Page 96 of Known By You
Evie squeezed my hand. “Thank you for coming for me. Is Jack okay?”
“He’s conscious. He’ll be okay.”
She nodded, lips pressing together.
“I’ll come visit when I can.”
“Okay.” She smiled, and it cut right to my heart. This woman was brave as hell and had just done something incredible in the worst circumstances.
One door swung closed, but before the other one shut entirely, Evie yelled, “Thank you, Sheriff. I’ll never forget this.”
For his part, the large man tipped his hat—an actual sheriff’s hat—and cleared his throat.
“I guess you’re Sheriff Ryan. I’m Elizabeth Malcom. I’ve been working with Kenny Carmichael.”
His face split into a small but very handsome smile. “Ah, Kenny. I assume he’s around here somewhere?”
“He’s got the perps. I’m assuming the rest of the crew will be marching them right here to you any minute.” I craned my neck to see into the woods, but it was too bright out here to see much into that darkness.
“Appreciate the help,” he said, his face serious again.
“Seems like you handled things as well as you could. Did she… I mean, I guess everything went okay?” I asked, not sure what he could tell me. It was amazing the paramedics were here to help.
“First time I’ve delivered a baby roadside, but she was amazing, and the baby seemed as healthy as could be despite the odds.” His brow dropped low, his face severe. “He’s got a good one in Evie, that’s for sure.”
“He does. And… thank you for helping her.”
“It’s my job.” Garbled voices came through on his radio and he dipped his head and mumbled something into the mic on his shoulder, then looked at me. “Want a ride to the other site? Your team’s there now.”
He shuttled me around the forest to the neighborhood where we’d found Jack and met up with the rest of the Saint team, several members of the Silverton Sheriff’s department, and Kenny. Silverton had already read the two kidnappers their rights, and they were being loaded into a vehicle.
I reported on Evie, and Kenny and I agreed we wanted to check on Jack and Evie as soon as we could. Since we weren’t the police, though, we wouldn’t have access to them right away while they were getting attended to, so once back in Silverton, we went our separate ways to get cleaned up.
In the ensuing hours, the police discovered Evie’s ex had learned she was in Utah after paparazzi photos of Jack appeared online. While his assumption that she and Jack were lovers and he’d taken her to be his wife and live here with him had been wrong, he’d been unnervingly successful at gaining access to Jack’s home after just a few days of planning. The Saint staff were already working to address the issues they could, as the house hadn’t been under their contract thus far.
When Beast had learned it’d been a Mandee Carmichael who’d tipped off the paparazzi about Jack McKean’s whereabouts, my heart sank. But Kenny nodded, like he’d known. I wondered if he had, or had simply gotten to a place where he refused to be surprised by his family’s betrayal. I hated it for him, but thankfully, the overall outcome was a good one.
We visited Jack first, whose driver arrived to take him home after he’d had his shoulder examined. A dislocationand inflammation already, but he’d likely be fine with lots of care.
We also saw Evie, who let us each hold the baby. I hadn’t been prepared for that, or how tiny he was, but the moment Kenny cradled the swaddled shape into his arms and spoke in a whisper, a part of me came alive.
I couldn’t verbalize why the sight of this man whispering tender words to a baby who wasn’t his made me want to weep, but it certainly did.
We left not long after, afraid to stay too long, but not before Evie held my hand and pinned me with her wonderfully peaceful eyes.
“I know this is all in a day’s work for you, but I have to say thank you again. I’m so grateful for your help, your protection, and the way you believed me and wanted to help and protect me from the minute we met, even from someone like Jack if he’d turned out to be a jerk.”
We laughed, both fairly aware Jack wasn’t at all a jerk.
“I’m so grateful to have met you, Evie. I hope you have an amazing life full of all the things you’ve ever wanted.” And I meant that down to my toes.
“I hope the same for you, Elizabeth.”
I thanked her and walked out, joining Kenny in the hallway and slowly moving toward the hospital exit, my heart fairly burning from the events of the night, Evie’s thoughtful words ringing in my head, and what had to come next.
It was noon by the time we stepped out into the cool early March air, and I’d promised Jo I’d be at my dad’s house by three. I needed to finish packing and return the apartment keys.
And worst of all, I needed to say goodbye to the man I was completely in love with.
