Chapter 3
Rachel had started to believe she might actually be safe.
It had been a couple of months since she started school, and life in Baytown had given her everything her heart desired.
And things she had never considered were possible…
friends, a school she loved, a place for her and Shiloh to be safe, and Jack Hudson, the boy who waited by her locker every morning with a smile that made her heart flutter.
The nightmares about Isaiah had faded. She'd even started to think about the future without fear clouding every thought.
It was a Saturday afternoon in late November, and Jack had convinced her to go out on the water with Cindy and her boyfriend, Brian. Rachel had been nervous since she still didn't know how to swim. Jack had promised to stay right beside her, and she trusted him completely.
“You're doing great,” Jack said from his seat across from her in the rowboat. His smile was warm and encouraging. “Want to try rowing again?”
Rachel looked at the oar resting against the side of the boat, remembering her earlier fumbling attempts. “Maybe in a little bit.” She was still more comfortable holding on to the sides of the boat, snuggled in her life jacket.
The bay was beautiful with the November sun glinting off the water. Cindy's laughter carried from the other rowboat nearby. Everything felt peaceful, normal, perfect.
Then Rachel heard the roar of a motor growing louder. “Jack?” Her voice came out higher than normal.
He'd already noticed, his posture shifting as he tracked the approaching vessel. “It's okay. They're just passing through.”
But the sound was getting closer.
“Hey!” Cindy's voice carried across the water. “That boat's coming really fast!”
Jack's hand shot out, grabbing Rachel's. “Listen to me. Stay seated and hold on to the sides. I'll keep us steady.”
Rachel's fingers tightened around the edges of the rowboat. Through the spray, she could see a larger boat with several teenage boys, the driver barely older than Jack. The boat was barreling toward them, and it wasn't slowing down.
“They're not stopping!” Brian yelled.
The motorboat came too close, and the wave hit them like a wall. The rowboat rocked violently, tilting. Rachel felt herself sliding, her hands scrambling for purchase. Then the world turned upside down.
Cold water engulfed her, stealing her breath. Panic clawed at her throat as she thrashed, unable to tell which way was up. The life jacket pulled her to the surface, but the fear didn't recede.
“Rachel!” Jack's voice cut through her panic. “I'm right here!”
She gasped, sucking in the briny water, then panicked.
His arm wrapped around her waist, solid and sure. “I've got you. Just breathe. The life jacket's doing most of the work.”
Rachel clung to him with desperate strength as he hauled them both toward the nearby shore. When her feet finally touched sand and she could see her legs beneath the water, a sob ripped from her chest.
Jack helped her stand, his hands gentle but secure on her arms. “You're okay. We made it. You're safe.”
But she couldn't stop shaking. Jack stayed close, blocking her view of the bay, his presence the only thing keeping her from completely falling apart.
Cindy called her dad, the chief of the Virginia Marine Police based in Baytown.
The VMP arrived quickly in silver boats with men in uniforms she’d never seen before.
Chief Ryan Coates helped a trembling Rachel onto the boat, and Jack climbed on behind her, immediately draping a blanket over her shoulders.
At the VMP station, she was overwhelmed, unable to shake the feeling that they were in trouble.
Rachel could barely speak as officers asked questions and took statements.
Jack stayed beside her the entire time, his quiet presence anchoring her.
When Shiloh finally arrived, Rachel ran into her aunt's arms and let herself cry.
But even through her tears, she was aware of Jack standing nearby, waiting, making sure she was okay.
Later, after statements were given and they were cleared to leave, Jack walked Rachel and Shiloh to their car.
“Ms. Wallen,” Jack said, his voice earnest, “I'm so sorry. I never meant for Rachel to be in danger. If you'd allow it, I'd like to teach her how to swim. At the Y's heated pool.”
Shiloh looked at her niece, then back at Jack. “Rachel and I will talk it over. But thank you, Jack. For keeping her safe.”
Rachel squeezed Jack's hand, grateful beyond words.
