Tangled Lies (32 page)

He winked. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“So, where are we going again?”

He laughed, a bit too loud. “Nice try. You’ll see.”

When he pulled up in front of a big medical center, Sasha figured she knew. After several miles of corridors and an elevator ride, they arrived in the small waiting area outside the pediatric intensive-care unit. A young woman in her midtwenties wearing sweats and the worried, sleep-deprived look of a parent with a sick child leaped up when they walked in.

“Jesse!” She ran over and jumped into his outstretched arms. If he hadn’t braced himself, he would have fallen. “She made it through the surgery! Thank you, thank you.”

Sasha’s momentary jealousy at seeing this woman throw herself at Jesse dissipated as her words sunk in. The woman wiped her tears away and pushed hunks of brown hair behind her ears.

“I can’t ever thank—”

Jesse stepped over and grabbed Sasha’s hand. “Tracy, this is Sasha. Sasha, Tracy was my friend Ethan’s girlfriend, and their sweet baby, Adelaide, just had heart surgery this morning.”

Seeing Tracy’s relieved expression, Sasha’s love for Jesse burrowed deeper yet. This was why winning the race mattered so much.

Jesse turned to Tracy and pulled her close for another quick hug. “I’m so glad everything went well. And you can thank Sasha. She piloted
The Painted Lady
and won that prize money.”

Tracy looked from one to the other, still wiping tears away. “I’ll pay you back, both of you, I promise. No matter how long it takes.”

Jesse just shook his head. “Stop, Tracy, OK? I promised Ethan, and I meant it. You don’t owe us a thing. Just take care of that sweet girl.”

Sasha stepped closer and gave Jesse’s hand a squeeze. “Can we take a peek at her through the window?”

Tracy’s smile could have lit up a city. “Come see.”

They huddled by the glass, and Sasha’s heart clenched at the sight of the tiny girl with the big bandage over her chest, tubes and wires and monitors all but burying her in the big crib.

As she and Jesse headed back to Safe Harbor, Sasha reached over and took his hand. “You’re a good guy, Jesse Claybourne.”

“You OK with that prize money going to Adelaide?”

She furrowed her brow. “Give me a little more credit, Money-boy.”

“I’m not Money-boy anymore. Not by a long shot.”

She sniffed. “That was never your most attractive feature anyway.”

He laughed, and they grinned at each other like idiots.

“Eyes on the road, Money-boy.”

Epilogue

“Jesse! Where are you going? It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.” Blaze appeared at the foot of the porch stairs, arms crossed, blocking his path.

Jesse stopped and let out a wolf whistle. Blaze had dyed her hair from blue to green so it would match her bridesmaid dress. “Wow, don’t you look beautiful, kiddo.”

Blaze rolled her eyes. “You still can’t go in. It’ll ruin everything.”

Jesse stepped closer. “I really need to see her, OK? And I promise, I won’t ruin a thing.”

When she sighed and shrugged, he leaned in and kissed her cheek before she could pull away. “You are going to break hearts, kiddo.”

Then he slipped past her and took the stairs two at a time. He rapped lightly on the door. When Sasha opened it, he sucked in a breath.
Wow.
“Hey, beautiful lady.”

Eve appeared next to Sasha and tried to shut the door in his face. “Go away, Jesse. You shouldn’t be here.”

Before she could protest, Sasha drew him into the room. “It’s OK, Eve. Give us a minute.” To Jesse she said, “Watch your head.”

He ducked just in time, and Eve closed the door none too gently behind her. He took Sasha’s hands, not surprised to feel them trembling. “Just ride the wave. Nothing to worry about.”

She sucked in a panicked breath, and he held her arms out at her sides and studied her. The simple white sleeveless dress suited her perfectly. It had no frills or lace but hugged every curve. Her hair was done in some kind of fancy knot and showed off those beautiful cheekbones. “Have I mentioned how much I love you?”

Her smile was still a little shaky around the edges. “Not lately, no.”

He leaned in for a gentle kiss. “I love you.”

She searched his gaze. “Why are you here? Did something else happen?”

“Only good things.” He reached into the pocket of his gray suit and pulled out her mariner’s cross. Her breath hitched as she reached for it, but he held it just out of reach. “Nick found it. He figured you’d want to wear it today. They found it in a hay bale in that old barn.”

He held it up, and her eyes widened as she saw the addition.

“I know the mariner’s cross symbolizes faith and the anchor, hope. So as a wedding gift, I added a small heart, for love. I hope that’s OK with you.”

When he leaned in to fasten it around her neck, she blinked rapidly. “Don’t you make me cry and ruin my makeup. Eve will never forgive you.”

As if on cue, Eve stuck her head in the door. “Time to go, Romeo. The natives are getting restless.”

Jesse placed a kiss on her forehead and winked. “Steady as she goes, Captain.”

When the familiar strains of Pachelbel’s Canon in D emerged from a hidden speaker, Sasha stepped out onto the porch with her arms linked through Pop’s on one side and Nick’s on the other. She blinked, surprised by the number of people gathered in the yard. It looked like the whole town had shown up.

She smiled at Eve and stopped to whisper, “You look beautiful, Bethany,” in Blaze’s ear as she went by. In deference to Mama’s health, the ceremony would take place right there on the porch, with Mama presiding over the proceedings from her rocker, Bella at her feet.

As Jesse slipped a gold band designed to look like rope on Sasha’s finger, he said, “You’ve made me the happiest guy in the world, Sasha.”

She looked up, and everything faded but the love in his eyes. Even so, the familiar wings of panic started beating against her heart. She whispered, “But what if—”

He put a gentle finger over her lips.

“If you need to run, go. But know I’ll catch you. Every time.”

Just like that, the panic eased, and she smiled. “I love you, Money-boy.”

He winked. “I know.”

She threw her head back and laughed.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Manuscripts may be written in solitude, but it takes a whole team to turn a story into a book. For their invaluable help in bringing Sasha and Jesse’s story to life, my heartfelt thanks go to:

My agent, Susan Brower, for all her hard work and encouragement.

Leslie Santamaria, whose friendship, calm, last-minute plotting help, and invaluable feedback keep me writing—and relatively sane.

My editor, Erin Calligan Mooney, and the whole Amazon Waterfall team for their hard work in making this story a reality.

My fabulous family—who handle my creative distraction with incredible grace. Harry, Ben and Maria, Michele and Matt—you all make the journey worthwhile.

Thanks to God, the Great Creator, who gives the gift of stories and who always, always offers second chances.

Last, but not least, to all of you who’ve encouraged me and welcomed my stories into your lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo © 2015 Michele Klopfenstein

Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and the author of the romantic suspense novels
Angel Falls
and
Trapped!
as well as various works of shorter fiction. She has lived in seven different states but has happily called warm, sunny Florida home for more than twenty years. When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on Central Florida’s waterways, introducing boats full of schoolchildren to their first alligator. She is also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries follow their dreams and break the poverty cycle. In addition to boating, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their grown children and extended family and planning their next travel adventures. You can visit Connie online at
www.conniemann.com
.