CHAPTER 9
Fighting the cloak of shadows shrouding her just below consciousness, Jesse tried to open her eyes. Someone was screaming. She wanted to cover her ears but her arms wouldn’t move. Terror filled her mind. She was tied down in the concrete room. The screams grew unbearably loud as she struggled against hands trying to pin her. Gabriel—she could hear his voice in the distance. He was coming for her. She called to him.
She heard the words, “I’ve got you, Jesse. You’re safe.” She tried to listen but couldn’t hear past the sound of someone gasping for air. Gabriel’s voice drew closer. “Shhh, you’re safe with me, Jesse. You’re home now.”
“Gabriel?” she questioned, confused.
Then she heard him. “I’m here, Jesse. No one will ever hurt you again.”
With a soft moan, she relaxed, allowing herself to be pulled back into the tide of oblivion.
Sometime later, voices floated into Jesse’s awareness before she groggily opened her eyes to see the Pastor and Olivia standing by the bed, praying. Turning her head, she saw her grandmother and Gabriel on the other side. Tears streamed down her grandmother’s face.
The words, “Grammy, don’t cry,” were a hoarse whisper. Jesse was surprised at how weak her voice sounded.
Her grandmother bent over to brush the hair from Jesse’s face. “I’ve never been so worried, child. You were very brave.”
Brave? How had she been brave? Why was she in bed? Starting to move, she closed her eyes against the pain. She felt like she’d been run over by a bus. Hazy memories began to flash through her mind—a woman’s angry face, a concrete room. She had been kidnapped. Rachel—was she okay? “Grammy, where’s Rachel? Is she safe?”
Her grandmother smiled down at her through tears. “Rachel’s safe at home.”
Olivia knelt by Jesse’s side to touch her hand. “We were so worried. We prayed, but I was still afraid.” Seeing Olivia’s tear-soaked face moved Jesse with love for the young woman.
“God heard your prayers, Olivia,” Jesse said before meeting Gabriel’s eyes. Drowsily, she watched his face. He looked as if he hadn’t slept, or shaved. She’d never seen him with hair on his face. How long had she slept?
Her grandmother kissed Jesse’s forehead. “We’ll leave you and Gabriel alone to talk.”
When everyone left the room, Gabriel positioned himself next to her on the bed before carefully sliding an arm beneath her shoulders so her cheek rested against his chest. “I love you, too,” he said softly.
“You heard,” she murmured, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat against her ear.
He stroked her hair. “I’m getting used to holding you. You’ve slept in my arms for two nights now.”
She was so tired but she wanted to stay awake, to hear his voice, so she kept talking. “Grammy let you to sleep with me?”
“Let me,” he said, his chest moving with soft laughter. She didn’t let me, she insisted. You were calling for me.”
“Yes,” she said sleepily, “someone was screaming, but I could hear you in the distance.”
“You were the one screaming, Jesse. You were badly injured when we found you. Dr. Haynes wanted to put you in the hospital but we refused.”
“You’re right,” she said, struggling to open her eyes. “We can’t leave the house.” Her breathing became labored with the effort of talking but she had to tell him. “I heard—"
“Shh,” he whispered against her ear, “I know. Mark Banner, the man we met at the hospital, was behind the kidnapping. They contacted me with demands for your release.”
As he continued to stroke her hair, she started to relax. “God saved me,” she murmured drowsily.
Watching her sleep, he traced a finger along her jaw line. “God saved us both,” he whispered against her ear.
__________________________
Before Jesse opened her eyes, she could hear Gabriel calling her name. “Florence made chicken broth,” he said, helping her to sit up and place pillows behind her back.
“I don’t know,” she said, eyeing the tray he positioned across her lap. “I’m not sure I can eat.”
He stopped stirring the broth to look at her. “You will try though, right?”
She ate the spoonful of soup he held to her lips before holding out her hand. “I think I can feed myself.”
He surrendered the spoon with a look of mock disappointment. “I was looking forward to nursing you back to health.”
“Thanks, but I think I can feed myself,” she said, putting the spoon down and picking up the glass of tea.
Noticing her hand tremble with the weight, he took the glass. “Seems you need me after all.”
