by Ciana Stone
“Just doing my job. Stay safe, gentlemen, and thank you for your service. My hopes and prayers go with you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She nodded, gave JJ a quick look, and turned her back to the door to go to her desk. She could hear the voices of the men getting fainter as she logged onto her computer and accessed the files she needed to fill out and send in for processing to have JJ cleared for active duty.
Etta hadn’t imagined it would be so difficult a task, and yet she found herself struggling to stay focused on the job. It took longer than anticipated and when she finished, attached the necessary documentation to the email, and hit send, a sense of emptiness seemed to settle inside her.
It took twenty minutes to receive a confirmation, and to her surprise it came directly from Rear Admiral Angel, along with a short note that JJ’s active duty reactivation would be fast-tracked and that a helo would arrive in seventy-two hours.
She logged off, rose, and left her office. For the first time, she didn’t look around to appreciate the landscape as she walked. Today her gaze was on the ground and her thoughts in turmoil.
Etta didn’t know who had beat themselves up more over Karen Simpson, but she and Mason were running a close race. As it turned out, Karen’s stepfather was from Syria. Her half-brother had returned to Syria a few years ago and had been recruited by a terrorist cell.
They should have looked deeper into the stepfather and half-brother but they didn’t, and because of that, their enemy gained information.
Karen was now in a military prison awaiting trial. Etta had no doubt that the rest of Karen’s life would be spent behind bars. For Etta, it was a lesson to pay more attention to the details.
Just as she walked up the steps of her house, she heard him.
“Etta?”
She turned to see JJ standing on the end of the porch, leaning against the railing. “JJ. Hi. I imagine it was good to see your friends when you were released from the hospital.”
“It was.”
“It won’t be long before you’re back with them.”
“I know.” He pushed away from the railing and started toward her.
It was as if time had suddenly slowed as she watched him approach. She felt the rush of longing that always came when he was near, then the need to push back at the emotions that tried to claim her.
She realized that this was the pivotal moment for her. Now was the time when she had to decide. Surrender to the feelings he inspired or walk away before she could be dragged deeper into them.
The conversation she had with Deacon flitted through her mind and she wondered if he was right. Would JJ be the end of her? She’d signed his discharge papers. He was cleared to return to active duty.
Sudden fear of the pain she could be bringing on herself made her chicken and she held up one hand, palm out. “Stop.”
“I told you I’d come for you and nothing would stop me.”
“Except me. You said nothing but me.”
By that point, he was inches away and her hand was pressed against his torso. “I’m leaving soon, Etta. And I don’t know when I’ll get to come back.”
“Or if,” she pointed out.
“That comes with the job.”
“Yes, I know. But I don’t know that I’m ready for that.”
“For me to come back?”
“To worry whether you will.”
“You think I can’t survive?”
“It’s not a matter of survival, but one of desire, JJ. Right now, you want me because for so long you couldn’t or shouldn’t have me. I’ve been integral to your healing and I’ve had power over you. But once you’re back with your unit, back in your old life, everything will be different. You’ll be different, and I’ll be a reminder of a time you’ll want to forget.”
“You’re saying I’ll forget about you? After all we’ve been through?”
“I’m saying it’s quite possible you’ll want to.”
“Bullshit.”
“Pardon?”
JJ took her hand and raised it to his lips. “I came for you, Etta. To that place. I saw you there and I fought heaven and hell to get to you. I love you and I’d walk through hell again for you, as many times as I have to. But it has to be mutual, so tell me now. Do I turn and walk away, or pick you up and carry you inside?”
“You’re going to break my heart, aren’t you, JJ?”
“That’s not my intent and you know it.”
“I know. Still…”
She warred with herself, the part that wanted nothing more than to take this time and be with JJ, battling with the reasonable side of her nature that warned she was probably opening the door to a world of hurt.
Etta knew what the smart thing was, and maybe she could have chosen that path if JJ had not cupped her face in his hands and whispered. “Please give us a chance.”
Us. Give us a chance.
There was a plea she couldn’t refuse. “Seventy-two hours.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s when the helo will arrive for you to take you to your unit. Seventy-two hours.” Speaking those words did more to make up her mind that anything he could have said. In three days he would be gone. Maybe he would leave and be killed in action. Maybe he’d go away and simply forget about her.
Either way, if she didn’t take advantage of the next three days, there would come a time when she would regret it, hate that she’d given up this chance. She might end up with other regrets, but at least this was something that was actually under her control. Nothing else might be, but this was.
“And?” JJ asked.
“And I’m taking the next three days off. To be with you.”
JJ leaned in and his kiss was the softest and sweetest she’d ever received. Ever so slowly, he teased and tempted, seduced and promised with only his mouth and his hands framing her face gently.
Etta had never been so moved by a kiss. “JJ,” she whispered when he pulled back to look at her.
“Let me love you, Etta.”
“Yes.”
Right or wrong, she wanted this. She wanted him. No matter what happened after their three days were up, she would have this.
Chapter Nineteen
Etta stepped out of the shower, tucked the towel around her body, then took a hand towel and wiped off the clouded mirror.
