She Belongs to Me

by Carmen DeSousa

  Pat was sitting by the bed, her nose buried in a novel, Jaynee’s hand in hers. She scowled as he entered the room. His mother missed nothing.

  He ignored his mother’s glower. “Anything new happen?”

  Pat shook her head and stood up to let Jordan take her spot. He shot a glance at the monitor at the change in the rhythmic beeps. Jaynee’s pulse had quickened at the sound of his voice. He felt triumphant. Jaynee had been upset, scared even, but she wasn’t having an affair with Brian. He didn’t know how long Brian had been harassing her, and for the life of him, he couldn’t fathom why she wouldn’t tell him about his stalking if she was aware of it.

  He lowered his head to her ear and whispered in it the way he did when she would oversleep and he wanted her to wakeup. “Jaynee, I’m here. Please wakeup, darling.” Familiar feelings soared through him, feelings he hadn’t felt in months. She still loved him he assured himself.

  She had been attempting to tell him about Brian when she whispered the word ‘baby’. Jaynee knew he would remember her request not to call her by that endearment and understand why she was frightened. He wondered whether he should mention this but decided it was not important and it may upset her.

  Jordan felt her hand move in his. It wasn’t a squeeze, merely a subtle movement. His eyes darted to hers in expectation. She was squinting, attempting to open her eyes.

  “Mom, turn off the light!” he demanded. She complied, and Jordan saw the most beautiful sight. Jaynee’s hazel eyes, green and gold, sparkling again, stared at him. “Oh, God, Jaynee!” he cried out, not concerned by the tears swarming his eyes. Jordan laid his head against her cheek. He wanted to kiss her, pull her up in his arms, but all he could do was be close to her. Wires still connected her to the bed. “Oh, God, Jaynee. I was so worried.” He stared into her eyes again. She looked bewildered. “You’re in the hospital, love. There was an accident, and you were shot.” He shook his head. “It’s not important.” He turned to his mother. “Mom, get the doctor.”

  Jaynee struggled to make sense of everything. Jordan was here, and he was distressed. Her head was throbbing, and she was extremely thirsty. She tried to speak but nothing emerged.

  Jordan saw this and reassured her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to speak. Nothing matters except that you are awake. It’s been three days.”

  A doctor stepped in, and Pat and the nurse backed out of his way, but Jordan remained seated, an unmovable force.

  The doctor held a device to each of her eyes. “She’s responding well,” he said with a smile aimed at Jordan. “I think you’re going to be fine, Jaynee,” he reassured her. “How do you feel? Can you talk?”

  Jaynee opened her mouth barely; her throat felt like flames.

  The doctor turned to the nurse. “Michelle, get some ice chips.” He looked at Jordan. “Her throat is raw from the breathing tube and lack of liquid.”

  Jaynee was grateful for the doctor’s understanding but cautiously turned her head back to Jordan. She wanted to tell him something, but she couldn’t remember what it was.

  How had she ended up here? Jordan said a shooting. What happened, she wondered. Jordan had come home, and he was furious. He was yelling, he never yelled. She remembered she was waiting for him to come home. There was something very important. What was it? She was so frustrated she couldn’t remember; she knew it was important.

  They had made love; it had been so long. She had gotten up afterward. Jordan had fallen asleep; he always went to bed early. He had to get up before the break of dawn. She remembered walking downstairs.

  Jordan took the Styrofoam cup of ice chips from the nurse and placed a small piece in Jaynee’s mouth. It felt good. She opened her mouth for another, embarrassed that Jordan was waiting on her. She always took care of Jordan; he never had to assist her. But here he was, this big, strong man, delicately placing ice chips in her mouth. Red rimmed his beautiful blue eyes, and dark circles surrounded them; she ached to comfort him. But she was too weak to even turn her head and could feel the drowsiness threatening to take her away again.

