Impossible chase, p.14
Impossible Chase, page 14
They packed up and started moving. Jagger was grateful the group was in good shape and nobody complained or lagged behind. Thankfully, some of the men in the group had given him, Paul, and Hays dry socks so they wouldn’t have blisters wearing wet socks the eleven-mile hike out. Belinda had dry socks and had changed into dry clothing. Hays insisted on carrying her larger backpack and she thankfully let him take it.
Hays led the group, Paul stayed in the middle, and Jagger took up the rear. They were all on the lookout for the missing convict but had seen nothing so far. As lush and thick as this jungle was, the guy could hide out for some time. Paul told the police that Abe Sanderson had said friends had helped them stash food, weapons, and gear. They planned to search through everyone the prisoners had contacted in the past year and question Abe. Jagger had chosen to tackle and fight him instead of shooting him so the police could have a witness to question. Hopefully it would lead to some information that could help them find who might be hiding the escaped convict.
Around nine o’clock, they stopped for a break. Belinda sassily told Hays that Jagger had tagged her with the laser gun last night and he might as well take her life today because as soon as they got back to the house, she was taking a nap and forgetting this ‘nightmarish experience.’ Then of course she quoted some scripture he’d never heard: “‘Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.’”
Jagger loved her sass. He even loved her quoting scripture. He wished he could hold her while she napped, comfort her about this ordeal, talk to her about so many things, have hope that ‘things which are before’ could come for them.
But wishing wouldn’t make it happen.
Hays shot the dirty shirt she’d stored in her backpack with the laser gun so thankfully Jagger didn’t have to. He shouldn’t have tagged her last night. This game would be over; she could go back to feeding and helping children and families in need and he could go back to rescuing them. He used to live for his SEAL assignments. Looking forward, even the most thrilling or demanding mission sounded lackluster if he couldn’t come home to Belinda.
Jagger kept hearing Belinda’s beautiful voice as two of the young men from the group chatted with her through mile after mile after mile. They wanted to know all about the reality show and then about her charity. She asked about them; they were both college students from Missouri, lacrosse players who’d just finished their season and their semester. She made them explain lacrosse, each of their positions, and then talk through their favorite games of their careers and their most ‘heroic and unselfish’ plays.
It went from chatting to flirting quick in his mind. He honestly didn’t know that he could claim Belinda was flirting. She was simply so naturally engaging, fun, caring, and appealing that the young men took it as a green flag. Everyone was drawn to his Bee. The young men had to be almost ten years younger than her, but they didn’t seem to care.
When the group reached Hanakapi’ai Beach, there was a decent crowd of day hikers. Jagger doubted the convict would dare come toward this busier spot. Some people they passed gave them interested looks. They did look pretty beat up. Especially him and Paul.
He noticed Belinda was limping as they ascended the steep incline to the view and the one mile remaining point.
“Pardon me,” he said to a few hikers as he went around them until he was right behind her.
“What do you want?” she demanded, glaring over her shoulder.
Sting like a bee. What did he expect?
He pointed down at her heel. “You’re limping.”
“I’m fine.” She turned back to her college buddies and kept climbing, but as her shoe moved with a step, Jagger saw blood staining the back of her sock.
“Bee,” he growled, then pushed between her and one of the boys and swept her off her feet and against his chest.
Paul glanced back at them and smiled.
Jagger stopped and let the rest of the group go around them. Belinda’s college boys looked disappointed but kept walking after Jagger’s warning look.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled into him.
“I’m going to carry you so you don’t hurt yourself worse. Then you can run away from me tomorrow.” He managed to force a smile.
Belinda glowered at him. “It’s just a blister. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m carrying you; don’t fight me on it.” To prove his point, he started moving, easily scaling the rest of the incline. Not pausing for the world-class view, he started down the decline and last mile.
“I always fight you,” she snipped at him, her breath warm and tingly on his neck. She looked up at him from beneath her thick lashes and Jagger almost tripped on a rock.
“True,” he said.
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes as he navigated the steep decline. It was always slightly muddy because of natural springs, but it was worse today after all the rain.
Hikers smiled at them as they passed. They looked like they were in love. If only. He loved Belinda, but he doubted she’d ever let down her guard again and love him back.
As if she could sense his thoughts, she stiffened in his arms. “Don’t think this means I’m forgiving or believing you.”
“I could never think that.” He rolled his eyes. Why couldn’t she listen to reason or realize her dad was a fraud?
“Good.” She relaxed into him again. “I’m not too heavy?”
He shook his head. “I wear backpacks heavier than you.”
“I’m not too small,” she said with all that Southern and Bee sass that he loved.
“No,” he admitted. “I love your size.”
She smiled hesitantly up at him. “I love yours.”
He smiled hesitantly back. Was she letting down her guard?
Closing her eyes, she gave a soft moan that had him afraid he’d stumble and fall down the trail.
“At the risk of inflating your already huge ego, I have to admit that your chest is dreamy,” she said, laying her head on it.
Jagger was stirred up and drawn to her and sort of annoyed. She used to love to tease him about his ego and now she was telling him his chest was ‘dreamy.’ How could she say things like that when she didn’t trust him or love him and had berated him last night?
