Could he find another, more stable job? Did he even want to? He’d never been in love before. Was this love? This crazy, mixed up feeling like he was splitting in multiple directions?
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jake striding toward him. As his brother reached the treadmill, J.T. could immediately see that something was wrong. Jake’s face was pale and there was a grim set to his mouth. He pressed the speed button on the treadmill’s console to slow his pace.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he wrapped his fingers around the handle on the console and adjusted his stride to a fast walk.
Jake hit the stop button and the belt slowed to a stop. J.T. straddled the sides of the treadmill and grabbed his towel.
“Come with me,” Jake said, and turned headed for his office.
J.T. mopped his sweaty brow with his towel, turned off Metallica and followed his brother.
“Close the door,” Jake instructed as J.T. entered his office. J.T. closed the door as Jake pointed to the small flat panel television mounted in the upper corner of his room. “I was doing paperwork when the local news interrupted the basketball game with a breaking story. It’s a shooting.”
“Where?” J.T. asked, and then read the caption at the bottom of the screen. “That’s downtown,” he said, as he recognized the cross streets.
“The news guy said shots were fired inside Mom’s café.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Jake turned off the television. “We need to get to the hospital right now. They’ve reported that several customers were shot. A woman is dead.”
J.T.’s gut twisted as felt the blood drain from his face. “Is it Mom?” he asked hoarsely.
“They’re not saying.” Jake faced him calmly. Jake was always calm in a crisis. “I talked to Mom a little while ago. She opened the café today because she’d given her staff the day off.” He paused. “She told me Angie was going to stop by and drop off some baked goods.” Sick fear coiled in the pit of J.T.’s stomach as Jake opened his desk drawer and pulled out his keys. “My assistant manager is going to take over for me.” Jake shoved the drawer closed. “I’ll drive.”
By the time he and Jake burst into the emergency room at Sutter Hospital, several scenarios had played through J.T.’s mind and none of them were good. One of two women he loved could be dead and the thought of living without either of them was like a knife in his heart.
Before he and Jake made it to the front desk, J.T. heard his name and turned to find Justin limping toward them. Both he and Jake quickly crossed the distance between them.
“Is Mom okay?” Jake asked as they halted in front of their brother.
“Was Angie there?” J.T. demanded, and then noticed the blood on Justin’s fleece jacket. “Were you shot?” he asked, then realized it was a stupid question. If his brother had been shot he wouldn’t be standing in the waiting room talking to them.
“No.” Justin looked at Jake. “And other than some cuts from the broken glass, Mom is fine. A doctor is with her right now. She’ll be able to go home soon. Dad is on his way to the hospital.”
“They said a woman was killed.” J.T. gulped in some air and tried to calm the pounding of his heart. “Was it Angie?”
Justin put his hand on his arm and looked him in the eyes. A wave of sheer black fright ripped through J.T.’s body and for a moment he thought he might collapse. Not Angie. Please, God. Not Angie.
“Angie was shot,” Justin said in a low controlled voice.
Tears blurred J.T.’s vision as Jake put a steadying hand on J.T.’s shoulder. “No,” he whispered, and closed his eyes as anguish threatened to overtake him.
“She’s not the woman who died,” Justin said quickly. “It was one of Mom’s customers.”
J.T. exhaled. Someone had died today and her family and friends would be devastated. But he couldn’t deny that he was overjoyed it wasn’t Angie. “I want to see her. I have to see with my own eyes that she’s all right.”
“You can’t,” Justin said, in a voice that brooked no argument. “They’re still treating her.” His implacable gaze softened a bit. “One of the bullets grazed her upper arm. I’m pretty sure it’s just a flesh wound, but they have to check to make sure the baby’s okay. When the shooting started, I was pretty rough with her. I pushed her to the floor behind the counter.”
“She was lucky you were there,” Jake said. “You saved her life.”
“Actually, I may have almost gotten her and Mom killed.” A muscled ticked in Justin’s jaw. “The shooters might have been after me. I think they were part of that auto-theft ring I investigated a while back. One of them looked familiar.”
“Are you saying they made you as a cop?” J.T. asked.
“I don’t know for sure.” Justin released J.T.’s arm and took a step back. By the steely look in his eyes it was obvious he had transitioned into cop mode. “Now that you two are here I’m going back to the crime scene. I need to talk to the lead detective and give him a detailed description of the shooters. I’ll check in with you later.”
Forty minutes later, J.T.’s patience was stretched to the max. Jake and his father noticed and had gone to the cafeteria to get him some coffee.
“They said it wouldn’t be much longer,” he muttered, and leaned back in the chair he’d been occupying ever since the E.R. nurse had updated him on Angie’s condition. Did she think that telling him that Angie was in stable condition made him any less anxious? He wouldn’t feel better until he could see her, touch her and talk to her. Nothing was more important—not even baseball. If he had to choose between his career and Angie, he no longer had any doubt what that choice would be. Not after what had happened today.
“Be patient.” His mother reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “There was a bad car accident around the time we were brought in. It’s busy back there.”
“Were you scared?” J.T. turned his head and met her solemn gaze.