  Oh, God, she remembered… “Lorraine,” she garbled under her breath. “Where’s Lorraine?” It was all she could get out. The darkness overtook her, and she felt herself plummet under the thick wool again. She couldn’t find her way out from under the layer of darkness that descended on her.

  Jordan stood up as he watched Jaynee slip away again. “Why would she want Lorraine?”

  He thought back to the night of the accident. Lorraine dropped him off after he turned her down. Drunk or not, he knew there was only one woman for him. Had she returned? Had she been angry with Jaynee? Brian had said there was a woman with Jaynee. Could Lorraine have wanted to hurt her? No, it wasn’t possible. He had known Lorraine his entire life. He knew how she felt about him, but he only cared for her as a friend. Maybe it was wrong to have her working for him, relying on her so much. But murder, never. He couldn’t visualize it.

  Jordan looked at his mother. “Mom, can you stay with Jaynee again? I have to speak with the detectives. They’re downstairs waiting.” And make a phone call Jordan decided. But he needed to hear everything Brian had to say first.

  63

  Carmen DeSousa

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  (September 2004)

  The rest of Jaynee’s Sunday passed in blur.

  Jordan and she had drove in separate vehicles to pick up her family, took them to breakfast and then to the airport. There were tears and smiles all around as each of her family members hugged and kissed them as they departed.

  She was glad Jordan did this. It wouldn’t have been right to exclude her family from her wedding. Her and her mother’s relationship was edgy, but she was trying, and Jaynee was her only child after all. Jaynee had always tried to make allowances for her mother. It really wasn’t her fault. Her mother had endured a terrible childhood and didn’t know how to deal with the stresses of life. Although Jaynee had never been like her mother, she tried to understand.

  Jaynee suffered one nightmare after another and yet still awoke every day with a positive outlook, always believing there was good in the world. It was just a matter of finding it, and she had. Jordan was her reward for being faithful no matter what life threw at her and for her unceasing nightly prayers.

  She fiddled with the cross at her neck. It was simple and beautiful. She didn’t need fancy things. She hoped she could get that through to Jordan. She didn’t want him always lavishing her with fancy gifts. The cross was a good start; it was perfect. She needed to explain she liked simple things. It wasn’t because she didn’t have jewelry she didn’t wear any. The truth of the matter was she didn’t like too much jewelry. A necklace and a ring was the extent of what she wore.

  The drive to the house was long without Jordan, but she’d better get used to it. After tomorrow, he’d return to work. Was the honeymoon over? The thought depressed her. She’d have to make certain that never happened.

  Her cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. “Miss me already?” she said into the mouthpiece.

  “Yes, of course, but that’s not the reason I called. Do you want to get the artwork for the bedroom? I know a terrific gallery in Pineville, which is on our way home.”

  She didn’t want to stop; she just wanted to return home. “Sure, whatever you want.”

  “You don’t sound enthused,” he teased.

  “No, I am…it will be beautiful. I’m just tired.” She stifled a yawn midsentence proving her point.

  “We don’t have to.”

  “No, really, Jordan, this is the best time. Everything is so out-of-the-way here. In Florida, everything was literally ten minutes away. Let’s go now so we don’t have to worry about it next weekend. I hate to shop.” She frowned even though he couldn’t see her expression.

  Jordan let out a chuckle. “Well, that’s a first, a woman who doesn’t like to shop. I always knew you were special. Okay, follow me; we’ll make it snappy. We’ll even order pizza, so we do
n’t have to waste my last vacation day cooking. How does that sound? I love you, see you soon.” He hung up.

  The question was rhetorical. She was beginning to get used to his decision making. It was actually somewhat nice. For the first time in her life, she didn’t need to worry about anything.

  They managed to find several beautifully framed prints that would go perfect in the bedroom. Jordan told her to shop for additional items she thought would complement their sanctuary at her leisure. He was evidently ready to return home also.

  It was only three when they returned home, a benefit she realized of getting up earlier than she was accustomed.

  Jordan hung all the frames, and he was correct, as always, the room was beautiful. Jaynee found herself feeling completely at home in her new quarters. They spent the remainder of the afternoon playing in the backyard with Boomer.

