Breathe, Jenna. Breathe. Andie needs you. Suck it up. You can do it. Stop crying like a two-year-old.
But it hurt. And she just wanted the pain to go away.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds . . ."
Of course. She had to remember that verse. Now. Of all times.
"Jenna."
There it was again. Cole's voice. Would the torment never end?
Wait a minute.
Cole's voice.
Her eyes popped open and she lifted her head with a jerk.
"Cole." Tears continued to stream down her face. Her nose ran. Chin quivered. "You're here."
He winked from his wheelchair, his right arm and leg wrapped in bandages, Andie's arms securely around his neck.
"I'm here. And I'm not going away."
* * *
COLE
April 15
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
4:00 p.m.
Cole thought his heart would burst. Never in his life had he been in so much physical pain, but it paled in comparison to the joy flooding his heart.
Thank You, God.
He'd been given a second chance. And he planned to do everything within his power to make it count.
Glancing around the room, he watched Andie play with Dasha on her bed, all smiles and giggles even though thirty-six hours before she'd suffered an intense heat stroke. Talk about miracles.
The FBI agents stood in the corner drinking coffee.
The doctor talked to Jenna.
His girls would have quite a recovery period, but they were his. And they were safe.
A knock sounded at the door, and Dasha barked.
Andie giggled. "That means, 'come in.'"
A woman wheeled Bill into the room. "Hi, guys. How's everyone doin' today?"
"Bill!" Jenna and Andie both exclaimed.
Andie clapped gleefully. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
Bill smiled at them.
"Thank you." More tears streamed down Jenna's face. "Thank you for everything."
"Bill, there's one question, I really want to ask." Her daughter tapped the man's arm.
"All right. I'm ready." The big man winked.
"What does it feel like to get shot?"
———
The afternoon held one joyful reunion after another. After Bill arrived, Anesia and Zoya returned with new clothes for Andie and Jenna. And M&Ms.
Lots of M&Ms.
Questions flew around the room as everyone put the pieces of the puzzle together.
"Cole, how did you survive the explosions? I watched from the plane, and just knew you were dead." Jenna's voice shook as she fiddled with Marc's little black box.
"Paul," he nodded toward Anesia, "the pilot who flew me up there, noticed the charges when he was leaving. The first explosion took out his plane, so he tried to see what he could do to help. When he spotted me heading back to the bunker, he followed me. Another explosion threw us back, into the bunker. Paul pulled the door shut before the next blast could fry us both. The steel door slammed in the nick of time."
The action of that perfect stranger hit him hard. Like another Stranger who gave everything for him. "He lost his plane in the blast, but he saved our lives. Thankfully, Marc had a wife who was paranoid so he built a bunker that could withstand that kind of blast." He winked at Jenna as the others laughed.
"God knew what He was doing." Cole tried to convey his heart to the woman he loved.
Her eyebrows raised. The do you believe question clear in her eyes.
They shared a smile. What he wouldn't give to see that every day. Jenna turned to Bill, her eyes somber. "What happened after we left the plane. I thought . . . I was so sure . . ."
"Well, ma'am. I think that was my own little miracle. I fell forward after the bullet hit me. My blood just drippin' out of me—my life drainin' before my eyes. I closed my eyes and knew my time had come." He took a deep breath. "After Viper took off with you, Dasha appeared in the pilot's seat, nudgin' her way under me. Crazy dog pushed me up and licked my face until I came to. And then, your dog kept pawin' at the door by me. I wasn't coherent enough yet to do anything to help myself, but she kept pushing me toward that door. She came in through the other door that was left open, so I didn't understand why she was so blasted determined to get me to open the door, but thankfully, I didn't argue. I must've fallen out of the plane with her, because I woke up face-down on the ground. Thing was, I landed in mud, and the force of my fall packed the mud into my wound. I have no doubt that saved my life."
Cole nodded. "Slowed the bleeding."
Bill shifted in his chair. "I must have passed out, but when I came to, I managed to get up and pull the first aid kit from the plane and bandage the wound. I was checking for whatever I could use against Viper when I found the water bottles stashed in the back."
"And that's when we arrived." Jenna's whispered voice reflected her wonder. "That's why you had the water bottles ready when Andie needed them."
