Sheltered Hearts (A Hidden Hearts Novel Book 2)

by Mary Crawford

  “What about the hummingbird feeders?” Mitch asks, still trying to piece together the story.

  Isaac breaks out into a large grin as he responds, “They either watch a lot of television documentaries about crime or they have a very inflated view of their criminal stature because they believed that there were hidden cameras in them and that they were being taped as part of a sting operation.”

  “How did they get caught? I wasn’t even there. Midnight is being kenneled at a friend’s house.”

  Tristan snickers as he responds, “It seems our junior criminals, who are so camera shy are not so shy about bragging and posting Snapchat videos.”

  A chill goes down my spine. “What does this mean for me?”

  “Unfortunately, these kids are part of a well-known street gang. Marcus helped us identify their tattoos. Even though they’re young, they’re not playing around. They’ve issued some serious threats against you. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI contacts Isaac has spoken with would feel much more comfortable if you would stay here in Kansas until we can figure out where the threats are coming from and determine how deeply within the organization they’re coming from.”

  From all the way across the room, I hear my grandfather declare, “What do you expect from a place called ‘The Armpit of Satan’!”

  I roll my eyes as I respond, “Grandpa! You never did give Florida a fair chance. It’s really nice there!”

  “If it’s so nice there, why are all of your friends here warning you about a bunch of teenage punks terrorizing you in your own driveway?” he counters.

  I fall silent because as usual, the man makes a good point

  I FEEL LIKE I’VE BEEN stranded in the middle of some strange movie scene where everyone has the script except me. After Tristan and Isaac dropped their little bombshell, everyone seems to be treating this little get together like it’s an impromptu family reunion instead of a potentially life-changing, catastrophic event. Although Jessica is a little teary-eyed and pensive, she seems to be in much better spirits than she was earlier in the day. I can’t help but wonder if I’m blowing things out of proportion or if everyone else can’t see the ramifications of what’s just happened.

  Hope places her paw over my foot to gain my attention. Glancing at my watch, I realize that it’s been several hours since I’ve taken her out to relieve herself. Catching Isaac’s eye, I show him Hope’s lead and tilt my head toward the door to show him that I’m leaving. He nods and goes back to speaking with Marcus and Walter.

  After Hope takes care of her needs, I realize that I’m just not up to socializing so I let myself into the church sanctuary. Although this is a really nice sanctuary with padded pews and a beautifully appointed altar with lush ferns and inlaid wood, I prefer the atmosphere of the quaint little church that we visited yesterday. There is just something about old historic buildings and the stories contained within their walls that speak to me. I sit in the back pew and rest my head on my arms as I tried to marshal my thoughts. Quite literally they are all over the map.

  Suddenly, I have new respect for my father. Several years ago, there was a threat issued against all firefighters in our county after a cadet failed to pass all of his training through the Academy. My father is an instructor and was one of several who failed to advance the applicant through the program. He took it personally and issued death threats against the instructors and their families. I remember my father being absolutely terrified to let my mom go to the grocery store or to church alone or with me; he even asked to have a police escort accompany me to school and to after school activities. Of course, he couldn’t tell us what was going on at the time. As a result, we were both alarmed and half convinced he was overblowing the situation. However, now that I’m living through this scenario from the other perspective, I can understand my dad’s hyper vigilance. Right now, I would like to borrow Tristan’s fancy aero-plane and fly Jessica to some artsy European villa somewhere and let her draw, paint and belly dance to her heart’s content and forget the evil in the world.

  I don’t even know how I’m going to deal with my real world. Even before this newest development, I had pretty much decided that I wasn’t going to go back to my job with the school district. My unscheduled rescue of Wilma underscored a few things for me. I like taking dogs who were considered worthless and giving them lifesaving occupations. I like the feeling that what I do matters to somebody. Now the only question that remains is how do I accomplish that? This whole gang issue with Jessica has put her life in danger so, now more than ever, the where becomes as important as the why. I’m not even sure I know how to process that information. Is there any place that’s safe or is this gang nationwide? I simply don’t know the answer to this. What about my commitments back in Florida? Can I simply drop those? More importantly, with Jessica’s life being threatened, can I afford not to?

  These questions are spinning around in my head like some deranged one-armed bandit and they just won’t stop. Every time I contemplate an answer, I come up with a slightly different configuration. One thought occurs to me — I don’t even want to consider it although Jessica might think it’s within the realm of possibilities. With Jessica’s past, I wonder if she even trusts me enough to keep her safe after the parents who were supposed to love her and keep her safe decided to leave her behind. I hope she understands that I’m not them and I wouldn’t make those kinds of selfish decisions, no matter what the danger.

  I’m still trying to organize the chaos that’s in my head when I hear the door to the sanctuary open.

  “I see I’ve found a kindred spirit,” Isaac comments, as he sees me sitting alone on the pew. “Rosa loves these social events, but they are not my favorite thing to do. I would much rather be at home in my wood shop. Though, I sense that something more is going on with you today,” he observes as he comes and sits down beside me.

