by Riker, Becky
“God, you’ve always been good,” Ernie’s words were soft but clear. “And no matter what happens here, we’ll still know that you are good. But we’d like a miracle, nonetheless. We’d like to have healing for this man, for his family, and for his team.”
More people entered the room, and the prayers for Harry kept coming. One person after another prayed for Tag’s partner. Many of the people who prayed had never even met Harry. Dave came, some of the nurses and a doctor joined the circle. There were some officers from the precinct down on their knees in the hospital waiting room, praying for Harry.
For three hours, they remained in that position, offering intercession for the man on the operating table. They did not take a break until a voice broke through all the others.
“Are you the family of Harry Jacobson?”
Tag looked up and then around the waiting room. The space was so packed with people waiting to hear about Harry, there was no space for the doctor to enter the room; he stood in the doorway.
Abigail had found her way into the circle and was holding the hands of two officers.
“I’m his wife,” her voice was so small, the doctor who had approached them had to confirm what she said.
“His wife?”
Abigail nodded and stood up on shaky feet and pointed around her, “This is our family.”
The doctor nodded, “He came through surgery just fine. We put him in recovery about twenty minutes ago.”
A loud whoop echoed off the waiting room walls and into the hallway.
Abigail started for the door, “Can I see him?”
The doctor looked around, “Yes, but keep it short. He should get some sleep.”
Abigail’s steps faltered, “Sleep?”
“Yes. He’s awake now, but he’ll probably go back to sleep pretty quickly.”
Abigail turned to the officer who had been holding her up and wept into the woman’s shirt.
Creed just laughed and rubbed the other woman’s back, “Don’t hang onto me too long, Abigail. Your husband’s got those pretty brown eyes of his open, and you’re gonna miss it.”
Tag waited until she left and then turned to the group, “Let’s thank God for the miracle.”
The doctor spoke up before the group could pray again, “I’m not a religious guy, but if ever there was a medical miracle this was it. He suffered a cardiac tamponade – fluid around the heart. It should have killed him; it does more often than not when there’s been so much damage, but he’s alive for some reason or other.”
The group spent some time thanking God for his mercy and praying for patience for Abigail and Harry during his recovery. They disbursed shortly after to check on Harry and to go home or to their waiting shifts. Dave took Sol with him, so the older man could pick up his car from the set.
“Do you need anything else?” Sol asked his daughter before he left.
She shook her head, “We’re good now, I think.”
Sol made eye contact with Tag before leaving. Tag wasn’t positive, but he thought he saw a little light of approval in the man’s eyes.
“Never took you for a religious kinda guy, Madden,” Creed stopped in front of Tag on her way out.
Tag shook his head, “I’m not, but I finally got it through my thick skull that Someone is controlling the universe and it isn’t me.”
Creed looked at the woman beside Tag, “You Josie?”
“I am.”
“I’m Mora Creed, Tag’s old partner.”
“Nice to meet you, Mora.”
Creed winked and left.
“You wanna go get a sandwich at the cafeteria?” Tag asked Josie.
“We could,” she lifted a small insulated bag, “or we could eat these.”
Tag recognized the bag, “Is that from Molly?”
Josie nodded, “Dave was at her house when Dad called. Molly couldn’t come because she was on her way to a job, but she sent some food along with him.”
Tag sat back down and patted the seat beside himself, “I’ve really missed living next to your sister.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Josie was glad to be done with work for the day. She was going to be bruised from that last jump into the pit. At the end of the last take, Lem had glared at her and stomped off the set.
Josie was a bit disgruntled. Her director was blaming the wrong person. The stunt coordinator had miscalculated the distance between the top of the building and the train car. Josie had corrected the error prior to performing the stunt, but it had changed the scene slightly. The alteration meant the scenes on the ground had to be refilmed by two of the cast.
“Tough day?”
Josie spun around, “Harry! They let you out.”
He accepted her hug, “You didn’t think they were going to put up with me forever, did you?”
Josie pulled her hair out of her face, “It seemed like they were. What was it – three weeks?”
“Almost,” he walked with her.
“Is Tag here with you?”
Josie asked because she usually had to leave a guest’s name at the gate. The guards had gotten to know Tag over the past couple weeks, so it wasn’t an issue with him.
“He’s around here somewhere. He said something about giving that director a piece of his mind.”
Josie grimaced.
“Don’t worry. I reminded him he didn’t have a piece to spare.”
Josie laughed at that, “How’s Abigail?”
“She’s good, but I’m not so sure she’s happy to have me home.”
Josie heard the teasing in his voice, but she had to rise to the bait, “Why not?”
“She was getting used to someone else feeding me, and she said I was safer in the hospital than back at work.”
Josie spied Tag talking to Joseph, her stunt coordinator, “You’re not going back any time soon?”
He grunted, “Six weeks after the incident.”
She wrinkled her nose, “That’s not so bad – just a few more weeks.”