Are you just fooling yourself? She wished her reflection had the ability to answer, but there’d be no reply to the question she’d been asking herself for weeks. JJ had left Sanctuary promising to return, and she’d believed him.
Had she allowed the three days they’d shared to blind her to the truth? They’d made love, talked, laughed, fallen asleep, awakened in each other’s arms, and the time had passed far too quickly. He’d taken all of her heart and she’d allowed it.
Now, a month had gone by without word from him. Etta reminded herself that it wasn’t uncommon. It was reasonable to assume that he was in a place where he couldn’t call. That wasn’t a comforting thought. In fact, it only prompted a new set of fears.
Was he okay? Was he hurt or wounded? Was there something preventing him from getting in touch with her, or had he already started to forget her?
It was that kind of thinking that kept her awake at night, and had her working twelve-hour days. The first of the week she released the three patients they had in treatment, and spent the rest of it working at the animal rehab, on the ranch with Deacon, and even volunteered to wait tables at the Honky Tonk the last three evenings since Cody and Hannah were short-handed.
Now it was Friday and she needed a diversion in the worst way. She got her wish when Savannah called to ask if she wanted company. Mason and Grady were going to be in town with their architect, putting the final touches on the plans for the new training center. Savannah had Tommy for the evening and Charli didn’t have any plans, so they thought they might pick up dinner and bring it over to Etta’s.
She immediately agreed. It would be nice to have company and
she’d come to love Savannah and Charli. Not to mention Tommy. He was the most adorable little boy. At almost a year old, he was already starting to walk and had the smile of an angel.
Charli and Grady’s daughter Josie had won Etta’s heart with one look. She was about the same age as Tommy, but very petite. Her delicate appearance belied boundless energy and curiosity and Etta hoped she never lost that inquisitive nature.
With a quick check at the time, Etta wasted no time getting dressed, preparing a pitcher of blueberry lemonade for Savannah and a pitcher of spiked lemonade for her and Charli. Savannah was just weeks away from delivery and her craving for the last few months was fresh lemonade. Etta made her a batch every two days and sent it home with Mason. Unlike most people, she didn’t use sugar. She sweetened it with honey, but only blueberry honey. Its slight tang and fruity flavors combined with juice from fresh lemons and blueberries made for a really tasty and healthy fruit drink.
“Anybody home?”
Etta heard Charli’s voice and hurried from the kitchen to see Charli and Savannah entering the house.
Charlie had Tommy in one arm and Josie in the other, and the straps of diaper bags on both shoulders. Savannah carried two large takeout bags with Greene’s Steakhouse stamped on them.
“Here, let me help.” Etta took the bags from Savannah, who then relieved Charli of Tommy, grunted and hurried to put him down on the rug in the great room so she could make tracks down the hall to the bathroom.
“I swear to God this child has tap danced on my bladder nonstop for the last two months,” she said over her shoulder.
Charli and Etta laughed. “I’ll get the table ready.” Etta said to Charlie. “Why don’t you grab the play pen? Mason brought it over earlier and it’s behind the couch.”
“Bless you, Mason.” Charli replied and headed for the great room. “So, did you hear? Grady said the Governor and his family had upped their donation to Sanctuary by twelve million dollars.”
“Are you serious?” Etta paused in the act of unloading takeout bags.
“I am. This is going to be huge, Etta. With their support, and with the support of the military, Sanctuary is going to be one of the premier training and rehab centers in the country.”
“Grady and Mason must be thrilled.”
“That’s an understatement. I don’t think they ever dreamed it would be this big.”
“What, my belly?” Savannah asked as she entered the room.
Etta and Charli laughed before Etta clarified. “Charli was telling me the news about Sanctuary.”
“I’m so excited for them.” Savannah put her hand to her back and then went to the table and pulled out a chair. “Do you mind? My back has been acting up for the last couple of hours. Spasms or something.”
Etta cut a quick look at her and for the first time noticed how low the baby was. Was Savannah aware that the baby had dropped?
The sudden wail of a siren had all three women freezing. Savannah and Charli looked at Etta. “Weather siren,” Etta announced and hurried into the great room for her phone.
When she took the job at Sanctuary, one of the first things Mason did was install an app on her phone for weather alerts. He also had the system installed so that any pending weather threat issued for the area around Sanctuary would trigger the siren to warn everyone.
“Okay, this isn’t great.” Etta read the alert. “A pretty big storm is headed for us and it’s already spawned one tornado. Charli, would you help me with the shutters?”
“You bet.” Charli finished setting up the playpen, put both babies in it, then hurried to the door. “Savannah, you okay?”
“Fine. Just a back twinge. I’ll watch the kids and get dinner on the table. Go on.”
Etta and Charli went outside, working as a team to close the storm shutters on the windows. “You should call Grady and let him and Mason know,” Etta commented. “They have time to get here, I think, but from the direction of the storm they might not want to try heading home.”
“I’ll call as soon as we finish, but until there’s a need, let’s not make a big deal about it. Savannah hasn’t seemed on her game today and I don’t want to stress her.”