“Glad you like it,” he managed.
“Your entire body is insanely impressive,” she said, sounding out of breath.
Jagger’s stomach gave a happy lurch at those words. He had to navigate a few slick steps before he could glance down at her. Her blue eyes were full of him. Her compliment was genuine. He had a moment where he thought if he stopped and bent down, she’d kiss him.
“Remember how skinny you were?” she asked.
Jagger was surprised she could tease with how upset she was with him. Was she breaking down her walls?
No. Just a moment ago, she’d reminded him that she couldn’t trust or believe him. He couldn’t forget that.
They were getting closer to the parking lot now. He’d have to set her down soon. His arms tightened reflexively around her at the thought.
“I wasn’t skinny,” he managed to reply. “I just hadn’t filled out yet.”
“Scrawny,” she teased, giggling.
“Well, you’re still scrawny,” he teased back, even though he’d just admitted he loved her size.
“I thought I’d gained some curves.” She blinked up at him, so appealing, so Bee, so his …
No. Not his. Not anymore.
“I hadn’t noticed.”
“I’ve seen you checking me out. Don’t deny it.”
Jagger couldn’t deny it, especially as he had her in his arms and she felt not only desirable but perfect to him. “Okay. You got me.”
She ran one hand over his shoulder. “Your build is incredible.” His muscles tightened in response to her touch. “Thank you for using your muscles to protect and carry me.”
Jagger could barely nod. What was she doing to him?
“Jag … do you still think I’m pretty?”
Jagger stopped walking then. They only had about twenty feet to go. Some hikers walked around him. He stared into Belinda’s blue eyes. Was she letting down her walls and ready to give him sweet honey, or was she tricking him? She had to be exhausted and overwrought, but this felt like a genuine question, as if she hadn’t been complimented in the past fourteen years, or maybe she doubted she was still attractive to him. He had to tell her the truth.
“Bee, you are the most beautiful and mesmerizing woman in the world to me.”
She smiled up at him. He had to kiss her. Right now. He should be suspicious of why she was letting her guard down, but he only cared that she was.
He bent down and tenderly claimed her lips. The kiss started out sweet and aching, but then Belinda arched up into him, wrapped her arms more firmly around his neck, and kissed him with all the passion and fire that typified his Bee. Sweet, sweet honey. The world and every pain of the past fourteen years fell away. Bee’s lips eradicated everything but his need for her. He could never get enough of her.
Jagger cradled her closer, heat building in his chest, savoring these moments, returning kiss for intense kiss and not caring who was watching or how soon she might slug or slap him. Her sting was nothing compared to moments like this. They were in their own world.
“Come on,” an irritated voice said. “Keep moving. Joe. Mary. Isaac. Stop staring. Let’s go. Dude, I’ve got little kids here.”
Jagger pulled back, surprised he and Belinda hadn’t lifted off to another planet. He glanced around at a dad with a backpack full of a squirming and laughing toddler, a pregnant wife carrying a smaller backpack, and three little children the parents were trying to tug up the trail. The little ones all had their heads tilted up and stared at him and Belinda like they were a PG-13 rated movie.
“They’re kissing,” the little girl squealed.
“Pardon us,” Jagger managed. He hurried down the trail to avoid looking at the family.
“Thank you,” the dad muttered.
Belinda giggled quietly, and he couldn’t help but smile.
They reached level ground, and he was able to stop and focus on Belinda again. He smiled. “Let’s say goodbye to your new friends, go back to the house, and continue—without our preschool audience this time.”
She looked for a half a beat like she agreed, but then suddenly she stiffened and squirmed to be free of his arms.
Jagger didn’t need to imagine what was coming. He was in for a tongue lashing.
Surprisingly, instead of his Bee stinging, she murmured quietly, studying the steep trail behind him, “I’m sorry. Forgive me. I’m exhausted and confused and … everything that happened last night and this morning. Thank you for rescuing me, carrying me, and ...” She broke off, still refusing to look at him.
Then she limped away from him to say goodbye to her college buddies, who were eagerly waiting for her.
Jagger would’ve rather had her punch him, slap him, or tell him off. Her being sorry felt like he wasn’t the man who brought out her sugar and her spice.
The apology made him feel like he was a mistake and they’d never have a chance.
His gut churned as Hays approached. His friend’s dark eyes were full of questions. Jagger wished he had any kind of answers.
Chapter
Fourteen
Belinda felt awful the rest of the day. She got ibuprofen, a stash of water bottles and dry food from the kitchen, and then she hid out in her suite, taking a long bath, and found some antibiotic cream and Band-Aids to doctor up her blisters, which only reminded her of Jagger carrying her up and down that steep trail, kissing her, and telling her she was beautiful and mesmerizing.
She tried to nap, one hand holding her bee ring.
Every part of her body, heart, and soul ached. She was head over heels in love with Jagger and feared she was hurting him over and over again with her hot and cold attitude toward him. She only wanted to tease with him, talk to him, laugh with him, snuggle with him, and kiss him, but she felt like she was betraying her parents even thinking that.
