Jennie was exhausted. Tucker was the only one who didn’t seem to be. The dog had energy for days. Patrick and his K-9 partner raced ahead. Eric came second, with Jennie behind him. She didn’t even know how Patrick was still functioning.
He’d been shot. Her life with him had flashed before her eyes as she’d pressed her sweater into his wound.
Now he was walking around?
“You love him, don’t you?”
She glanced over to find Eric watching her as they both trotted along, trying to keep up with Patrick. “Um...what?”
Her brain wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders right now. She watched Patrick ahead of them. Love him?
“I always have. Not much changed, even after he left town. As much as I wanted to hate him for leaving me alone, I never really did. And now I know what happened, and why, there’s no animosity there at all.”
This was good. They were racing across the desert behind Patrick’s old house—actually heading in the direction of her house. The distraction of conversation helped her not think about how much her legs ached. She would collapse eventually. Hopefully not before they found Nate, because that would only slow down the search.
Eric eyed her. “He’s a good man.”
“I know that.” She huffed out the words, breathy now that they’d been running for nearly fifteen minutes. “Probably the best man I know.”
Patrick was better than anyone and everyone she’d ever met—except Nate. Father and son were tied on that scale.
God, help us find Nate.
“Because he’s your son’s father?”
She shot Eric a look. That’s what Patrick’s partner thought of her? Jennie only appreciated Patrick because of his biological connection to their son? If it was true, it was also completely shallow. She could separate the two.
If she only acknowledged him because of the fact he’d fathered Nate, that meant she saw no additional value in him.
Jennie would never shortchange Patrick like that. He had so much honor and worth. His mom had raised a good man, regardless of how she’d felt about Jennie. They could get to a place where Nate would have his grandmother in his life, and two parents that respected each other and loved him.
Underneath it all, Jennie would still feel that same pain she’d always carried. Knowing what she’d lost, because of her father. What she could never have back.
There was simply too much hurt between them. Her family had tried, at every opportunity, to destroy Patrick. Her love wasn’t stronger than the pain he’d endured—or the grief over all he’d lost.
He would never forgive her.
She picked up speed, ready to get to her son. She’d seen Tucker search a couple of times now. Given how he was acting, he clearly had something. Nate.
Despite how sweet Patrick had been, this was about him and Nate. About bringing a grandmother into her son’s life. And having the chance for him to get to know his father. They’d slipped back into old habits on a few occasions, with those wonderful hugs. The times he’d kissed her forehead.
But this wasn’t about a relationship between them. And it never would be when she couldn’t believe his feelings were real. Not just because she wanted Nate to have a true family. She’d never trust his affection had no strings.
“Is Patrick going to be okay?” Jennie asked.
“If he isn’t, we’re here for him anyway. Right?”
Jennie nodded.
She figured by now that Patrick couldn’t hear their conversation. He’d have reacted—hopefully well—to something she had said. Or he was just focused. Concentrating, as she was, on praying for Nate with every step, despite being drawn into a conversation with his partner. That was probably Eric’s attempt to distract her.
“Thank you.” She glanced at him again. “For being here.” She motioned in front of her, toward Patrick. “For both of us, and Nate.”
If something happened to Patrick, Eric could continue. Jennie wouldn’t know the first thing about going up against a dangerous gunman. Though, she had to admit she’d done pretty well when faced with her brother. But that was different.
She’d have said he couldn’t possibly try to hurt her, but he had.
Jennie fought a sigh. Later, she would cry over the lack of love between her and the only sibling she had.
She recognized where they were headed. “That’s my house.” Nate’s house. “Do you think that’s where they went?”
“We’ll find out. And if he’s not there,” Eric said, “we’ll move on and find him.”
Jennie swiped at the tears on her cheeks and nodded.
Patrick turned. “We need to search the house.” His face was pale. As she watched, he started to keel over.
Jennie ran to him and ducked under his good shoulder, as she had before. “I’ve got you.”
“We need to get in there.”
Eric said, “I’ll go.”
“Tucker can clear the house and find Nate.”
“If the door was open.” Eric shot him a knowing look. “I’ll go inside and leave the door ajar. Once I’m out of sight, tell Tucker to come in. At least he’ll be a distraction to the man holding Nate. At best, I can take the guy down and he can find Nate.”
“You take the man.” Patrick nodded. “Tucker will find Nate.”
Relief rolled through her. The wash of it was like sunshine on a cold day. Sudden warmth and happiness. Nate. They were so close.
Was he really inside?
She couldn’t even contemplate the worst that could have already happened. That didn’t bear thinking about. Not when God had brought them this far.
You did, didn’t You? Thank You.
There was one final hurdle, but she was grateful anyway.
