by M Carr
Jill caressed his face. “Jeanine set me straight while you were in the hospital. I’ve had some time with this. I met with Dr. Bowles. He gave me a short course in the psychology of combat veterans. I think we can handle this together even if I have to do a Bob Mattson on you and hit you with a dart occasionally.” She tried to lighten things up, but her eyes were watering.
“I wish it were that easy.”
“Maybe it will be now. You have plenty of people who value and support you—your family, me, Tina and Jim. We’re all part of a team now.” She got on her knees so she could look him in the eye and put her hands on his shoulders. “You are the bravest, most capable and honest man I’ve ever met. I love you even though you get the shakes sometimes, and it wouldn’t change even if you were missing your whole leg. You’re perfect anyway.”
Jill leaned in and kissed him, and Jake felt himself react to her nearness. Years of tension and frustration melted away as their tongues met. His hands started wandering of their own accord. To have a wife that was a lover and a partner to share all the burdens of life—could there be anything more to want?
“Maybe we should do some ring shopping?” he whispered as his tongue outlined her ear.
“I’m game if you are.” She gasped as his hand slid between her legs.
She heard a noise and realized Brad was heading their way. Jill pulled her blouse straight and grabbed the TV remote.
“Sorry to interrupt.” He limped in with a paper in his hand. “I need a check, and you have to sign so I can start driver’s ed.”
“Get my checkbook and a pen off my desk.” Jake sighed and gave Jill a long-suffering look.
Jill looked at her watch. “I’d better go do evening meds and check on everybody.” She picked up the check.
“Put it in the drawer over there. I’ll invest it in an annuity or something tomorrow,” Jake said.
She waved it at him and said, “Maybe now I’ll pick out a fancier ring.”
“Hey, would you rob my son of a good education?”
“I think he’s part mine now too. I love the way he’s still a little boy in some ways but so grown-up in others.”
“He seems to like you a lot.”
“Yes, for some reason we’ve really hit it off.”
“Between his mother and mine he’s probably delighted to have a sane feminine influence around.”
“Jakob, don’t let your mom hear you say that.”
“Both of them expect him to take care of them. They seem to forget everyone is entitled to be a kid.”
Brad reentered the room. “What are you two talking about?” he asked, handing Jake the form and his checkbook.
“You. As kids go we think you’re a good one.”
“Well, thanks, Dad. You’re pretty OK yourself.”
“Come on, doggies,” Jill called as she headed for the door. Jake watched her go with an entourage of three dogs and two cats following behind.
n Friday, Jill and Jake were supposed to have dinner with Jim and Tina to meet the Maitland parents, but a complicated surgery ran late and they only made it by dessert time. Jake was tired and sore after he had worked most of the day and said very little. Thankfully Brad was talkative enough for everyone.
The Maitlands warmed up to him immediately. He had brought some pictures of his dad pitching baseball and some from Jake’s marine corps days. The tale of the broken ankle was told with a lot of embellishment, as well as Jill’s recent exploits with the shotgun. Everyone wanted to hear Jake’s story about the anthrax terrorists, but he was reluctant to say anything.
Jim walked them through the events until Jake left him on the hillside to meet up with the homeland security people and the FBI. Everyone looked at Jake expectantly.
“Well, I met with Agent Westin and showed him the layout. After he warned them he was coming, they holed up in the barn and the firing started. I remembered the tunnel leading from the house to the barn. Old man Mattson and my grandfather were fishing buddies, so I had been to the lodge a few times as a boy. Westin and I went into the house and through the tunnel into their lab. They blew off the barn door and got the situation under control. I had just climbed out of the tornado shelter when it exploded, and that’s all I remember.”
“How many of their guys did you shoot?” Brad wanted to know.
“That’s not something you should ever brag about, son. Everyone loses when the shooting starts. It’s an evolutionary step backward. A man does it only when there is no other way.”
“But they were bad guys and trying to kill us, weren’t they?”
“Some of them just like chaos and murder, I guess. But most believe that they are doing right. They’ve got some pretty messed up ideas.”
The Maitlands’ estimation of Jake jumped up several levels. Mrs. Maitland was delighted for her daughters. Both seemed to finally be well settled. Neither Jill nor Jake had said anything yet about the change in their status, agreeing not to steal Jim and Tina’s limelight, but the others had their suspicions.
Jake and Jim worked for Jill on Saturday so she and her mother could go with Tina to attend to wedding things with Maggie and Jeanine along to help. Jake met Jill for dinner, and they went shopping for rings. It reminded him that he still hadn’t given her the earrings he had bought the day of their big fight, which now seemed so long ago. He presented them when they got home.
“I was going to give these to you that night at dinner.”
Jill sat on the bed and buried her head in her hands. “Oh, Jake, how can you love me when I was so awful to you? I was so worried we were moving too fast I didn’t give you a chance.” She sighed. “I always try to make logical decisions and wind up making stupid ones instead.”
“We just had a little breakdown in communication. It had been a tough week.”
“For us both. Oh God, I’d better call my Uncle Bernie. I don’t know if he’ll be up to coming to the barbeque, but I would like him to meet you.
