12. Nat
TWELVE
Nat
I panted and clung to Jack as he cradled me in his arms, away from my destroyed cabin and into the clearing past my pod’s campfire. The commotion of voices and movement around us blended into the wind’s howling as the rain soaked us. I didn’t speak as Jack held me to his chest and kept walking.
He fielded questions and concerns from the counselors and campers who’d heard the tree fall onto my cabin and were trying to be helpful in the aftermath. My fear-riddled state had me hearing bits and pieces, but I didn’t miss it when he asked someone to call Dr. Alyse.
“I don’t need a doctor.” It was the middle of the night. I would be fine.
Jack squeezed me tighter, his face etched with worry and something else as he stopped and looked at me. “Yeah, you do, princess.”
I didn’t argue again. Jack was certain, and that meant the discussion was over.
Someone from my pod offered to carry me, but Jack gently refused. He had me, and I wasn’t going to question him. There was something different about this version of Jack, who’d come to my window with a panicked look and was now prioritizing helping me over anything else.
I’d never imagined myself being rescued before or being attracted to the man doing said rescuing.
But as Jack held me as if I were precious and delegated tasks to campers and counselors alike, I felt that stupid, familiar fizziness swirl around in my stomach.
It wasn’t only the intensity of the night.
No, it was the realization that Jack was carrying me as if he’d carried me hundreds of times.
It was the look in his eyes and the reassurance in his hold with every step we took.
I never would have expected this kind of reaction from my enemy or from myself, but I was done questioning the events of tonight as I rested my head in the nook between his shoulder and neck and breathed in deeply.
I couldn’t help myself. He was comforting, so I instinctively held him closer.
His grip tightened around me as if he’d never let me go, and he kept walking us in the rain toward the parking lot.
I shivered against him. Cold. Wet. Then a wool blanket was thrown over me, its scratchy material barely noticeable.
I could hear the tenor of Autumn’s voice as she and Jack talked in clipped sentences while I shamelessly clutched onto him.
Grateful for the warmth. Grateful for him.
Slowly, my senses settled down. Adrenaline released its vise grip on me, and it hit me again that Jack was carrying me. That he’d rescued me. But also, now my feet were throbbing in pain. I had to admit he was right. I was hurt.
I remembered the harrowing steps I’d taken over shattered glass to get to the window. Which only reminded me of Jack’s desperate face as he’d reached for me. I’d never seen him so serious. So focused. I hadn’t thought then; I’d just moved into his arms.
Jack had murmured soft words into the air around us. “I’ve got you.” He’d puffed the promise into the air. More reassurances had quickly joined. “You’re safe.”
And in that moment, I’d known it was true. It was that simple. Jack was principled and wouldn’t say things he didn’t mean.
Autumn’s worried gaze met Jack’s, and her hand landed on his shoulder, which gave him pause. “I can drive her,” she offered.
I felt more than I saw Jack’s firm shake of his head. “I’ve got her. I’ll get her there. Can you make sure Dr. Alyse is coming? Please?”
I gazed up at him through wet lashes. I’d never heard Jack ask something of someone like that, as if he were desperate for it. His jaw was set in a line, fierce determination in his eyes. He was on a singular mission as he held me.
He flung his truck door open, but I was gently lowered onto the bench seat. Jack tucked the blanket in around me, and he reached across to buckle me in.
I was annoyed at the sweet gesture. I could buckle myself.
Jack and I both looked down at my shaking hands and it spurred him into action.
Suddenly, he ran around the hood of the truck and hopped in, and we were off.
Jack’s knuckles were pressed white as he gripped the wheel.
We drove to the clinic in silence, processing everything that had happened.
The lights to the clinic flickered as we arrived and, combined with the fallen branches and violent rain, it resembled a zombie apocalypse movie—eerie as hell.
Jack didn’t seem to notice as he slammed the truck into park and charged around the hood to open my door for me.
Jack scooped me up and out of the truck, back into his arms, where I’d be warm and safe.
He didn’t avoid the large puddles in the front row of the parking lot by going around.
No, Jack took the quickest route to get me inside the Wildwood clinic.
Each step jostled me, and I clung to him tighter. Short breaths were pushed out from my lungs as he flexed below me. Of course, he just had to rescue me in a T-shirt that obscenely clung to him, soaked within an inch of its life. The nerve.
Not only did he look good and his body heat radiated warmth into my soaking wet skin, but he also had the audacity to smell good, too. It was impossible to be annoyed with someone who rescued you and smelled this delectable.
He opened the door just as the lights stabilized, and its bright art-covered walls made it look a lot less ominous.
“Dr. Alyse,” Jack greeted her as she met us at the door. I assumed she didn’t normally go to work in banana pajamas, but who was I to judge? This was Wildwood. That, combined with her bedhead, reminded me she’d flown out of bed to help me.
Jack kept hold of me as he followed the doctor into the first examination room.
“It’s her feet.” His voice was uncharacteristically tight as he continued. “I didn’t apply pressure. But I got here as quickly as I could.”
“You can set her down over there. Let’s have a look.” Alyse washed her hands and put on some gloves before gathering some supplies.
Jack lifted me onto the medical bed, then stepped back.
When he set me down, though, the blanket I’d been wearing fell off my shoulders, and Jack made a noise I’d never heard come out of him before.
My gaze went to him, but he was already turning away.
He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck as he stared off at the wall, his back facing me.
Was he blushing? I looked down at my soaked blue tank as it clung obscenely.
The material outlined the shape of my chest, the tips of my breasts on full display.