She fell back against the pillow to watch him. “You’re right. I do need you.”
“We need each other,” he said, placing the spoon in her fingers. “Now eat, please.”
After eating half the soup, she sat back. “I’d like a shower,” she said, nodding yes, as he shook his head no. Minutes later, he was wrapping the brace on her arm in plastic.
Seeing her reflection in the bathroom mirror, Jesse’s mouth fell open with a gasp.
“Do you need help?” Gabriel called from the other side of the door.
“No. I’m okay,” she answered quickly, lifting fingers to her puffy, bruised face. Deep purple ran along her jaw line. Her lips were swollen and her hair hung down her back in tangles. She looked frightful. Frightful, but alive, she reminded herself. The bruising would fade and she would heal.
An hour later, Gabriel stood behind Jesse’s chair drying her hair. He turned the hair dryer off when her grandmother came into the room. Jesse could hear laughter in his voice when he said, “Florence, Jesse has agreed to keep my hairdressing skills a secret.”
“Really?” Her grandmother said, smiling. “I don’t see why. I think you’re being too modest, Gabriel. Other men could take a lesson.”
Jesse could only guess at the look Gabriel gave her grandmother that made her laugh before quickly agreeing to stay quiet. Bending down, she gave Jesse a light hug before asking how she was feeling. “I feel like a new person after a shower. You can add nursing to Gabriel’s list of talents.”
“Yes,” her grandmother said, offering Gabriel a look of gratitude. “He’s blessed with many talents.”
Over the next week, Gabriel and Jesse spent evenings in her room. They read the Bible, talked and enjoyed each other’s company. The bruising was quickly fading and she could feel herself getting stronger until she no longer needed help with simple tasks.
Shortly after starting to take meals downstairs, Jesse ran into Victoria and Charles Swinney. The meeting began with an outpouring of apologies from Victoria before Jesse stopped her. “It’s okay, Victoria. None of us could have known this was going to happen. No one is to blame.”
On the verge of tears, Victoria said, “The way Gabriel looked at us when he found out you were missing. I was afraid he’d never forgive us.”
“Forgive us?” Mr. Swinney said, “I was afraid he was going to murder us, or least me.”
“Shush, Charles,” his wife scolded before looking back at Jesse to say how sorry they were.
“It’s okay,” Jesse assured. “Everything’s fine now.”
Mr. Swinney’s voice held a hint of anger. “Now that Rachel’s at the shelter, maybe she won’t find herself getting so bored and wanting to run off.”
Jesse was surprised by the news. “Rachel moved to the shelter?”
Nodding, Mrs. Swinney said, “Yes, and I think she’s really sorry about everything that happened.”
Seeing Victoria’s sad expression, Jesse placed a hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t Rachel’s fault. None of us did anything wrong.”
Mr. Swinney was quick to agree. “She’s right, Vickie. We shouldn’t feel guilty. The kidnappers are the ones to blame.”
Eyes downcast, Victoria nodded. “I guess you’re right.”
__________________________
Jesse looked around the room at excited faces as they waited to watch the Pastor’s interview on the local news. Sitting on the sofa between her grandmother and Gabriel, Jesse smiled as Gabriel’s fingers moved beneath her hand to tickle her palm. She cast him a sideways glance before lacing her fingers with his.
“It’s starting,” her grandmother announced, turning up the volume on the television.
The Pastor, who almost looked his age of twenty in a smart suit, contrasted with the reporter who was wearing a button-down shirt. The reporter began the segment by saying, “Fear of another pandemic, high unemployment, natural disasters, a climbing crime rate, those are just some of the reasons Americans are fleeing cities. Many of those in transit have found their way here to the small town of Mountain Valley. At a time when local resources are scarce, one area church has stepped up to offer accommodations at a newly opened shelter.”
Gesturing toward the Pastor, the reporter continued. “Jonas Wagner, pastor of Mountain Valley Freedom Worship Center, is here with me to talk about the shelter. Turning to the Pastor, he said, “Pastor Wagner, it’s interesting that the church started building a shelter at a time when there were few homeless in the area. But here we are just two years later with a growing homeless problem that no one could have predicted. It seems the shelter’s opening couldn’t have been timed any better. What originally prompted the church to build a shelter in this area?