Over the next weeks, Jack kept his promise. He met Rachel at the YMCA and patiently taught her to swim. He never pushed, never made her feel weak for her fear. Eventually, Rachel could swim the length of the pool, and the accomplishment felt like more freedom.
“I'm proud of you,” Jack said, treading water beside her. “You're amazing, you know that?”
Rachel's heart swelled. With Jack, she felt like she could be brave. Like she could be anything.
Rachel sat on the low brick wall near the school parking lot, Jack's arm touching hers from shoulder to elbow. The afternoon sun was taking the December chill off, and everything felt right with the world. She and Shiloh had spent part of the last weekend with Tori and her friends, who were decorating the Sea Glass Inn for the holidays. Shiloh had also insisted on a small tree in their attic apartment, and each morning, Rachel woke to twinkling lights just a few feet away from the view of the bay. She couldn’t believe she had landed in her own version of paradise.
Jack’s shoulder bumped hers. “Whatcha thinking? You seem far away, but you have a smile on your face.”
“I was thinking I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”
“Yeah?” He smiled, and her heart beat faster.
“I don't want you to get in trouble with the coach,” Rachel said softly. “I could wait in the office until Shiloh gets here.”
Jack grinned. “Coach likes me. We've got time.” He slid his arm around her back, his hand cupping her shoulder, and pulled her slightly to his side.
Rachel relaxed against him. She knew with every fiber of her being that she was safe with Jack. And each touch sent the butterflies inside flitting all about.
When she turned her head, their faces were only inches apart. Jack's confidence seemed to falter slightly, and Rachel saw the question in his eyes.
“I'm not glad for the reason you and your aunt had to move,” Jack said quietly. She had eventually told him about her past. “And I'm sorry about your parents. But I'm glad you're here ’cause I really like you, Rachel.”
Rachel's breath caught. “I really like you, too.”
Jack leaned forward slowly, giving her time to pull away. But she didn't want to. She let her eyes flutter closed as his lips brushed against hers, soft and sweet and perfect.
When they pulled apart, Rachel felt like the world had shifted on its axis. This must be what it felt like to be cared for… to be safe enough to give your heart to someone.
An approaching car broke the moment. Shiloh’s familiar sedan came into sight, and with a sweet goodbye, Jack headed down to the ball field.
When Rachel turned to Shiloh, she spied another vehicle approaching. Two men climbed out of the back seat, and Rachel's entire body went rigid. Her blood ran cold. The black sedan pulled into the parking lot, stopping too close to where they stood. Isaiah.
He wore all black, and his hair was slicked back the way it had always been. His face was twisted with rage as he stalked toward them.
“Shiloh!” he shouted. “You can't hide from me forever!”
Rachel couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. She was back in the mountain community, watching the men’s cold eyes assess her like she was property to be claimed.
Shiloh placed herself in front of Rachel.
Isaiah's expression shifted to take in both women. “You thought you could run? Thought you could take what's mine and disappear?”
“I'm not yours,” Shiloh said, her voice steady despite the trembling in her hands. “And neither is Rachel.”
“One of you will be mine!” Isaiah's voice rose to a shout. “Your parents’ land was promised to me!”
“You killed them,” Shiloh said, and Rachel's head whipped toward her aunt. “You killed Edward. You killed our family. You cut their brake lines because they wouldn't give you what you wanted.”
“They were in my way!” Isaiah's face contorted with rage. “All of them! The land should have been mine! You should have been mine! And she will be mine!”
Rachel's hands shook, but she forced herself to move. Slowly and carefully, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and pressed the emergency button.
Isaiah lunged forward, grabbing Shiloh's arm. “You're coming with me. Both of you. Back to where you belong.”
When her aunt struggled, Isaiah backhanded Shiloh across the face, and Rachel screamed. She saw Shiloh stagger, and one of the other men moved forward.
Then everything happened at once.
Jack vaulted over the brick wall, phone still in his hand, recording everything. “Get away from them!” he shouted, his young voice cracking but fierce.