“I agree. In fact, I’m worried that she might be in the first stages of labor.”
Charli froze. “You’re not serious?”
“I am.”
“But would you know? Color me ignorant, but do shrinks go to medical school like regular doctors?”
“Yes.”
“Shit,” Charli groused and resumed working on the shutters. “What do you think we should do?”
“Wait. The storm may miss us, or may cause no problems at all. I could be wrong about Savannah, or labor could be a lengthy process for her. Whatever the case, we’ll know more a few hours from now.”
By the time they finished closing the storm shutters, the wind was blowing with what Etta figured was tropical force and lightning was slashing the sky. “I hope you don’t mind, but I turned on the television to watch the weather,” Savannah said when they came in.
“That’s fine. What’s the story?” Etta asked.
“This is a pretty bad storm. I called Mason and he said we should stay put. He and Grady are going to stay where they are because the track of the storm has it passing close to us here but headed more toward home.”
“That’s smart. And we’ll be fine. Mason told me that these houses were built to withstand hurricane force winds, and with the shutters and the generator we’ll be snug as a bug in a rug.”
Savannah smiled. “My dad used to say that.”
“Your dad’s a nice man.” Etta went into the kitchen to wash her hands. “I had a beer with him at the Honky Tonk one night when I filled in to help Cody and Hannah out. I like him.”
“He’s the best.” Savannah agreed, then suddenly went pale. “Oh God.” Her hands went to her belly. “Oh, God. Oh—” She looked at Etta. “I think I may be in—oh!”
At that moment, the storm hit and the little house actually shuddered. Charli raced to the children who seemed oblivious to the tension of the adults as they played.
“Is that my—” Savannah looked at the floor.
Even someone who had not interned in obstetrics knew what it meant when a woman’s water broke and right now, Etta’s floor was awash with it. “Yes, your water broke. But it’s okay.” She took Savannah’s arm and steered her down the hallway toward the bathroom. “Charli?” She looked back down the hall. “Will you please watch the children? It’s all going to be fine. Just fine.”
She sure wished she believed that, but the truth was, she’d never delivered a baby and knew there was a wealth of things that could go wrong. With luck, Savannah’s labor would be slow, the storm would pass, and they would get her to a hospital in time.
Etta got Savannah into the bathroom. “Just take off your underwear and put them in the sink. We’ll wash and dry them. Is your dress wet?”
“No. No, it’s fine. Oh God, Etta. I can’t have my baby now.”
“You’re just starting labor. It will be hours before you’re ready to deliver.”
“It happened fast the last time.”
Etta had not thought about that. This wasn’t Savannah’s first child. Savannah had told her the story about her daughter. “How long were you in labor, then?”
“Three hours.”
“Well, in three hours this storm will be long gone, and you’ll be safely in a hospital with Mason holding your hand. But in the meantime, get cleaned up and we’ll keep track of your progress, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks, Etta.”
“You bet. Now I’ll give you some privacy.”
Etta returned to the great room where Charli had dragged the playpen closer to the couch and was watching the babies. “Is she okay?”
“She is. And hopefully the storm will pass long before she’s ready to deliver.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“Don’t even think it.”
A sudden ban
ging on the door had both of them jumping. “Etta!”
“Deacon!” Etta ran to the door to unlock it.
Wind and rain pushed in, nearly knocking her down. Deacon was soaked to the skin with rain pouring off his hat and puddling on the floor. “Is everyone here okay?”
“We are. What are you doing out in this?”
“Checking on you. Mason mentioned you were having a get-together.”
“Well, I’m glad you came to check on us, but right now you need to get dry. You still have some clothes in the guest room. Go get changed and I’ll dry these for you.”
He looked around. “Where’s Mrs. James?”
“In the bathroom. She went into labor.”
“Oh hell.”
“What does that mean?”
“Have you tried your cell phone?”
“No why?”
“No signal.”
His gaze locked with Etta and she nodded. “Get dry.”
Deacon started down the hall just as Savannah emerged from the bathroom. “Ma’am.” He nodded and continued to the guest room.
Etta cut a look at Charli, who was trying her phone. Charli shook her head. “What’s going on?” Savannah asked as she entered the room.
“No cell service,” Charli announced.
“Mine either. I tried to call Mason but don’t have a signal.”
“Probably just a tower down.” Etta tried to sound confident. “No need to worry.”
That was when the power went out. But not for long. Mason’s promises about the generator were true. Lights flickered and then stayed on. “Oh, thank God,” Savannah smiled and then bent over, holding her belly.
“Come on, let’s get you off your feet for a bit,” Etta said and took Savannah’s arm to guide her to the sofa. “Do you mind?” she asked of Charli.
“Oh, no, sorry.” Charli got up and Etta helped Savannah to lie down.
“I’m going to get your stuff from the sink and put it in the wash with Deacon’s clothes as soon as he’s changed. Can I get you something to drink? I wouldn’t suggest eating.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Okay. Charli, do you want to eat?”
“Actually, I’m not really hungry.”