As he approached the first building, he realized he was in trouble. What had begun as a favor, nothing more than a way to help Ed find some of the happiness that had been stolen from him, had quickly turned into something he hadn't bargained for. And the feelings he'd never experienced before, not once in his entire life, scared him half to death.
~~~~~
He supposed he should have closed the blinds, but now that he was living on borrowed time, Ed wanted to see everything there was to see while he could. The fact that he was still here was nothing short of a miracle, and he knew it. No matter how many precautions they took, he finally accepted the fact that he would be dying. He didn't know when, but he didn't think he'd be breathing much longer.
'And the game continues,' the note taped to his door promised, followed by a friendly piece of advice. 'Your milk expires tomorrow. Might want to get more.'
This guy somehow managed to thwart the guards at every turn. Now he'd gotten into his apartment, despite the fact that he had a quality deadbolt lock and state of the art security system. No matter what they did, it wasn't enough.
As he lay there, he knew that all he really wanted to find a way to win. To take this monster down, lock him up, and throw away the key…after he got to spend some time alone with him in a windowless, soundproof room. He wouldn't kill him, but it would be close. A few slugs for everything he'd put his friends through. A few kicks to the ribs for nearly killing Jon on Saturday. And then, as far as he was concerned, he'd just beat him to a bloody pulp because he was tired of being stalked and terrorized.
Whenever he'd considered how he might die, he had always assumed it would either be of old age, or in the line of duty while saving the life of someone else. A hero's death, not hunted down like a rabid animal.
He'd put in a call to Mitch Montague, Darby's brother-in-law, as soon as he'd come home with the newest SUV. The one with the newly installed alarm system that would warn someone – loudly – if they got too close. They were meeting Thursday evening to make sure his will was up to date. Of course that was dependent on whether he was still alive, but until then, he wasn't going to stop living before he was dead.
Staring at the flashes on the walls and ceiling, from the headlights on cars cresting the hill down the road, he sighed. He didn't have many regrets, but there were some. Places he'd wanted to visit, like Jamaica. Skills he'd wanted to learn. Not that he'd ever told anyone, but he'd always wanted to learn to play the guitar. And then there were the choices he'd made. Paths he wished he'd never taken because even though they seemed to be right at the time, they'd turned out to be the biggest mistakes of his life. Mostly though, he just wanted to enjoy his friends for a few more decades, and maybe…just maybe…make things permanent with Jenna.
Sighing, he turned on his side and closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do about any of those things now. There wasn't time. But hopefully there would be tomorrow. And maybe a few more after that.
He didn't want to die. Not at forty-four. Somehow he always imagined celebrating his ninetieth birthday. Now it would take a miracle for him to make it to forty-five.
Chapter 10
"Hey," Hannah whispered, sticking her head around the corner to see if he was still sacked out on the sofa. "Are you awake?"
"No. I'm sound asleep. You're sound asleep, too, Hannah. When you wake up, you'll wonder what you ate that made you dream you were here banging things around in my kitchen," Jon grumbled, then opened his eyes and grinned at her. "What are you doing here so early? It's barely even-" He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened. He looked back at Hannah in disbelief. "That can't be right."
"Oh yes it can. It's almost noon, lazybones. And that banging you heard? That was me tripping over a two-by-four lying in front of your stove."
"Why is there a two-by-four in front of my stove?"
"Who knows. Maybe the guys left it there on Sunday. Doesn't matter. The soup and rolls are safe. And…" She tilted her head a little and bit her bottom lip. He felt a warmth in his belly, and knew he'd never seen her look more adorable. Nervous and unsure as she stood there hesitating, he knew he'd say okay to whatever it was she was about to tell him.
"And?"
"And…I have a surprise for you. Get up." As he threw the top of the sleeping bag off, she spun around to face the kitchen and he grinned.
"I'm wearing sweats, Hannah."
"Oh. Well, I'll meet you out there."
"I need to visit the little boy's room first."
