She looked over her shoulder to see even the rangers, flanking the looters who were now both handcuffed, looked as shaken as she felt.
“I’m surprised you got them to agree to come.”
“Turns out I served with Shawn’s boss’s brother,” her dad said.
“By served do you mean rescued?”
Her dad, while boastful in all matters pertaining to his show, never bragged about his time in the service. “Does it matter? They were happy to help.”
As he deftly flew the helicopter between pillars of rock and over cliffs, all the while avoiding power lines, her mind raced. The snow began to ease up enough that the lights at the nose of the helicopter began to be of use again. They were going to get past the storm.
She looked over her shoulder to the cameraman, noting he also wore a headset. “Could we stop recording vocals for a bit?”
He gave her a thumbs-up and clicked a button. Her dad glanced at her. “Should I have insisted a medic check you before we left?”
The beating her body had taken over the past few days begged for a pain reliever to stop the aching, but she had survived. She would survive. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Dad, did you know that he wasn’t responsible for Eddie’s accident? He said Eddie told you what happened.”
Wolfe’s grin dropped, and he kept his gaze on the path ahead of him. “I know I owe him an apology. But at the same time, I was a little mad that he left. I kept telling myself that if he came back, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
“I get that, but, Dad, you told him to leave.”
A frown deepened in his forehead. “I know I constantly told you to keep moving, to keep pushing, but when it comes to relationships, I can fool myself into doing nothing, saying nothing.” He sighed. “Like with Shawn. Like with you.” He nodded resolutely. “I should’ve made it right a long time ago. And now...” His voice broke a little before he cleared his throat and squinted to see through the glass. “Well, I owe him your life.”
“Shawn said you and I were two peas in a pod.” She enjoyed seeing her dad smile at that and was a little surprised that he didn’t argue. A noise in the back of the helicopter caught her attention—a feat, given the overwhelming volume of the blades whooshing above them. She looked back to see the medics working feverishly over Shawn. What was happening? She turned back. “Did you know there is a bird that when it flies sounds a little like a helicopter?”
He nodded. “The sage-grouse.”
“Of course you would know that.” She smiled, even though her heart was breaking at the thought Shawn’s life was hanging in the balance. “I love you, Dad,” she whispered into the headset. A tear escaped as she realized she hoped Shawn heard her, as well. She should’ve told him earlier and now she might not ever have the chance. As the heat blasted on her legs and feet, the aches and pains came to the forefront and weighed her eyelids down until she couldn’t hold them up anymore.
SIXTEEN
Jackie was startled awake by a beeping noise. Were they about to crash? Her eyes flew open to find a doctor over her, pressing buttons on the machine attached to her.
“Good morning,” the doctor said.
“Morning?” She gasped. She glanced down to find thick hospital blankets on her. And every finger and toe was warm. Her mother sat at her side, holding her left hand and doing a crossword puzzle draped on her lap with her right hand. “Shawn! Is he—”
“About to go into surgery,” her mom said. “They wanted him on fluids to rehydrate him first. He lost a lot of blood but thankfully not enough to warrant a transfusion. You both were severely dehydrated.”
“I’m not his doctor, but in general, dehydration increases the chance of all sorts of surgical complications and can stop the anesthesia from working.” The doctor took a thin white cylinder and clicked it. “Hopefully, like with you, the IV did the trick.”
His bright beam of light studied each of her eyes and examined her face a little too closely. “I’m going with my initial diagnosis. Stage two frostbite, which means with proper care, you should fully recover. If any blisters arise in the next three days, we need you to come in immediately.” He straightened. “You’ve got quite a few bruises, but other than that, I think you can be discharged and have a merry Christmas.” He smiled, clicked off his light and left the room.
“Having you here, safe and sound, is the best Christmas present I can ask for, and it’s only Christmas Eve.” Her mom leaned over and kissed Jackie’s head. “But I also have an early present for you.” She beamed and handed Jackie a plush royal blue robe with white trim. “I think you have time to see him before they wheel him into surgery.”
* * *
“You have a visitor,” Wolfe said.
Shawn looked up to find Jackie glancing between him and her dad with questions in her eyes.
Wolfe stood. “The bullet must have hit the ground, then ricocheted upward. They think it’s closer to his clavicle than his heart.” He picked up his jacket. “I think I’m going to check on the other lady we rescued last night.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “What other lady?”
“We found a car stuck in the snow on the highway right after you fell asleep. Pulled her out and brought her here with us.” Wolfe beamed. “A winter rescue special was a great idea. I think we might make it an annual thing.” He held up a finger. “All dramatized, though. Don’t get any ideas.”
“Never again, if we can help it, Dad.”
“Okay, I’m going,” Wolfe announced with a chuckle as he left them alone.
Shawn searched for the right thing to say, the right way to say it. “You must have gotten an upgrade on your hospital robe.”
