Forever's Embrace (Forever In Luck Series Book 2) (24 page)

Jules
shook her head. “Ohhh no, it’s a mix of various fresh greens.”

 
“Aha, and might you be using salad dressing
that comes from a bottle marked Hidden Valley, or Kraft, or Seven Seas or
something?”

Jules
shook her head again innocently. “Umm, no, it’s, aaah, vinaigrette, I’ll make
it fresh.”

“And
might the mushrooms be cooked with plain old butter?”

Jules
looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “Ahhh, no, I said they’d be marinated,
not sautéed.”

Linnie
raised an eyebrow. “Just what’s involved in cooking this steak?”

 
“Mmmm, not much,” Jules answered, focusing on
the groceries, while avoiding Linnie’s stare. “Seasoned on each side and
lightly seared in butter, then kept warm in a low oven while a cognac cream
sauce is whipped up in the pan with the drippings. Pour it over the top and
dinner is served.”

“A
snap, huh?” Linnie snapped her fingers on both hands multiple times to get her
point across.

Jules
rolled her eyes. “Stop. The steak can be seasoned ahead of time, and when
sautéed, only takes two to three minutes per side, the sauce, less than five
minutes. The potatoes can be cooked ahead of time and be braised in the
rosemary butter as the steaks cook. The salad and vinaigrette can be made ahead
of time and tossed at the last minute. The same goes for the marinated
mushrooms. See, easy peasy, and a snap,” Jules snapped her fingers once to make
her point. “Besides, I want to have something nice ready in case Jake should
come home.”

“Have
you called him…yet?” Linnie asked, exasperated.

Jules
shook her head. “No, I know I should, but I’ve been chicken. I almost texted
him twice, but then lost my nerve. I know he’d be here in an instant, and then
his studies would suffer, and well, I wanted to be walking better when I saw
him.”

“You’re
doing well, you’ve graduated to using a cane.”

Jules
nodded. “I promised him if the Packers won I’d be in Luck come Valentine’s Day,
and they did, so I’m hoping he remembers. It was part of the agreement for the
job promotion. I couldn’t start until after Valentine’s week.”

Linnie
shrugged. “Well, let’s cross our fingers then, shall we? Let’s hope that Jake
remembers. And if not, then you could always call him, hint, hint.”

Jules
took a deep breath. “Linnie, what if he doesn’t—”

Linnie
put her hand up, palm out. “Stop. Don’t even think it. I know my brother, he
loves you, Jules, he does. Now, I just realized you purposely left something
off the “easy as a snap” menu for tomorrow.”

“Oh,”
Jules said, turning a light pink as she bit her lip.

“What
are the dessert plans, hmmm?” Linnie asked, as she narrowed her eyes on Jules.
“I know you have some, so don’t try and hide it from me.”

“Ahh,
not much, just a kladdkaka torte with raspberry filling and a chocolate ganache
glaze,” Jules answered, trying out her best smile.

Linnie
pursed her lips and shook her head. “Lord help us. I don’t even want to know
how many layers. Come on, if there’s any hope of ever getting out of the
kitchen today, we better get started.”

*****

Jake
was exhausted, but the closer he got to Luck, the more alive he felt. It was so
good to be home. Passing through town, he gave the horn a tap when he spotted
Johnson in his patrol car off to the side of the road. He was rewarded with a
flash from the patrol car’s spotlight. Turning down 280th, he crossed over the
Gandy Dancer Trail, past the tree line, and up the hill, when he looked out the
driver’s side window and stopped the truck.

Taking
a deep breath, he stared upon the flickering auras of the northern lights. It
was kind of early for them, but then March was right around the corner.
Thinking back to the last time he’d seen them three months ago, made him
remember their first kiss. Closing his eyes, he could almost feel her in his
arms.

“I will never
forget these moments with you for as long as I live.”