"Okay. Hurry up though."
"Will do, ma'am.'
A surprise? Hmm. And she wasn't sure he was going to like it, he thought, stepping into the slippers he kept beside the sofa. As he took care of his morning business, several hours later than normal, he wondered what might be causing the pensive expression on her face but, drying his hands, he figured he was about to find out.
When the surprise was sitting on his kitchen floor, looking up at him, he understood why she'd been a little hesitant.
"Meet Boomer," she said, a stiff smile curving her lips.
"A dog? A dog is my surprise?" he muttered, looking at the black mutt sitting at her feet. Perhaps he'd been a little hasty in thinking he'd agree to whatever she asked.
"He's three years old, and very well behaved." As she began an explanation he figured she'd rehearsed a few times, she reached down to pat the animal on the head. "His previous family had to give him up when they lost their house and had to move to an apartment. He's a mix of just about everything, but black lab is the most predominant breed. The woman at the Humane Society assured me he's fixed and up to date on all his shots. He really is a good dog, Jon. See, look what he can do."
She held out her hand and Boomer obediently placed his paw in her palm. He understood sit, roll over, down, and dance, which apparently meant he would stand on his hind legs for the bacon shaped treat she bribed him with.
"Isn't he great?" she asked, beaming at him. It was clear she was already in love with Boomer.
"I don't mean to offend you, Hannah, but I don't want a dog," Jon said as gently as he could manage, and she'd never know the self-control it took to stop himself from ordering her to take it away. He'd never had a pet, and he'd never intended to get one either.
"It's too late now. I registered him in your name. It says so right on his tags. You're his owner. I brought a cage so you don't have to worry about him getting into things while you're at work. And I picked up dishes for his food and water. I also got a leash, and a lead for you to tie him out in the yard. He'll be good company."
"Hannah," he said, this time a little more firmly. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but this was ridiculous. "I appreciate the thought, but I just don't have time for a dog."
"Sure you do," she said, patting Boomer on the head again, and then walking over to the sink to wash her hands. "Sit down. I'll get you some lunch. It seemed like a good day for some homemade chicken noodle soup. I got the recipe for the rolls online, but I had one before I left and they're really good."
"Why are you doing this?" he wanted to know, sitting at the table as obediently as the dog had done on the floor.
"Because you've been doing more than supervising at the site all week and I didn't want you to have to cook today."
"No. Why Boomer?"
She didn't answer immediately, just removed a couple of bowls and a saucer from the cupboard. After she sat two steaming bowls, and the plate of buttered rolls she'd warmed in the microwave on the table, she sat across from him and picked up her spoon, stirring it around the soup. He waited patiently and she finally looked up at him.
"If you'd had a dog last weekend, the stalker might not have been able to sneak past the bodyguards." When she looked up at him, her eyes were bright and he hoped she wasn't going to cry. He didn't know if he could follow through with his no dog rule if she started crying. "Please, Jon. Just give him a chance. You're the best friend I've ever had. I want you to be s
afe."
"He's going to need to be taken outside, probably in the middle of the night. And what am I supposed to do with him while I'm at work? I'm at the site twelve hours some days."
"Bring him with you when you know it's going to be a long day. I'll get more food and dishes to keep there for him. I already asked Chris and he said it would be okay to keep him in the office. He's been going home to shower and change before he goes to the hospital anyway."
"You told Chris?"
"Well yeah. I knew we'd have to figure out something to do with Boomer during the week."
"Laughed his butt off, didn't he?" She wouldn't answer, but the pink that colored her cheeks told him all he needed to know. Everyone knew he avoided anything that smacked of permanence, and a dog meant roots.
"We can take him for a walk when we're finished eating."
And that, apparently, was that. He was going to be stuck with a dog he didn't want because Hannah was worried about him. But for some reason, it didn't bother him as much as it should have. In fact, knowing she cared so much almost made the trouble Boomer was bound be worth it.
