked as Ryan got himself a glass of water. His throat was parched from doing so much talking earlier.
“I’ve been researching it for awhile now,” Tristan responded. “We might have to make a few adaptations to accommodate the climate here, but I think they’re doable.”
“I still can’t believe that anyone would actually want to live in something so small,” Gabe said with a shake of his head. “Tiny homes? It’s like a setup for a claustrophobia attack.”
“There are people that like the idea of lessening their carbon footprint,” Tristan said mildly. “And for some, they do so by living in a tiny home.”
“Are you planning to move into one, Tris?” Bennett asked.
Tristan shrugged. “Maybe.”
“How’re you going to have room for a television, a computer, and a drafting table?” Gabe asked.
Ryan sat on one of the bar stools, turning it around to face the breakfast nook where his brothers were seated. He glanced over when his dad came to stand next to him. “Are we heading out for dinner?”
“Nope. It’s game night, so we decided we’d have pizza. Make it an easy meal for everyone.”
“Is Hannah around?” Ryan asked when a glance at the others in the room revealed she wasn’t among them.
“The ladies took the little ones into the family room,” his dad said. “We’re just waiting for Ethan and Mitch to get here with the pizzas.”
Ryan nodded his head in the direction of the family room. “I think I’m just going to check on Hannah.”
His dad rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “That’s probably a good idea.”
He hadn’t mentioned to her or anyone but Gabe that he’d had an appointment with the therapist. At some point he wanted to talk to Hannah about it, but that night was for pizza and hockey. He wasn’t sure who Kenton’s team was playing, but as long as it wasn’t the Jets, he’d be cheering for his brother’s team.
Ryan headed out of the kitchen and down the short hall to where the family room was at the back of the house. Another hall ran down to his parents’ bedroom and the therapy room his dad had built on after his mom’s aneurysm.
“Hey, Ry,” Sammi
called out as he stepped into the doorway of the family room.
“Ry!” Though it was a female voice, this one was much younger and exuberant.
“Uncle Ry, Olivia,” Grace admonished her toddler daughter.
“Unca Ry!” Olivia repeated as she waved one hand vigorously.
Ryan grinned as he settled on the carpeted floor next to where Hannah sat on the couch. Olivia made her way over to him with two toddling girls hot on her heels. At the last minute, she veered to walk past him to where Hannah sat with Jason.
“Already dumped for a younger man,” Ryan said with a shake of his head. “I can’t believe it.”
He heard Hannah laugh softly and glanced up to meet her happy gaze. Enchanted, he found he couldn’t look away, and for a moment, how they’d met, the cell, all of it faded away. In its place came a growing realization of how he felt about her. How important she and Jason were becoming to him.
He listened to Olivia’s babble over baby Jason while watching the large TV in the corner of the room. It was the pre-game show, so the volume was muted. Thankfully, his parents had the Closed Captioning on so he could read what they were saying. As usual, there were references to Kenton and his injury. Given it had been over a year since his it had happened, you’d think they would have better things to talk about.
At least most the comments made were usually good. As in, they were all surprised that Kenton was having one of his best seasons in the past five years. They probably thought it all had to with his training post-injury, which was partly true, but Ryan knew that Kenton attributed a good chunk of his improved play to Benjie. To being reminded through the young man’s enthusiasm for hockey of why he’d played the game in his youth. Rediscovering his passion for playing the game had gone a long way to improving his performance on the ice.
“Pizza’s here!” Dalton announced as he walked into the family room followed by Ethan and Mitch both of whom carried a stack of pizza boxes.
Ryan’s mouth watered at the aroma as he helped clear off the large square coffee table in front of the couch. For the next few minutes, they focused on getting the food and drinks set up. It was definitely casual dining that night. Even going so far as to use paper plates.
While Ryan was helping with the food, someone brought over the bouncy seat that had been in the corner of the room and set it in front of Hannah, next to where he’d been sitting. She leaned forward and placed Jason in the seat, taking a minute to strap him in.
“I’ll keep an eye on him if you want to get some food,” Ryan told her after his dad had said a prayer for the food.
Hannah glanced at him then nodded. “Thanks.”
Ryan rested his hand on the edge of the seat and bounced it lightly. Jason watched him with dark eyes, but it seemed like he was about ready for sleep. He usually kicked his legs and waved his arms energetically, but they moved only a little, and he seemed happy to just suck on his fist.
Ryan rubbed his hand over the boy’s dark hair, smiling as Olivia found her way back over to him again. She plopped herself down on Ryan’s lap, so she’d be closer to Jason, clearly smitten with the baby.
“Aren’t you supposed to be eating, Livvy?” Ryan asked when he noticed Grace watching them with a plate in her hands. “I think Mummy wants you to go back to her.”
It took a little persuading, but finally Olivia returned to Grace about the same time that Hannah came back to her spot on the couch. Ryan wondered if she planned to stay and watch the game. Thankfully it was an east coast game so it would be starting—and ending—earlier than Kenton’s home games usually did. Ryan was actually grateful himself because he still wasn’t up for super late nights.