If there was any chance Jagger was right and her parents were the ones who had lied to her, then she and her parents were the biggest of jerks. She couldn’t imagine that, but being close to Jagger again reminded her why she’d fallen in love with him. He understood her, loved her despite her sass, and he was loyal and true to his country and her. He was her perfect match. Her hero. Everything she ever wanted in a man was wrapped up in that muscular, appealing body of his.
She kept calling him the jerk, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around him actually being one. Not to her. Yes, Jagger was hard and didn’t sugarcoat things, but she loved that they could fight and kiss and be passionate. Maybe that didn’t work for some couples, but it worked for them. If he was telling the truth, then she was the biggest of jerks, letting down her guard and kissing him, then yelling at him and berating him for lying to her.
Ah, she hated herself right now, and she was so confused.
She was too stirred up to sleep, and she had no clue what to do next. Until she talked to her parents, she couldn’t just believe Jagger. Could she? If her parents had lied, would they keep lying to hide a painful truth? No way. But maybe. If it was true, how could her parents hide the truth for so many years?
Kneeling, she poured out her heart to her loving Father above. She stayed on her knees for a long time, not getting any blaring answers but feeling a sense of peace. She finally felt one quiet word—trust.
“Trust who?” she begged aloud. “My parents? Jag? You?”
Nothing. She claimed she always trusted Jesus, but at times like this, it was hard to trust and have faith that things would work out. Patience had never been her strong suit.
“‘Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him,’” she murmured.
She pounded the soft mattress in frustration, then stood and tried to pace, but her feet hurt.
A soft rap on the door brought her head around. Hope filled her heart. She’d gotten the answer to ‘trust’ and then Jagger knocked on her door? That was her answer. It had to be.
Hobbling to the door, she flung it open, smiling in welcome.
Her soul dropped to see Hays standing on the other side.
“Hey.” His welcoming smile was kind and concerned. “How are you feeling? How are your blisters?”
She lifted her bare foot. “I doctored myself up beautifully.” She kept her smile on. It wasn’t Hays’s fault his buddy hadn’t come. She’d thanked Paul and Hays profusely for saving her, feeling awful that she couldn’t thank Jagger, kiss him desperately, then get upset with him again.
What a muddled mess.
“I feel terrible,” she admitted, “but it’s good to be here and rest.” She wasn’t going to explain the extent of her ‘terrible’ feelings.
“I’m sorry you don’t feel well. Would you like to join us for dinner?”
“Us?”
“Paul and I.”
That hurt. Jagger not only hadn’t come for her, but he wouldn’t even eat dinner with her?
“I’m not hungry,” she managed, only a slight wobble in her voice. “Why didn’t Jag come?”
Hays lifted his brows. “He asked me to check on you and see if you’d eat, but he … needed to go swimming.” He pointed out at the ocean. The thick trees next to their patio covering the beach path made it so she could glimpse a bit of the beach and the ocean. She wanted to run and watch Jagger swim.
“I see. Thanks for checking on me.”
“Of course. Can I bring something up?”
“No, thank you.”
Belinda had never been this quiet, and she was only this polite to the elderly.
Hays nodded and turned away.
“Do you know?” she demanded.
“Know?” He turned back. His dark eyes were very kind, like an adorable little boy’s eyes, big and irresistible. She could bet nobody wanted to tell him no.
“How long have you been friends with Jagger?”
“Since basic training.”
“I remember him talking about you. Do you know why he ditched me halfway through A school?”
Hays shook his head, lifting his hands. He paused as if debating how to share while still putting his loyalty to his friend first. “We all got our first leave in four and a half months that weekend,” he said. “I went home to Long Island and … it was a rough weekend for me. When we got back, we were both a mess. Shawn tried to pry it out of us, and I tried to talk to Jagger, but … nothing.”
So Jagger had gone somewhere, maybe to find her, and Hays could still pinpoint the weekend it happened all these years later.
“I’m sorry you had a rough time too,” she said.
The eyes that had been so kind and almost boy-like hardened and Hays became as closed off as anybody she’d ever interacted with. His body coiled like he was ready to fight. The change was surprising, but even still she knew Hays would never do anything unkind to her. Whatever he’d been through, it had hurt him.
“It’s all right,” he said evenly. “Have a good night.”
He turned and walked down the hall and disappeared down the stairs.
Belinda ran to her patio, pulling out her necklace and holding onto the ring. She could see Jagger’s large form in the water. She wanted a closer view. Hurrying back into her room, she slid into some flip-flops, brushed her teeth, put on some mint-flavored lip gloss, fluffed her hair, hid her necklace again, and half-tripped on the way out her door and down the stairs.
When she reached the main area, Paul and Hays both rose from the table where they had a mouth-watering spread of pasta dishes, green salad, and breadsticks.
“Hey. You feeling better?” Paul asked.
Hays’s eyes were still shuttered, but he smiled at her.
“A little. I’m going to walk down to the beach.”
Hays’s smile grew. He liked her with his buddy. If only Belinda knew if she should be with his buddy.