“Mom brought me one,” she said. “They think I’m getting discharged later today. I’m properly hydrated again.” Her smile faltered. “I wanted to make sure I saw you before—I mean, I wanted to tell you...” Her voice shook. “Are you okay?”
“Well, they gave me some localized pain medicine, but I’m sure I’ll feel better after surgery.”
An orderly with a gurney began to enter the room.
“I’m so sorry,” Jackie told him. “Can I have another minute? We’ll be quick.”
The man hesitated but nodded and stepped back into the hallway to give them privacy.
The time crunch caused Shawn’s heart to race, because though he thought he had a good prognosis, the surgeon had explained that gunshot victims always had a risk of complications. “I...uh...know I’m going to make mistakes and sometimes it’s going to hurt, but as I’ve told you, it’s worth it.”
She tilted her head. “What?”
Her puzzled expression made him smile whether he felt like it or not. “I love you, Jackie. That’s what I’m trying to say. I’d rather risk my heart breaking again than not tell you.” He watched her closely for a reaction. Her forehead smoothed and her cheeks flushed a rosy pink. Down the hall, bells could be heard, and the soft singing of “Silent Night” started.
She stepped closer. “I heard carolers were allowed to visit today.” She grinned. “I’m going to make mistakes, too, Shawn. A lot. But I love you, too.”
He reached for her hand. Her warm fingers wrapped around his. “Since you can’t get up, let me help you out.” She bent over and brushed a soft kiss over his lips. She straightened. “Get some rest, Shawn. I want tomorrow to be the first of many Christmases with you.”
“About that...” His heart pounded. “I know we have a lot to figure out, still, but if we’re going to date again, I want to be honest with your brother. I need to ask him for his blessing.”
She groaned. “A merry Christmas is in my reach and it all rests on my brother?” She winked. “I guess it’s a good thing I have time to shop for his gift today.”
He laughed and squeezed her hand as the orderly returned. “I have no intention of giving up, Jackie.”
And
with the promise of a future on her lips, she kissed him right before they wheeled him away.
* * *
Jackie rushed around her parents’ house, gathering her purse and her coat. She wanted to visit Shawn at the hospital before enjoying the Christmas meal and presents time with her family.
Eddie and his wife, Sienna, who was now six months pregnant, entered the living room. Sienna placed a plate of gingerbread cookies on the coffee table and pushed Eddie’s hand away. “It’s not time to eat them yet.”
“Will you tell Mom and Dad I’m making a run to the hospital before visiting hours are over?” Jackie asked.
The doorbell rang. Jackie looked at Eddie, who was smiling. “Go on and get it,” he said.
She fought against rolling her eyes, stepped into the entryway and opened the door. Mom and Dad stood on either side of—“Shawn!”
She moved to hug his neck and stopped short, seeing the bandaging around his shoulder. He laughed and used his right arm to hug her. “I’m okay.”
“Medical staff there are good friends,” her dad said.
“Because you’ve brought them so much business,” her mom said dryly. “They threatened to start you a punch card you’re such a regular.”
“And they let me sneak him out for a Christmas meal,” he finished. “As far as anyone knows, he’s just taking a walk in the halls for a couple hours. We just need him back by ten.”
“Let’s not keep them in the cold, honey,” her mom said.
Shawn’s mouth twitched from trying not to laugh.
“We have a quick errand,” Dad said, “and we’ll be right back to serve Christmas dinner.”
“Everything is in the warmer,” her mom added. They turned, arm in arm, and returned to the Range Rover.
Shawn stepped inside and Jackie closed the door behind him. He glanced at her purse and coat. “Going somewhere?”
She removed her coat. “I was on my way to see you. I have news.”
“Oh?”
“The FBI caught the two men and recovered all of the antiquities.”
His shoulders dropped and he beamed. “Good. That’s a load off my mind.”
“And my sources say Pete wants a deal, so he’s giving them the information on the buyer. The FBI hopes to set up a sting and recover even more artifacts.”
Shawn shook his head. “Pete always wanted to be responsible for a big archaeological find. Never imagined it would be from behind bars.”
She looked to the floor, overcome by a sudden burst of shyness. “And I wanted to write everything down while it was fresh, so I’ve been working nonstop ever since I was discharged. I got word yesterday that two of my articles are scheduled to be printed. The article I was assigned about the sabotage will be front page tomorrow, and after your challenge, I decided to go ahead and write a piece on the importance of preserving history and heritage.” She couldn’t help but grin. “And that story will be in Tuesday’s edition.”
“Congratulations. I never doubted you.”
“My boss wants us to talk about what other ideas I’ve been holding out on him. So thank you for the push to go for it.”
“Hey, guys, the party is in here,” Eddie called from the living room.
“Right.” Shawn nodded as he inhaled, as if preparing for battle. He made a beeline straight for Eddie, and they did their special handshake that ended in a thumbs-up.