Once they all had their food, his dad turned the volume up on the television in time to hear the end of the US national anthem. They were quickly caught up in the game as Kenton was part of the starting line up, so right off the bat, they were cheering him on. The first period had just finished when Belle showed up, obviously having worked until closing at the bridal shop.
After grabbing some pizza and a drink, she settled down on the floor next to Mitch. She leaned into him as he bent to give her a kiss. They held a conversation that only the two of them could hear, then after another quick kiss, Belle began to eat.
Ryan was happy to see them together that way. It was what Mitch had longed for for so long, and while it might have taken longer than he wanted, Ryan knew Mitch was glad that he’d waited for Belle.
His gaze went to Hannah. Was it possible that his waiting—though not nearly as long as Mitch’s—was nearing an end as well? While he hadn’t had the same drive for a family that Mitch had had, Ryan had always assumed he’d marry and have a family someday. Unlike Mitch, there had been no impatience for him about the wait though. He’d figured it would happen in good time. In God’s time.
So where did that leave him with these feelings he was starting to have for Hannah. Were they just the result of their circumstances? Being each other’s sole companion for weeks on end would naturally bring people closer together. Was that all it was? Or was it something more?
At the end of the second period, Jason began to fuss a bit, so Hannah excused herself. Ryan said goodnight to her then watched as she left the room, a bit disappointed that she hadn’t been able to stay for the whole game. He doubted she’d come back down even after the nurse arrived to care for Jason, despite the fact that the game was currently tied with Kenton having scored one goal and his best friend, the other.
Being with the family, cheering on his brother, was just another reminder of how grateful he was to be home. Soon, he’d have to consider what to do about his job, but for the next little while anyway, he’d put those thoughts aside and just enjoy the life he hadn’t been sure he’d ever get to live again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Life took on a somewhat predictable pattern over the next week. Hannah got up each day and took charge of Jason from the night nurse. After breakfast, the house would empty out. Ryan often went with Gabe to the gym, while the others were off to school or work. A couple of those days, Emily and Steve both left as well, apparently to help out at the church—one day to help care for young kids whose moms were attending the Mom’s Morning Out, and one day to meet with a group of seniors who had Bible study together.
Once everyone else had gone on to their day, Hannah would retreat to her room and either take a nap with Jason or spend time reading and perusing job postings for the area. Since finding her Bible in one of the boxes she’d unpacked, she’d enjoyed reading passages of Scripture, often delighting in finding what she’d previously highlighted or made notes about in the Bible’s margins in small penmanship. Though she doubted that she’d ever be kidnapped again, that experience had reinforced the need for her to commit more of the Bible to memory.
Seated in her comfortable chair next to the bay window that looked out on the backyard and the forested acres that belonged to the Callaghans, Hannah would recite verses and passages over and over while her favorite hymns played in the background on her phone. In those moments, she felt at peace and whole. Confident and complete. Ready to face whatever lay ahead in her future.
Too bad that serene feeling never seemed to last.
By lunch, Ryan was usually home as were Emily and Steve, so they would eat together and then mid-afternoon, Jason would go down for another nap. Sometimes Hannah would take a nap too, but that was usually only when she didn’t have anything else to do. The intense need to nap, to get more rest, had begun to ease, and Hannah couldn’t have been more thankful for that.
They’d each had their doctors stop by a couple more times, and Max and his wife were also regular visitors. When Max showed up on his own, it usually meant that his visit had something to do with the paperwork they were trying to get in order for Hannah and Jason. He was able to pull some strings to get certain things done quickly, but other things were proving more challenging.
It had taken a while, but she’d finally gotten her driver’s
license and the information she needed to prove that Jason was a Canadian citizen. She was still waiting for her replacement passport since the original was something she’d been carrying when she’d been kidnapped, and it had been taken from her at some point. They would still have to wait a couple of months for the provincial health plan to kick in. Slowly but surely, her life was falling back into place.
About a week after her first conversation with Max about the interview, he came by to let her know that the blogger was extremely interested in speaking with her. He sat down with Hannah to discuss what guidelines should be put in place, and she understood why he was such a good businessman when he brought up things that she hadn’t even considered. She would have just been willing to speak with the woman and trust her to do the right thing, but Max was much more cautious, for which Hannah was grateful.
Come Sunday, there was another discussion about attending church. From the sound of things, Ryan’s family attended a rather large church, so it was possible that she could attend, and not be recognized, but the same probably couldn’t be said for Ryan. No doubt plenty of people knew him personally, and those who didn’t had probably seen his picture in the media during the months of his kidnapping.
In the end, she and Ryan stayed home and watched the service as it was live-streamed on the church’s website. Some of the family went to the first service, and some went to the second, so it wasn’t quiet around the house for long. By the time the sermon started for the second service, which they were watching, Steve and Emily had arrived home. After checking on the dinner preparations they’d started before they left, they joined Ryan and Hannah in the family room, apparently not minding that they were hearing the sermon for the second time.
A Little Ray of Sunshine: A Christian Romance (The Callaghans & McFaddens Book 7) Page 24
