22. Jamison
I couldn’t let Gisele go.
Didn’t want to.
During the time when Jock, Josh and I entered the shop and confronted the escapees holding up the grocery, I kept my eyes off Gisele other than one brief look her way. I couldn’t look at her without losing my shit and then attacking the men or worse killing one.
The one who dared putting his hands on my woman marking her beautiful face.
It was the second time I loathed my job. The fact that I couldn’t take her in my arms and console her the same way Josh got to console and hold his wife.
For hours I had to process evidence, interview the family from the campsite, collect the tape that was used to bind them, keep the car untouched until the crime scene guys turned up. After that I interviewed the escapees, all the time wanting to rip them limb from limb. The story they told was chilling, the way they flagged down the family held them at gun point threatening to kill the children if they didn’t drive them out of the search area.
I couldn’t imagine what that father went through, but as soon as I heard that Gisele was in a similar situation I suddenly knew exactly what that man went through in his mind.
My ability to compartmentalise was being tested, was I the cop or the boyfriend? My mind went into overload, my stomach rolled. I knew if I looked too closely at Gisele and see her injury, I wouldn’t be able to perform as a cop properly.
It came close to destroying me but somehow, I kept my cool and allowed Josh to take Gisele back to his place, believing his promise that he would look after her until I finished at the station.
Finally, the CSU, and major crimes as well as prison officials arrived, and I officially handed over all evidence as well as the escapees. Gisele and Claudia still needed to give their statements, Georgina already had, but I didn’t want Gisele to go through anymore trauma or stress until morning.
It wasn’t exactly protocol, but I assured the other investigators that I personally would take the statements first thing the next day. Josh wasn’t going to let Claudia out of his sight any more than me with Gisele, and once I assured them also that the Blessing women would not forget a single detail about their ordeal, I ran out of my office and straight to Josh and Claudia’s house where I saw for the first time the extent of Gisele’s close call.
The blood was still seeping out of the gash when I dropped to my knees in front of her, almost pushing Josh out of my way. The instant we made eye contact, Gisele’s tears flowed, and my heart broke.
It had taken more than a half hour to get her away from her mum, but finally we left calling Elle on the way to bring Miracle back. That meant another hour of having to share Gisele with Elle, but eventually Elle left warning me that she would be back first thing in the morning.
I believed that.
Gisele stirred in my arms, her soft shuddering sigh breaking through my mind fog.
“Shhh, I got you baby. I got both of you,” I soothed her in a soft voice, so I didn’t wake Miracle, who was tucked against her mother, my arms around both of them. Exactly where they belonged.
Stroking Gisele’s soft hair, more for me so I could believe she was okay, I willed my heart to calm down. When I was in that back room, going over in my head how we were going to storm the front of the shop without putting the women in danger I had complete control of my emotions, it wasn’t until I heard the shot fired that real fear grabbed me by the balls. It was the worst moment for a cop, being so personally involved, that the woman I was deeply in love with was in danger. My training forgotten for a brief time while my mind blew up with images I never want to think about again.
“Do I have to give a statement tonight honey?” Gisele asked me softly, her voice trembling.
“No, my love,” I assured her, pressing my lips to her hair, “you don’t have to do anything other lay in my arms baby.” Slowly the rapid beating in my chest began to subside, the ache was still there but dulled slightly. The woman in my arms was the reason for that.
Burrowing deeper into my chest, Gisele sighed again only this time there was no shudder, no tremble. No fear.
And just like that my world was no longer in pieces. My thoughts went to the small silk drawstring bag, in it was the engagement ring I brought on my last day in Gracefield. The ring that Gisele was going to wear for the rest of her life. Careful not to jostle Gisele or Miracle, I slipped the bag out of my jeans front pocket and held in tightly in my fist.
My inner caveman demanded that I put the ring on Gisele’s finger not give her the option to say anything but yes to being my wife, but I couldn’t do it that way.
Gisele’s past determined what her future should be, and for me I wanted nothing but happiness for her. I wanted to see the joy on her face when I got down on one knee holding the ring and begging her to marry me. I wanted my proposal to be memorable in the best possible way, to replace the bad memories with one of love. Her ex had given her enough bullshit and stress, taken power away from her, degraded her. Gisele deserved much better than me going all alpha on her telling her what was going to happen. And to be perfectly honest I did want to do the whole knee thing, to see the excitement on her face when she saw the ring I chose for her.
What I thought would be a long and hard decision turned out to be the quickest purchase of my life. I walked into the best jewellery store in Gracefield asked to see engagement rings and one the first tray I zeroed in immediately on the white gold and sapphire ring with a halo of diamonds and knew that was the perfect ring for my Gisele. The large central stone mirrored the colour of her eyes exactly, the small diamonds accentuated the sapphire so no one would be able to miss it.
I had Jock’s blessing, no pun intended, I had the ring now all I had to do was ask the most important question in my adult life to date.
A little movement against my arm caught my attention, looking down I was faced with the cutest smile identical to her mum’s.
“Hi little lamb,” I said in a low voice, a smile spreading my lips.
“Hi JJ,” Miracle replied her voice sounding much better, the croakiness of the last couple of weeks since her first word finally clearing.
“Mummy’s squashing me,” Miracle complained, making me chuckle. Gisele who was half awake let out a huff but didn’t move an inch. “You squashed me for twenty-three weeks chickee.”
Laughing but also knowing that this may head in the direction of mother and daughter potentially getting into a bickering match, I decided that it was time my soon-to-be daughter to go to bed, and Gisele and I needed to do the same.
