Chapter Seventeen

Even though the reunion with Sarah and Dallas had been a resounding success, extreme exhaustion left Jody completely disabled. Her mind wanted to shut down and reboot. Her body found the simplest motor skills almost too difficult to execute. All of her concentration focused on putting one foot in front of the other, each step taken without falling a small victory. If her rubbery legs cooperated long enough, she’d eventually make it back to her room. Thankfully, before they’d gotten too far, Jared noticed her struggling and put his arm around her waist for added support.

By the time they made their way to the elevators, her body felt as though she’d run a marathon. Once inside, Jared steadied her against the railing and punched the button.

While not a small elevator by any means, the space inside felt as if it were closing in on her. When Jared turned to Jody, the intensity of his worry rolled off of him in waves and felt as though she’d been smacked across the face. He’d been such a huge help to her. She wanted desperately to alleviate his concerns, but in this weakened state, she just didn’t have the resources to even try. Every ounce of energy had been used to allow Fiona to speak with her family. At this point, the only thing that would make her better was food and rest.

As if he’d read her mind, Jared stated in a manner there’d be no argument, “I ordered a meal. It should be in our room by the time we get there. I want you to eat and then go straight to bed.”

She opened her mouth, but before she could offer her gratitude, he held his hand up. “This is non-negotiable. Your energy is completely depleted. You can hardly walk. I insist.”

In response, she managed a feeble nod. She would’ve offered Jared a smile but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to make the muscles in her face work. She felt like a stumbling zombie. Hell, she probably looked like one too.

The elevator doors opened, and before Jody could budge, he bent down and picked her up. His satisfied murmur let her know it pleased him she didn’t argue about the offered help. When she laid her head on his shoulder and allowed him complete control of her care, his cheek nuzzled the crown of her head. “It’s going to be okay now. I’ve got you.”

Once inside the suite, Jared placed Jody in a chair at the table where the meal he’d ordered had been set up. He removed the cloche in front of her to reveal a beautiful gourmet fare. The meal looked and smelled divine, but she’d passed the point of being able to savor it hours ago. Each bite she managed to take served to fuel her body. Beyond that, her state of fatigue made it impossible to enjoy.

They ate in complete but comfortable silence. When he noticed she hadn’t taken a bite in quite some time and only stared at her plate, he slid her chair out, picked her up, and carried her to the master bedroom. Attentive to her every need, he sat her on the bed, strode to the closet, and picked out a plush hotel robe for her.

Jared pointed to the door behind him. “That’s the master bath if you need it.” Jody nestled the luxurious bathrobe in her lap, absently rubbing the soft material. “Don’t worry about taking the time to find something to wear in your bag. Just slip into the robe. You’ll be comfortable and warm in it.”

Somewhere in the back of her mind, the extent to which Jared fussed over her clicked. Jody had no choice but to allow him to make the decisions about what she ate, what room to sleep in, and what she’d wear. Up until this point in her life, outside of her mother, Nathan and Terry were the only people who’d ever treated her so sweetly and so lovingly. Certainly, no other man had lavished her with such attention.

Now that she had food in her belly, the heaviness of exhaustion started to overtake her quickly. Clutching the robe, she responded to Jared’s gentle instruction with a nod of understanding. He left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him. She knew he had done that to give her some privacy, but he’d still be able to hear her if she needed him.

****

To ensure he didn’t disturb her sleep, Jared waited until the lights had been turned out and a full thirty minutes had passed before pulling his phone out and calling Nathan. He’d had several text messages and voice mails from both him and Terry, all concerning Jody and how she’d held up during and after the reunion. He didn’t particularly want to make the call, but as close as they seemed to be, he knew her two friends would be worried sick about her until they heard something.

Nathan picked up on the first ring. “J.D., how’d it go?” his voice strained with anxiety for his friend.

Trying to ease his tension, Jared closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life.” He hoped the admiration in his voice spoke volumes.

Nathan’s sigh expressed his experience in the matter. “Jody and her gift have that effect on people.”

Jared couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, apparently they do. I was just calling to tell you she’s sleeping, and she’s okay. Little Fiona has moved on and shouldn’t bother her again.”

“Good. Tell Jody I’ve called her work and told the staff she’d be out for about a week. I told them there was an emergency she had to deal with out of town. They’re taking care of everything, so she’s not to worry about getting back.”

“I’ll make sure to tell her. She’s so exhausted that she may sleep for a week.”

The intensity of the long pause on the line had Jared squirming. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt Nathan didn’t believe he was good enough for Jody. He’d prove him wrong, but it would take time. Right this minute, there wasn’t a single thing that could be said to sway Nathan to his corner. Learning early on that words were meaningless, he’d have to show Nathan he was a changed man. Jody had done that for him. She brought out a softer, more caring side to him he wasn’t even aware had existed—a side Nathan had certainly never seen before.

