The Girlfriend Rescue

by Jenna Brandt

  Kenneth escorted her across the rest of the campus and guided her into a large building. They climbed the stairs to the second floor and headed to the end of the hallway.

  “His room is this one,” Kenneth said, stopping in front of the second to the last door. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “It was nice meeting you, too,” she said, right before he swiveled around and sauntered off back down the hall.

  Deanna turned to the door and knocked. A few seconds later, she heard the pattering of little paws, followed by footsteps. The door swung open to reveal Ted and Titan on the other side.

  He looked shocked to see her. He blinked several times before he stammered out, “What…what are you doing here?”

  “I came for a visit,” she said, giving him a smile she hoped would convince him to be happy about it.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” he asked, raising his arm and running his hand through his brown hair.

  “I wanted it to be a surprise.” Glancing past him, she asked, “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  He stepped back, causing Titan to move further back as well. “Sure, come on in.”

  She entered and followed behind him. There was a living room and the further back two doors she assumed led to the bedroom and bathroom. It wasn’t a huge space, but still nice.

  “So, this is where you’re living? It looked bigger on video.”

  “I don’t need much,” Ted said, gesturing to the couch in the living area. “Why don’t you take a seat while I grab us a couple of waters.”

  Deanna did as he suggested. She looked around, trying to distract herself from his less than stellar welcome. In her mind, when she pictured seeing him for the first time since he left, she thought he would grab her and pull her into a huge hug. What she didn’t expect was for him to seem bothered by her arrival.

  Ted came back into the room and handed her a bottle of water. “Here you go.” He took a seat down next to her on the couch.

  “You don’t seem happy to see me.”

  “It’s not that,” he said, shaking his head. “I just have a lot on my plate with the academy. I was planning on studying this weekend so I’m ready for next week’s exercises for natural disaster training. I haven’t had a lot of experience with earthquake searches.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to distract you from what you need to do. If you need me to leave, I can do that,” Deanna said, trying to hide her disappointment.

  Ted let out a heavy sigh. “You came all this way. It would be a shame to send you back now.” He reached out and pulled her towards him. “I’m sorry about my reaction. I am happy to see you.”

  It felt good to be in Ted’s arms again. She had missed it. When his lips came down to meet hers, it was like putting on her favorite sweater: warm and familiar. She let herself melt into his arms, enjoying his embrace and how secure it made her feel.

  She felt the wet nose of Titan nuzzle between them, breaking the moment. Deanna pulled back and laughed. “What, boy, did you miss me, too?”

  He barked as if to answer her, wagging his tail.

  “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ve missed you, too,” she said, reaching out and rubbing him between the ears.

  “I could stay here and kiss you all day, but I have to admit, I’m starving. I haven’t left the DCSRA facility since I arrived. We could go explore some if you’re up for it?”

  She nodded. “I’d like that.”

  “Let me go throw on some jeans and a button-up,” he said, gesturing to his black sweats and white t-shirt.

  “That’s fine. I’ll just spend some time with Titan until you come back.”

  Ted disappeared into one of the other rooms and Deanna turned her attention to his partner. “How have you been, boy? Do you like it here?”

  He barked again, wagging his tail even more quickly. Deanna wasn’t sure if she liked the fact that it seemed both of them were comfortable here. If that was the case, it would mean that Ted would be more likely to stay. She knew she shouldn’t want him to be miserable, but if he was, it would mean he would return home to Clear Mountain. The longer he stayed at the academy and got used to it, the less likely it would be that he would ever leave.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Ted said, gesturing for them to head out of the dorms.

  The trio made their way to his truck where Ted put Titan into his kennel in the back. They took off down the highway but were only on it for a few minutes before they turned onto a two-lane road.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Some of the instructors mentioned this nearby small town called Wilmont. It’s supposed to be right out of a Hallmark movie. I know how much you love those and figured we could head over there.”

  “Really? That sounds amazing,” Deanna said, clapping her hands together in excited anticipation. “I can’t wait.”

  They were only on the road for about fifteen more minutes before buildings started coming into view. There was a cute wooden sign that read, “Welcome to Wilmont, Where Everyone is Family.”

  As they rambled down Main Street, Deanna couldn’t help but fall in love with the small town. True to the description, it looked just like a Hallmark movie with vintage brick buildings, benches and flower pots that dotted the sides of the street, and even a town square with a white gazebo. She saw a coffee shop with the name, The Perfect Blend, in bold letters across the top. “Stop the truck! We have to go there,” she exclaimed. “I bet you they have the best coffee.”

  Ted found a nearby parking space along the street. They climbed out of the truck, grabbed Titan, and made their way over to the coffee shop. They entered the adorable little shop that was filled with homemade baked goods and the most delicious smell of freshly brewing coffee. A friendly barista took their order, and a few minutes later, they took their coffee and pastries to a back corner table.

  Deanna handed Titan his doggie treat before settling into her chair to enjoy her own. “This place is great. I mean, I like Superior Coffee, but if we had this place in Clear Mountain, I would definitely be going there.”

