Page 95 of Then Came Love
“How can you when there aren’t enough words in the English language to describe it? I don’t just love you with all my heart and soul. You’ve become a part of me, one I never knew was missing, and I look forward to becoming your wife one day.” She went up on her toes and kissed him, whispering, “And you know that whipped cream you have hidden away for us? I call dibs on eating it off you first.”
He loved her so much, he ached with it. “Are you flirting with me, Ms. Lawler?”
“Not flirting. Just stating a fact.”
He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her passionately. His phone rang in his pocket, and he groaned as she broke the kiss.
She took a step back, fanning her face. “Answer your call. I need ice water before I combust and the whole house goes up in flames.”
She blew him a kiss, and as she headed back to the party, his phone rang again. He pulled it out and saw Reggie’s name on the screen. They spoke every week, and they’d been through such a roller coaster the first few weeks, he no longer got a hopeful high or a gut-wrenching low when Reggie called. “Hi, Reggie.”
“Jax, are you with Jordan?” His voice was strong and calm.
“Yeah, we’re with my family. Is everything okay?”
“I’d like Jordan to be the first to hear this news, but you should be with her. Can you FaceTime?”
Jax’s gut clenched. “Yes, but, Reggie, should I prepare her?”
“You can’t prepare her for this. Why don’t you get Jordan and call me back on video?”
Jax ended the call, his feet rooted to the ground as his gaze drifted to Jordan on what was clearly one of the happiest nights of her life. He felt like he’d swallowed shards of glass, but he forced his legs to move. He went to her and whispered in her ear, “It’s Reggie. Let’s take it in private.”
Her smile faded, fear rising in her eyes as he led her toward the den. He glanced at Beau, remembering when he’d gotten the news about Tory. Beau must have read his thoughts, because he caught up to him and said, “What happened?”
“Reggie wants to talk on video.” Jax held Jordan tighter.
Beau’s brows slanted, his jaw clenching. “I’ve got you.”
He followed them into the den, and Nick appeared in the doorway, eyes narrow, jaw tight. “What’s going on?” As Nick said it, Jordan’s aunt and uncle appeared behind him. Had he been that transparent in his worries?
“Is everything okay?” her aunt asked.
Jax had never been more grateful for support in his life, but he’d also never realized support could feel suffocating. Or maybe that was his worry about what Jordan was about to hear. As grateful as he was, all he wanted was to be alone with her while they heard Reggie out, to protect her from whatever was coming her way, to comfort her without others watching.
“We’re about to call Reggie, but I think it’s best if it’s just us.” He looked at Beau. “Would you mind…?”
“Whatever you need, man.” Beau ushered everyone away from the door and closed it behind himself, leaving Jax and Jordan alone.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Her voice was thin and shaky.
“No. Reggie didn’t say. Let’s sit down and we’ll call.”
He grabbed a box of tissues from the shelves, and they sat on the couch. With his heart slamming against his ribs, he took Jordan’s trembling hand, and holding the phone in his other hand, he called Reggie on FaceTime.
When Reggie’s serious face appeared on the screen, Jordan squeezed Jax’s hand so tight her nails cut into him, and she blurted out, “Is Casey dead?” Tears spilled from her eyes.
Jax put his arm around her, praying that wasn’t the news Reggie had to share.
“No, Jordan. Casey is very much alive and safe. We’ve got her.”
Sobs fell from Jordan’s lips, and she doubled over against Jax’s chest. He held her close. “She’s alive, baby. Casey’s alive.” He kissed the top of her head, tears burning his own eyes, as her body heaved with sobs. “What happened, Reggie? Where is she?”
“Casey is Sully, Sullivan Tate. The girl who escaped from the cult. She was picked up in West Virginia by a trucker, Chester Finch, who was heading home to Colorado. He’d seen the news and thought she looked like Casey, but he wasn’t sure, and she didn’t want to go to the police or see a doctor because she was afraid of being sent back to the cult. Chester and his wife, Carol, took her in and convinced her to let them take her to Redemption Ranch, which is in Hope Ridge, Colorado, and run by a Dark Knights family—Tommy, who goes by the road name Tiny, and his wife, Wynona, Whiskey. The Finches knew she would be safe and protected and could get the medical help she needed while we determined whether she was Casey. The Dark Knights had been apprised of the ongoing search for Casey early on, as I mentioned to you, and Tiny called me. The DNA tests confirmed her identity a few hours ago. The leader of the cult and several of his underlings were arrested, and many others are being held for questioning. It’ll be all over the news tonight, but we’ve kept the Finches, and Sully’s whereabouts, out of the reports. There’s no chance of anything leaking to the media. Consider the ranch her safe house.”
Jordan sat up, wiping her eyes. “Is she okay?”
“She’s doing well, considering everything she’s been through, and Redemption Ranch is a good place for her to get the help she needs. They’re a second-chance ranch. They rescue horses and help people with social and emotional issues or difficult pasts—victims of abuse, ex-cons, recovering addicts—heal and find their new path. They have a medical team and therapists on staff. It’s an excellent program, and a good place for her to heal.”
“Carly’s friends with the Whiskeys. They helped her through a really hard time when she was younger,” Jax said. “I trust that she’s in good hands there. Reggie, does Casey know who she really is? When can Jordan see her?”
“Does she remember what happened or how she got to the cult?” Jordan asked.
“She doesn’t remember how she got there, but our working theory is that the guy who brought her there—the one who was reported by that anonymous caller—had happened upon the accident, saw an opportunity, and took it. She knows what we’ve told her about who she is, but she doesn’t remember her life before the cult, and she only knows herself as Sully.”
More tears flooded Jordan’s cheeks. Jax drew her closer, kissing her temple. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” He looked at Reggie. “In your experience, do those memories ever come back?”
“They can, and that’s what I’m hoping for. Sometimes a victim will say they don’t remember anything when they really do, and they can withhold those details for a hundred different reasons. But Sully is going through therapy with Wynona. She’s a highly respected therapist and excellent at working with all types of trauma victims. She said Sully’s a tough girl. A real fighter.”