Tugging gently at his collar, the Pastor’s eyes shifted between the camera and reporter a few times before saying, “We started planning after a church elder, one of our most trusted and respected members, felt led by God to build in this area. Two of our members provided financing and then the church came together to get the project underway.” Appearing to relax, the Pastor smiled into the camera to say, “God loves every person, and His spirit continues to strive with humanity during these last days.”
“Last days,” the reporter said, picking up on the phrase. “You’re probably aware that a few well-known Christian leaders have created quite a stir over comments about end times, divine judgment, the apocalypse. There’s been some backlash, violence in some cases, targeting Christians. Even here in the Bible belt, known for traditional values, churches are starting to be vandalized. What’s your take on what’s going on?”
The Pastors brows drew together in thought. “I have to wonder why it’s so controversial for Christians to repeat what’s clearly written in the Bible. Hostility towards Christians may be getting worse, but it’s nothing new. Over the last few decades, Christians have been increasingly mocked and attacked in a country that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Anyone who reads their Bible shouldn’t be shocked about events happening in the world. The Bible is a history book written in advance. That’s how we know the enemy is hard at work recruiting for the coming battle.”
The reporter’s brows lifted. “Coming battle?”
“Yes,” the Pastor said, “the battle prophesied in the Bible. When Christians talk about last days, the apocalypse, they’re only repeating what’s written in the Bible. The battle of Armageddon is coming and Satan is busy expanding his army.” The Pastor was about to say something else when he paused. After a few seconds, he said, “Events on the horizon will test the faith of many. This is the time for Christians to put on the full armor of God.”
Eager to move on, the reporter asked, “How many can the shelter house and at what point will people be turned away?”
“Oh, no,” the Pastor said, shaking his head, “we wouldn’t turn anyone away. We want to help everyone who comes.”
Unable to hide his skepticism, the reporter said, “The shelter has enough space and resources to provide for an untold number of people?”
“No,” the Pastor was quick to say, “we don’t have unlimited resources, but the God we serve does. We will welcome anyone who comes and we’re eager to share our greatest treasure first, the good news of Jesus Christ.”
After giving the shelter’s location and contact information, the reporter ended the interview.
Her grandmother muted the television and turned to the Pastor. “Good interview, Jonas,” she said before others joined in to say the same.
The Pastor shrugged modestly. “It went okay, I guess. David asked good questions and he brought up a point we may need to think about. More people are coming to the shelter than we first expected. Someone suggested building more sleeping quarters before winter sets in. Several carpenters have volunteered.”
Gabriel rubbed his chin, thinking. “We have some lumber stored and a portable sawmill.” Leaning back in his chair, he smiled. “I was at the shelter earlier today. People are volunteering, working together. There’s a spirit of sharing and harmony.”
“I noticed that, too,” the Pastor said. “You know, the worst of times often brings out the best in people.”
The Pastor turned to her grandmother. “What do you think, Florence? Should we build?”
Without hesitation, she said, “Of course. We started this to help people—whatever it takes.”
___________________
Around the supper table later that evening, Jesse noticed her grandmother watching her. She leaned in to examine Jesse’s face before saying, “You look like yourself again.”
Jesse hid her amusement at the comment. She might have asked who she looked like before but she was afraid to hear the answer. Instead, she said, “I feel like myself again, Grammy. The bruising is almost gone and Dr. Haynes said I can stop wearing the brace soon.”
Getting up from the table, Gabriel came around to place a hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “It’s a nice evening. Would you like to sit on the porch and stargaze?”
“I’d love to,” she said starting to get up. She glanced at her grandmother. "I guess I should help clean up first, though."
Her grandmother smiled. "Go on out with Gabriel. A breath of fresh air will do you good.”
On the porch swing, Jesse snuggled in close against Gabriel’s side as they listened to the high-pitched chirping of katydids. “It's a clear night,” she said, breaking the silence. “We should be able to see the stars soon.”
When he didn’t respond, she looked up to see him staring out into the dusk. Moving out of the curve of his arm, she turned to him. “You seem preoccupied. What’s wrong?”
Releasing a long breath, he said, "There's something I need to tell you.”
