TRUSTING JAKE: MONTGOMERY HEROES OF ALASKA

by Becca Monroe

  “Delaney!” Jake’s terrified voice filled my ears, and I saw his face as he pushed Matt’s body off mine. I tried to smile, but suddenly everything hurt.

  “I…” Mike joined Jake kneeling beside me, and I saw a glimpse of Josh talking on a radio saying something about a chopper.

  Jake cut the tape off my hands and held them in his.

  “Baby, just stay still. You’re okay.” His eyes were full of fear and when I tried to sit up, pain and weakness fell over me like sunlight piercing the dawn.

  “I… feel… funny…” and everything was getting a little blurry.

  Mike lifted my body slightly, rolling me towards Jake. His eyes held mine. “Baby, he shot you in the abdomen, but you’re going to be okay. Just stay with us.”

  I tried to say something, anything, but my eyes were heavy, and the pain was too much.

  “No exit wound,” Mike shouted. “We need to get the bleeding under control. Damnit!” Mike said.

  Josh rushed up, holding something in his hands, and pushed on my stomach. Ouch! That hurt, but I couldn’t say anything. I was so tired.

  “Choppers 10 minutes out,” Josh said, “There was a team in the area for training. Jos is with them.”

  “No baby, you need to stay awake, look at me. I love you so much. Do you hear me?”

  I wanted to stay awake, but all I could do was close my eyes and rest.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Jake

  By the time we made it to the hospital in Anchorage, Delaney had been in surgery for almost two hours. Josie met us at the entrance with a solemn look and escorted us to the surgical waiting area.

  “How is she?” I asked. She kept walking, not wanting to look at me.

  Josh reached for her arm, forcing her to stop and turn to us. “Hey Jos, come on. We need to know how she is.” Josh slid his hand down her arm and squeezed her hand in his when he saw the emotion on her face.

  Tears pooled in her eyes when she scanned the group. She’d been on the flight when it picked Delaney up, and she didn’t miss a step when she realized it was her friend. To witness the tears in her eyes - this wasn’t trauma nurse Josie, this was a good friend of the woman I loved, and her tears scared the hell out of me.

  “Tell me,” I whispered.

  “We lost her on the flight over, but we got her back just before we landed. Jake, she lost a lot of blood, but she was stable going into surgery. She’s received a transfusion and may need more. There’s a lot of damage internally, so they’re working on that, but they removed the bullet, so that’s a positive. If anyone can donate, that would be great. She’s O-positive.”

  “I’m O-positive, I’ll donate!” Mike stepped forward.

  Josh leaned in and wiped a tear off Josie’s cheek. “I’ll donate,” he whispered to her. “You okay?” She offered a half smile and nodded at him. “I’ll be back,” he said and followed Mike down the hall.

  “This is my fault. If I just would have listened to her at the restaurant and heard her out. She begged me and I wouldn’t even listen. I didn’t get to tell her I was sorry for the things I said to her.”

  Josie gave me a hug. “Jake, that woman is strong and she’ll get through this. She’s lived through worse, she’ll survive this too.”

  “You know about her past?”

  Josie shook her head. “Not the details, but I don’t need to. I know enough after spending so much time with her over the past months. Things she would say, comments, reactions to things… I knew her past hadn’t been pretty, but I figured she would talk about it when she was ready. Just as we all talked before. Last week she told me how in love with you she was. She said she had to live through hell to find her heaven. I understood what that meant. She didn’t need to explain. Delaney loves you. You’re her safe haven, her peace. Whatever happened to her in the past led her to you. She’ll forgive you.”

  She hugged me again and gave one to momma too. “I’m going to get an update from the surgical team, I’ll be back shortly.”

  As the hours went by, more people from town showed up. By the time the surgeon entered the waiting room, it was standing room only.

  “Family of Delaney Newcomb?” He asked.

  Every person in the room raised their hands.

  “Well, alright then,” he smiled. “Delaney’s surgery went well. She’s in recovery and we will move her to her own room in a little while. We successfully removed the bullet, however we also had to remove her spleen. There was a fair amount of damage and it was causing more internal bleeding, but we got that under control. She must remain here for a few days, and then she’ll need rest when she’s released. No stress, and she needs to take it easy. Does she live alone? If so, we will need to discuss a caregiver to help her for a few weeks until she’s fully back on her feet.”

  My heart rate finally slowed down when I realized she was going to be alright.

  “She’ll be at my home and we can ensure she has everything she needs,” I said.

  “Very well, I will have the nurse let you know when she is ready for visitors, but let’s take it easy on her tonight. Not everyone at once, okay?” He smiled and extended his hand to mine.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Josie walked over and whispered something to Josh, who cast me a concerned glance. “Jake, let’s talk in the hall.” Mike followed me out.

  “Doc said she’s good. Why the glum faces?”

  Josie and Josh exchanged looks. “She’s asked for no visitors,” Josie said.

  My heart sank. “No visitors, or just not me?” I didn’t want to know the answer to the question, but I had to ask.