  It was just turning dusk when Jaynee heard an incredible sound. At first, it was one lone chirp, promptly followed by millions echoing the same buzzing and clicking hum. She tilted her head at the resonance echo in the surrounding woods.

  Jordan gestured his head to the woods that served as the backdrop of their backyard. “Cicadas,” he said, evidently noticing her preoccupation. “The sound of summer in North Carolina,” he continued, a warm smile lighting up his face. “Do you like it?”

  She nodded. “It’s beautiful, so peaceful. All I ever heard in Florida, where I lived anyway, were trucks and sirens.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “It’s why I chose the country. Charlotte can be very distracting.”

  It was getting cooler, his arms felt nice around her. Jordan escorted her inside, and they snuggled on the couch and watched classic movies. She found they agreed on the same genres, except in the case of war movies…she could never quite get into the battle scenes. But then, Jordan paused on a romantic comedy she loved even before she could get the words out that it was one of her favorites.

  As much as Jordan acted controlling, underneath his masculine ways was a wonderfully romantic and sensitive man.

  The next morning arrived too fast, probably because Jaynee had been dreading it.

  She vaguely remembered Jordan kissing her goodbye. But then she woke up, cold and alone, in their king-sized bed. She’d become familiar with waking up with his arms wrapped around her. Now she was going to have to get accustomed to him not being there.

  She glanced at the clock; it wasn’t even seven yet. Jordan had been trying to wake her earlier and earlier every morning; it looked as if he’d succeeded. She wrestled with the idea of trying to fall back asleep. After all, what reason did she have to get out of bed? There was no grandmother across the street, no classes to attend, no work schedule to keep, and worse, no Jordan.

  Ridiculous, she couldn’t have turned so needy, so absorbed by Jordan that she couldn’t find something else to fill her time…could she? If she made an effort to get up early, it would give her more time on the weekends with him she argued with herself, and that made her resolve. She’d get out of bed and start her new life in North Carolina. She would investigate the area, heading one direction today and another tomorrow. Only one main road connected the two nearby cities. She had two options—head toward Albemarle or Charlotte.

  Jaynee made her way downstairs; she could hear Boomer in the garage anxious for her to set him free. She stood back as he barreled through the doorway. Boomer took one look at her then dashed around the house as if looking for something or someone. When he came back, he gave her a look like…who are you, and why are you here without my master? She bent down and ruffled his ears. It was all it took; his confusion melted away. He was suddenly interested in playing with her. Boomer ran to the patio door, so she let him outside to the fenced-in area of their property.

  Jaynee stood in the large kitchen feeling misplaced. What did Jordan do with such a gigantic house? She decided to brew coffee then check out the Internet. There was something she needed to do. She needed to decide where and when to start back college.

  After she spent several hours researching the Internet, she decided it was time to go exploring. She had her phone in her pocket waiting for Jordan to call. She wanted to call him but was concerned she’d catch him in a dreadful situation. Her imagination got the best of her, and she envisioned him in a shadowy building, gun drawn in quest of a suspect then his phone going off and alerting the bad guy of his whereabouts. It was no wonder she wanted to be a writer, her imagination was entirely too vivid.

  Hopping into her new Altima, she inhaled, luxuriating in the smell of the leather. Jordan had shown her how to use the navigation system, but she didn’t understand. So he made sure she knew one important feature. No matter where she was, she could hit home, and the voice would direct her home. That made Jaynee feel more at ease with what she was planning.

  Jaynee drove for miles before reaching the main road and then turned toward Charlotte. She passed a Wal-Mart—that would come in handy and it wasn’t too far—there weren’t too many things in life you needed you couldn’t find at Wal-Mart. Now for a coffee shop with wireless Internet, that was a necessity. She decided after her research, correspondence school was going to be the way to finish her degree. North Carolina had plenty of colleges, but the closet one was forty-five minutes away. The thought of driving almost two hours a day nauseated her. It would be nice though, if she found a Panera or Starbucks nearby, heck, even a McDonald’s would suffice. It would give her an opportunity to get out of the house, yet still enable her to work online.