Yeah,
well neither would he. He was going to find her, and bring her home. Putting
his truck in gear, he turned and headed down the driveway. Pulling in the yard
at half past midnight, he was finally able to say he was home. He sure the hell
couldn’t figure out how Linnie’d stayed away for five years, when he’d barely
survived being away five weeks. Grabbing his gym bag, he headed for the house.

Dropping
his stuff by the door and kicking off his boots, he headed up the stairs and
straight to the refrigerator. He was starving. Pulling out a plate, he peeled
back the cling wrap and looked at the leftovers. Hmmm, from the looks of it,
Linnie was getting adventurous. He didn’t care as long it tasted good.

Heating
it up, he grabbed a glass of milk and sat, digging in and moaning with the
first bites. Damn, that was some good shit. Inhaling the food like it was the
first meal he’d eaten in months, well weeks actually, he went in search of
something sweet.

“Dessert’s
in the pantry.”

Jake
spun around at the sound of Linnie’s voice. Walking over, he threw his arms
around her and gave her a big hug, as he lifted her off her feet. Setting her
down, he spoke as he headed for the pantry. “I need your help.”

“Is
that so,” she responded, as she sat at the table. “With what?”

“Finding
Jules. I have to see her. I can’t wait anymore. I’ve given her enough time to
come to me first. She isn’t going to, so I need to go to her.” Setting down the
dessert, Jake headed to the fridge for more milk. Sitting, he took a bite,
chewed, then swallowed. “Damn, Linnie, your cooking’s improved in the five
weeks I’ve been gone. Whatever these are, they’re some tasty grub.”

She
nodded, looking amused. “Yeah, I’ve been working at it, getting a little
instruction here and there.”

After
smacking his lips from the tartness of the lemon, he asked, “Will you help me,
please? Give me her address or something. I haven’t called or texted her
because it would be too easy for her to just ignore it.”

“I’ll
help. Go to bed and rest easy. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Bound
and determined, he continued, “Just so you know, when I find her, I’m bringing
her home. I am. If she refuses to listen to reason, I’m going to need your
help. I refuse to take no for an answer.”

Linnie
stood, then reached out and stroked his stubbled cheek. Speaking softly, she
said, “I understand. Go rest. We’ll talk in the morning. All will be well.”
Then she turned and left the room.

Feeling
like she’d just opened the release valve on his anxiety with her calmness, he
sat back in his chair. He didn’t know if he had the energy to get up. Thankful
his room was downstairs because he’d have gravity on his side, he stood, turned
out the lights, and headed for his room.

Going
down the first flight of stairs, he grabbed his gym bag from the landing and
headed down the second flight. Half way down, he saw a soft light coming from
his room. He paused. She wouldn’t…be here…would she? Going down the rest of the
way, he went and stood in the doorway to his room. There she was.

Rubbing
his face, he suddenly remembered something Nate had said to him when Linnie’d
gone missing. He’d said,
“Man, I really
hope for your sake, that when you find Miss Right, you never have to go through
what I’m going through now. I think I’ve aged ten years in two weeks.”
He
could appreciate that statement a lot more now, but at the time he thought it
was funny. Hell, in five weeks, he’d swear he’d aged fifty years.

Turning,
he went to the bathroom and readied himself for bed. Soon he was standing next
to her. Reaching out, he shut off the light, and ever so carefully crawled in
next to her. He didn’t want her waking up and kicking him out.

“I understand.
Go rest. We’ll talk in the morning. All will be well
.”

There
was a message in that statement, he was sure of it. Relaxing, he settled in while
putting his hands over his head. It wasn’t long before Jules rolled up to his
side and snuggled in, putting her head on his chest. Slowly he brought his arms
down and around her. She was where she was supposed to be, right next to him,
held safe within the love of his embrace.