“Come on lamb, time for bed,” I announced and thankfully I got no arguments from either Blessing.
With a little work, I got up without too much folly, then picked up Miracle telling Gisele not to move until I come back for her. Not hanging around to see the eye roll I knew she was giving me, I cradled my precious bundle and headed up the stairs to the room that was more like a toy store. Miracle had every known beanie kid, every stuffed rabbit ever made amongst a multitude of other toys, her wardrobe and chest of draws were bursting with more stripes, sequins, and colourful woollens imaginable. She wasn’t spoilt rotten, no she was loved by her entire family, and they loved to buy her gifts, clothes, and anything else they could think of just because they can.
Even I had succumbed to the temptation to buy her things nearly every day during my commute to and from Gracefield. My go to was books because Miracle and I had established a routine that I read to her at night. My time travelling meant I had not always been able to make it home for dinner on time, arriving back in town as Miracle was finishing her bath.
I hated missing out on so much even during that short few weeks, so I became her storyteller and Gisele was happy to relinquish the chore to me.
“Pick a story lamb,” I said motioning to the shelf of books that grew nearly every day.
Closing Miracle’s door softly, it didn’t surprise me to hear soft footsteps coming up the stairs.
Of course she didn’t listen to me.
“How many?” Gisele asked, coming up to me and cuddling into my side, my arm lifted, and she wiggled into place, her arm winding around my back.
“Two,” I answered chuckling. “Ready for bed baby?” I asked pulling her tighter against me, loving having her back in my arms even after the small amount of time it took me to read two books to Miracle.
“I’m tired but I don’t know if I can sleep honey,” Gisele sighed, leaning into me, giving me all her slight body weight.
“Come on,” I urged, directing us towards our room, not stopping at the bed instead I turned us to the en-suite bathroom. Without saying anything, I went straight to the shower and turned on the water. Happy with the temperature I helped Gisele rid herself of her clothes, making a mental note to burn the clothes so she wouldn’t have them as a reminder of the traumatic events of the day. Once Gisele was beautifully naked, I made quick work of my own clothes then took her by the hand and gently coaxed her into the stall, quickly crowding in behind her and holding her to me, back to chest. Standing under the water, my face dropped to the dip between her collar bone and neck, and simply breathed her in. My lips trailing kisses wherever my mouth could reach, comforting not only Gisele but me as well.
“Fuck baby, I was so scared, so bloody scared,” I whispered finally letting the distraught I had been holding back out.
Turning in my arms, Gisele wrapped her arms around my waist, her lips pressing tiny kisses to my pecs, and I suddenly lost it. Feeling tears fill my eyes, my shoulders shook crying silently, Gisele and I swapping roles. Now she was comforting me, the adrenaline, and the effort it took to remain the cop whilst my woman was being held hostage quickly wearing off.
“You saved us Jamison. I knew that you would come and find us, I never doubted that for a second,” she breathed, her hands slipping down my wet back and up again. Over and over, she repeated comforting me, until finally all the fear left my body and all that was left was my love and devotion for my beautiful girl. Her unrelenting faith in me, was overwhelming but in the best way.
Humbling.
“I will always be here for you Gisele, for you and for Miracle,” I vowed pulling back so I could see her blue eyes. The trust and the love that shone back at me, nearly brought me to my knees right there in the shower. A light bulb went off in my head, and I knew what I wanted to do.
“I love you Gisele Heidi Blessing, I thought I knew what love was, but nothing I have ever felt before comes close to how much I love you. You have given me so much, a life I never expected to have. A loving family, a home, and a daughter.” Pausing, I let Gisele go making sure she had her footing on the slippery tiles, then jumped out of the shower and rifled through my jeans pocket and pulled out the silk bag. Untying the string, I dumped the ring into my wet palm then hastily got back in the shower to Gisele, who was now looking at me like I have lost my mind.
Just you wait beautiful.
I took a few seconds to let the water warm me again then dropped to one knee, right there in the shower. From this height I was level with her sexy flat belly and her bare pussy.
Concentrate Jury.
Taking her hand, I took a deep breathe then went for it.
“Marry me Gisele, let me be your husband, let me be Miracle’s dad, let me love you every day for the rest of my life.” I heard Gisele’s shocked gasp, then I saw the most perfect, one hundred watt smile that she gave only me and Miracle.
“Oh Jamison,” she breathed, looking down at the ring I was holding. I was also holding my breath because she wasn’t saying yes.
“Baby?” I asked worriedly suddenly wondering if I got the timing wrong. Should I have waited until she recovered more from the hold up? Or worse, did she not want to marry me? Then Gisele dropped to both knees, her hands covering mine.
“Jamison Jury, since meeting you, my life has been blissful. I feel your love every time you look at me, every time you touch me. Honey, I will marry you, and love you until the day God decides to take me from you.”
Close to bursting into tears of joy, tears of relief, I pushed the ring onto her forth finger, the large sapphire a perfect fit on her delicate finger.
Smiling like a loon, I took Gisele’s face between my palms and just stared at her. The water had made her hair look like a veil of blonde satin, she was the most beautiful sight for anyone’s eyes, but she was mine.
Mine forever.
Pushing forward, I took her mouth in a hot blazing passionate kiss, pouring every ounce of love I had for her into the kiss.
“Mine,” I whispered in awe against her lips.
“Forever,” Gisele whispered back, her answer the same as my inner thought only seconds ago.