“Copy that.” Eric didn’t waste any time. He raced over to the house, head low and gun drawn. Should they have called for backup? Maybe there was no time. Also, she didn’t want the man holding Nate to freak out at multiple approaching cops and wind up hurting Nate in a way that none of them could recover from.
She shivered just thinking about it.
Eric kicked in the back door and moved inside. Patrick showed Tucker the shirt again, so he could get Nate’s scent. “Tucker, find!”
She held her breath as the dog darted across the yard.
“It’ll be okay.”
She nodded. “I know.” More just to say the words aloud than because she believed them. “It has to be. I can’t lose him the way I lost you.”
His arm squeezed her. She reached up and took hold of his hand. Patrick turned his face so his mouth was against her cheek. “You didn’t lose me.”
Inside the house, a gunshot rang out.
Then another answering shot.
Jennie sucked in a breath. “Nate.”
“Hold on.”
Jennie’s whole body shuddered. Patrick held her tight in his one good arm. “Just hold on.”
He wanted to go inside the house and help Eric.
Right now he would be a liability, and Jennie had no way to defend herself. Tucker was in there, and Eric.
“Hold on.” He said the words a third time, repeating the mantra as much to her as to himself as seconds ticked by like minutes and it felt like an hour before Tucker let out one short, sharp bark.
Where was Eric? Who had been shot? Patrick had more questions, but standing took a lot of brain power. It hurt.
They made their way to the house. He had to grit his teeth with each step, and he knew the dental bill alone after all this would be killer.
But if they got Nate back, it would also be worth it.
Eric appeared in the doorway, clutching his arm. “The gunman is dead.”
“You got hit?”
“Just a scratch. Unlike you.”
Patrick wasn’t going to banter right now. “Tucker found Nate?”
Eric nodded and moved aside. Jennie let go of Patrick and he swayed. His partner led him to the hall and he collapsed against the wall. Probably bleeding on the drywall paint. Leaving a smudge. He tried to turn to see where Jennie had gone, but pain tore through him and he hissed out a breath.
Where was Tucker?
And where was Nate? It had been hours. He wanted his son back.
“I’ll step out and call this in,” Eric said. When Patrick glanced over, he added, “Dead guy is in the dining room.”
“Copy—” Bile rose and he couldn’t get any more words out.
“You need an ambulance.”
He needed his son.
“Nate!” Jennie called out to the boy. It sounded like she was running through the house. Frantic. Searching. Was he hiding? Had that man told him to duck inside some closet and stay there?
Patrick turned the other direction and saw Tucker sitting by the kitchen at a door. Waiting for him? No. He’d found Nate, right? “Tuck.”
The dog barked. His body moved the way it did when his tail wagged. But he stayed in that “Sit” and he didn’t break it.
Nate was there.
Patrick tried to push off the wall, but he couldn’t control his weight and started to keel over. He slammed into the other wall and cried out, “Jennie, he’s in here!”
He heard her coming. Down the hall. The patter of her feet closing in. “Tucker.” He breathed out his dog’s name.
Patrick couldn’t move. Pain sparked tears in his eyes. He needed to get to his son. Given all the blood, he was going to scare the boy witless the second Nate saw him. He frowned, gasped a breath and tried not to lose it as Jennie raced past him.
“Laundry room.”
She didn’t even pause, just sprinted to the door and petted Tucker. Then told him to get out of the way.
Patrick heard the shuffle, pushed along the wall and looked around the corner.
He managed a couple of steps. His dog sniffed his hand, but Patrick didn’t have the strength to even pat his head.
He made it to the table, braced his weight and kept going to the kitchen counter. He grabbed the dish towel hanging on the oven and pressed the towel against his wound. The pain made him want to throw up, fall down or pass out. Perhaps all three. He settled for sliding down the wall.
Jennie opened the door. Nate was huddled in the corner where Patrick could see he had no visible injuries but looked seriously pale. She crouched. “Hey.” Nate’s gaze shifted from her to Patrick. Jennie touched Nate’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Nate said nothing. His cheeks were red over the pale color. Patrick couldn’t tell if they were flushed from fear and crying or if he’d been slapped around. Told to stay where he was. Scared enough he couldn’t move now.
Patrick swallowed down nausea the pain was causing. “Hey, buddy.”
Nate’s gaze shifted to him again.
“I hurt my arm.” There was a whole room between them, but he kept his voice low. “Will you go see the doctor with me?”
Nate looked at his mom, then back at Patrick. He chewed his lip. “He told me not to move.”
“He’s gone now.” Jennie touched Nate’s cheeks. “That man is not going to hurt you anymore.”
Tucker wandered in and stopped by Patrick’s boot. He motioned with a flick of his fingers. “Go.”
