Page 26 of Promise of a New Beginning
“I’ll go that way.” Savannah pointed to her left.
“Savannah.” Jack’s chest swelled as he pulled himself to his full height.
“I’m perfectly capable of searching for him, and I’m not going to be told what to do by you or anyone else. There’s a little boy out there, and he needs as many eyes looking for him as possible.” She set her jaw and met his stare. She was not going to be waylaid.
“Then you come with me.” He grabbed her arm, surveying the woods. Then he dragged her ten feet to their left and, still holding her arm, stalked into the woods. “I don’t know why you have to be so stubborn.”
“You can let go of my arm now,” she said. “How are we going to find him?”
“We’re going to do what I taught you on the hike. Look for recent signs—freshly broken twigs, footprints.” He stopped walking and cast a hard, hot stare at her, then released her arm.
“What was that look for?”And why did it make me want you all over again?
“Come on, Savannah. How can I concentrate on anything with you around? I’m a mess. Can’t you see that? I hear it in my own voice.” He moved farther into the forest and hollered Aiden’s name, then faced her again.
“Don’t you get it? I have never wanted to change for anyone before, and you make me want to change. I know I’m messed up. I never claimed I wasn’t. But you make me want to have a life again.”
Empathy swept through her. “A life, or your old life?” she asked softly. She scanned the ground with every step as they walked deeper into the forest.
Jack stopped again. “Is that what you think? That I want to replace my old life? That you’re somehow like Linda? You’re nothing like her. She was quiet, meek, petite, blond. She’d never argue over anything. I don’t think we raised our voices more than twice in ten years.” He moved a lock of hair from her shoulder. “What I had was love and a normal life. That’s what I meant. I miss those things, and you make me want them again.” He turned and resumed the search.
She was at a loss for words, confused. Did he mean he did want a relationship with her? Silence stretched between them until she finally said, “We should call for Aiden.”
They both called his name, and Jack continued talking as they moved farther up the mountain.
“I thought I was happy before, completely fulfilled, and I was. Then. But when I’m with you—and the night we spent in each other’s arms—it made me realize that there was more to me than I ever knew or understood, and you brought those other parts to life.”
Jack called out in a deep voice, “Aiden!” Then he turned to her again. “It’s you, Savannah. I want to change because of you. You opened my eyes.” He turned to the other direction and hollered Aiden’s name before turning back to her again. “I don’t expect you to wait for me or stand by me or any of that. What you said makes sense. You’re the last woman on earth I want to hurt, and you don’t deserve my crazy mood swings. I’m going to try to finally deal with my own issues, and if I can find my footing again, and if you’re interested, we’ll go from there.” He shrugged. “All I can do is my best. And if I can’t do it, well, then what have I lost?”
A lump formed in Savannah’s throat. “Darn it, Jack.” She turned away before he could see her eyes fill with tears. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of a bunch of sticks leaning against a tree.
“Jack,” she whispered. “Look.”
Jack followed her eyes to the base of a large tree, where he saw the tips of sticks leaning vertically against the tree. Most of the trunk was hidden behind a large bush. They approached the tree, and both let out a sigh of relief when the makeshift shelter came into view. Jack crouched down and peered inside.
“Thank heavens,” Jack said as he reached into the shelter and lifted Aiden into his arms. “Hey, buddy, that’s quite a shelter.”
Aiden blinked several times, like he was coming out of a foggy dream. “Jack! I survived the woods, just like you.”
Jack pressed him to his body. His right hand covered the back of Aiden’s head. “You sure did, little buddy. We were worried about you. Did you forget the rule about never going into the woods alone?”
Aiden looked at Savannah. “No.”
“Then why did you?” Jack asked.
“Because I knew Mom couldn’t go ’cause she had to pack, and Dad was at the stream. I just wanted to survive the woods,” Aiden explained.
“Aiden, look at me.”
Aiden shifted his big blue eyes to Jack.
“I’m proud of you for remembering what to do, but the woods are dangerous. There are bears and bobcats and all sorts of nasty things out here. You have to promise me never to go into the woods again no matter what you want to prove. Promise?”
Savannah felt tears fill her eyes at the joy of finding Aiden and the tenderness that Jack showed toward him.
“I promise. I’m sorry,” Aiden said.
“We’re getting ready to go on the plane, so now we have to leave the woods.”