  “I don’t know to be honest, but I think she’s embarrassed,” Josie said.

  “None of this is on her. This is all Matt Rider’s fault. Nobody blames Delaney,” Mike said.

  She blames herself. That had to be the reason. “He killed her best friend for trying to protect her. She kept all this from us for months. I told her I never wanted to see her again, and she almost died. Safe to say she is one hundred percent blaming herself for all of this.”

  “You need to speak with her,” Josh said to me. “She needs to hear from you before anyone else.”

  Josie stepped forward and squeezed my shoulder to show support.

  “I’m moving her up to her room in a little while. You can’t upset her, she just had major surgery, but I agree with Josh. She loves you. When a woman is hurting, she needs to be close to the man she loves. It gives her strength.” I couldn’t help but recognize the way Josie and Josh stared at each other after her comment.

  “You’re right. Let me know the room and I will get in there and speak with her. I promise not to upset her.”

  “She’ll be in room 301, just give me thirty minutes,” she said with a smile.

  “Thanks, Josie.”

  She rushed off, but Josh couldn’t help himself. “Jos, hey! When are we going to sit down and talk?”

  “I’m staying here on shift until eight a.m… it will have to wait,” she said, waving her hand at him as a dismissal.

  Mike’s eyes screamed out in curiosity when we looked at each other, then to Josh. “What was all that about?” Mike asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Josh lifted his hands in the air and raised his eyebrows questioning. “What?”

  Mike grinned at me and we both eyed my baby brother. “Her statement about women needing the men they love when they are hurting, and you wiped a tear off her face and held her hand earlier. Now you want to sit down and talk to her? What’s going on?” I asked.

  Josh ran his hands down his face. “After the Christmas party, I drove her home. She was tipsy as hell and I didn’t want her to drive. Got her inside and all tucked in. Then, she grabbed my arm and asked me to sit with her until she fell asleep. I did, and we just shared a little small talk about the old days, school, my Coast Guard service, nothing too intense. She was getting sleepy, started mumbling a little, and told me she was in love with me and has been since
our senior year of high school. I asked why she never told me, but she was already out.”

  Mike shrugged and smiled. “Well, that isn’t a big deal, I mean everyone already knows that.”

  Josh punched him in the arm. “No Mike, not everyone knows that. I didn’t know that!”

  I stared at my clueless brother for a long moment. “Wait, what? How could you not know that? She’s your best friend, you two are always hanging out. She does anything you want and need of her, and you do the same. Josh, everyone can see the way she looks at you all the time.”

  “Shit! You guys don’t understand what I’m saying. I really didn’t know this. You can imagine how well things went earlier this week when I mentioned what she’d said over dinner. She freaked out, said she was drunk, or maybe I misunderstood. We got in a huge argument about it and she won’t talk to me. The first time she spoke to me was last night, and it was only because we were walking into the restaurant at the same time and she said hi. That’s it. She’s avoided me for days, and Christmas is coming up. We always have our Christmas traditions. I don’t want to lose my best friend over this.”

  Being his big brother, I should have offered some shining words of encouragement, but Mike and I were doing our best to not bust out in hysterical laughter. Mike started to, and I shook my head furiously at him.

  We needed to offer advice, so I tried. “You’re the only person who didn’t know she’s in love with you. She has been forever. Through all your girlfriends, hook-ups, career change of stations, and your military career, that woman is the one constant, outside momma, that has always been in your life and by your side. Do you ever remember seeing her with a man in the 11 years since you two graduated high school?”

  Josh shook his head no.

  “Her last actual boyfriend was her senior year of high school, and if I’m not mistaken, you kicked his ass after prom for trying to force her to do something she didn’t want to do,” Mike said.

  “She has dated no one serious or otherwise since then, as far as I know. Maybe a few dates in college, but nothing of any consequence. She’s focused solely on her career and well, being your friend,” I said. “Be a good friend to her now and if she says she was drunk, leave it alone. Don’t push her, otherwise you’ll lose her. Trust me.”

  “I’m an idiot,” Josh said.

  Mike chuckled a little. “Neither of us will disagree with you on that point.”

  “It’s been a week without her. No morning coffee, no midnight talks after I wake up from a nightmare, and I miss her like crazy. That woman means a lot to me. I don’t want to lose that.”

  Mike chuckled and shook his head, obviously irritated by Josh’s comments. “Brother, examine everything you just said. Josie is a phenomenal woman and you know that, but I think based on what you’re saying you may have missed the fact that she is in fact a woman. A beautiful, fiery, hilarious, successful, smoking hot woman.”

  “Don’t talk about her like that!” Josh insisted.

  I had to laugh at that. “Like what? She is amazing! Maybe she’s spent so many years being amazing that you couldn’t see her through all the meaningless women you run through like midnight snacks. Or maybe you’ve been running through them because deep down you know not one woman you’ve been with compares to her. Mike’s right. Take some time and think about things. Stop pushing her to talk when you don’t even know what to say yourself.”

  Josh leaned his head back against the wall. “I miss her.”