  I can barely remember to hold my tongue because that’s such a bizarre question given all that he and Tristan dumped on me. Of course I have a crap load of things bothering me today! How could he think anything different? Although I don’t say anything, I think Isaac could read it in my face.

  He chuckles wryly as he says, “Okay, my small talk skills are a little rusty. I should ask you how you’re doing with that mess we handed you.”

  “Isaac, how do you think I’m doing? How would you handle it?” I ask, unable to keep the edge of sarcasm out of my voice.

  “Son, the very last thing you want to do is take advice from me on this subject. I did the worst thing you could possibly do. I tried to protect my family by going away from them. As a result, I almost lost my wife and my two daughters in the process. It was the most heartbreaking thing that I could have ever done. I’m just lucky that Rosa came back into my life. So, my advice is to never leave the side of the woman that you love — regardless of what threatens to come between you. This is a lesson I learned the very hard way.”

  I nod as I agree, “No, Sir, I don’t ever plan to leave Jessica. The complication comes in deciding how to stay. I have commitments back in Florida, but I need to stay here to keep her safe.”

  “Are your commitments in Florida worth losing Jessica over?” Isaac asks, giving me a shrewd look.

  “Absolutely not. It’s not even a close call.”

  “Then, I think you have your first answer. What would you like to do instead? I suspect that Walter could use some help on this farm.”

  I grimace slightly as I acknowledge, “That’s probably true enough, but I spent enough time in Florida doing a job that I didn’t really like to know if I’m going to relocate, it needs to be in a field that I want to pursue.”

  “I understand that. So, I’m guessing that working with the dogs is what you want to do,” Isaac states.

  “It is. There is a need nationwide for well-trained search and rescue dogs and shelter dogs like Hope and Lexicon are being put down all the time because landlords are excluding breed types that they think pose a danger to
the public when it’s simply not true. The dogs just don’t have the proper training. By using rescue dogs, I’m saving dogs and educating the public. It’s a win for everybody.”

  “It sounds like you have a pretty good plan. Why are you concerned?”

  “A couple things. First, I have to quit several jobs in Florida. The school district counts on me, the shelter needs me, and I don’t know that the second-in-command at the training program is quite ready to step up to the helm yet. The guy that I’ve been working most closely with at the training program, Stuart, is actually still in veterinary school. He graduates this year, but he was planning to start his own practice separate from our work with search and rescue. Stuart and I have been friends since the second grade and he’s going to be pissed that I haven’t run this decision by him first.”

  “Even all of that doesn’t even begin to unravel the mess that is my family. If they thought they were disappointed when I dropped out of college, this is going to push them entirely over the edge.”

  Isaac studies me carefully before answering, “The one thing that my family and I have learned through this ordeal was that most of what we thought we knew about each other was based on layers and layers of misunderstandings. That may very well be the case in your family. However, if they’re already disappointed in you, it can’t get much worse. You just need to go and talk to them and make sure they hear what you have to say. They will either accept or they’ll reject it, you are not in charge of their reaction to your news. You must do what is right for you and Jessica. As a father myself, I can’t imagine that your family would be disappointed with all that you have accomplished, and Jessica is a delightful young woman. Your heart has chosen well.”

  “I can’t believe how much better this airline is treating Hope than the last one. I think that the flight attendant would’ve put her in first class and left us in coach if we would’ve let him,” Jessica jokes as she sips her Pepsi.

  “I don’t know. James Joseph was pretty nice to you too. I’m not sure you actually needed three pillows. I think he was flirting with you. Not that I blame him. You look beautiful. I like the haircut that Betty Sue gave you,” I remark, as I watch her read a book on her Kindle.

  “Thank you, I wanted to look good for your mom. Can you believe that this is my first time with the whole meet the parents thing, I never did that with Dex. I am surprisingly nervous. What if they don’t like me? What does that mean for us? I wouldn’t want to make you choose between me and your mother if she hates me. Oh geez, listen to me ramble again. It’s like I can’t control it…” she trails off.

  “First of all, my parents are going to love you because everybody loves you. Even if they don’t, that’s their problem, not yours. If they choose not to love you, I will choose you. Always.”

  “Really?” Jessica asks, shock evident in her voice. “I mean, I hate to sound dumb about this. In case you haven’t noticed, my life is pretty short on people that have chosen me. I’m a little afraid to trust that.”

  “I understand that, Jess, but the people who have chosen to stay in your life are people of amazing caliber. I only know a few great people in my life, so I have a theory that a few great people outweigh a crowd of average folks every day of the week.”

  “What if your parents think I’m only average? I don’t want you to have to be embarrassed about me,” she frets. “You always seem to know the right thing to say, whereas random things just fly out of my mouth without any control. You are always so composed, it’s amazing.”

