19. Jumped

19

JUMPED

LIVVIE

B eep. Beep. Beep.

I moaned and tried to speak, but nothing came out of my dry mouth. My eyelids fluttered open to a bright room, the smell of strong cleaning agents hitting me like smelling salts, forcing me awake.

“There she is.” Blake’s caring face came in to view above me, his vocal tone softer and calmer this time. “I love you, Olivia.” He kissed my forehead.

“Water,” I squeaked like a mouse.

“Can you tell the doctor she’s awake?” He asked someone. “Here, sweet pea. Latch onto the straw.”

I drank while touring my eyes around the hospital room. No sign of our son in sight. Just Blake and Robbie.

I turned away from the water and peered down. I was connect to a machine, beeping to the pace of my heart, and to an IV drip. They had a sling wrapped around my neck and under my arm. The last thing I could recall was covering River’s body with mine… And Tori’s brave eyes were on the floor across from me. Everything before that came back as well, but nothing after the gunshots, flooding me with questions.

“What happened? How did you find me? Where’s River?”

“First and most importantly, our son is with my sisters at my house, and I’m sure getting plenty spoiled. They’ll bring him by to see you tonight. My mother dropped everything the minute I called her and should arrive soon from Nashville as well. She can’t wait to meet you both. You just got out of surgery, so there was no sense having River here waiting; you know how energetic he can be. “

“Thank you. Good.”

“Do you recall getting shot?” Blake said.

“No. That’s a blessing, I think, because I’m sure it was painful.”

“Scared River though. Your blood covered him and his costume, but I think he’ll be okay. My sisters gave him a bath, and I’ve already ordered a new costume online. Kipp tells me kids are resilient that way. And whatever any of us need, a mental health professional or someone to help us recover from this trauma, I’ll make sure we get it. We’re going to be fine together, Olivia. We’ll get through this.” He brought my hand to his lips, kissing each knuckle.

“How are Tori and Porsche?”

“Unscathed by bullets, at least.”

“What a relief.” I sent a prayer of thanks up above. Especially for my River. I didn’t know what I would have done if he’d gotten shot. “Spence told me about their situation here. Who they were hiding from. But don’t worry, their secrets are safe with me.” Only the details of their assumed names and fake marriage while in hiding here added a dozen more questions to my already crowded brain. “What will happen to them now?”

“They’re with Nate and talking with some friends of Robbie’s in the FBI. People who we think we can trust to help them. They feel bad for bringing such turmoil to the town, and—keep this to yourself—they are giving serious consideration to entering witness protection while they wait to testify at a trial. Nate, too. He’d go with them. They’re a family now, and no matter where they end up, Nate will protect them.”

I stared off a moment, taking it all in. From what the two women said in the cabin, they seemed very much in love with him. I could only wish them well.

Blake leaned over and softly brushed my lips. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I think I’m in shock. How did you even find us?”

He chewed his cheek. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest before we get into all of this? Your body has been through so much.”

“Tell me, please. If it gets to be too much, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, but don’t be mad. I did what I did with the purest of intentions to keep our child safe. Before the party, I slipped a tracking device in his shoe that connected to an app on my phone. Kipp told me about it because with three kids things could get hectic for him and Tracy when they were out somewhere. I worried about losing River, especially after the first day at the rest stop with our little mischief maker, and being a new dad and all. I didn’t want to lose him now that I had him. So Kipp gave me one of those devices. I just forgot to tell you, sweet pea, although I should have asked you in the first place.”

He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. I weakly squeezed my reassurance back, too tired for anything more.

“But I’m glad I hid it in his shoe. Because it’s that tracking device that led me right to you both, and to Tori and Porsche, too. Without it… I don’t even want to think what might have happened to you. You and River recently came into my life. I can’t lose you two now.”

“This guy has been by your side or waiting all day. Nothing could have driven him away.” Robbie entered the room, and slapped Blake’s back. “He was worried sick about you. The doc will be here in a few.”