  “You miss her, but it isn’t all about you, my friend,” Mike said. “She’s spent her life taking care of you, and you didn’t even realize it. Time for the tables to turn, brother.”

  “I need to head up to her room. You guys heading home?” I asked.

  Josh glanced down the hall in the direction Josie disappeared. “Not until you speak with Delaney. If she’s good with you being here, I know you’ll want to stay. If she kicks you out, you’ll need some support.”

  I smirked, but he was right. She could very well kick me out of her room and her life after what I said to her. “Thanks, I’ll let you know.”

  Delaney

  Everything hurt when I tried to open my eyes, and my eyelids were so heavy. What happened? Matt’s face, a gun, my hands tied, Jake shooting. All the images flashed through my mind like some sick powerpoint presentation. My eyes flew open at the sound of a gunshot in my head. I gasped for air and that’s when I heard him.

  “Baby, it’s okay.” Jake’s soothing voice washed over me. His hand on my head, gently stroking my hair, his other hand on mine, cradling it. “You’re in the hospital, but you’re gonna be okay.”

  I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at him. He told me he never wanted to see me again.

  Matt! “Matt’s here!” My voice broke at the realization that I was far from safe.

  Jake squeezed my hand and brought his face in front of mine. “No, he isn’t here. He was, but he’s gone now. During your scuffle with him, he took a superficial gunshot wound to the upper body. The authorities took him into custody. He is being treated under guard and the FBI is charging him with a slew of charges. He will go away for a long time.”

  “Why can’t I remember anything past seeing him?” I whispered.

  His eyebrow piqued in concern. “What do you remember?”

  “I remember the restaurant, Brittany yelling at me, and you said you never wanted to see me again. Kelly, oh God, Kelly…” Tears poured from my eyes, and he moved to lay next to me, wrapping me in his arms as best he could.

  “Shh, everything’s going to be okay.” He held me until the tears subsided. “I’m so sorry about your friend, and I’m sorry about how I handled things at the restaurant.”

  I wiped my eyes and snuggled into him. “She did everything she could to help me, and he killed her. It’s my fault she’s gone. I should have stayed and let the FBI try to protect me, not gone on the run. My God, I got my best friend killed.”

  “No. Everything that has happened is because of Matt. He made the choices that set all of this into motion. Kelly was just standing in his way and he removed her, that isn’t on you, baby.”

  I cried until the tears all but dried up, then finally had the courage to ask him what I needed to know. “Did you mean it? You never wanted to see me again?”

  He rested his head against mine. “No. Baby, no. I was angry and hurt and allowed my past baggage with Callie to dirty what we have. Believe me when I tell you, those words should have never crossed my lips.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Matt, about my life. There were so many times I wanted to, but I thought it would put everyone in danger. Is everyone else okay?”

  “Everybody’s fine. I swear half the town showed up to make sure you were okay.”

  “Where are we anyway?” I asked.

  “Anchorage. They flew you in late last night. Josie worked on you in the chopper and they took good care of you.”

  He continued to stroke my hair and hold my hand as he wrapped me in his arms, and I prayed it would always stay like this. “Can you tell me all the important things? Some are blurry.”

  “I love you and I will never hurt you or cause you pain the way I did last night. The things I said caused you to run. For the rest of our lives, I want to be the person you run to when you need a safe place, not the person you’re running from. Please forgive me and stay in Alaska. Delaney stay with me, be my wife, the mother of my children. I want all of it with you.”

  A smile pulled at the corners of my mouth as I curled into him as much as I could. “You realize you will need to repeat all those pretty words again when I’m not drugged out of my mind, so I can remember, right?”

  He laughed and his arms held me against him. “I will say it every day of our lives, for the rest of our lives, if you promise to be mine and never run away again.”

  “I promise.”

  Jake’s arms held me so close I wanted to stay right there forever. “Get some rest baby, we can talk mor
e later.”

  “What if I dream about him again?”

  “I’ve got you. Right beside you, I’m here,” he whispered, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  We laid there in silence for a long while. “Someday, will you share with me everything he put you through? It will help me understand your fears and what you need better.”

  “He murdered a man right in front of me,” she choked on the words. “I can’t talk about everything, but yes, I want to share everything I can with you one day. Will you do the same for me about Callie?”

  “Whatever we need to do, to make us strong and healthy, we will navigate everything together. I love you too much to give up on us.”

  “I love you too.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  One Year Later

  Christmas morning

  Jake

  I snuck out to the living room early and placed two boxes underneath the Christmas tree before Delaney woke up. There were a million things I thought of getting her for Christmas, but after everything we’ve been through this past year, I knew that these would mean the most.

  Three months after his arrest, they indicted Matt on several counts of racketeering, murder, and other charges. He hung himself in his cell. I’d be lying if I said I lost any sleep over that. Delaney was finally safe and free.

  We spent the past year with long days of therapy and tears. Long nights of making love, hours of talking and laughing with hope and healing woven through every step. We’d both been through our own personal version of hell. Things we couldn’t talk about with anyone else, we finally could with one another. All our fears, our hurts, and our scars laid out.