~~~~~
No matter that Hannah, who was holding the leash, was heading toward the back of the property, Boomer was determined to check out the huge patch of snow, blackened from the explosions, so they wandered over that way and let him sniff around to his heart's content.
"See," Hannah said, smiling down at the mutt. "Look where he wanted to go first, right to the scene of the crime. I told you he'd be good to have around."
"Actually, I think his reasons for coming over here were a little more basic than that," Jon drawled, glancing at the dog – who was currently raising a leg and baptizing a mound of soot covered snow. He watched her face turn beet red and grinned. "Hey, at least he has manners. He could have turned some of the pretty stuff yellow, but nope. He came directly over here, where it wouldn't be noticed."
"Oh be quiet." Tugging on the leash when the dog had finished, Hannah urged him in the direction of the trees. It seemed Boomer was ready to go wherever she led, but then Jon realized he was at the point where he would follow her anywhere she wanted to go, too.
They didn't say much as they made their way through the calf deep snow, just stopped every now and then as the dog found new and interesting things to examine. It was actually pleasant to be out here with her – and his new pet. Sure it was freezing, but the sun was out and the sky was blue, and the woman at his side was happy.
He wasn't sure why, but when the thought came, it seemed like a good idea to just go with it. He let her get a little ahead of him, and then, scooping up a handful of snow and packing it loosely, he lobbed it at her back.
Hannah whirled around, laughing. Her eyes were shining, and her cheeks were red from the cold, and she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He watched as she pushed the loop at the end of the leash to encircle her wrist.
"You're in so much trouble, mister," she threatened, reaching down to form her own snowball.
"Ooh, I'm so scared." Making another one as he walked slowly toward her, Jon smiled. For every step he took forward, she took another back. "I thought I was in trouble."
"You are. But you're supposed to run away from me."
"That's never going to happen, so what are you going to do now, Hannah?" he asked softly, picking up his pace a little.
Without warning, she tossed the snowball at him, then turned and started running, her giggles filling the air. Jon laughed, too, and wiping the snow from his face, he ran after her.
"Your aim sucks, Hannah," he told her, coming up behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist. He brought the ball of snow he still held in front of her face.
"Maybe I have perfect aim," she said, twisting around to try and get loose, then bursting into more peals of laughter when she saw the white crystals still on his cheeks.
"So do I." He had no intention of smashing the snow in her face, but apparently she thought he did, and she threw her weight against him, toppling them both to the ground. In one quick move, he had her on her back, pinning her arms beside her head and grinned down at her.
"Now what are you going to do?" he asked.
"Make snow angels?" she suggested, then giggled. "Let me go, Jon."
"Nope. I'm still waiting for the trouble you promised me."
"Well I can't very well pelt you with snowballs lying here like this, can I?"
"That is true. But maybe I don't want to be pelted with snowballs. What else you got?" She appeared to consider her options, then stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed, then leaned down and touched the tip of his cold nose to hers. "Be a good girl and say you're sorry."
"But I'm not. You started it," she murmured, going completely still, her eyes wide as she gazed up at him.
"Then I guess we're going to have to think of a penalty for unfair fighting," he said softly.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"What- What kind of penalty?" He barely heard the question, forgetting all about the game.
~~~~~
Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but Hannah saw something change in his expression, and she knew in that moment she was going to get what she'd been wishing for every day since the night Ed had given her a ride home.
Jon never looked away, his eyes boring into hers, as though he were giving her a chance to say no, that this wasn't what she wanted. But it was exactly what she'd been wanting, and she wouldn't have stopped him for anything in the world. As she waited, breathless with anticipation, she felt an ache deep inside and silently urged him to hurry.
When she finally felt his lips against hers, softly, barely touching, it was every bit as wonderful as it had been the first time, and she could feel her pulse quicken. Sending up a prayer that it would last longer than the first one, she waited, hoping. For what she wasn't sure, but she knew whatever it was, she'd find it with him.