  “It is nice,” Ted conceded, “and the coffee’s great.”

  They finished their drinks then headed out. They walked arm-in-arm down the street with Titan beside them. There was an adorable little gift shop at the corner called, The Garden Shed, which looked like it used to be an old cottage that had been converted into a storefront. Deanna decided they should go in. The shop was filled with all sorts of trinkets including hats and scarves, wind chimes and garden signs, writing pens and notepads, pots of herbs and bottles of essential oils, plus various other odds and ends. They wove their way through the different sections, picking up items and looking at them. At the very back, there was another sign that read, Enter our Garden.

  To Deanna’s complete awe, they stepped into what could only be described as a fairytale land filled with wonder. Each area was themed after famous stories. There were several sections including Mermaid Cove, Alice’s Tea Party, Hogwarts’ Castle, Snow White’s Cottage, Narnia, and Fairy Land with quotes written on wooden signs, figurines from the stories, and whimsical benches to sit and enjoy the experience.

  “I can’t believe how amazing this place is,” Deanna marveled. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”

  “I love watching you take all of this in,” Ted said with a grin. He reached out and pulled her towards him. “You look like a child opening a present for the first time. I have to say, it’s really appealing.”

  There were strings of lights twinkling above them, and she felt his arms grab her around the waist. He dipped his head down and claimed her lips with his own. Her hands moved up and wrapped around his neck as he deepened the kiss. The moment was perfect, and Deanna couldn’t be happier.

  Titan’s ferocious barking interrupted their kiss, pulling their attention towards him. A squirrel had darted up a nearby tree and was causing him to go crazy with excitement underneath it.

  “It’s okay, boy, it’s just a squirrel,
” Ted said, pulling on his leash in an attempt to calm his K9 partner. “Just calm down.” Glancing around, Ted whispered, “I think we should get out of here before we make a bigger scene.”

  Deanna nodded. “You ready for dinner?”

  “You know me; I can always eat,” he teased with a wink. “I heard that there’s a great café just around the corner.”

  They made their way over and asked to be seated on the patio so Titan wouldn’t bother anyone inside. The server came and took their order, then they were left on their own.

  “This has been a really nice day,” Deanna said. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

  “You know, once I graduate from the academy and get the permanent spot on the DCSR team, we might want to think about you moving here. Could you see yourself living in this place?”

  “I don’t know. I really love my life in Clear Mountain. I’ve never thought about moving anywhere else.”

  “Well, you might need to if we want to make this work,” Ted pointed out. “Can you at least start thinking about the possibility of it?”

  Deanna nodded. “I can do that.”

  “After dinner, we’ll have to head back to the academy though. We have a strict eight o’clock curfew.”

  “I totally understand. I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

  “Where are you staying tonight?”

  “I got a room in Dallas. I knew you were staying in the dorms, and figured I’d need a place to stay.”

  He nodded. “What time is your flight back tomorrow?”

  “I have one booked for three. I need to get back in time to get ready for work and figured you would have to get ready for your second week at the academy. I looked up churches online, and there’s one I wanted to check out near my hotel. Care to join me in the morning?”

  She could tell he was debating. After a moment, he nodded. “Sure, I think I can manage that. Just text me the address and time.”

  They finished the rest of their time in Wilmont before heading back to the academy. They said their goodbyes before Deanna left to go to the hotel. On her drive there, she wondered what it would be like if she did move here. How much would she miss her friends? Her church? Her job? Could she be happy without all those things in her life? Was Ted important enough to her to give all of it up to be with him? She didn’t have any of the answers and wasn’t sure when she would.

  That night in bed, she found herself asking God to help her determine the path her life was supposed to be on. She wasn’t sure what direction she was supposed to go, but she knew she couldn’t figure it out on her own.

  The next morning, Ted met her at the church just like he promised. It was another Assembly of God church. It was very different than the one they attended in Clear Mountain; traditional in both the style of music and attire. It wouldn’t be a place she would frequent, but she did appreciate the pastor’s message about hope and love.

  Afterward, Ted suggested they go to lunch before she had to return her rental car and head to the airport. They found a quiet little bistro only a couple of blocks away.

  They asked the hostess to seat them at a back table where they could have some privacy.

  “It’s been nice spending time with you,” Ted admitted. “I’m going to miss you when you’re gone.”

  “I know. I don’t want to go. It stinks we both have work tomorrow.”

  He nodded, reaching out and squeezing her hand across the table. “I wish we had more time together.”

  “Let’s just enjoy what we have.”

  The spent their last hour together enjoying their meal and talking about everyone back in Clear Mountain. Deanna asked a couple of questions about the academy and Ted’s instructors. The time went by fast, and before she knew it, they were leaving the restaurant.

  As they stood by their vehicles, she could tell Ted didn’t want to say goodbye. He was shifting his stance from one leg to the other.

  Deanna reached out and placed her hand on the side of his face. “It’s okay, Ted. I know this is hard. I hate saying goodbye, too.”