The next week went by quickly. Jake was well enough to do some farm calls later in the week. Jim lent him his helper, Dale, and everyone kept reminding him not to lift or strain.
Jim and Tina were getting married on Wednesday, so a reception was planned for the following Saturday. That way the families could all be there. The Maitlands were ecstatic about their daughter’s marriage and even about the baby. Mrs. Maitland declared that Tina never did anything in an orthodox way, so she wasn’t surprised. They had already met Jim and approved. He was just the sort of man they would have picked for their daughter, sensible but tolerant.
On Wednesday everyone rushed to get some essentials taken care of and get to the justice of the peace on time. The ceremony was short but nice. The groom positively beamed, and Tina looked marvelous in the dress she and Jill had picked out in Waterloo. It was a pale gold, off the shoulders, and just below the knee in length and looked good with Tina’s skin coloring. Maggie Brandeis had done her hair with a gold comb and baby’s breath flowers for just the right touch.
They went out to dinner afterward at a restaurant with a party room.
About seven thirty an emergency call came in, a lacerated foreleg at the Thoroughbred farm in Evansdale. Jake made his apologies and turned down Jill’s offer to go with him.
“Your sister just got married, stay and celebrate with her. I’ll take Brad to help me.”
“I guess this sets the tone for us, doesn’t it?”
“Yup. A medical emergency to go with every special occasion. I’ll be back,” he said and gave her rear a quick pat.
When they got home just before eleven, Jill was still up. Brad dragged himself off to his bathroom for a much-needed shower. “I think I want an office job,” he said, wiping some hay off his jeans onto the carpet. The two vets laughed and headed for their bedroom.
“Mom and Dad want you to design a house for them,” Jill said. “They just loved this place. They just loved you too, and Brad. In fact, Mom said that I was finally becoming the sensible adult e
verybody thought I should, whatever that means.”
“It means I fell in love with the right girl.” He put his arm around her. “Jillian, I want you to know that you are the first woman I have ever really loved. I married Caroline out of guilt, and even though I tried to do right by her, I never loved her. Cynthia and I were just…um, friends, no more, at least on my part. I don’t know how I got so lucky as to win someone as wonderful as you.”
“Let’s just say we both lucked out this time and go to bed.”
“I’m not sleepy.”
“I’ll tell you a bedtime story.”
“I have a better idea.”
“I figured you might,” Jill said and dropped her robe, which was all she had on. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”
“Oh, I’m up all right. Just be gentle with me, OK?”
Jill laughed as she took off his shirt and dropped his jeans. For a change she took the lead to give him pleasure.
Brad and SJ counted more than 150 people at the Cullens’ barbeque reception on Saturday. Brad introduced himself as Jake Jr., which caused no end of confusion, and SJ fell in love with one of Jill’s nieces on sight. Jill’s day was complete when she saw her Uncle Bernie walking up. He had brought her some of his wife’s cooking gear and a necklace she had worn.
“It isn’t worth a lot, but Susan loved it.”
“Oh, Uncle Bernie, it’s worth more than diamonds. Every time I wear it I will think of Aunt Susan and how much we love her.”
They both cried a little, then Bernie wished the newlyweds as much happiness as he had enjoyed during his thirty-four years of married life. Jill’s heart ached for the loss he had endured. She watched Jake joking around with his half-brother and Sam and realized that even three months of a good relationship was worth more than years of security with no love.
After the cake was cut and the dancing had started, Jake pulled Jill onto the dance floor. At the end of the same song they had danced to at the bar in Jesup, Jake got down on his good knee and pulled out her ring.
“I’m asking you formally, in front of all these witnesses, if you will marry me, Jillian Lee Maitland?”
“In front of all these witnesses, my answer is yes, Jakob Lars Gundersen.” He slid the ring on her finger, and they were engulfed in a mass of well-wishers for the next twenty minutes. The newlyweds took that opportunity to slip off for their one-night honeymoon in Dubuque. Jim and Jake had worked out the timing so he could slip away with his bride early.
Dave and Emma seemed really pleased as their turn came for congratulations.
“You know,” said Emma, “Dave feels like he’s made some great accomplishment here.”
“What do you mean?” Jill asked.
“Well, when he looked for Ellen’s replacement, he passed over several very good male candidates for the job. He selected you for the first interview because he thought you and Jake would hit it off.”
“I guess I never had a chance.” Jill laughed up at her fiancé. “Fate just kept pushing me into his arms.”
“And these arms aren’t letting go.” Jake embraced her.
It was a small group that Sunday, just the immediate family and their offspring. For once, they actually fit at the dining table.
Ida and Sigrid had a little surprise cooked up for the new couple.
“I have not always been a good mother to you, Jakob.” Ida held up her hand when Jake was about to protest. “No, I have never been good with small children and left you to your grandfather and our dear, overworked Jeanine. Then I let you go off and join the marines when I could have helped you through college, but I spent the money paying for your Papa’s legal troubles. My momma and papa have left me enough money to buy a place of my own. I have decided to buy the cottage Jill has been living in, so I am turning over my share of the farm to you.”
“Ma, I don’t know what to say. I hope we haven’t chased you off. We certainly didn’t mean too. You are always welcome and will always have a place here.”