Cole knew how she felt. Every moment, every thing they faced . . . God had been there. Providing. He'd thought Jenna was so naïve when they were on the mountain. So foolish to trust this imaginary God of hers. But now he knew. She was right.
It wasn't Cole's strength . . . or Bill's, or Charles's . . . that saved them. It was God's. And it was time he let his girls know he didn't just understand that—he believed it.
"Jenna, Andie, I want to tell you both something."
"Would you like to be alone?"
He knew Bill was kidding, but he considered it. It would be easier to just tell the girls . . . but no. He needed to be up-front with them all. "No. Stay. Please. I want you to know something."
Andie beamed, her dimples practically jumping out of her cheeks. "I know what it is." She clapped her hands. "You accepted God's gift, didn't you?"
The prick of tears forced him to blink. "Yes, Andie, I did."
"I knew it. I could see it in your eyes."
Jenna burst into laughing sobs. Her hands shot up to her face, wiping at the tears, but the love and happiness reflected in her eyes made his heart swell with pride.
Ever-quiet Zoya snuck up to his side. "I'm proud of you." She popped another M&M in her mouth.
Anesia hugged him, holding him so tight it hurt. But he didn't care. It felt great.
Bill smacked him on the arm, then extended a hand. "That's great news, brother. Welcome to the family."
Cole took the hand Bill held out to him and shook it. Bill was right. It really was like becoming part of a family.
Bill leaned his elbows on the arms of his wheelchair. "So, what's up next for you, Maddox?"
Cole smiled. God had taken care of everything. "I've been given a second chance. The FBI has asked me to help the military with AMI and all its components. And I have to fill them in on everything Viper and the group did. Any contacts or information I can supply will help them shut down other covert groups. I'll be writing sworn statements until I die."
The guys guffawed. None of them liked paperwork. Cole's wheelchair was between his girls' hospital beds, so he reached for Andie with his bandaged hand, and Jenna with the other. "And"—he met Jenna's eyes—"I've been given a second chance. At love." He turned to Andie. "And at being a dad. If, that is, you two will have m—"
Andie was hugging him before he finished talking. "Will we? You better believe it!"
He wrapped his arms around this precious girl who'd given him so much. "You know, Squirt, from the day I lost my family, I haven't had a safe haven to run to. Didn't have peace . . . didn't have joy. Every mission kept me in the danger zone, relying on myself. Because it hurt too much to care. About anyone." He took a deep breath. "Then you came busting into my life." He
touched her damp cheek. "And my heart. You showed me I've only been hurting myself. Thanks, Squirt."
"For what?"
"For telling me like it is. And showing me God's love in a way I couldn't ignore."
"I love you, Cole."
"I love you, too, Einstein."
Andie leaned back, and her smile slid into a frown. "But there is one thing I have to say, Mr. Cole Maddox."
Uh oh. This sounded serious. Was she having second thoughts—
"I'm not ever climbing a mountain with you again. Ever." Andie sat back and crossed her arms.
The room erupted in laughter.
Cole clutched his chest with his bandaged hand. "Oh, you've wounded me! Why not?"
"Because you snore." Those cute dimples winked at him from her cheeks. "A lot."
Jenna leaned forward to take Andie's other hand. "We'll just have to get you some earplugs, kiddo."
"Yeah, but what about you, Mom?"
Jenna cocked her head. "Me?"
"Well, if you and Cole are gonna get married, you'll have to listen to him snore every night. Yuck."
Jenna's cheeks went pink, but the smile she directed at Cole was full of mischief. "We'll think of something . . ."
Cole let a slow smile ease onto his face. Indeed they would. "So, is it safe to assume, Jenna, that your answer is yes, as well?"
Jenna leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. He wrapped her in his arms, prolonging the contact, lost in the feel, the gift, of her.
"Come on, you two."
Cole pulled away, but kept his arms around Jenna. No way he was letting go now. Or ever.
Andie made a face at him and rolled her eyes.
Cole grinned. "Get used to it, Squirt. You're gonna be seeing a lot of that."
Andie's grin stretched from ear to ear. "I guess I can deal." She came to join their hug, wrapping her arms around him. "Welcome to the families, Cole." She peeked up at him.
"'Families?'"
"God's . . . and ours."