Looking at the situation objectively, he understood the apprehension Nathan felt on behalf of his good friend. On paper, Jared and Jody were worlds apart, two independent personalities which should never work well together. But in his heart, Jared knew they would mesh. He’d do whatever necessary to make her happy and safe. However, right this minute, there wouldn’t be any way to persuade Nathan his feelings for Jody were heartfelt, so he didn’t even try.

“J.D., about Jody…”

Jared interrupted by quickly speaking over Nathan. “I know we need to talk, but after the exhausting day we’ve had, I just can’t have this discussion right now. I’ll talk to you when we get home.” He hit the end button to avoid the inevitable confrontation regarding his feelings.

Not knowing what to do with himself as the evening progressed, Jared sat in the living room of the suite and pondered what he’d witnessed today. Knowing he’d had a small role in the Hinton family healing had him feeling overcome with joy.

What Jody did with her abilities and how she used them was beyond his comprehension. He’d watched her closely enough to know her gift was one of those anomalies in life which would remain a mystery forever.

To his surprise, what had impressed him the most today had been her courage in facing off with Dallas Hinton. Clearly twice her size and out of his mind with grief, the man could’ve easily gone into a rage and killed her. Jared shuddered at the thought of what might’ve happened had he not been there. As it was, Jody hadn’t left the meeting with the Hinton’s totally unscathed. The guilt twisted in his gut when he thought of how her wrist had been badly bruised when Dallas threw the phone at her. He couldn’t help but wonder how often spirit messages put Jody in dangerous situations like the one he’d witnessed today.

Working as a private investigator, Jared had seen firsthand how emotionally distraught people reacted so easily with violence. The destructive, aggressive behavior would usually occur during a confrontation which would end his client’s marriage or their life as they knew it. All because the person he’d investigated had made poor choices and been caught in the act of violating the trust of someone else.

He knew full well the comparison between his apples and Jody’s oranges was a stretch, but for the moment, it was all he had. With his limited personal experience in this area and absolutely no spiritual experience, he had to fall back on what he knew. It all came down to fear. Fear always presented itself as anger.

He felt a sense of pride for Jody because even when physically attacked, she never once considered giving up. She had information she knew would help Dallas and Sarah Hinton. No matter what the consequences to herself, she’d been determined to deliver those messages so they’d be able to heal and little Fiona could finally rest. Never once had she considered disengaging as an option, making her, by far, the fiercest person, male or female, he’d ever come across. Knowing she’d surely deny that quality had him smiling. She amazed him. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything and certainly anyone else ever before.

As the day’s events rolled through Jared’s mind, a sudden unexpected movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Believing Jody had woken up and wanted something had him sitting up and at the ready to get whatever she needed. Peering at the door across the room and seeing no sign of her left him baffled. The bedroom door remained only cracked as he’d originally left it. That’s weird. I could’ve sworn she was standing right outside of the bedroom door. With some confusion, he continued to watch the slightly open door expecting her to come through it at any moment. Instead, as he waited for her, he saw a light go on in the bedroom. Since she was awake, he took that as his cue to check on her.

He gently knocked on the door. “You okay in there?”

No response.

Curious, Jared opened the door and peeked in to find Jody curled up fast asleep in the big, soft robe. She hadn’t even made it under the covers. Moving his attention to the bathroom door, he found the source of light he’d seen go on from the other room. He was positive he’d seen it go off earlier while sitting in the lounge area of the suite.

Being careful not to wake her, he slipped stealthily across the bedroom and peered into the spacious bathroom. Nothing seemed to be amiss which left him scratching his head in bewilderment. Maybe she’s a sleepwalker. That didn’t feel right to him, though. She’d been so exhausted she barely had enough strength to stumble to the elevator. I must be losing my mind. The light was probably already on, and I just didn’t notice it.

Filled with an indefinable stirring of discomfort, he reached out and flipped the bathroom light off. He’d never been susceptible to seeing things before, but he wrote it off to his lack of sleep. Jared quickly accepted the fact that he’d obviously been more fatigued than he originally thought, which made him feel a little more comfortable.

As Jared turned away from the bathroom, a cool breeze brushed across his face. The cold air blowing through the room had him trembling and cursing himself for forgetting to check the thermostat. When he realized it registered at what should be a comfortable seventy-eight degrees, he vigorously wiped his dried out eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Even more peculiar, he couldn’t explain where the cold air was coming from since the air conditioner didn’t appear to be running.

His first concern being for Jody’s comfort, Jared moved silently to the bed and tucked the comforter around her to keep her from getting chilled. Turning to leave the room, the sound of her slurred voice stopped him dead in his tracks. Afraid he’d woken her, he held his breath as she continued to mumble. Leaning down, he realized she was still in a deep slumber. Her forehead creased, and her features, which should be soft with sleep, were instead filled with tension.

His heart went out to her. Even in rest, she got no peace. He bent down and moved her hair from her face. “Sh-h-h, baby. Everything’s okay. No need to worry yourself. Just get some sleep.” Pleasure filled him as her face softened with the sound of his voice.