  Upon reaching the Charlotte border, she realized this wasn’t going to happen. She did locate what she was searching for, but it had taken her more than a half-hour to get there. So it would be a wireless card then, and she’d have to find somewhere comfortable to study. She was certain Jordan wouldn’t mind, he probably already had the service for his company anyway.

  Her cell phone rang, startling her. She peered down at the number and smiled. “Hey,” she said cheerfully, hoping not to worry him.

  “Hello, my bride. Did you miss me this morning?” he drawled. She could hear the smile in his voice.

  She lowered her guard. “Yes! It was awful. I was so cold without you. But you will be happy to know, I awoke before seven.”

  “That’s good. Maybe I won’t have to be so persuasive on the weekends.” His voice dripped with seduction. How did he do that?

  She tried to imitate his seductive tone. “Oh, I don’t mind. I rather enjoy your methods of coercion.” Unfortunately, she didn’t have that great southern drawl he did, so she was certain she fell short of sounding alluring.

  He sighed into the phone. “You sidetracked me, Jaynee. I called you for a reason.” His voice lost its seductive tone, actually, he sounded anxious, so maybe it worked a little. “Oh, I remember. I just finished work and was wondering if you would like to meet for lunch and then perhaps swing by my office afterward?”

  She hadn’t realized the time. She forgot he got off at one o’clock only to report to his construction business. “That would be wonderful. I’m actually exploring the area and was just thinking I needed to eat.”

  “Where are you?” He sounded excited to see her too.

  “Um, I’m not sure,” she mumbled, looking around at her surroundings.

  “Jaynee,” he teased, his tone taking on a sarcastic edge. “Just look at your navigation system.”

  She glanced down at the monitor. “Oh…right….I’m on Highway 74 approaching Harris Boulevard.”

  “Excellent! I’m about five minutes from you. There’s a shopping center on your right with a great Mexican restaurant. I’ll meet you there.” He hung up.

  Once again, she thought his decisive, demanding character should irritate her, but somehow she felt awed and strangely comforted by his authoritative nature. He wasn’t overpowering and never seemed severe. He just knew what he wanted and reacted to his wants.

  She saw the restaurant he must have been referring to and pulled in the parking lot. She deb
ated whether to go inside or to wait outside until he arrived. Turning off the ignition, she decided to remain inside the car, knowing he wouldn’t want her standing outside.

  When she saw his truck approach, she couldn’t help but leap out. She had missed him in these few short hours.

  Jordan bounded out of his truck, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, gorgeous as always. He must change out of his uniform at the station. With his long strides, he was in front of her in seconds. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and pulled her face up to meet his. “God, how I missed you.” He kissed her then lowered her feet back down to the pavement. “It was maddening leaving you this morning. I almost called in sick.”

  A surge of pleasure soared through her, so it wasn’t just her. She couldn’t contain the smile that spread across her face. “Good. I missed you too.” Her eyebrows shot up as she took in his face. She reached up and touched the side of his jaw. “What happened? I liked the beard. Not that you don’t look good clean-shaven, but wow…it’s kind of a shocker.”

  “I know, right? I was getting used to it. But it’s not permissible as an officer.” He lowered his head toward her, caressing his smooth face up the line of her jaw. “But there are benefits.”

  Her heart pounded wildly; she wondered if he would ever cease to affect her like this. He reached for her hand and pulled her gently to the restaurant.

  They sat across from each other. His shoulders were too wide to sit next to him in a booth. Besides, she liked looking at him and in return, him looking at her.

  He held her hand across the table, stroking the back of it seductively. “So, what did you do today?” His voice was nonchalant, but interested.

  “Well, I decided every college in this area is too far to drive. So I did some research and found several distance learning schools that look promising. What do you think?”