Returning Injury (13 page)

Angie included a copy of her letter to politicians and organizations that could help. The letter discussed her goal to have a consistent national database for sex offenders and to have this chart she created, or something similar, mailed to every household so every U.S. citizen would clearly know what was a crime and what wasn’t. She wanted parents to talk to their kids about date rape and appropriate ages of boyfriends and girlfriends. She wanted parents to talk to their kids about their own bodies and how to protect them. She wanted to expose child sexual abuse and get help for children, even if it was the inner child of a grown woman who had been assaulted; it didn’t matter how long ago it happened. Angie wanted to instill in everyone the importance of telling somebody, getting help and getting the perpetrator off the street.

Rebecca realized after going through more of Angie’s things that there were national laws in place to help and protect women and children, but they were not enough. There were such laws as Amber Alert, Megan’s Law, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. Angie’s ideas were similar to the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. Unfortunately, laws didn’t mean much when there wasn’t enough funding to support them.

Rebecca read Angie’s letters of rejection, everybody from America’s Most Wanted to Congress. Most agreed with her, but said each state had its own system of funding, laws and language. Rebecca didn’t realize that. She figured when dealing with children concerning perpetrators who could drive or fly from state to state
that the laws would be the same throughout. Rebecca was feeling as discouraged as Angie probably had been. She got up and headed to her office to find out more about these laws to protect women and children.

After researching national laws and looking for sex predators on the Internet, Rebecca called her sister to tell her to check her neighborhood. Rebecca found many sex offenders listed in the area her sister lived in, which also wasn’t far from her dad’s house and the neighborhood where she grew up. She checked her area and her mother’s area; both were clear.

Rebecca knew how lucky she was to have Jack, and she knew that money had bought her security. Money seemed to buy safety, and that was a topic she kept coming back to while reading Angie’s materials and thinking about the lives of other women.

Rebecca lay down on the couch to sort out her thoughts about Angie and fell asleep. She woke when Jack called her to say good night around nine-thirty. She was glad he woke her.

“So… when is our appointment?”

Rebecca laughed nervously. “Honey, I’m sorry. When do you get in on Thursday?”

“Late. That’s why I’m taking a town car.”

“How late? I’ll wait up for you.”

“I’m scheduled to get in around ten-thirty-five. And by the time I get home it will be about twelve-thirty.”

“Okay, you’re penciled in. Twelve-thirty Thursday night.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Me too.” Rebecca started getting excited. Just the thought of having his body against her and his hands caressing her skin caused her breathing to change. Her head felt light.

After hanging up the phone, she started creating the fantasy in her mind; it would be their first time. Jack was her new boyfriend and he was coming to stay for a visit. She had desperately wanted him since they met and she knew that Thursday night would be the night they would make love for the first time.

She wondered what he would be like. Would he be good? Would he feel good inside of her? How many times and for how long would they make love?

Rebecca felt giddy and excited. Her “first time” fantasies were her favorite. She was a romantic who loved the first kiss, the first touch and the first time. And Rebecca had many first times with Jack, but he didn’t know about it. She kept her fantasy to herself.

Men weren’t the only ones who joked about being with the same person for the rest of their lives. Women sometimes dreaded that thought too.

Rebecca had heard too many of her friends who had been married for years talk about never having another first kiss, first date or that first time a man reaches for their hand. But especially there was that talk about never having the excitement of the first time again. The way they talked about it made her fear some of her friends were contemplating adultery.

Rebecca would always secretly have first times with Jack for the rest of her life, and she couldn’t wait.

It had stormed most of the day, but the power stayed on. As she looked outside she could see that the rain had been replaced with a lightning storm. “What strange weather.” She decided to take Lily out while there wasn’t much rain.

“Lily, come on baby. You wanna go outside?” Lily was lying on the floor by Rebecca’s feet. Rebecca gently patted Lily and lifted her up. Seeing the alarm note, she went back to the kitchen to disarm the alarm. Rebecca yawned and slipped into her shoes. She attached Lily’s leash to her harness, and she opened the front door. It was pitch black. Rebecca stepped back in and turned on all the outdoor lights. “Now hurry, honey. Mama doesn’t like this weather.” She closed the door behind them.

The night air was chilly, but it wasn’t raining. The grass was wet and slippery under Rebecca’s shoes. “Hurry up, honey.” Lily sniffed around, and Rebecca kept looking toward the trees going up the hill. Because she couldn’t see anything in the distance, she listened intently, too.

Lily started turning in circles, her ritual before peeing. Then she quickly squatted. Just as she was finishing, Lily started barking into the darkness.

Rebecca looked in the same direction but saw nothing. “It’s okay, honey.” Each lightening strike terrified Rebecca. She could see everything in that instant, but then everything went black again. It was eerie, and Rebecca still felt as though she were being watched.

Lily continued looking around, then sniffing the grass. Another lightening strike and Rebecca thought she saw something in the distance, but then it was dark again. Her eyes readjusted to the darkness. The next strike came suddenly and felt so close Rebecca
cried out, “Baby, let’s go inside,” as she ran toward the door. Rebecca didn’t want to see coyotes or anything else coming out of the darkness. Once back inside, she didn’t feel as afraid with the door locked and the alarm on.