CHAPTER 13

Hovering
somewhere between asleep and awake, Jules felt warm on one half of her body,
and cold on the other. I need to get closer to the warmth, she thought, but she
wasn’t able to move. There was a slight breeze, then a tiny tickle on her face.
She scrunched up her nose, trying to make it stop. I’m lying against a rock,
she thought. I’m cold, and the rock is warm, I need to huddle down low and get
as close to the rock as I can. She felt that breeze again. Why in the world am
I laying outside, she wondered, the air is so cold. Go to the rock. Trying,
trying, trying, she couldn’t move. The rock was so warm, so nice and warm. She
drifted.

Wait,
who was bouncing a ball? She strained to hear it, a muffled, rhythmic thump…
thump… thump. There was that breeze again. She shivered, then felt a light
brushing on her nose. Something feathery just tickled my nose. It happened
again. Wait! There, there’s something on my nose. There’s a bug crawling on my
nose!

Jules
pushed herself up on her hands in a panic, then began frantically rubbing her
nose. Opening her eyes, she tried to focus, but flinched from the morning
light, slamming her eyes shut. Her heart hammered rapidly. Rubbing her eyes,
she guardedly opened them again. It almost looked like Jake was lying there
with that grin on his face. She was most certainly hallucinating.

Hypnagogia,
she thought as she rubbed her face and eyes. I’m in a hypnagogic state
precipitated by the meds I’m on. Or was it hypnopompic? Her brain danced
around, her synapses misfiring. It was hypnopompic, she was sure of it. Wow,
she needed to get off these meds, her brain was logy. A shower would probably
help, and then a cup of hot chocolate. Yeah, she was going to have a Swedish
Snowdrift this morning.

Trying
to sit up, she couldn’t and fell down onto one elbow. What the heck?
Frustrated, she opened her eyes again and saw a grinning Jake.

With
a raspy voice, he said, “Good morning, beautiful.”

“Jake?”

He
nodded as he smiled widely. “It’s me, sweetheart. Come here and give me one of
those kisses of yours.”

Her
heart squeezed, and tears sprung to her eyes. Pulling herself up higher in the
bed, she grabbed him by the face and kissed him with everything she had. “Oh
Jake, I’m sorry, so, so sorry.” Then a long kiss, before she put her arms
around him and hugged him tight. “I was in a bad place, Jake. I was in a bad
place, and I was confused.” Pulling back she looked at him with sadness, and
said, “Please, forgive me, say you’ll forgive me. Please?”

Reaching
up he stroked her face. “You’re forgiven, bebis. Totally and completely
forgiven.”

“Oh,
Jake…I,” unable to continue, she kissed him again, longer and deeper this time.

Putting
his arms around her, he rolled to his side and ran his fingers through her
hair. “When did you get here?” he asked, as he studied her face.

Feeling
ashamed, she looked away. She swallowed, and answered, “I, ahhh, arrived a
little over three weeks ago.”

He
turned her face back to him, then wiped his thumb across her cheek. “Please
don’t cry. Someone as beautiful as you should never be made to cry.”

She
inhaled deeply, as more tears fell from her eyes. “Oh, Jake….”

He
smiled and brought her head to his shoulder, holding her tight. “I love you.”

She
snuggled up, sniffling and nodding in response.

Rubbing
her back, he said softly, “I’ve missed you so much my heart ached. I wish you
wouldn’t go. I wish you’d stay. I know you have a dream job, and it isn’t fair
of me to ask you to let it go, and I know you’re embarrassed at having to
depend on others to help you with your personal needs, but I don’t mind. It
doesn’t put me off. Think of what I do for a living. I’ve been dealing with
females and their needs for years. Please stay.”

She
started laughing amidst her tears. “Did you just compare me to a cow?”

“Ahhh…”

More
and more laughing. She didn’t know what was more funny, what he had said, or
the look on his face.

After
a few moments, he answered, “Ahhh, guess I kind of did. I didn’t mean it like that,
but we can, ahhh, get you an ear tag and a bell to wear around your neck if
you’d like.”

