Page 108 of In Hiding

“Will, it’s okay. You won’t hurt me.”

He didn’t resist this time, allowing Jake to tug him closer. Resting his ear gently against Jake’s chest, he listened to the slow, strong heartbeat. William’s breathing slowed and the thoughts in his head calmed down. He closed his eyes. Sleep finally called but he ignored it. He wanted to stay with Jake until he agreed to stay.

“I know you haven’t been here long,” he murmured. “But you’re the best father I’ve ever had. Please don’t leave.”

The heartbeat at his ear quickened. Jake’s arm laid over his shoulders. “I love you too, kid.”

~

Sarah jerked awake, wincing at the brightness of the florescent lights overhead. Beside her, Erik grumbled and went back to sleep. Her heart hammered in her chest but before she could figure out what woke her, a shadow loomed over her. Blinking, she tried to focus. After what felt like minutes, she recognized William.

“You can’t let him leave.”

Her dry mouth made her croaky. “What?”

“Jake. You can’t let him go.”

Her son stood with his hands on his hips as he glared at her, as if waiting for her to get up and do something. Still groggy from sleep, Sarah licked her lips and rubbed her eyes. Sitting up, she glanced around the empty waiting room. The clock on the wall read six o’clock but she honestly felt as though she’d had a ten-minute nap.

Looking up at William, she could see he hadn’t slept at all. His eyes were bloodshot. His cheeks were red. He reminded her of when he was younger, resisting sleep with every bone in his body. Nightmares had plagued most of his childhood. Had he had another one? She reached for his hand, but he pulled it away.

“He loves you.”

So, her son was trying to play matchmaker? Or simply making a point to convince her that she had to forgive Jake?

“I know you look up to him—”

He shook his head angrily. “I don’t want him to go. Do you?”

His pointed question shot to the heart of the matter. Lying to him didn’t enter the equation but owning up to the way she felt about Jake wasn’t easy. It left her open and vulnerable, and after Ryan, those feelings were hard to handle. As Jake bled on her floor, he’d confessed he loved her, but she didn’t know whether that was delirium talking or Jake.

“Mama?”

Sarah pushed up to her feet and cradled William’s face in her hands. “It’s complicated, honey.”

“No, it’s not. Please, Mama, be honest.” His eyes pleaded with her.

Brushing his cheeks with her thumbs, she pulled him closer and planted a kiss on the scar at his temple. It was her permanent reminder of the struggles he’d survived and of how precious a gift he was. Life through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old was simple, but history had taught her the opposite.

Letting Jake into her heart hadn’t been intentional, and when he lied to her, it reinforced every fear and insecurity she had. She wasn’t naïve to his logic, and though she thought she understood it, it still riled her.

But her son was right. She didn’t want Jake to go. After all, he’d never truly left her. He’d watched over them for days, braving the cold, the wind, and the snow.

All so he could protect her.

And he nearly lost his life for it.

For her.

The revelation woke her, and she hugged William. “You think of him like a father, don’t you?” she whispered at his ear.

The boy nodded.

Smoothing her hands over his hair, she accepted she had to admit the truth. First to herself. Then to Jake. Pulling back, she guided William to a chair and covered him with a blanket, ordering him to get some rest.

From the waiting room, she went down a silent hall until she found the room where Jake recovered from surgery. In the low light, his pale skin shocked her. Entering, she neared his side. Soft beeps echoed his heartrate, and she watched his bandaged chest rise and fall. Tubes covered him. Touching his hand, she expected him to wake but he lay there, cradled in deep sleep, looking fragile yet peaceful.

Sarah lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. Leaning a hip against the bed, she wrapped her hands around his for warmth and support. His cool skin concerned her, as did his sunken cheeks and the gray circles around his eyes. Bending, she pressed a kiss to his forehead and closed her eyes.

---