Cole leaned his forehead against Jenna's. Two families in one day.
It didn't get any better than that.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Thank you so much for traveling this exciting journey with us. Our characters, Jenna and Andie, mirror a lot of the real-life Kim and Kayla, but not all. It is, after all, a work of fiction.
Research is no important in novel writing. Many thanks go out to all the experts who helped along the way. Any errors are purely our own.
In crafting No Safe Haven, we used real-life medical issues that Kayla and other HSAN patients have so that you could understand this fascinating nerve disorder. While Andie has the same rare conditions as Kayla—both HSAN and Chiari—there are still differences. HSAN (some are diagnosed CIPA) is extremely rare, and doctors are constantly learning and making discoveries to help the few dozen patients in the world living with it. But so few people truly understand the intricacies. (Including us! And we live with it every day.)
Through this story, we hope we've given you a glimpse into our special relationship as mother and daughter, what it feels like to be a twelve-year-old who has HSAN, and what it's like to be the mom of a child with a rare disorder. We had a blast writing No Safe Haven, and hope you'll join us for more of Jenna, Andie, Cole, Zoya, and Anesia in Race Against Time—where Zoya is a champion sprint-dog racer.
Please let us know what you think. We love to hear from our readers!
Kim and Kayla
www.kimberleywoodhouse.com
www.kimberleyandkaylawoodhouse.com
www.kaylawoodhouse.com
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. In the beginning of No Safe Haven, the flight is going smoothly, life is finally looking up for Jenna and Andie, and then suddenly things turn to disaster. When has your life been interrupted unexpectedly? How did that affect you?
2. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You, because it is trusting in You.” Have you experienced that kind of peace of the Lord? What are some ways to put this verse into practice, especially when life takes unexpected—and difficult—turns?
3. Andie wakes up after the plane crash and discovers she’s all alone. Fear threatens to overtake her. When in your life have you felt this alone? How did you move past that feeling?
4. Trust in others is a struggle for the characters of No Safe Haven. Do you find it easy to trust people or are you more guarded? How does this affect your ability to trust God?
5. Cole has a hidden past of family pain. When Jenna and Andie start to trust him, that slowly breaks through his wall. What one event in your life has most impacted you. Does it continue to do so?
6. How can we, as Christians, move beyond the painful parts of our pasts? How do you reach out to people who have deep pain like Cole’s?
7. In the beginning, Jenna fights Cole every step of the way—until the avalanche, when she realizes if they’d done things her way, they would have been buried. Why does Jenna have such trouble letting someone else—even someone with more experience than she—be in control?
8. If you were stuck on a mountain in a blizzard, what supplies would you like with you? How would you handle the fear and despair that inevitably come with being stuck in a desperate situation?
9. Jenna realizes that her husband hid important information from her and she feels betrayed. How can we, as believers in Christ, handle betrayal from people who are close to us?
10. How can we resolve situations where we are the ones who have betrayed others?
11. James 1:2–3 says, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” How do you apply this verse when encountering trials? What does joy look like in the midst of pain and suffering?
12. While on the mountain, Cole, Jenna, and Andie use humor to relieve some of the tension of their serious situation. How do you find humor in the hard times in life? Think back on a time where humor relieved the tension in a situation. How did that change your outlook?
13. Andie has to ask Cole for forgiveness after she gets angry at him through a misunderstanding. Why is it so difficult to ask others for forgiveness? Have you ever had to do so? How did you approach the person you wronged? How did this experience change you?
14. Scripture commands us several times to not fear. Is this an easy command for you to obey? Do you tend to worry? How do you turn your fear over to the Lord? Discuss situations where there has been fear and the Lord has intervened.
15. Andie and Jenna have close friends in Anesia and Zoya. Who are your closest friends? What circumstances brought you together? Name qualities that you appreciate most about your closest friends.
16. Toward the end of the book, Hank, who had attempted to kill Andie and Jenna in the beginning, ends up trying to save them. How did you feel about the change in him? Were you angry that he seemed to “get away” with what he’d done? Many times we judge people by the sin in their lives, rather than seeing them with the love of Christ. Think of a time when you thought a person you knew was one way and their behavior ended up surprising you in a positive way.
17. If you had to pinpoint your favorite part of the story, what would it be? Why?
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