Page 54 of Jolene's Justice

The sudden influx of people reminded her that she needed to get back to work, leaving her with no time to ponder further.

Finch landed the helicopter in a clearing near the cabin he’d been called out to. After shutting things down, he climbed out and shlepped through the mud to the door. Thankfully, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. They were calling for it to end sometime overnight. Tomorrow was supposed to be full of sunshine.

He smiled at that thought. He didn’t care how much it rained. Jolene made him feel as if he was basking in sunshine every day. The mere sight of her brought a burst of colors into his life, like a rainbow after the rain. The sound of her laughter was like a sweet melody, filling his ears with pure bliss. Her smile felt like a burst of sunshine, illuminating his world with joy and warmth. The refreshing aroma of her perfume sent him into an orange grove. When she touched him, the affection in her fingers was like a gentle breeze brushing against his skin, soothing his soul with its tenderness.

After the hell he’d been through with Angelica, Jolene’s presence in his life was a reminder of the beauty that existed in the world, a beacon of hope and happiness. He had finally escaped from the woman who had made his life unbearable. He eagerly awaited the end of the rescue mission so he could hold his beloved tightly in his arms once more. The thought of being with Jolene again was the only thing that kept him going through the unending days of long rescue missions. With the crisis nearly over, the town would recover. They’d finish up the work on Gorden’s house. Then he and Jolene would head back to Lake Haven. Their relationship forever changed.

The euphoria he felt was tinged with apprehension when he thought about explaining what had happened between them. Having to share the intimate, hellish details of his marriage to Angelica filled him with dread. He needed to keep Jolene’s words in his heart. The shame wasn’t his to bear. Somehow, he knew his friends would understand that.

After nearly slipping on the mud, he pulled his thoughts back to his present mission. It was strange that the person he’d been sent to rescue hadn’t been standing outside waiting for him. Or at least standing on the porch out of the rain. Most of the people they’d been sent for had been so anxious to leave their situation they waited eagerly for him. Some had even met the helicopter at the landing site and he’d had to hover till they moved out of the way so he could land. But this person was going to make him work for it.

He knocked on the door, his fist pushing it open as if it hadn’t been latched completely. “Hello?” he called out, sticking his head through the gap to peer into the gloomy interior of the cabin. He didn’t see anybody waiting directly inside, so he nudged the door open farther and stepped over the threshold.

The pain was instantaneous. He stumbled but managed to shake off the wooziness. Another shocking blow sent him to his knees, then down to the floor. A kick to his ribs had him crumpling into the fetal position to protect the area from more pain. Which left the rest of him open to attack. The sudden impact of the boot against his chin caused his head to snap back violently, leaving him dazed and disoriented. The force of the kick was so strong that he felt his teeth rattle and his body go limp, leaving him momentarily incapacitated. With one last kick to the back of his head, he felt agony explode in every nerve. The impact sent shockwaves through his body, causing his vision to blur. Then there was nothing but blackness.

Chapter 23

Itwasgettinglate.The dinner crowd had come and gone, and Jolene was getting worried. Finch hadn’t shown and wasn’t answering his phone. Jolene chewed on her thumbnail as she paced the high school cafeteria.

Brodhi had been nice enough to wait with her, even though he was exhausted. He gave her words of reassurance, but she could see the worry in his eyes as well.

“We should see if there’s a way up to that cabin,” she said for what seemed like the thousandth time.

“The mudslides have made that area nearly impassable,” Brodhi explained, also for the thousandth time.

“God. I know. But there’s got to be something we can do. I can’t just sit here.”

“Unfortunately, sometimes all we can do is sit and wait.”

She growled out her feelings about that statement.

When her phone rang, she nearly dropped it in her haste to answer it. She swiped to answer without looking at the caller id. “Finch?”

“No, it’s Emma.”

Jolene visibly deflated. “Oh. Hi, Emma.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Finch went up into the mountains to rescue someone and hasn’t come back yet.”

“I’m sure he’s fine. Sometimes these things take longer than expected.”

“Then why isn’t he answering his phone?”

“You said he’s in the mountains? Maybe there’s no signal.”

Her thumb was back in her mouth as she mulled over Emma’s words. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Anyway, can I tell you what I found, or is this a bad time?”

“No. Tell me. I need the distraction.”

There was silence on the other end for a moment, then Emma laughed. “You fixed things with Finch, didn’t you.” It was said as a statement, as if Emma knew it was an inevitability that she and Finch would end up together.

She bit down on her thumbnail. “Maybe,” she mumbled around the digit.

“Oh, Jo Jo. That’s wonderful. No wonder you’re so worried.”

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