Rebecca was cold and plopped down in Jack’s soft leather chair in the living room. She could smell his cologne, Fahrenheit, and it took her back to how they finally ended up together.

Despite the lingering fear of not knowing where Roy was, her life was right on track. Rebecca was debt free, working on her career with the goal to help other women through public relations. She was picky about friends and because of that she noticed that only great people started to show up. When Jack came along the third time, she was healthy and ready for him.

Only a few months had passed, but Rebecca was settled into her new job and new apartment. She loved her life. One evening after coming home from the apartment complex gym, her security buzzer rang. It was Jack. She let him in and a couple minutes later, he was knocking at her door. She looked out her peephole and unlatched the lock. He was holding a small sterling silver candleholder shaped like a heart with a candle inside.

He handed it to her. “A late house-warming gift.”

Rebecca smiled. “Thank you. Would you like to sit down?” She led him to the couch as she smelled the vanilla-scented candle, a scent she loved.

“Sure.” He sat down and looked around. “Nice place.”

“Thanks, I love it here.”

“Have you eaten?”

“No, actually I haven’t.”

“Would you like to go and get something together?”

“How does Italian sound? There’s a place across the street.”

“That sounds great.”

“I just came from the gym and I’d like to freshen up a little and change. Can I meet you there in fifteen minutes?”

Jack looked at her and raised his eyebrow. “Are you really going to meet me or are you going to leave me sitting there?”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Jack left, and Rebecca rushed into the bathroom to wash up and then into her bedroom to change. She was out the door in ten minutes and saw him standing at the bar watching a basketball game. As soon as he saw her, he walked toward her and guided her to their table. Jack was a gentleman. He had her walk in front of him, he helped her with her jacket, but he didn’t overdo it by helping her with her chair. Rebecca liked him, but she was being cautious, nervous about getting involved with another unhealthy man. But Rebecca felt better prepared and didn’t want to doubt every man who entered her life. She didn’t want to be afraid.

“How do you like living in Denver?”

“I love it. I love the city.”

“Do you mind if I ask what you do for a living?”

“Well, that’s a good question… I answer phones, file, make phone calls, make coffee, go grocery shopping, oh, and I clean bathrooms.”

He looked a little confused. “You don’t sound happy.”

“I guess I’m in between something, I’m just not sure what yet. I’m in the process of doing PR. That is what I want to do, but I’m just
starting out and working at a PR firm right now, I guess you could say as the… secretary?” Rebecca’s face crinkled in confusion.

Jack started laughing. “Oh, Rebecca, I’ve been there many times.”

She liked how he said her name. He said it like they had known each other for years.

“What do you do, Jack?”

“Let’s just say, it’s an interesting time working in oil and gas. I recently sold my business and did… well for myself.” He smiled. “Now I do some consulting on the side and I’m working on a few other projects.”

“Do you live here in Denver?”

“I do, but I travel a lot, usually Texas and lately up north to Canada. I used to travel more overseas, Middle East, but I would like to settle down a little.”

“That sounds exciting. I love to travel, though I haven’t done much. I’ve traveled around the U.S. a little with family and friends but that’s about it.”

“Then join me on my next trip to Canada. I work most of the day, but you could do some sightseeing. Do you have your passport?”

“I do. I was actually planning a trip to Canada or Mexico. I’m ready to travel beyond the U.S., and I thought a connecting country would be my next step.”

“That makes perfect sense to me.”

Rebecca was surprised by Jack’s invitation coming so quickly. He didn’t even know her. She figured it was just something nice to say, that he couldn’t be serious.

Rebecca had a wonderful dinner with Jack and hoped he did, too. On the walk back to Rebecca’s apartment, Jack asked her if he could call her again. She said she would like that. He asked about her ditching him the first time around, and she just explained that the timing was off. She was in a better place now. He understood.

At the door, Jack leaned in for the kiss and Rebecca let him. His kiss was confident and passionate, his lips soft, yet strong. This loud-talking man had suddenly gone quiet and was trembling. Rebecca started to feel something she had never felt before, something in her heart. His kiss was perfect. And though her body didn’t go crazy, her mind did. She really liked him. She felt something, something amazing. She wanted him to kiss her again, but he didn’t.

She reached her hand out to shake his. “Thank you for a nice night.”

He looked confused by her extended hand. “We just kissed good night.”

“Oh.” She turned to let herself into her apartment, but her door was still locked and she hit her head against the door. “Ouch.” She reached up to put her hand against her forehead.

“Are you okay?”

“No… I’m embarrassed.” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t expect your kiss to be so… so perfect.”

He smiled. “Okay then, Miss Rebecca. Have a good night.” He reached his hand out to shake hers.

They shook hands.

“I’d like to end this on a good note. Thanks for having dinner with me.”

“Thanks for asking… again.”

Before they released hands Jack kissed hers. Rebecca unlocked her door and went inside.

Rebecca got up from Jack’s chair with a huge smile on her face. She loved her life, and Jack was the greatest man she had ever known, besides her dad. Jack wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for her. He was respectful, trusting, kind and supportive of her and everything she did.