She
laughed and laughed. “Jake…what about the ledger, will you put my name in the
ledger?”

Unable
to control it, he started to laugh too. “Sure will. Please stay.”

Working
to contain her joy, she teased, “But what about my career? I was thinking I’d
like to expand my focus, study the functionality and implications of bacteria
and molds on everyday life.”

“I’ll
build you a lab, then you can study to your hearts content right here in Luck.”

Still
laughing some, she continued, “My very own lab? Like, as in, The Juliet
Blomgren Institute of Independent Research Center?”

He
paused, “Ahhh, yeah, something like that?”

Giving
him a quick kiss, she smiled widely, and said, “I’ll need an assistant,
preferable a cute one.”

He
stared at her without saying anything.

She
smiled her most charming smile and batted her lashes at him, then said, “I do
get an assistant, don’t I?”

Still
staring at her, he took a deep breath and let it out. “You’re playing with my
head again, aren’t you?”

She
laughed a little and chirped, “Si, ti amo.”

“Really?”
he barked. “You torture me, then tease me, and when I catch you doing it, all
you have to say is, ‘Yes, I love you.’”

She
nodded her head rapidly as she smiled, her eyes alight with humor.

Reaching
up he gently tweaked her nose. “Well, there’s only one thing I have to say, ti
amo anch’io, bellissima.”

Her
breath left her, and her eyes went round as her vision swam, then she sniffled.
He’d spoken to her as a lover would. “You love me too, and you, you called me
most beautiful. Jake, you’re so romantic.” Leaning in, she kissed him as only a
lover would.

Stopping
to breathe, she looked into his beautiful eyes, and asked, “How did you learn
the words?”

“You
said the first three in response to me, right before they took you away in the
helicopter, and the last one I learned from the How To Speak Italian in one
week CD I picked up at the Walmart in Rockford.”

She
giggled. “You did that for me?”

He
nodded. “For you, I’d do anything.”

Wait
a minute, she thought. “Did you say Rockford? As in Illinois?”

“Yes,
ma’am, that very one.”

Confused,
she asked, “Why were you in Rockford?”

He
shrugged. “I wasn’t really, I was passing through on my way back from Chicago.”

“You…you
were in Chicago?” she asked weakly.

“Mmhmm.
Sure was. Yesterday. Toured this cute little house for sale in the Jefferson
Park neighborhood.”

She
gasp. “Oh my gosh! Did you, aah, go there by chance to, aah, maybe see me?” she
asked with a gulp.

Threading
his fingers through her hair, he held her head steady as he looked at her
intently, his tone turning serious. “I went there in hopes of bringing you
home. It’s a cute house, I hope you won’t miss it too much, especially your
kitchen.”

She
looked down and took a deep breath. “Jake…”

“Don’t
go, please don’t go. I don’t care if you’re a paraplegic, I don’t. I’ll get you
help for when I’m not there, I’ll build you a house that fits your needs, I’ll
love you always, no matter what. I want you and only you, please stay.”

She
put a finger to his lips. “Shhh. I need to show you something, and then I need
to make breakfast. I promised Kris pannekoekens.”

“Hey!”
he said extremely annoyed. “Tell him to find his own girl to cook, mine needs
to rest and get better.”

Leaning
in she gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’m fine, let’s go.”

“No,”
he said stubbornly, not letting her go.

Then
in a sing song voice, she said “I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Fine,
I’ll carry you.”

Shaking
her head, she answered, “No you won’t.” Then she turned over and sat up. “I can
do it myself.”

“Oh
yeah? Where’s your wheelchair?” he asked, sitting up and looking around “I
don’t see it.”

Pulling
back the covers, she answered him, “That’s because I don’t need one. All I need
is this.” She held up her cane, then pushed herself to the side of the bed and
stood up, fell back on the bed, caught herself, then tried standing again.
Taking hold of the dresser, she stood, tottered around a bit while leaning on
her cane, then turning, she looked at him with a big smile. “See.”