I thought about what Blake did—and tried not to think about what would have happened if there wasn’t a tracker in our son’s shoe. “Hard to get upset about it in hindsight, knowing what we know now. But yes. I would like you to consult with me about all things regarding River.”

“We’re a team, sweet pea. I get it now. Trust me. I’ve learned a lot about being a team player lately.” He and Robbie shared a loaded glance.

“When we figured out that Spence was involved, that he’d been playing both sides of the law, we moved quickly, calling in reinforcements to help us catch Bottesta and Spence, and all his men outside the cabin,” Robbie said and took a seat opposite Blake.

“Knowing you and River were inside it, though, killed me. You have no idea how badly I wanted to run in and save you two, cover you both with my own body and take the bullet for you.” He wiped a palm over his eyes and sniffled.

“Your warning helped, though. I covered River the best I could.” I took in a deep, shaky breath and expelled it, releasing tensions there.

“I knew you would. Because you’re not only a fierce Mama Bear, but a protective one, too. Be prepared, because now River thinks he has two heroes for parents.”

“I don’t feel like one. Far from it.”

“You are to me. You brave woman. Anymore questions?” He asked. If I had some, I forgot them, lost from pure exhaustion. I shook my head. This had been a lot. “Because I have a question for you. If you’re up for it.”

I shrugged my good shoulder and waited. He brought a chair closer and sat, his face level with mine mere inches away.

“When the EMTs split your shirt with scissors to work on you, I saw the scar on your other shoulder blade. I’m guessing that’s why you wanted to keep your top on when we were together at my house?”

There was no more denying, no more covering up or deflecting. Time to come clean, let the pieces fall where they may. As tired as I was right now, the idea of hiding my past away any longer anguished me. I lowered my eyes.

“Yes. One night, my brother Ward and I fought. He pushed me and I landed on the hot stove?—”

“I know all about it. Once Spence was arrested, he started singing like a bird. And, thanks to Nancy, she and I talked for a long time while you were in surgery. I finally convinced her to tell me everything because I was furious someone had done that to you.

“I cannot believe she told you.”

“She’s still in the waiting room, in fact, worried about you. She shared your past with me, how difficult things were with your brothers and father after your mom passed away. How brutal they were to you. Christ, I had to make her stop at one point, too pissed that anyone would treat you like shit. Wish you could have told me when you were twenty-one. I would have tried to help you escape or something.”

“Would you though? None of us knows what we would have done differently in any situation. And we can’t go back and change things. But I appreciate your heart for thinking you would have helped me. You’re a good man, Blake.”

So much had happened in my life. I wanted a true do-over, like a complete cleansing of my soul, my ticket to the good life era he promised. The only path to true freedom I could see was to unburden myself of all the secrets of my past. I wanted that, no matter the consequences. If I ended up serving jail time, at least River would have an amazing father to raise him.

“There’s more to my story, though. And Robbie, I’m glad you’re here to witness this. You see, one night, I set a fire at my father’s bar on purpose.”

The two men stared in confusion at me.

“I’d had enough of their treatment. No matter Dad’s promises that Ward wouldn’t touch us, his threats to harm us increased anytime my son got into trouble. One night, after a difficult argument he grabbed a hold of River and something snapped inside of me.”

I realized suddenly how wet my face was. Blake reached over and gently wiped my cheeks, but more tears kept coming.

“That night, I packed my things into my car and waited until after closing. I set a fire at the kitchen grill behind the bar and drove away with River. Never looked back. Until the next day, in a diner outside of St. Louis, on their TV, a news channel played images of a burning building, the one right next to Dad’s bar. It’d caught fire, too. I couldn’t believe it. The news person reported no one was killed, just several people wounded or injured. I’ve been living with it ever since. I hurt innocent people, but I never meant for that to happen.”

The room was silent, the two men taking in everything I said. Probably judging me for the arsonist and criminal I was. Blake probably sat in shock that’d I’d even be capable of this.