Sensing the tension, she touched his arm. “Whatever it is can’t be that bad.”
“Actually, Jesse, I think it could be. What I’m about to tell you may change the way you feel about me, about us.”
Stunned, she stared at his shadowed profile. Could he really tell her something so terrible that her feelings for him would change? No, that was wasn’t possible. Needing to reassure him, she said, “Nothing you say could ever change the way I feel about you.”
“I hope so, because I love you. Ten years, thousands of miles, nothing could break the bond we share. We both had things to accomplish apart but I knew that one day we’d be together again. I thought about you every day.”
“What? I don’t understand. If you thought about me, why didn’t you call?”
“Call?” he said, surprised. “I did call—several times. Don’t you remember? You refused to take my calls, didn’t respond to my letters.”
She looked confused. “I only refused one call and there were no letters.”
“No, I—” He stopped. Shaking his head, he said, “I should have known. Claire. When I called, Claire made it very clear that you didn’t want to talk to me, ever. I’m guessing she also intercepted the letters. You know,” he said, almost hesitantly, “I didn’t want to say anything to hurt your feelings back then, but you were probably the only teenager in D.C. without a cell phone or computer.”
Her shoulders slumped at the memory. “I know. I wasn’t allowed. Claire said—" She didn't finish the sentence. Instead, she said, "It doesn’t matter now. Let's just say I wasn’t the typical teenager."
His arm went around to pull her close. “You never wanted to talk about it, but I know you had a tough time with Claire. Looking back, I’m glad we didn’t get a chance to work things out back then.
Surprised, she moved to look at him. “What? Why would you say that?”
“Because being with me might have put you in danger. During my first semester in college, I had this sense that I was being watched. For months I ignored it, but after a while I started to get more suspicious. Seeing the same person at different places glancing my way. When I would walk toward them, they would walk away or run. And then when my parents died in a car accident, I wondered…” he said, his voice trailing off.
“Oh, Gabriel, I’m so sorry. Did you tell the police?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “The police said there was no evidence of foul play.
“Oh, that’s just horrible. Did you ever find out who was following you?”
“I tried. I hired an investigator. A few months after he started work, he called to say he wanted to meet after his trip to Italy. I never heard from him again.”
“What?” she asked, surprised. “You mean he just disappeared?”
“No, I’m not saying that. After a few weeks, I contacted his office and his assistant said he was injured in an accident in Italy and would contact me once he returned to the states. I never heard from him after that.”
“How strange. What’d you do then?”
“Eventually I hired a law firm out of New York and asked them to hire an investigative team. Less than a month later, they asked to meet. The night before our meeting, a man came to my hotel room. He said his firm’s services were no longer available—no explanation. On his way out, he handed me an envelope with a refund and note.”
“A note? What’d it say?”
He shrugged. “That was several years ago.”
“That’s not a message someone would easily forget.” When he stayed quiet, she said, “If you don’t want to tell me, just say so.”
He shifted his body and she could tell he was uneasy. “I don’t know, something odd about a secret society, corporate globalists, Bible codes that predict the future.”
“What? Secret society—Bible code? What’s a Bible code? You looked into it, right?”
“Not really. I may have read a few articles. Some people say there’s a message system hidden within the text of the Hebrew Bible. Some code that supposedly foretell events, predicts the future.”
Before she could question him further, he said, “Look, Jesse, that’s not what I want to talk about right now. The point is, I was in a tough spot. I was concerned about you but I couldn’t risk making contact. You didn’t exactly pick the safest place to live. Southern California—gangs, murders, robberies. I started to worry, especially these last few years with everything that’s been going on.”
When he stopped talking, she said, “I get it, you were worried. What’s so bad about that?”
“Well, I,” he said, hesitating.
She smiled at his uncertainty. She’d never seen that before. “Oh, it can’t be that bad. Just tell me.”
“Alright,” he said, nodding. “Jesse, I hired someone to watch over you, someone I trust.”
“Watch over me? Her eyes widened before sitting up to stare at him. “You mean you—you hired someone to watch me, to spy on me?”
“Nick, he works for me.”
Stunned, she continued to look at him. “Nick works for you? Is that why he was in California?”
“Yes.”
“You—you actually paid Nick to follow me?”
