Page 109 of In Hiding

“I don’t know if you can hear me,” she whispered, “but I’m here. I know what you did for us. I threw you out, but you never left, did you?”

Desperately wanting to hear his voice, she waited but he didn’t stir or wake. Sarah traced her fingertips down the side of his face, over his whiskers to his chin. The contact gave her hope she could find it within herself to trust him.

“You’ve given me so much,” she continued. “My life, my freedom. My son loves you like a father and despite what you may think, you are a good role model for him. He needs you to stay.”

Jake murmured in his sleep, his lips moving ever so slightly. Her hopes rose that he would wake, but he didn’t. Touching her nose to his, Sarah breathed in deep. “I need you to stay.”

She closed her eyes, content to listen to his breathing and allow the steady rise and fall of his chest to reassure her he would be okay. The room fell quiet, save for the machine monitoring his pulse. She lost track of time until a footstep at the doorway made her sit up.

It was Stevie, dressed in her long white coat. Like an angel, she swept into the room with a serene smile. “You look exhausted,” she said softly when she reached Sarah’s side. “You need rest.”

“Later.”

Her eyebrows waggled. “You’re no good to him if you’re dead on your feet.” She pointed at a chair. “Take a load off, lady.”

Hesitating, Sarah looked back at Jake.

“He’s fine. I admit, he lost a lot of blood. The bullet did a lot of damage but it missed his heart, lungs, and major arteries. He’s a lucky sonofabitch but he’s going to need a ton of recovery.”

And a boatload of patience.

“I gave him a very strong sedative, so he won’t be conscious for a while yet. Here,” she took Sarah by the arm and led her to the chair.

Sarah made herself comfortable, curling her legs under her as Stevie covered her with a blanket. “You’ll wake me?”

“Of course. Do you want a sedative, too?”

No, Sarah had no trouble resting. “I’m fine.”

“I promise you, he’s not going anywhere.”

19.

Jake opened his eyes. Bright sunshine streamed in through the open window. Outside, light fluffy clouds drifted across the blue sky and warmth radiated through the glass. Beside him, soft beeps broke the silence.

He was alive.

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