“I sought out Nancy, who took us in, but she was packing up to move here. She’d paid her rent in full for the month, so I stayed after she left and tried to find a new job and figure out where to live. But I worried my father and brothers would hunt me down for burning the bar. She wanted me to move here with her, and finally convinced me to do it. If it weren’t for her friendship, I’d be homeless by now. So go ahead, Robbie. Arrest me for arson. I deserve it. And Blake, you can take care of our little boy while I’m in prison.”

“Hold on, my dear. You only have a part of the story,” Nancy said from the doorway of my room. “I didn’t know if you’d want me to share about the building fire with Blake, so I didn’t. But now that you did, there’s more to it.”

Blake vacated his seat, offering it to her. She sat and reached a hand to smooth the hairs off my forehead. “Funny what a man will say in bed with a woman after sex. While you were at the party, I was with Spence again. He let it slip that he’d set a building on fire in downtown St. Louis. He said it was a suspected FBI safe house, he practically bragged about it like it was his crowning achievement. Out of curiosity, while he was in the kitchen making us coffee, I searched the internet on my computer for news of building fires downtown, and was shocked to find it was the one next door to the bar. Two fires, the same night. But your tiny kitchen fire wasn’t enough to set an entire building ablaze like his did. The reports also said it was the other way around. The big building fire gobbled up the small bar. Anyway, that’s when I knew you were right about Spence all along. He was a bad man. When I told him to get out, he forced me at gunpoint to drink the coffee. Oh, Livvie, I failed you and your mother. I should have protected you from him, if only I’d known.”

“It’s okay, Nancy. Where is Spencer now?” I anxiously needed this answer.

“The FBI has arrested both he and the boss, Antonio Bottesta,” Robbie confirmed. “I’ll call my contacts and have them investigate Spence for arson as well. But Livvie, you don’t need to worry about any arson charges, okay?”

He left the room, then Nancy gave me a hug, preparing to leave as well. “Thank you for being here, Nancy. You were a good friend of my mother’s. You’ve always been there for me and River, like a loyal friend is. I owe you one.”

“Just get better, sweetie. And bring this fellow around for dinner soon.” She pointed at Blake.

After she left, at long last, Blake and I were alone. He leaned over the bed, gazing into my face, caressing a hand through my curls.

“You’ve been through hell and back, baby. How did you survive all of it? You are stronger than you know.”

“Books. I read a lot. My mother, too. We’d walk to the library every weekend and get our supply of books for the week, and lug whatever we could each carry home. When things got tough, I simply disappeared between the pages of a book. I read everything I could get my hands on. In fact, I always thought I’d be a librarian someday.”

“Really? Remind me when you’re better. On our first day out, we’ll take River with us and sign up for cards at the Kissing Springs Library. In fact, consider it as your major if you want to go to college.”

“We’ll see. Right now, I need to rest. Besides, if Tori leaves town, who will run the pie shop?”

“Hm. Are you saying you’re interested because I could make that happen with one phone call to Meadow?”

I grinned sheepishly. “It’s the heart and soul of Kissing Springs. I’ve never managed a business like that though, but I’ve kind of fallen in love with the place.”

“You’re a smart woman. I’m betting you could learn. Especially if you love it and feel passionate about it.”

“Speaking of love, I have one more question for you.”

“Okay. Lay it on me.”

“Unless I was mistaken, Blake Wilson, I heard you tell me those three little words several times.”

“That’s more of a statement than a question. Which means there’s no question, and no doubts about it. I’ve fallen for you Olivia. So fast. So hard. You don’t know what seeing you shot, bloodied on the floor of that cabin did to me. If I’d lost you—if River had lost his mother…” He sucked in a breath. “I vowed right then not to take another second of my life for granted with you. I see a future for us together here with our son.”

“You’ve jumped in with both feet.”

“With my entire body, heart, and soul. But I’ll wait for you to join me there, as long as it takes.”

“No need to wait.” I assured him, without a single hesitation. “I thought I’d lose you because of the secrets I’d kept hidden away. But you’re here.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you. I love you.”

“Apparently I’ve jumped, too. I love you, Blake.”