“Yes.”
“Tom—the champagne,” she said, hand coming to her forehead. “That’s how you knew how we met. You checked on Tom. You knew what type of man Tom was before I did.”
“Yes, I knew. I knew he was a philanderer but not a physical threat. I never intended to interfere in your life, Jesse. I wanted you to make your own decisions, but I had to know you were safe.”
He knew what type of man Tom was but didn’t intend to interfere in her life? That didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. She had to ask, “What if Tom and I had married?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I knew that would never happen.”
“What do you mean, you knew? How could you possibly know that?”
“Because you were not meant to be with Tom,” he said, sounding slightly agitated. “If he hadn’t broken off the engagement, you would have.” His hand came up to the back of his neck. “Look, Jesse, I know how strange this sounds. I sound like a stalker, but I had to tell you. I won’t ask you to forgive me because I’m not sorry. Your safety was too important. I’m just hoping you can understand it from my perspective.”
Understand it from his perspective? She couldn’t begin to think about that right then. She needed to know if he would have let her marry Tom. Pushing him to answer, she said, “You couldn’t know that Tom and I would break up. What if we had married?”
“But you didn’t—you wouldn’t,” he said, impatient to change the subject.
She refused to let it go. “Please, Gabriel, just answer the question. How can you be so sure?”
Hearing him release a long breath, she knew that she’d won. He started by saying, “I knew a lot about Tom, what he was thinking. From the moment Tom met you, he was torn between two worlds. He liked being around someone he could talk to, someone he trusted, but he was never comfortable. You mentioned he talked about his childhood but I’m guessing he didn’t talk much about himself as an adult. Old habits die hard.”
She continued to watch him. When he didn’t say anything else, she said, “You still haven’t answered my question, Gabriel. How did you know Tom and I would never marry?”
Staring ahead, he answered in a quiet voice. “I knew you wouldn’t marry because I would have stopped it. I would have influenced circumstances, used any means necessary to keep you from marrying Tom, or any man.”
Any means necessary? What would he have done? If only he’d known, one phone call would have brought her running home. Maybe she should have been shocked, angry, but she wasn’t. If any other man were telling her this, she would have been horrified, but not Gabriel. She knew him. On some level, somewhere deep down, she was relieved to know he would have stepped in. She touched his arm. “You can’t protect everyone, Gabriel.”
“You’re right, but I wasn’t trying to protect everyone, just you.” During the silence that followed, she sensed that he was mentally wrestling with something. Finally, he said, “When you were kidnapped, they sent a photo. I saw you…” He didn’t finish the sentence. Clearing his throat, his head tilted back. She could hear the emotion in his voice when he said, “You can’t imagine what that did to me, Jesse. I really thought I would lose my mind.”
Turning in the swing, she hugged him. “That’s over with, Gabriel. I’m okay and we’re together now.” She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, knowing she was where she belonged, in his arms.
When she felt him starting to relax, she moved to look at him. “I can’t believe I’m going to admit this, but there’s some part of me that’s flattered that you went to so much trouble to watch out for me, that you cared enough to do that.” She smiled before saying, “But there’s another part of me that’s shocked that you had a man waste so much time as my private bodyguard. I can’t begin to imagine how boring that job was.”
Encouraged by her lighter tone, he said, “Would it help to know that Nick jumped at the chance to live near the beach? And a lot of those nights when you stayed in, Nick was out enjoying his expense account.”
She pushed his arm. “I can’t believe you. You’re—”
“I know,” he said, catching her hand. “I’m awful. But I was also desperate. Besides, Nick owed me more than a few favors. You wouldn’t believe the trouble he caused me in high school.” His smile faded as he continued to watch her face in the faint light. “Maybe I do owe Nick an apology, but right now, I’m asking you to forgive me for not telling you sooner.”
Her fingers came up to caress his face. “Don’t you know how much I love you? Nothing could ever change that. Of course, I forgive you. I really can’t imagine anything I wouldn’t forgive you.”
Her head tilted curiously as she watched him stand up before kneeling in front of her. Taking her hands, he said, “No more secrets, Jesse. No more misunderstandings. Tomorrow isn’t promised and only God knows how much time any of us have left. But whether days or decades, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Jesse, will you marry me?”