"Breathe, Hannah," he whispered, his warm breath caressing her lips a heartbeat before he covered them again, this time not quite so gentle.
Before she even realized it, her arms were wrapped around his shoulders. He'd somehow worked his under her back, his hands cradling her head as he held her close.
Hannah lost all sense of time and their surroundings. The only thing she was aware of was him. That he tasted faintly of the cola he'd been drinking before they'd come outside, that he smelled of musk and winter, and that she'd never felt anything like this before.
She was vaguely aware of barking in the distance, but it didn't really register. Not with her anyway. Jon, on the other hand, grew still, the pressure of his lips easing until he pulled away. Hannah groaned a little, turning her face toward his, but he was resting his cheek against hers, his quick, shallow breaths creating a steamy fog above them.
"Boomer got away from us," he murmured, raising up so he could look at her. But he didn't make a move to get up, just kept staring at her, his expression somber. "Hannah-"
"If you apologize, Jon Rambo, I swear I'll slug you."
His lips turned up in a hint of a smile, and then he got to his feet, holding his hands out to help her up. Once she was standing beside him, he reached down to pick up her hat, dusting it off against his pant leg.
"Here," he said, handing it to her. "You go inside and get warm, while I go catch my new dog." After a moment's hesitation, he cupped his hand around her neck and pressed his lips against her forehead, then looked down at her and whispered, "I'm not sorry."
~~~~~
"Better watch the weather tonight," Chris said as he locked the modular and fell into step with Jon on their way to the parking area.
"I've been checking it on my phone all day, and it looks like we're going to be hit hard tomorrow. You'd think spring would start making itself known pretty soon, wouldn't you?"
"No joke. We've had more snow this winter than we've had for the past three combined. I guess Mother Nature has been saving up."
> A major winter storm was moving their way, and the meteorologists were predicting that a blizzard would be blowing into the area late tomorrow afternoon. So far it had done nothing but get worse the farther east it traveled, and it was expected to increase in intensity as it passed over Lake Michigan. It was possible, they said, for some areas to see as much as thirty inches of snow in the twelve hours or so it would take for the system to move through.
"Why don't we watch the news at six? If it still hasn't changed I'll give all the guys a call. We'll just have a three-day weekend and worry about digging out on Monday."
"Sounds good to me. You got enough gas for your generator?"
"No, but I put the cans in the truck on my way out this morning." Living in the country, not only did he have to worry about pipes freezing if he lost heat, but if the well pump couldn't run, he'd have to replace that, too. Not something he relished the thought of since he'd rather spend his time and money finishing the new walls in the dining room. "Are you and Harry just going to stay at the hospital for the duration?"
"Yeah. I'll grab a couple of changes of clothes for both of us while I'm home and we'll be good to go. Hey. How's the whole pet thing working out?" Chris looked away, but not before Jon saw the grin on his face.
"Could be worse, I suppose. He could be one of those dogs that are hyper and bark all the time."
Truth be told, Boomer was a pretty good dog. He'd never admit it to anyone, but over the past couple of weeks, he'd started to enjoy having someone to keep him company on the days Hannah didn't come out. When she was there, they almost always wound up taking him for walks. There was no doubt she loved that dog. And the mutt loved her, too, something that didn't surprise Jon at all. He was beginning to realize Hannah would be very easy for anyone to love.
~~~~~
Yeah, having a dog wasn't something he'd have chosen for himself, but Jon had to admit that Boomer did tend to take his mind off his problems. At least for brief periods of time. He was even starting to enjoy their walks, which he tried to fit in before the sun went down. The three acres surrounding the house was mostly wooded, and that's where his new pal preferred to do his exploring, sniffing from tree to tree, and trying to chase the occasional rabbit or squirrel. But as Hannah had promised, he was well-behaved and a slight tug on the leash, and a softly spoken 'no,' was all it took to bring him back into line.
Her Best Friend Jon Page 13