“Yeah,” he snorted, “but then I’m on restricted duty for no less than four weeks. I figure if the shooting didn’t cause me to go nuts, the boredom will.”
Josie patted his arm in commiseration, “You can come watch me anytime,” she walked toward Tag and called over her shoulder, “but you should probably leave troublemaker at home.”
“Hi, Josie,” Tag saw her coming and ended his conversation with the other man.
“You causing problems?”
“No,” he leaned down at brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Just asking questions.”
Josie didn’t believe that for a second, “I need to get changed.”
“Are you finished for the day?”
She nodded, “But it’s going to take me fifteen minutes to get cleaned up.”
“We’ll wait.”
Josie hurried to change, but she still wasn’t out until twenty minutes later.
“Sorry about the delay,” she found them investigating props.
“No problem,” Harry held up a dismembered arm, “this has been very educational.”
Tag laughed and started walking, grabbing Josie’s hand to drag her along with him,” You want to get some supper?”
Josie wondered if Harry was coming along. Tag had been very careful about keeping their time alone to a minimum.
“I’d love to.”
“Did you drive today?”
“No, I took the bus.”
“Great,” he led her toward the visitors’ parking lot, “I need to drop Harry off at the school. He’s not supposed to be driving yet, so I’m going to leave him with Abigail.”
“I feel like I’m being babysat,” Harry grumbled.
“That’s cause you are,” Tag opened the front door for Josie. “And now you have to sit in the back because I have a prettier passenger.”
“Not cool, Madden,” Harry complained as he climbed in the back seat.
“I really don’t mind sitting in the back,” Josie peeked a
t him over her shoulder.
Harry snorted, “I meant calling you prettier. I’m not saying anything against you, but,” he circled his face with his finger, “what could compete with this?”
Tag climbed in his side as Harry was finishing up, “Believe me, Jacobson, nobody is keeping you around for your face.”
Josie turned to look at the man beside her, “What is it if it isn’t his pretty face? His quick thinking? His shooting accuracy?”
“No,” Tag pretended to think, “that’s not it.”
“Well, then?” Josie laughed.
Tag frowned, “Now that you mention it, I’m not sure,” he pulled out of the lot. “Why do we keep you around, Harry?”
“I think it’s because I keep you in line,” he shot back. “Thaddeus.”
Tag pulled up to a stop sign, “I could drop you off right here.”
Josie rolled her eyes at the pair of them.
After they left Harry with his wife, Josie turned to Tag, “So, is this a real date?”
He inhaled deeply, “I was hoping to not make a big deal out of it.”
“So, it is?”
“It’s not like we haven’t had dinner together before.”
“True,” she leaned slightly away from him to get a better look at him, “but we haven’t lately – at least not alone.”
Tag’s lips were set in a firm line, and he was looking anywhere but at her.
“Tag.”
He pulled up to the curb and let her out of the car. Tag waited until they were seated before speaking to her again.
“This is going to sound stupid and juvenile and. . .stupid,” he began, “but I’m not sure how to get around it.”
Josie rolled her lips inward to keep from laughing.
He could obviously tell she was struggling, “It’s not funny.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him.
He picked up his menu, but she could tell by his expression that he wasn’t really reading it.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just say it?”
Tag set the menu down, “Okay, but no laughing.”
“I can’t promise that,” she said very seriously.
He snorted, “Fine. I talked to Ernie last night. He said he thought I was probably ready to start dating as long as we were careful about being alone together, what we talk about, you know.”
Josie waited for the rest of it.
He scowled back at her.
“That’s it?” she must have missed something.
He leaned in a little, “I feel like I’m fifteen and have to get permission from my dad to go on a date.”
Josie felt a bubble of amusement welling up within her, but she managed to quash it, “And so your plan was to just start dating me without telling me first?”
He rested his forehead on his palm, “I guess so.”
“So now what?”
He reached across the table and picked up her menu, pointedly handing it to her, “Now, we order.”
Josie lifted the menu in front of her face to cover her smile.
“It isn’t that funny,” he spoke from behind his own menu.
She didn’t answer because she knew whatever she said would come out with a laugh.
He hooked a finger in her menu and pulled it down so he could see just her eyes. He obviously read the amusement there, so he rolled his own and went back to reading his choices.
She couldn’t resist one more, “Are we going steady then?”
He didn’t respond, and she figured she had pushed too far. She reached for his hand and squeezed his fingers, “I’m proud of you, Tag.”
He afforded her a sheepish grin around the edge of the menu, “Thanks, Josie.”
“I’m going to have the Reuben.”
Tag walked Josie to her door after supper but did not kiss her goodnight. She was disappointed but not surprised. He had frequently greeted her with a kiss to the cheek as of late, but he hadn’t kissed her lips since the day he left her in the hospital. She wasn’t sure if it was because he had been counseled not to or because he wasn’t sure how she would react.
“I work the long shift tomorrow,” he informed her as he stepped away from her.
“Okay,” she thought over her own schedule. “I’m leaving for California on Friday.”