An SUV squealed into the parking lot, and Rachel saw Joseph, Shiloh’s boyfriend, still in his Marine Police uniform. He must have been nearby and gotten a call. He leaped from his vehicle and tackled one of the men.
Shiloh kicked out, her foot connecting with the other man's knee. He dropped with a howl of pain. Rachel saw Isaiah's hand close around her aunt's wrist, jerking her toward the car.
“No!” Rachel ran forward and kicked Isaiah in the shin as hard as she could.
Jack was there in an instant, his arm around Rachel's waist, pulling her back. “I've got you. You're safe.”
Sirens filled the air. Sheriff Hudson's SUV screeched into the parking lot, followed by deputy vehicles. Colt leaped out, weapon drawn, his face a mask of controlled fury.
Within moments, deputies had Isaiah and his companions on the ground and cuffed. Jack kept his arm around Rachel, his body positioned between her and Isaiah.
“He confessed,” Shiloh said, her voice shaking but strong. “He confessed to all the murders. To trying to take everyone's land.”
“I know,” Colt said. “We got it.”
Joseph, now standing beside Shiloh with blood on his knuckles, smiled grimly. “When you dialed me, I was able to hear everything. At the same time, Rachel dialed 911, so the dispatcher has it too.”
Colt turned to Jack and grinned. “And Jack got it on camera. Good work, son.”
Rachel's knees went weak. It was over. Really over. Isaiah was in custody, his confession recorded by three different sources. He couldn't hurt them anymore.
The next hour passed in a blur of statements and questions. Rachel sat close to Jack in the conference room, their hands linked under the table. Shiloh sat on her other side, Joseph hovering nearby with an ice pack pressed to Shiloh's cheek where Isaiah had struck her.
Rachel wondered if sitting in a police station twice in just a few months was normal, but was fairly sure it wasn’t. As long as she had Shiloh, Joseph, and Jack with her, she didn’t care where she was.
When they were finally allowed to leave, Rachel walked out into the fading afternoon light feeling like she could breathe for the first time in months. Isaiah was gone. Really gone. Locked up and facing assault and attempted kidnapping charges in Virginia as well as murder charges in Pennsylvania.
Jack walked them to Shiloh's car, still holding Rachel's hand.
“Thank you,” Shiloh said to him, her voice thick with emotion. “Thank you for protecting her.”
Jack's face flushed. “I just did what anyone would do.”
“No,” Shiloh said firmly. “You did what a good man does. You ran toward danger to protect someone you care about.”
Rachel looked up at Jack, seeing the way he stood a little straighter at Shiloh's words. She squeezed his hand. “I can’t believe I kicked someone,” she whispered.
Jack grinned. “You’re fierce.”
She giggled, her eyes wide. Her hand came up to touch his face. “You’re my hero.”
His arms tightened around her. “Always.”
“I'll see you at school tomorrow?” Jack asked, his eyes searching Rachel's face.
“I'll be there,” Rachel promised.
Jack leaned down and kissed her, soft and sweet, right there in front of Shiloh and half the sheriff's department. When he pulled back, Rachel was smiling.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
“Always,” Jack said again.
As they drove away, Rachel looked at Jack standing in the parking lot, watching them go. Shiloh glanced at her niece and smiled despite the bruise forming on her cheek.
“That boy loves you,” Shiloh said.
Rachel touched her lips, still feeling the warmth of Jack's kiss. “I know. And I love him too.”
It was the truth. At almost fifteen years old, Rachel Ayers knew with absolute certainty that Jack Hudson was the person she wanted to face the world with.
He'd proven it today, just as he'd proven it in the water weeks ago.
He proved it every single day by choosing her, protecting her, and cherishing her.
The past was finally behind them, and Rachel and Shiloh were free to build their lives in Baytown without fear.
But more than that, Rachel had found something she'd never expected… a boy who looked at her like she was precious. A boy who ran toward danger to keep her safe. A boy who was patient, kind, and brave.
She'd found Jack. And she never wanted to let him go.