Page 36 of Signed With Love

“We’ll be there,” I say. I hadn’t entirely agreed to Jamison yet, but I won’t let him do this himself if he’s this uncomfortable.

I decide to make myself uncomfortable so he won’t have to be alone. Even though I have profound hearing loss and haven’t been able to hear the way my voice sounded since I was six, even with hearing aids, I know English enough to communicate. I can lip-read and process body language to have this conversation with his ex, but my blood is pounding and my heart is rapid.

“Haven’t met you?” I gather by lip-reading, and her body tilts toward me. Her hand is extended, but her face is soft. She seems genuinely interested in who I am.

“I’m Claire. It’s nice to meet you.”

She says her name, I’m sure, but I don’t catch it. Her hands raise, and as she speaks, I capture a few words. “Mom excited,” then someone must say something because she turns over her shoulder. Some hearing people are so unaware of themselves. They also assume that because I’ve spoken, I can hear everything.

Jamison gathers himself and turns to me, signing, I’m sorry. She put you on the spot. We don’t have to go.

I want to go. Is it her wedding? I ask.

And that bubble around us that I love comes back in. I know others are around, but Jamison is focused on me. He’s communicating in my language. A language he learned just for me.

Yes. And Thorne. My boss and stepdad. He’s marrying her.

My eyebrows shoot up. So, his stepdad is marrying his ex-girlfriend. I see now why he wanted someone there with him.

I’ll be there. Mom and Dad are doing just fine without me this weekend. Think they want a break from my fussing.

I glance back up and see that his ex has left and everyone has returned to eating. Chadwick’s eyes lift to mine, and he winks. I just shake my head and take my last bite of waffle. We finish up, then rise from the table after the guys pay. Rylee catches me off to the side when the guys’ backs are turned.

I’ll see you tomorrow. Happy I’m not alone.

Jamison mentions she’s newer to the group and new to Alaska. Perhaps she doesn’t have many friends up here besides the guys.

Should be fun. I make a face that disputes my words.

We share a laugh.

Want to do our hair and makeup together? Some of the questions she doesn’t know the correct signs for, but I couldn’t care in the slightest. She’s a hearing person who looks past my inability to hear and puts tremendous thought and care into communicating with me.

I would like that, I sign but also nod, just to make sure she knows.

She pulls her phone out, and I grab mine so we can exchange phone numbers. While I’m texting her my number, Jamison’s hand slides against my lower back, causing a shiver to run down my spine. He doesn’t seem to be rushing us, he just doesn’t like when we aren’t touching. It’s the same for me.

Rylee comes in for a hug and smiles big when she pulls away. So excited, she tries to sign. I still love it because of the way her body tells me more how excited she is to spend time with me than her hands do. She waves bye before meeting up with Chadwick.

Planned a girl date? Jamison asks.

I did. We are meeting up in the morning to get ready for the wedding.

He puts his arm across my shoulder and pulls me from the restaurant. He places a kiss on my temple, then walks to the Jeep to hold open the driver-side door. I just love the playful Jamison, the way he can lighten the mood.

I jump in and reach my hand out for the keys. He leans in and steals my mouth in a deep kiss when he drops the cool metal keys in my hand. I miss the connection when he pulls away, but we’ll never get home if he doesn’t stop right now.

He pauses at the front of the Jeep, and his body goes stiff as he pulls his phone from his pocket and holds it to his ear. There’s a shift like a draft from an incoming storm. His eyes lift and lock on mine. They’re dark and cold. He’s in the Jeep and slams the door shut moments later.

Drive to the lake fast. Now.

There’s an eerie calm to Jamison and an authoritative press on me. He’s devastating to observe right now. He lifts the phone to his ear and looks at me. I turn the ignition and drive at speeds that would guarantee me my first ticket.

My hands grip the steering wheel the entire five minutes it takes me to cross Casper and reach the lake. So many thoughts rush through my mind, but none can prepare me for what is waiting for us when we pull in.

The lake is surrounded by panicking people. Jamison jumps out and pulls supplies from the back of his Jeep. People are shouting, their mouths moving swiftly, their bodies shaky and unsteady. There’s a woman crying while a man holds her secure to his chest. A look of sorrow hardens his brow. I glance out at the lake to see a large dog lying down and a bright red arm hugging his body. The pink glove covering her hand stands out harshly against the white snow. Her blonde hair is wet as it clings to her forehead.

My blood runs cold, chilled by the thought that there’s a child alone and helpless in the lake. It’s breakup time right now. The temperatures are warming to the point that it’s not safe to travel on ice. She shouldn’t be out there. Why is she out there? The breakup is earlier than normal with the temperatures rising so fast, but she shouldn’t have been walking on ice anyway. The ice isn’t safe enough to hold the weight of someone going to get her, and she’s too terrified to come back. Jamison is working quickly to put on layers of clothing and is securing himself with a rope around his waist. Chadwick pulls in behind us and rushes to help Jamison.

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