“Oh, that’s right,” he shifted his feet. “How long will you be gone?”
“Just a week this time.”
Tag shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet.
Josie smiled at his discomfort, “Tag,” she stepped forward and put her hand on his cheek.
He met her eyes but didn’t take his hands from his pockets.
She stretched up on her toes and kissed his cheek.
“Thanks for supper,” she whispered the words in his ear and was pleased with the slight shudder that went through his frame.
“G’night, Josie.”
She stepped into her room and shut the door firmly behind herself before she could change her mind and kiss him the way she’d dreamed.
CHAPTER THIRTY
“How’s Tag?” Molly greeted her sister as Josie came into the former’s apartment.
Josie affected a dreamy look, “He’s wonderful.”
Molly threw an oven mitt at her.
“I just stopped over to see how the meeting with your lawyer went today.”
Molly smiled, “The judge said my actions were justifiable.”
Josie released a sigh of relief, “So there will be no charges against you.”
“None.”
“Tag said he wished all hostages were so creative.”
Molly chuckled.
“Did you go to Brandon’s sentencing today?”
“I couldn’t,” Molly admitted. “Dad and Dave went, though. He got three years just for pushing his way into my apartment, eleven years for unlawful restraint, one year for simple assault, and twelve years for assault with a deadly weapon.”
Josie picked up a carrot stick and bit into it.
“It’s almost 30 years when everything is added up.”
“Good.”
Molly sat down next to her sister, “I feel so bad for Genevieve and Kent.”
Josie frowned, “His parents?”
“They’re nice people, and they were so proud of him.”
Josie was having trouble conjuring up any sympathy for the family of the man who tried to destroy Molly. Maybe it would be easier if she had ever met them, but they were just faceless names to her.
Rather than mention that to Molly, she changed the subject, “Are you going to Mom and Dad’s for Labor Day?”
“I can’t. I have an event in the afternoon.”
“How did your event go yesterday?”
“Terrific,” Molly beamed. “I think I’m going to have a solid base in Jersey soon.”
“Good thing,” Josie laughed. “Since you’ll be moving there when you can finally get up the nerve to say yes to Dave .”
Molly swatted her little sister away from the food, “Don’t rush me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Tag hugged Molly briefly as she opened the door to her parents’ house on Thanksgiving.
“Thanks,” she spoke to Tag but smiled up at Dave who had come up behind her.
Josie came bounding around her sister and pulled on Tag’s arm, “I’m so glad you are finally here,” she dragged him into the living room. “All the talk has been about wedding dates and flowers, and I’m about to go crazy with it.”
She tugged at his jacket. “I’ll hang this up for you.”
“Um,” Tag felt a measure of panic, “That’s okay. I can do it.”
Doris came around the corner and waved her spatula at him, “And have you seen into my front closet? I think not.”
Tag managed to push Josie gently away from himself so he could more carefully remove his coat while quickly shifting a certain item from his coat pocket to his pants’ pocket, “You know, Dor
is, I am imagining all sorts of bad things that go on in that closet. Every time I’ve been here you’ve told me I couldn’t see it.”
Josie laughed as she carried his coat away.
“It can’t be as messy as you are implying.”
Doris smiled in a manner that reminded Tag of her younger daughter, “Better to have you imagine it is a disaster than have you look inside and remove all doubt.”
Tag had no trouble believing that Doris’s closets were a mess. He had seen Josie’s once and was nearly bowled over by the sight. Unlike her mother, however, Josie had simply laughed at Tag’s reaction and told him it was all part of the package.
“Where’s Sol?” Tag changed the subject.
Josie pulled Tag down onto the couch next to her, “He’s in the basement, practicing his pool.”
Tag’s eyes lit up, “Really? I’d better go help him with that.”
He made a movement to stand, but Josie stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.
“I don’t think he wants pointers from the guy he’s trying to beat.”
Tag slid away from her and stood up, “Sure he does.”
Josie rose to follow, but her mother stopped her, “Don’t even think of it, Josephine. We need your input on dates, so these two don’t have to wait until my funeral to get married.”
Josie muttered something uncomplimentary about chocolate and tulle.
Tag shrugged at her and escaped to the basement to find Sol.
“I heard you were looking for some competition,” the younger man remarked as he walked into the game room.
Sol laughed as he lined up his cue, “I could find that in Dave. If you are looking for some competition for you, you’d better get one of the girls down here.”
Tag didn’t know how long Doris would manage to keep Josie upstairs, so he got right to the point.
“I’m not looking for competition, Sol. I’m looking for permission to marry Josie.”
Sol mis-shot and looked up at Tag in surprise.
Tag told himself not to flinch under the man’s scrutiny.
“That’s one way to distract your opponent,” Sol set aside his stick.
Tag’s mouth lifted slightly, “Sorry.”
“Are you sure this is what she wants?”
Tag shook his head, “We haven’t talked about it – at least, not beyond the general idea.”