  “I really like having you here. It’s going to be hard adjusting to you being gone again.”

  “We just have to make the best of the current situation. It won’t be forever.”

  Ted placed his hand on hers. “I hope not. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He pulled her in a final time, letting his lips move down to hers in a final farewell. This kiss wasn’t like the rest. It was filled with sadness and regret. Neither of them wanted to say goodbye, but they knew they had to.

  “Text me and let me know you got home safely,” Ted said, helping her into the car. “I don’t care how late it is. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  She nodded. “Will do. In the meantime, go study so you can make me proud.”

  As she drove off, she watched Ted in her rearview mirror. He was on the edge of the street with his hands pushed into his khaki pants pockets, his head hung low. His dejected figure would be the last thing she saw before he drifted out of sight. It wasn’t the way she wanted to remember him, but it seemed it was all she was going to have to keep her going until she was lucky enough to see him again.

  7

  It had been a long weekend, and Ted was paying the price for it. He couldn’t keep his focus on the task at hand and found himself searching the same areas over and over. It resulted in him finding the least amount of rescue dummies in the group.

  “What is going on with you, Trainee? Was Griffin right about you? Are you going to wash out?” Dixon asked with disgust. “I thought you would at least stay in the middle of the pack, but this performance is less than dismal. I can’t even look at you right now.”

  “I’m going to be really mad if I end up having to buy Instructor Griffin a night of drinks because you decided to play around with your girlfriend all weekend rather than study the new techniques and rest up,” Bilmont said with a shake of his head.

  “You know about that?” Ted asked with apprehension.

  “We told you, trainee, we see everything,” Griffin said with a stern voice. “Of course, we know about your little redheaded girlfriend making a surprise visit this past weekend. My colleagues think it explains why you’re doing so bad today, but I think it’s because your luck ran out. I think you don’t have the skills to keep up with the rest of your fellow trainees, and your lack of true experience is finally shining through.”

  “I still think you can pull it together and turn this around,” Bilmont said in an encouraging voice. “You just need to make sure you don’t let your personal life get in the way of your time here at the academy. This is the most important time in your career, your life, and you can’t let anything get in your way.”

  “Not even a smoking hot firecracker like that looker of yours,” Dixon added. “She’s enough to distract any man, which is why you need to make sure she’s not sniffing around here anymore. Don’t disappoint us, trainee.”

  Ted knew they were right. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Deanna’s feelings and tell her it had been a mistake for her to come to the academy. The truth was though, he was paying for trying to make her happy rather than putting his career first. This wasn’t the place to mess up, and he needed to stop worrying about anything other than graduating at the top of his class.

  Next time he talked to Deanna he was going to have to tell her in no uncertain terms, she couldn’t come see him anymore. If he let her distract him again, he might not get the position with the team. He didn’t have a fallback plan. So if this didn’t work out, he wasn’t sure what was going to happen to him and Titan.

  “I understand,” Ted said to his instructors. “I won’t let it happen again.”

  “Good; get back to work,” Griffin said, gesturing towards the urban rubble setting they were searching.

  Ted and Titan finished out the rest of the session with a lackluster performance. They managed to squeeze in one more rescue, but it wasn’t nearly enough to even qualify as a decent day. If they k
ept this up, he knew they wouldn’t be getting the job at the end of his training.

  Afterward, Ted headed back to his dorm. Before he made it into the building though, he saw Adam coming down the sidewalk. He didn’t have a smile on his face, which made Ted wonder if he heard about Deanna’s visit. If that was the case, was he angry with Ted? His friend had gone out on a limb for him and recommended him for the DCSRA position. If Ted didn’t measure up, it would be a direct reflection on Adam.

  Ted debated about dodging interacting with him by going in the opposite direction. Even though he could get away with it, he didn’t want to do that to his friend. If Adam was upset with him, Ted would just have to take his scolding. He deserved it after all.

  “How did today go?” Adam asked with a worried look on his face.

  “Not as good as I would have liked,” Ted admitted.

  Adam seemed to be scanning him. “You look tired.”

  “I am. Exhausted actually. And before you start in on me, too, I know it was stupid to let Deanna distract me all weekend.”

  “I wasn’t going to put it that way exactly. I was simply going to tell you that you might want to manage your time better. If she cares about you, she should understand how important this is to you.”

  “I know. She just traveled all this way and wanted to surprise me. I didn’t have the heart to turn her away.”

  “You’re a good guy who cares about people, Ted. It’s one of things I like most about you. I’m going to let you in on an important secret about the academy though. This is the one place where you have to put yourself first. You have to push everything else aside and focus on your performance here. If you don’t, if you let outside distractions cause you to lose focus, you will end up failing out or underperforming. You can’t afford to do either one. I nearly did that to myself by being distracted by Clara. It nearly tanked my time here. I don’t want you to make a similar mistake by letting your relationship with Deanna interfere with your chance to join the DCSR team.”