Page 66 of Justice Denied

Jetta sighed. “We’re nowhere near finding out the truth about Dad or who the embezzler is.” Frustration threatened to release more tears, but she’d had enough with the waterworks. She wouldn’t cry any more, or at least not today.

“We can pray.”

The assurance behind those simple words coupled with the sweet peace in Mom’s eyes made Jetta smile. “We can certainly do that. I’ve missed praying with you.”

“I have too. I might have wandered a bit away from God after your father’s death, but He’s brought me back. I’m only sorry it took such terrible circumstances to remind me of who I had been ignoring.”

“Shall I start?”

Emily nodded, and Jetta closed her eyes. “Dear Jesus, thank you for restoring Mom both to your fold and to us. Help her recover from her ordeal, and please, if it is your will, let us find out who was behind the embezzlement. You know how much Dad loved you and served you. We would so much like to restore his good name.”

“And keep my darling daughter safe from harm,” Emily added her prayer. “Give her wisdom as she contemplates her future and protect the baby she’s carrying. Help her to see your hand in her life despite the difficult circumstances and not be afraid of embracing a future full of hope and love. Amen.”

Jetta echoed her mother’s amen, deciding not to comment on the last line of the prayer. She suspected Emily had been matchmaking with Seth, and while she wasn’t as opposed to that idea as she’d initially been, she still couldn’t see a future that included a man.

“I see your daughter has arrived.” A woman wearing Scooby Doo scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck stood by the partially open curtain. “I’m Patricia, one of the ER nurses. The EMTs did a cursory examination of your mother, but we need to do a more thorough one, plus x-ray her leg to ensure nothing shifted in all her travels. The doctor will be by in a few minutes.”

Her mom released Jetta’s hand as the nurse left. “Why don’t you wait with Seth while they take care of all this.”

“You sure? I can stay.” Jetta wanted to stay by her mother’s side, but Mom had that determined look in her eyes that told her arguing would be futile.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Mom pointed a finger at Jetta. “You need to tell that young man your feelings.”

“What?” Jetta’s cheeks heated at her mother’s words. “He’s just a friend.”

“Jetta Lynn Ainsley.”

At her mother’s use of her full name, Jetta froze.

“I didn’t raise you to be so foolish as to throw away a chance at love because you’re scared.”

“I—”

“I’m not finished.” Mom shifted on the bed as the same nurse returned with an older man wearing dark blue scrubs with bright orange dancing crabs.

They certainly made interesting scrubs these days. Jetta recognized her lame attempt to distract herself from her mother’s words.

“But I see I’ll have to finish this conversation later.”

Relief poured over Jetta like warm caramel sauce over ice cream. She leaned down and kissed her mother’s cheek, then told the nurse she’d be in the waiting room. As she left, Jetta couldn’t ignore her mother’s assertion she had feelings for Seth. She wasn’t ready to take a closer look at her heart, but she did acknowledge her mother had hit the bullseye on one thing. She was terrified of falling in love with the wrong guy and repeating the same mistakes she made with Kyle. Her confidence in herself to make a good decision when it came to love hovered around zero. With a baby on the way, her heart wouldn’t be the only thing on the line.

ChapterTwenty-Four

Seth stepped outside the emergency department, the cool night air not enough of a deterrent to stay inside. He wished he could go for a run or hit the gym for some reps on the weight machines to burn off his nervous energy. Adrenaline still coursed through his body, buoyed by finding Emily’s mother alive and mostly unharmed. The shine in Jetta’s blue eyes had his heart racing for an entirely different reason. He told himself not to hope this meant she would be more open to pursuing a relationship with him, but his foolish heart leaped to that conclusion on its own.

He turned the corner, following the sidewalk around to the left. His phone buzzed, and after checking caller ID, he answered it. “Hey, Brogan.”

“How is Mrs. Ainsley?”

Background noise indicated Brogan was likely still at the cemetery with law enforcement. “Not sure, as a doctor hadn’t seen her when Jetta arrived. She’s with Emily now, and I’m outside walking. Any updates?”

“Not much, but I did hear that one of the data centers recently installed security cameras, and it might have captured the vehicle used to transport Mrs. Ainsley to the cemetery.”

“Maybe there will be something useful on the footage that will lead to whoever kidnapped Emily.” Seth cut through one of the hospital parking decks. “Anything else recovered from the scene that might help ID the culprit?”

“Not that the cops are sharing, but the forensics team canvassed the area. I’m leaving in a few as things are winding down, and I need to get some shuteye before our ten o’clock interview this morning.”

“Okay, thanks for the update.” Seth exited the garage and turned right to take the path back to the ER. He’d nearly forgotten they had an interview—he checked the time on his phone—in less than six hours. Maybe he could grab a nap while waiting to hear how Emily was doing.

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