“Petrified,” she admitted with a nod.
J.T. was thankful that the small bandages on his mother’s cheeks and forehead were the only visible signs of what had happened to her today. But he couldn’t help but wonder how it would affect her emotionally. She was a strong woman, but this morning one of her customers had died and her business had been demolished by bullets. Would she ever feel safe again?
“I know I don’t say it nearly enough, but I love you, Mom.”
Her eyes filled with moisture and her chin trembled. “I love you too, son.” She lifted her other hand to wipe her eyes and then smiled through her tears. “You know, there’s someone else who needs to hear those words from you.”
J.T. nodded. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you really believe in love at first sight?”
“Yes.” She squeezed his hand again. “And I think you do too.”
* * *
“The baby’s heartbeat is strong.”
Angie looked at the monitor and then at the emergency room doctor who been assigned to her when she was brought in. “Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing wrong with the baby?” she asked, and winced as she put a hand to her stomach. It turned out gunshot wounds, even flesh wounds, hurt like the devil. Who knew?
“The baby is fine. I’ve notified your ob-gyn. She’s in the hospital doing rounds and will come by and see you before you’re released.” The bespectacled brunette doctor, who didn’t look much older than Angie, made a note in the chart and then clasped it to her chest. “Your husband is in the waiting room and he’s anxious to see you. I’m going to send him in if you’re up to it.”
“I’m up to it.” Angie managed a smile and then stared at the fetal monitor after the doctor left the room. The baby’s heartbeat was strong and steady—a miracle after what had happened this morning. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the pillow and said a silent prayer for the family of the woman who had died today. Angie didn’t know her name, but unlike Terri, the sw
eet woman Angie spoke to just before all hell broke loose, she hadn’t been lucky enough to survive.
How many times in the past few years had she seen this exact scenario play out on the news? Some mentally ill individual or someone with an ax to grind, somehow managed to get their hands on a gun or an assault rifle, and then they’d walk into a store, a classroom or onto a college campus with apparent ease and cold-bloodedly kill innocent men, women and children. Never in her wildest imagination had Angie believed it would happen to her, but it had. And it was terrifying.
Lost in thought, Angie wasn’t aware J.T. had entered the small cubicle until he touched her hand. Startled, she opened her eyes and found him gazing down at her with such tenderness that her heart constricted. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Lucky to be alive,” she said, and then bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. “How’s your mom?”
He looked around for a chair, but there wasn’t one—only a low stool with wheels on it. He rolled it close to the bed and sat down beside her. “Physically, she’s fine. Just a few cuts and bruises.” He took her hand and twined his fingers with hers. “Mentally, I’m not sure yet.”
“I feel like I’m in shock,” Angie admitted. “I’m sure she must feel that way too.”
J.T. looked at the fetal monitor and then back at her. “The doctor told me that the baby is fine. And that once your arm heals, you will be too.”
“I want to go home,” she whispered as her eyes filled with moisture and then, to her mortification, tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to brush them away. Sure, he’d take her home. But would he stay? She didn’t think she could bear spending one more night without him by her side.
“You wouldn’t be in here if it wasn’t for me. This—what happened to you today—is my fault and I’m sorry, Angie.” The faint tremor in his voice was echoed by the genuine remorse she saw in his eyes. Her heart clenched. “I’m so sorry.”
Angie frowned. “It’s not your fault those two guys—whoever they were—decided to carry out their lunatic plan at your mom’s café. You had nothing to do with it.”
“But it was my fault that I left you alone. Not only today. But on Christmas.” He blew out a breath. “If I’d stayed when you asked me to, none of this would have happened,” He broke off and shook his head in disgust. “The truth is I was a selfish jerk. I was thinking of myself when I should have been thinking of you.”
J.T. lifted her hand. His mouth was warm against her skin as he tenderly kissed her palm. “Today took nearly ten years off my life. I didn’t know whether you were dead or alive, and the thought that the last words I spoke to you were so cold gutted me. You told me you loved me and I brushed it off like it didn’t matter.” His eyes softened as he searched her face. “But it does matter. Because I love you, Angie. I love you so damn much, and I can’t live without you.” He gently squeezed her hand. “I want to make this marriage work. Please tell me you still want that too.”
Fresh tears filled Angie’s eyes as happiness overflowed her soul. They spilled down her cheeks unchecked until J.T. used his other hand to wipe them away. “I was so scared,” she said in a choked voice. “I thought I was going to die and…and in that moment I knew that the only thing that mattered to me was you and our daughter. I love you, J.T., and all I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. We can find a way to make our marriage and your career work. I know we can.”
“My career isn’t important.” J.T. brushed his thumb over one still-damp cheek. “I found that out today. The most important thing is family. I lost sight of that on Christmas Eve. Can you forgive me?”
She sniffed and nodded. “Yes. Other than Christmas Eve, you’ve never been a jerk.”
J.T.’s eyes widened and then he laughed. “So I’ve built up some good will. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” she replied with a grin.