He
stared at her legs, then began swiping at his rapidly blinking eyes.

“I’m
stiff when I get up,” she explained, “and my legs don’t always remember what to
do at first. I should have warmed up a little, but I didn’t, so that wasn’t the
best I can do. Anyways, I have to be careful, but I can walk, and if I keep
improving like I have been, they don’t think I’ll even need a cane.

“I’m
not in a rush though, I don’t want to take a chance of falling. The callous at
the fracture site is still soft by all accounts. Although osteoblasts have now
moved into the area and are depositing bone cells that will encapsulate the
fracture site giving it more stability over time. Osteoclasts have arrived too.
Both of them will clean up the area making it as good as new, but that all
takes time, so I’m trying to be extra careful.”

Jake
busted out laughing when she finished, then tried clamping his mouth shut,
trying to stop, but he couldn’t. Shaking like a leaf, he fell back on the bed
and laughed a full bellied roar, then started laughing more when he looked at
her and she narrowed her eyes on him.

“Stop
it! You’re as bad as your brothers, or is it that they’re as bad as you? Oh, I
don’t know, but I can’t help it. My brain just works like that. You just watch,
I’m burning your pannekoeken and seasoning it with salt, you wretch.” She
turned and hobbled away.

Still
laughing, he managed to mutter, “God, I love your mind.”

Yelling
from the bathroom, she tossed out, “Charm’s not going to work, Jake Albrecht.”

“You
can’t blame a guy for trying, bellissima” he hollered, as he continued to
laugh.

“Not
working,” she yelled back.”

“Ti
amo,” he volleyed.

No
response.

“We
having a tiff, sweetheart? Because you know what happened the last time we had
one.”

She
snorted. “Don’t remind me,” she threw back at him.

“Why?
I seem to remember—”

“Jake
Albrecht, don’t you dare go there!” she ordered. “Look to your left, to the monitor
on the nightstand. I guarantee your family’s listening to everything.” Then
coming to stand in the doorway, she said, “Nik’s probably taking notes, so
anything you say will be held against you for eternity, right Nik?”

There
were two quick beeps on the monitor.

She
smiled. “You learn anything that will help you with the ladies, Nik Nak?”

A
long beep, followed by a couple quick ones.

Then
Kris’s voice broke in over the intercom. “Tell Jake to get his fat ass out to
the barn. He’s on clean up, and there’s plenty of shit waiting.”

Next
up, they heard Karl muttering to himself, “…now which one of these here buttons
they say to push…why the hell they need to make these buttons so damn small…oh,
maybe it’s the one my thumb’s on…hello, hello…testing one, two, three…”

Jake
looked at Jules and they busted out laughing. “We can hear you Karl, loud and
clear,” Jules answered.

“Well,
imagine that,” he said in amazement, “it worked. We still having pannekoekens?”

“We
sure are.”

“You
need anything, tootsie?” his dad asked, getting the hang of things.

Jake’s
eyebrows shot up. Then he looked at Jules and mouthed questioningly, “Tootsie?”

She
smiled as she nodded back at him. “No, I’m good,” she responded aloud for Karl
to hear.

Now
it was Nik’s turn. “Great! I’m starved. Jake, haul ass, and leave Precious
alone so she can cook.”

Jake’s
eyebrow’s shot up again as she turned to make her way to the stairs.

“Just
what the hell has been going on around here while I’ve been gone?” he tossed
out for all to hear.

She
chuckled, then answered loudly, “Well now, wouldn’t you like to know? Let’s go,
Elvis, there’s a farm to run, and I need to make breakfast for the guys.”

*****

Banished
to the table, Jake watched as Jules did up the last of the breakfast dishes. “I
still don’t understand why I can’t help you,” he grumped.

“Because
you were on poo duty, and if you contaminate Linnie’s clean kitchen, she’ll
have your hide.”