The dog trotted to Nate and licked the boy in the face. Nate squealed and giggled. It was subdued, but it was there. “Hi, Tucker.”
The dog sniffed his son’s neck and then lay down by his side. He put his paw on Nate’s lap. Not something Patrick normally allowed, asking for affection like that. But this time he let it go. Clearly the two of them had something special, and right now it seemed like it was more important for Nate to feel safe than anything else Patrick might have to correct in the ornery Airedale’s training later.
Eric came in. “Ambulance will be here in five.”
Patrick tried to nod. His consciousness faded toward black, but he fought it for every inch of hold it wanted to take. “Thanks.”
Jennie shifted. He heard her pet his dog, his good boy and the best dog ever. Yes, you are. Then Patrick felt warm fingers touch his cheeks. “Hey there. Hang on, okay?”
He tried to focus on her face. Couldn’t make his eyes do what they were supposed to. “Love you.” He needed her to know. No matter what, he’d always loved her.
And he always would.
“Is Dad okay?”
Jennie held steady to Nate’s hand, clutched in hers. “The doctors just need to make sure. But they said he’s awake, right? So that’s good.”
He’d told her he loved her.
Jennie wanted to curl up and cry. It just hurt more, knowing neither of their feelings had ever changed. But that still didn’t mean he forgave her for what her family had done to him.
Or for putting their son in danger.
Jennie led Nate down the hall to Patrick’s hospital room. At the door she said, “Do you want me to go first?”
If Patrick was bandaged and hooked to machines, it could be scary.
Nate shook his head and didn’t let go of her hand. He’d stuck with her as much as possible in the last day or so since they’d found him at home. She didn’t blame him. Jennie wasn’t feeling much like being separated from her son right now. Later they would need to work through those feelings. Right now they were just enjoying the closeness of having each other back.
Jennie held the door open.
“Hey, guys.” Eric pushed off the wall, an easy smile on his face. “Good timing. I should be going.” He ruffled Nate’s hair and hurried out.
“What was that about?”
Patrick grinned. It was strained, but there. “He has a date with your friend Beth.”
Jennie turned to the door then back. Patrick laughed, and Nate leaned against her hip while his father groaned. “Ouch. That does not feel good.” He smiled down at their son. “Hey, buddy. Have you been taking care of Tucker?”
Nate nodded.
Jennie moved forward with him, close enough Patrick could hold out his hand and Nate could lean in for a gentle hug.
“I’m okay.”
“Me, too,” Nate said. “We stayed at the rental house last night. They have DVDs.”
“Anything good?”
Nate shrugged. “Will you be out soon?”
Jennie nearly smiled. It sounded like Patrick was in jail, not in the hospital. Patrick returned her smile. “I hope so.” His brow furrowed. “Do you think maybe...when I am, you might want to come home with me and see my house?”
Jennie’s stomach hardened. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. What was she supposed to say?
“You and your mom could stay in my guest room, and you could see where Tucker lives.”
That sounded nice but didn’t exactly answer the questions rolling through her mind.
Patrick glanced at her, some of those questions on his face. She still wasn’t sure what she should say.
Nate answered for her. “That could be good.” He looked at her.
She nodded. “I like it.” For her son, she could do anything.
Nate smiled. The first time since being kidnapped. He wandered to the chair and plopped onto the seat, slouching down.
She was about to pass him his backpack, so he had something to do, when she felt Patrick’s warm fingers touch hers.
She let her gaze slide to him.
“Yeah?”
Jennie nodded. He tugged her closer. Enough she got the message and leaned in.
“Ella tried to kiss me at recess,” Nate said. “I didn’t let her because it’s gross.”
Patrick’s eyes flashed with a smile. Jennie tried to smile back, but it wavered. Patrick whispered, “You know how I feel. How I’ve always felt.”
She shook her head. “After everything my family has done to you?”
He studied her face. “I’m thinking since your father and brother haven’t been in your life for a long time, maybe ever, that makes me and Nate your real family.”
He really thought that? Tears filled her eyes. “I got you shot.”
“Jennie, you didn’t hurt me. I’m guessing this—” he wiped the tears from her cheeks “—is because you actually love me.”
“I never stopped.” She grasped his wrists, determined to hold on tight and never let go. “I’ve always loved you, and I always will.”
“Good.” Patrick tugged her to him and kissed her. “You’re the one for me. I knew it in high school, but I know it even more now. I want us to be together. For real.”
Jennie nodded. “Me, too.”
“Marriage, Jennie. We need to give Nate a real family.” Patrick kissed her again. “The family neither of us had.”
“Do you really think we can do this?”
“Yes.” He sounded so sure. “If we do it together.”
Jennie’s heart soared. She had everything she’d ever longed for, right here.