Now it was my turn to blush, and of course, Alyse saw the whole awkward interaction.
Her gaze shot between us. She gave me an interested, pointed look, and I shook my head.
Luckily, she had a modicum of tact as she busied herself by applying a saline solution to my cut feet.
My left foot was obviously worse than the right, but both of them throbbed as Alyse applied the saline solution and extracted the small shards embedded in the pads. Luckily, I’d just walked on my toes, and my whole foot hadn’t been damaged.
“Ouch, girl. What happened?”
I winced as she worked on them, and Jack left to get me water, which was nice since he’d been hovering just over my shoulder ever since he brought me here.
“Mother Nature decided my cabin needed a renovation.” I winced as Alyse removed a piece of glass from my toe. I took the water from Jack after he returned. “I cut them on glass while getting out of my cabin. How very John McClane of me.”
Alyse laughed at the joke. Jack even cracked a smile, so my mission was accomplished.
“Yeah, sure, if John McClane wore short shorts,” she added, finished washing off both my feet, and applied an ointment.
She handed Jack the rest of the tube when he reached for it and started talking again before I could protest. “Good news, they don’t look deep enough to warrant stitches.
Stay off them for a few days, change the bandages every few hours, and call me right away if there’s any sign of infection. ”
Jack nodded and hung on Alyse’s every word as if he were mentally taking notes about my care regimen.
“And, Jack, let me have a look at that for you, too.”
Jack’s face twisted in confusion. “Look at what?”
Alyse’s eyes softened, and she gestured toward his left forearm, which sported dried blood.
His gaze followed hers.
“Oh, that?” he said sheepishly. “It’s nothing.”
Alyse rolled her eyes while she washed her hands again and applied fresh gloves before turning back toward him.
“Give me that,” she said with an unamused tone.
She held his wrist gently, analyzing the wound on his forearm.
She washed it out and checked for any glass pieces, just like she had with me.
“It’s shallow,” she said, and it was my turn to let out a little puff of relief. Dr. Alyse looked between us, then faced Jack. “So are you going to be taking care of her?”
Her eyebrows raised as her voice lingered, and I knew what she was getting at. She also ran Wildwood’s local romance book club. I’d been invited to attend, but I hadn’t found the time yet. I could only imagine what hurt/comfort scenarios were playing through her head.
Jack interrupted when he answered her in a serious tone. “Yes, ma’am, I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”
Alyse gave us a knowing look, and I couldn’t help but think that she was already shipping us. I didn’t argue with her. After this strange night, maybe I was shipping us now, too.
“No, it’ll be too much trouble.” I somehow mustered the energy to argue with Jack after finding myself once again in his strong arms. He transported me as if I were some hurt bride, backing up into each door until we reached his truck.
The rain hadn’t let up, but that didn’t hinder Jack, who confidently drove the short distance down the winding road from downtown Wildwood back to Camp Starlight.
“No, you’re right. Sleeping on the floor isn’t insane at all.” His sarcastic tone softened into something kind. “The easiest solution is for you to sleep at my place. I have a shirt and sweats you can borrow.”
Everyone else at camp had gone back to bed, no doubt. We’d have a long day dealing with the aftermath tomorrow. Right now, I had Jack to deal with.
When we arrived at camp, he picked me up again and carried me toward his cabin as if the decision had already been made.
“Look, it’s already three in the morning, and it’s only for a few hours. I think we can manage, just this once. I’ll sleep on the couch,” he insisted.
Jack lived in the former bunkhouse, so his cabin was much larger than mine and had communal spaces. It made sense since he lived here year-round. Didn’t mean I wasn’t jealous, though.
“You’re right,” I whispered, mindful of the late hour.
Jack looked almost surprised. He let out a hushed laugh. “Finally, you admit it,” he whispered back, mirroring my tone, before opening the door.
I narrowed my eyes at him, which was much easier at this angle. “You know, a girl could get used to this.”
Jack’s laugh vibrated through me as he held me close. “What a surprise coming from you, princess.”
“None of my other subjects complain like you do,” I tacked on in a haughty, playful tone once we made it inside his cabin.
The cabin was dark, but a part of me knew he was grinning. I felt a strange bit of relief knowing he could still smile after everything that had happened tonight. That man had been too close to permanent scowl territory.
Jack walked through the dark living room to the bedroom and leaned down slowly.
I didn’t want to let go of him, a silly notion.
Eventually, he made a soft noise, and I untwined my arms from around him and found myself gently placed onto his bed.
My heart thudded, and I needed to express my gratitude.
“Jack—”
He set a folded T-shirt and the promised pair of sweats down on the bed. “Be right back.”
He walked away with purpose. Cool air whooshed between us, which was okay because when I stopped to think about it, I didn’t know what I was even trying to say.
Jack returned with two throw pillows. He didn’t look at me as he carefully lifted my calves and placed the pillows under each of my legs, propping up my feet. “There you go.” His voice was softer than I was used to.
“Jack, wait.” It was hard to remember that just hours ago, we’d been enemies.
The juxtaposition was off-putting, and it didn’t make sense.
The one person I never thought I could trust was now the person I felt the safest with.
I wanted to say something that conveyed the gravity of the swirling emotions I felt, but when he turned toward me from the doorway, his face lightly lined by the moonlight, all I could manage was a simple, “Thank you.”
“Goodnight, princess.”
I could hear the warmth in his voice as he softly closed the door, but I only let out a small, “Night,” that he probably didn’t even hear.
What else was there to say to the man who had literally swept you off your feet?