For a split second, it was almost like taking a time machine back to when they were kids, before Shawn really looked at her as anything more than Eddie’s sister who tagged along for everything. “Hey, man. I don’t have much time before your parents get back, so I need to get straight to the point. I’m here because I know you made me promise not to date Jackie because you were worried about—”
“Nope,” her brother said, holding a hand out. “I wasn’t worried about anything. That’s not why I made you promise.”
His wife reentered the living room with two cups brimming with coffee. She handed a mug to Eddie and perched on the armrest of his chair. “Made him promise what?” she asked.
“That he would never date my sister,” Eddie said. Sienna exchanged a look with him that Jackie couldn’t read.
Eddie reached for her hand as Sienna asked, “And why would you do that?”
Eddie nodded toward Shawn. “Because he dated Miranda even though I’d liked her first—when I knew good and well that he really liked my sister. When he finally got smart enough to break up with Miranda, she still wouldn’t go out with me.”
“But you’re married now,” Jackie interjected. Of all the immature reasons...
“Happily,” Eddie said with a beaming smile and a nod. “I was young and foolish back then.” His wife turned to him and they only had eyes for each other.
“I was young and foolish back then, too,” Shawn said.
Eddie shook his head. “Nope,” he said, in a teasing voice. “It’s the principle of the thing. A promise is a promise.” His wife laughed as if in on the joke.
“Even though you lied about the reason for the promise.” Jackie rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous.”
Shawn turned to Jackie and reached for her hand. “See, the thing is, I love Jackie.” He looked deeply into her eyes and her legs almost turned to jelly. “I only promised not to date you.”
He took a step backward and dropped to one knee.
Eddie and Sienna gasped. “Are you serious?” Eddie asked.
Shawn didn’t turn away from Jackie. “Would you—”
“Are you sure?” The question rushed out of her mouth before he could ask anything.
He grinned. “I’ve never been so sure. Will you do me the honor—”
“Okay, I changed my mind. You can date. Joke’s over,” Eddie shouted. “Great. Dad’s going to kill me when he hears this is my fault.”
His wife leaned over, grabbed the plate of gingerbread men and placed them in his lap. “Honey, let’s just watch. It’s a beautiful moment,” Sienna whispered.
Jackie angled away so they weren’t in her view.
Shawn took a deep breath and restarted. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Yes.” She helped him return to standing and kissed him heartily. “I love you, you know?”
“I love you, too.”
“So much so that when we get back from our honeymoon, which will be in a proper hotel, I’ll happily build a snow cave.”
“You’d build a snow cave for me?”
“With you,” she clarified with a laugh. “But I’d like to be back to indoor plumbing and central heat by nighttime.” The reality of their situation, however much she wanted to shove it back into the recesses of her mind, couldn’t be ignored. “We have a lot to figure out, though. The long-distance...”
“I think I have a solution.” He grinned. “Your dad offered me a job to start a Boise field office. I’d get to run all the survival courses I want and lay down my badge.”
“That’s not all,” her dad said from the hallway. Jackie spun around, realizing her parents must have returned and pulled into the connecting garage this time around. “I sent my network the preliminary clips from the rescue and they want to have a chat with you about future possibilities.”
Shawn’s eyes lit up. Jackie realized they were so close together, having just got engaged, and she wondered how her dad would take it. She’d always imagined her future fiancé would’ve asked her father first. She looked into Shawn’s eyes, wondering how he was feeling. Except, instead of any apprehension or embarrassment, he flashed her dad a thumbs-up before turning back to her. “Your dad actually told me that as far as he was concerned, I was part of the family.”
Her mom and dad stepped farther into the room, holding wrapped packages with Shawn’s name on them. Their little errand must have been to get him presents, then. “And Shawn told
me,” her dad added, “that with all due respect, he’d like to join the family in a different way, as an in-law. Can I assume this little conversation means we have some good news?”
Eddie held up a gingerbread man. “It was all my doing, Dad. Gave them the little push they needed. They’re engaged!”
Shawn laughed and wrapped his free arm around her waist to pull her in closer. He understood their playful sibling rivalry almost better than she did. His lips gently touched hers. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” she whispered as she returned his kiss. She was never so happy to be home for Christmas.
* * *
If you enjoyed Wilderness Sabotage, look for these other books by Heather Woodhaven:
Tracking Secrets
Credible Threat
Protected Secrets
Keep reading for an excerpt from Texas Holiday Hideout by Virginia Vaughan.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining me on the wild Christmas adventure in Idaho. My poor family had to live with me cranking up the heat during an unseasonably warm fall. I could not stop shivering as I wrote about being trapped in the winter conditions. So this Christmas, I’m thankful, more than ever, for shelter and heat.
Love conquers all. The underlying theme appears in every romance I write or read, but Christmas is a personal reminder that I can love because He first loved me. That’s the Christmas memory I want to keep close to my heart this season. I hope you do, as well.
Merry Christmas,
Heather Woodhaven
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Wilderness Sabotage Page 17