“There’s one more thing.” He moved his hand to her forehead to brush her hair from her temple. “My motives for marrying you weren’t as altruistic as I initially led you to believe. It wasn’t just about the baby. I saw a way to keep you in my life and I took it. I couldn’t even admit it to myself until a few days ago.” He gave her a rueful smile. “I’ve always scoffed at my mother’s belief in love at first sight. I didn’t think it was possible, but then you came along and proved her right.”
“And you proved that all my assumptions about ballplayers were wrong.” She grimaced as she remembered how that belief had kept her from acknowledging her feelings for him. “And even though I didn’t want to admit it at the time, I knew you would have helped me whether or not we’d gotten married. That’s the kind of man you are. One of the good ones.”
He cocked his head and grinned. “Jake has this off-the-wall theory that I subconsciously forgot the condom so I would get you pregnant.”
Angie burst out laughing. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Isn’t it?” J.T. said, and then narrowed his eyes. “Wait a minute. If you knew I would help you whether or not we got married, why did you come up with that counteroffer?”
“I don’t know.” She cast him a sly smile. “Maybe I had some subconscious motives of my own going on. Or maybe we should just ask Jake. He seems to know more about our feelings than we do.”
J.T. returned her smile and lowered his gaze to her neck. “I see you opened your Christmas present.”
Angie’s cheeks warmed as he let go of her hand to touch the aquamarine pendent nestled at the hollow of her throat.
“Busted,” she said with a grin. “It’s beautiful and I love it. When we get home I’ll give you your present.”
“You already have,” he said huskily, and slid his hand to her stomach. The love shining in his eyes caused Angie’s heart to soar with happiness. “And it’s the greatest gift of all.” He leaned forward to kiss her and just then the baby kicked. Hard. As she gasped, J.T. pulled back and stared at her stomach with undisguised awe. “She kicked. I felt it this time.”
Angie smiled and lifted her hand to cup his neck. His soft hair tickled her fingers as she caressed his nape. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? We made a baby.”
J.T. lifted his gaze to hers and then inched closer so that his lips were almost touching hers. “We made more than that,” he whispered against her mouth. “We made a family.”
Epilogue
Early April
Angie folded her arms atop her protruding belly and watched as the World Series Championship banner was hoisted to the top of a flagpole deep in centerfield. On the Blaze diamond, under a clear blue sky, each and every Blaze player who had been on the team last season had just received their World Series ring. It was opening day against their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, but before the new season officially began, homage was happily, and reverently, being paid to the previous one.
Around her, jubilant fans were standing and cheering loudly. Angie would have been standing with them—if it wasn’t two weeks before her due date. Everyone, including Kelly, who was sitting beside her in a show of solidarity, thought she was crazy to attend a baseball game when there was a possibility she could give birth at any time. But there was no way she was going to miss seeing the team raise their first championship flag.
She held no ill-will toward the Blaze organization. Being laid off had turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. Okay, maybe the second best thing. From her seat in the first row just behind the Blaze dugout, Angie’s gaze rested on J.T., who stood next to Matt along the baseline between third base and home plate.
The past three months had been hectic. With J.T. reporting to training camp in mid-February, they’d spent as much time together as they could until he left. During their emotional goodbye, they’d agreed that next season—when she could fly again—they’d find an apartment nearby so they could be together during spring training.
Before J.T. left for Scottsdale, they’d transformed the bedr
oom she’d occupied when she first moved into his house into a nursery. With its soft lilac colored walls and white furniture, all it needed was for their daughter to arrive to make it complete.
Baby girl Sawyer still didn’t have a name. Angie and J.T. had narrowed it down to two and then decided that they’d choose the name when they saw her for the first time. Of course, both names started with a J. How could she go against generations of Sawyer tradition? Her only request was that she got to choose their daughter’s middle name. That name had never been in question.
“Please don’t go into labor during the next three hours,” Kelly said, as the players trotted off the field and into the dugout. “I don’t know nothin’ about birthin’ no babies,” she added in a fake Southern accent.
Angie laughed. “I’ll try, but it’s not my decision.” She rubbed her huge belly. “It’s hers.”
“We’ve always got a paramedic team on-call during games, so if you need to get to a hospital we can get you there pretty quickly.”
“Good to know,” Angie said, and smiled when she saw the hot dog vendor a few rows up. “I’m starving. Can you flag him over?”
An inning later, Angie felt the familiar pressure on her bladder and began to regret her insistence on attending the game. Lately she had to go to the bathroom at least once an hour. Why hadn’t she thought of that before now?
“I need to use the restroom,” she said, and put her hands on the armrests to hoist herself out of her seat.
“I’ll help you,” Kelly said quickly, and put her beer into the cup holder before standing up.
With Kelly’s assistance, Angie got to her feet and then felt a weird popping sensation between her legs. She gasped as warm fluid wet her underwear. “What?” Kelly stared at her with concerned eyes.
“I’m not sure, but I think my water just broke,” Angie said in a low voice. Either that or she had just peed her pants. But who wanted to say that aloud?
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kelly exclaimed so loudly that nearby fans turned to look at them. Kelly’s penchant for swearing usually took people by surprise. “The baby’s coming now?”
Catching Heat Page 27