Was she dreaming? Would she wake up disappointed? She reached out to feel the roughness of his cheek. Could a dream be this real? Dream or not, her answer would be the same. “Yes, Gabriel. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
She felt him slide a ring onto her finger before pulling her into his arms for a kiss that literally swept her off her feet. Before she realized it, they were back on the swing without her knowing how they’d gotten there. She was bursting with happiness. She wanted to dance, sing, shout—and she was doing all of that on the inside. It was a few seconds before she realized he was talking. With a steadying breath, she mentally pulled herself together enough to focus on his words.
“…and I guess you remember all the times I stepped between you and a pack of boys armed with salamanders. Even at the age of twelve, I was more than a little smitten. I was secretly hoping valor in the face of danger would win fair lady’s heart.”
Remembering his boyish courage, she smiled. Instead of correcting his long held, but mistaken, assumption that had ever been afraid of salamanders, she said, “Oh, I remember that. The other boys picked on you for hanging around with a girl.”
“Yes, they did,” he said, chuckling, “but that never bothered me. Spending time with you was always an easy decision.” The diamond on her finger caught her attention as he brought her hand to his lips. With an inward groan, she wondered if she had failed proposal etiquette. Maybe she should have gushed over the ring, told him how much she loves it. On the other hand, the light was dim. She couldn’t very well ooh and aah over a ring she couldn’t see. Who was she kidding? If he had put a bread tie on her finger, she would love it. She suppressed the urge to giggle. She pushed aside rambling thoughts to hear him say, “I missed you, Jesse. I don’t want to be apart any longer. How would you feel about getting married soon, maybe Saturday?”
“What?” she asked, blinking. “Saturday? This Saturday? Well, I—I think...”
“I’ll understand if you’d rather wait. We’ll do whatever you want, plan anything you want.”
Saturday—her mind ran with the possibility. She would prefer a small wedding anyway. Something simple, just her grandmother and a few friends. “Yes,” she said, nodding. “Why not—let’s get married Saturday.”
He kissed her before asking, “Have you thought about your name?” Seeing her confusion, he smiled. “I’m asking if you would consider taking my name? I know some women prefer to keep their maiden name or hyphenate.”
“Oh, absolutely not,” she said quickly, “No hyphens, none of that. I want to be Mrs. Jesse James.”
“Jesse James,” he repeated the name under his breath. “What do you think of when you hear that name?”
She laughed. “Since you shared your twelve-year-old crush secret, I’ll tell you exactly what I think of when I hear that name. I think about daydreaming in school—writing that name on every notebook I owned, hundreds of times, all decorated with hearts, of course.” Sighing, she closed her eyes. “Jesse Marie James. I love that name.”
Hurrying through the kitchen door, Jesse almost collided with Emma in her excitement to get to her grandmother. “Sorry, Emma,” she said before sliding to a stop in front of her grandmother. “Grammy, guess what.” Before her grandmother could say anything, she blurted, “Gabriel proposed and we’re getting married Saturday.”
A look of total surprise splashed across her grandmother’s face. “This Saturday? Less than a week, Saturday?”
“Yes, Grammy,” Jesse said, laughing at her expression.
Seizing Jesse’s flapping hand, her grandmother stared at the ring with widening eyes before pulling her towards the table. “Plans, plans, we need to make plans,”
“Oh, no, we won’t need a lot of plans, Grammy. Just a small ceremony. Maybe invite a few friends, seven or eight at the most.”
Stopping in mid-stride, her grandmother turned around slowly. She looked at Jesse as if she had sprouted a second head uttering an unknown language. “What’d you say? Only a few people?”
Jesse quickly started to backpedal, “Um, Amber—she won’t be able to make it on such short notice, but we should invite friends, yours and Gabriel’s. Anyone you’d like to invite is fine with me. The more the merrier.”
Emma looked almost feverish with excitement as ideas swirled around the kitchen table. Her grandmother, writing almost as fast as she talked, suddenly stopped. Jesse could tell something was wrong. “What is it, Grammy? Are you okay?”
Her grandmother laid the pen down and looked at her. “Some might question marriage at such a time.”
Jesse stared at her