“I know, dear, but also I will have a place of my own for the first time. This house belonged to Lars and Kay. Nels and I never had our own. After letting others do for me always, it feels so good to be independent.”
“Then I’m happy for you,” Jake said, hugging his mother.
Two weeks after the barbeque, Jake was pretty much back to full strength. And then the epidemic hit. It had been wet the previous two months and cases of Potomac horse fever were cropping up all over the area. Jill finished the clinic appointments at four thirty and took the small truck to help Jake out. They didn’t end their workday until after nine. Jim mercifully took the call for them and had to cover two emergencies himself.
For the next week, Jake left early for some follow-ups before his regularly scheduled stops and worked late to keep up. It was after lunch on a Tuesday when Jeanine called to make a change in his itinerary. He was on some calls in the Fairbank area.
“Your next stop called. He won’t be back until four, kid emergency. Why don’t you do the pony farm in Fairbank and the neglected Quarter Horses first?”
“I’m closer to the neglect call, I’ll do that one first.”
“I have a note here that no one will be there until three thirty.”
“All the better, Jeanie. I can check them over without losing my temper at the jerk that got them in such bad shape. Maybe I can even call the shelter people to handle the owner confrontation.”
“Call me and let me know what you find there.”
“OK, bye.”
Jake pulled into a farmyard overgrown with weeds. The barn was sagging, and the house was desperate for a coat of paint. Two ratty-looking horses were reaching through a fence trying to get some edible grass. The round bale in the feeder was moldy. The horse’s feet were overgrown, and their ribs were showing through shaggy coats. The vet took a few minutes to regain his composure before getting out of the truck. He hated to see this kind of thing.
He started toward the paddock with his laptop and stopped dead when he saw a black Chevy Cobalt with cyclone tags parked under a tree by the house. It had to be Mirza’s car. Why was he here? Or maybe he had sold his car?
fter recent events, seeing the black car made Jake wary. Jake set the laptop down and moved cautiously toward the noises in the barn. He could smell fresh blood as soon as he entered. Instantly, he was on high alert and backed out of the building, saving his life.
A bullet smacked into the doorframe where he had been standing. The route to the truck was out in the open and the gunman was hidden, so he ran around the north side of the barn and hid in a clump of tall grass.
Anger coursed through his veins. Was this more of the same crap with the anthrax terrorists? It absolutely can’t be Dr. Mirza shooting at me. Can it? What did a man have to do to live a peaceful life? Jake put his cell phone on silent and texted his sister and Halloran with his location and “send help, being shot at.”
“Jakob, you must help me, please.” Mirza’s slurred voice came from the barn. Then there was a scream.
Jake was considering his options when he felt his phone vibrate in answer to his texts. Halloran had sent two words— “en route”—and Jeanine sent back “Holy Shit, calling sheriff.”
The barn boards on the closest side were warped and rotted. Jake was able to peek through and see some of what was happening inside. He could see a dead cow oozing blood not far from where Mirza was tied hanging from the rafters. He was stripped to the waist, and his face and torso were caked with dried blood. Fresh blood was seeping from a newly opened chest wound.
Damn it! If I had my Beretta I could take this guy out and get Jaleel out of there. What do I do? He had no idea how many he was facing or their locations. He could only see one man with his back to him in the barn.
Then he saw the skid loader out back. It looked quite new and had a bale spike attached. Looking out for any gunmen, he crept over and squeezed himself into the cab. It started easily. He raised the spike and put the machine i
n gear. A man popped out of the barn firing an automatic weapon as he came. The lanky vet jumped awkwardly out of the cab as the loader passed a row of rotting round bales, and rolled behind them. The machine rumbled on right through the side of the barn and didn’t stop until the rock Jake had jammed on the pedal slid off.
Jake opened the gate and let the horses out. They thundered off as best they could on split hooves, terrified by the noise. Jake felt guilty knowing there was a good chance they would be shot, but he wanted to cause as much confusion as possible.
He was about to open the gate to the cow pen when he saw the loft ladder and cautiously made his way up. As silently as he could, Jake made his way across until he was directly over Dr. Mirza. He peered down through a hay chute opening and saw no one else. He reached through and sawed the ropes, glad he always kept his knife honed. Mirza fell to the floor, his arms dead from being suspended for a long time.
“Hide,” Jake whispered loudly, trying to get the other to move. There was a noise by the ladder, and he turned in time to see an arm with a rifle attached coming over the edge. He ran to the doorway and stepping on the rifle, kicked the man in the face. His assailant went flying backward. Jake picked up the gun and dispatched the man quickly. Jake could see cars pulling into the drive, but none of them looked like official vehicles.
Now what? He had the high ground and a weapon but no good shooting position. With all the holes in the floor, if he let them reach the barn he would be a sitting duck. Jake ran back to the hay chute and lowered himself to the barn floor. He scooped up his friend and half-carried him out of the hole made by the skid loader and around to the north side of the building and into the tall weeds. They hid behind some rocks that had been piled on the edge of what had been a cultivated field in years past. Car doors slammed in the distance, and voices floated across the farmyard.