  I laugh out loud before I admit, “You wouldn’t think I was so composed if you knew the thoughts that swirl around my brain all day. I’m so nervous, I haven’t been able to eat right in two days. The reason I’m not too worried about choosing you over a relationship with my parents is because I haven’t really had a relationship with my parents in a few years. I can’t seem to find common ground with them over anything. We don’t see eye to eye. Everything I do with them seems to not meet their expectations. That’s the reason that Stuart and I are such good friends. I had to turn to someone to communicate with because every conversation I had with my parents when I was growing up seemed to result in the silent treatment. Nora and Stuart became a sounding board for life. It was the three of us as the Three Musketeers. We became our own little family. If I’m nervous about this meeting, it has nothing to do with you. I’m just so lucky you are here by my side. I need a champion and a number one fan. ‘Composed is not at all what I’m feeling. ‘Completely and totally freaked out’ would be more in line with my emotions,” I admit in a rush of words that I didn’t know was going to erupt so violently. I have been trying to be so strong for Jessica that I hadn’t shared any of this. I guess it’s all been building up for a while; I’m not typically one to talk about feelings but I guess maybe I should do it more often.

  Jessica looks a little stunned by my admission, but she has taken her headphones out and she is fully engaged in our conversation. She leans forward and whispers, “Mitch, it’s okay.”

  Now that I’ve opened up, I can’t seem to stop talking so I just keep going, “Just so you know, this meeting where I’m going to announce that I’m going to completely abandon everything that I’ve built in Florida and once again completely change the direction of my life is going to be a complete crapshoot. I have no idea how they’re going to react. When I had to make a similar decision after Nora’s death, I thought that they might never talk to me again.”

  “But they did, right?” she probes.

  “They did what?” I reply, too upset to properly track the conversation.

  “Your parents eventually started talking to you again, right? That means that there is always hope that whatever differences you have, you’ll be able to set aside and have a reasonably normal relationship. I have a hard time believing that they wouldn’t when someone as phenomenal as you are in their lives. Come on! You help save people for a living. That is beyond awesome. If they can’t get that through their noggins, as my grandpa says, then they don’t deserve you in their lives, and I’ll make the same offer to you as you made to me. I’ll stand by your side, always.”

  I wish we weren’t in these cramped airline seats, there is nothing I would like more than to pull her onto my lap and show her how much I appreciate her complete and undivided support. She makes me feel like I can conquer the whole world with one hand tied behind my back. It’s the most exhilarating feeling in the whole world.

  The email app on my iPad suddenly beeps repeatedly, indicating that I must have multiple emails. I guess the airline Wi-Fi must’ve finally kicked in. I’ve spent the better part of the last hour trying to make it work. I’m waiting to hear from my former supervisor at the school district. I offered to help train my replacement if she needed me to. However, much to my surprise, the email contains a letter of recommendation for a grant that I applied for the new place in Kansas, we’ve named Hope’s Haven. I’m grateful, but surprised since I expected my former supervisor to be more upset with me for leaving her in a lurch.

  The next email is from my father, informing me that they are going to be late picking us up at the airport. For some reason, that doesn’t surprise me at all. In this case, it actually works in my favor. It will give me a chance to decompress a little from the flight and grab a bite to eat, among other things I’d like to accomplish today. Although the flight attendant offered to bring Hope some food from first class, he did not make the same offer for Jessica and me.

  Normally, shopping is not an activity that I truly enjoy, but there’s something unique about shopping in airport stores. It’s almost like a grown-up treasure hunt. Jessica’s eyes are sparkling with joy as she explores each store with eager anticipation. She is beside herself with joy when she finds handmade postcards painted with water colored fireflies and butterflies. When we pass a jewelry store, a hummingbird necklace catches her eye. “Wow, isn’t that pretty?” she comments.

  “They have some really nice stuff here,” I agree. �
�It looks like they might be having a sale, do you want to go in and check it out?”

  Jessica’s eyes grow wide as she exclaims, “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

  “No, I don’t mind. As you may recall, I owe you a proper birthday present?”

  “This is probably wrong and materialistic of me, but don’t mind if I do,” she replies with a grin as she skips into the store.

  As she goes in search of a salesperson, something draws my attention and I turn to an older gentleman sitting quietly at the counter. “May I see these two in our sizes?”

  He looks up at me over his spectacles and asks, “Are you sure? Most folks your age are looking for something a little more flashy.”

  “No, these are perfect. I’ve actually gone to three or four other stores looking for something just like this and I haven’t had any luck.”

  “Funny thing is, these were a custom order and they never came back to pick them up. I have had a Dickens of the time selling them because the woman’s fingers were so tiny, much like your gal over there and there’s just not much call for these plain gold bands anymore. Everyone wants glitter these days.”

  “Jessica and I are not really into much glitter. She’s got enough sparkle all by herself.”

  The gentleman behind the counter glances over at Jessica and remarks, “That she does. Have a seat and I will polish these up for you and be right out.”

  I walk over to where Jessica is looking at the hummingbird necklace. “What to do you think?” I ask.

  “It’s pretty, but I don’t know if I need it,” she replies wistfully.

  “Come here, I want to show you something else I was looking at,” I say, as I guide Jessica to the counter where the salesperson is waiting. When Jessica sees what I’ve found, she looks at me with total astonishment.