Jared had never before experienced taking care of someone like this. He gently kissed her forehead and whispered, “You’re changing my life, Jody. You’re opening doors which were sealed tightly shut, and I’m grateful for it.”

She looked so peaceful lying there as he gently encouraged a dreamless sleep. He stood and ran his hands up and down his crossed arms trying to warm the chill. “Damn, it’s cold in here.”

He started to leave but then worried he wouldn’t be able to hear her if she needed him. What if she wakes up in the middle of the night and is confused because she’s not at home? Fear she may come to some harm while he slept settled his internal debate. He grabbed an extra blanket out of the closet and walked back to the bed. Fully clothed, he climbed on top of the covers. Wrapping his arms around her to keep her warm, Jared finally closed his eyes, willing the much-needed sleep to come quickly.

As a peaceful slumber started to overtake him, the darkness beyond his eyelids suddenly filled with light. Heavily seduced by sleep, he grunted and forced his eyes to open. As he laid there just this side of sleep, he found himself looking through a mist which seemed to be flowing back and forth on a current of air. Unable to comprehend the anomaly in front of him, Jared continued to watch without fear as if it were a dream. The dense mist moved, revealing the bathroom door.

Slowly coming out of his sleepy stupor, he realized the light in the bathroom had been turned on again. He looked at his arm across Jody and knew she hadn’t moved a muscle.

“What the hell?” his words no more than a mere whisper. Feeling a bit unsteady, he gently rose on an elbow while trying not to disturb Jody. His peripheral vision caught movement in the room. He reared back as he watched a woman appear out of the mist. She approached the bed and looked down at his peacefully sleeping Jody. There was a dream-like quality to her which Jared’s fuzzy mind refused to allow him to comprehend.

Quickly tightening his grasp on Jody, he encircled her with his body to protect her from whomever or whatever this was. A shudder having nothing to do with the cold passed through him. The woman standing only a foot away wasn’t a living, breathing person. She was a fully-formed spirit. Just like the pictures he’d captured of little Fiona, he could see right through her. It surprised him how quickly his usually hyper-rational mind had suddenly adjusted to a more open, illogical scenario and accepted it wholeheartedly. Maybe the fact he was scared shitless had something to do with the ease of acceptance.

“Who…” Jared’s mind went blank leaving him unable to finish the thought. Not trusting what his eyes plainly saw standing in front of him, he covered his face with his hands. I’m dreaming. Of course, I’m dreaming! He’d spent so many hours focused on little Fiona that his resting brain would need to sort it all out through dreams. After all, this was the first chance he’d had to sleep since he’d met Jody.

When he found the courage to open his eyes again, he felt as though his body had been immobilized. The spirit woman stood beside the bed gazing at Jody. His lack of experience with the supernatural realm had his mind reeling with questions. Was this a good ghost? A bad ghost? How the hell do you tell? He’d have to make a point to talk to Jody about it. While he’d become somewhat comfortable with the idea of spirits like Fiona, he wasn’t ready to see them. He wanted to run as far and as fast as his feet would take him, but couldn’t leave Jody behind.

Not sure what to do, but ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger, he watched as the full-bodied apparition bent down and kissed Jody’s forehead. This loving gesture had him relaxing. After all, would a malevolent spirit be capable of such a tender act? No. At least he didn’t think so. This spirit seemed to be expressing love for Jody. He had no clue what connection the two women held, but he could feel it, effectively nullifying any remaining fear he had toward the uninvited guest.

Now that he’d been able to put his emotion aside, Jared’s highly developed power of observation kicked in. Unlike the pictures of little Fiona, this woman was a ghostly pure white. Her clothes, devoid of the vibrant pinks and blues Fiona sported, were various shades of gray. He could see through her, but most important, he felt no threat of danger from her. Thank goodness for small favors.

“Who are you?”

The woman’s attention moved to him. They stared at each other for several seconds when a smile blossomed on her ethereal face. “The dark scares her. She needs the light on.” He heard every word she said but never saw her mouth move.

“Why is it that I can see you? I’ve never seen a ghost before. Why now?”

The specter’s head tilted as she considered his words. “You’ve opened your heart. Do not worry. You’re seeing me because I’m allowing you to. Jody trusts you. Therefore I trust you.”

Surprised he’d received and understood the answers coming from someone who clearly no longer lived, left him unable to speak further. He acknowledged the ghost with a feeble nod. Seemingly placated by his acceptance of her message, the woman slowly disappeared in front of his eyes.

As his grip tightened on Jody, he felt the fast paced beating of his heart as it sped to what seemed like at least a thousand miles a minute. He couldn’t help but speculate at the great personal fortitude the woman he held in his arms had to possess. The thought of enduring years of these visits without going stark, raving mad left him marveling at her inner strength.

He laid his head back down on the pillow, finding it difficult to relax enough to close his eyes. “Holy fucking shit.”