Frozen Hearts (Beyond Reality Book 3) (17 page)

Jonathan looked up and saw the honesty in his brother’s eyes. He wouldn’t lie to him. Dean knew what Kina meant to him. H
e
kne
w
. Jonathan relaxed and closed his eyes. He’d believe his brother, but he still wanted to see Kina.

Two days later, Jonathan was leaving the hospital and he still hadn’t seen Kina. She’d disappeared. He heard all about his mom’s conversation with her, but no one had spoken with her. It was if she’d vanished into thin air. It was killing him. He’d let her run for now, but he’d find her. He wasn’t giving up on her. He couldn’t. He needed her.

He pushed the hurt down. He was hurt she hadn’t come to see him in the hospital. Surely, after everything they’d been through, she’d want to make sure he was going to be all right. He tried to put himself in her shoes. She was scared and feeling guilty. She probably thought she was being noble or something and thought leaving him was the best thing she could do for him. Well, screw that. He’d make sure she knew how much she meant to him. As soon as he got back on his feet, he’d find her and somehow make her understand how much he loved her. She had to. Without her, he was nothing.

Dean and his dad had arranged for him to get home via a chartered plane. Jonathan knew it had to cost a whack, but he also knew he’d never make it if he had to fly commercial. He’d argued to stay in Anchorage and recuperate, but his family wasn’t having any of it. The only reason he wanted to stay in Alaska was Kina. He thought maybe if he stayed there, she’d come see him and let him convince her she was his world.

              The doctors signed all the papers and put him in the care of his family. Dean and Becky drove him to the airport so he could lie down in the back seat, and his parents took a taxi. The few friends who had flown up when he was first hurt had already left a few days ago. They’d headed back to Arizona to make sure the refuge was taken care of. Jonathan was wheeled onto the plane and settled himself into the cot that had been set up for him. He was quiet. All he could think about was leaving Alaska and Kina. Where was she? Was she all right?

The plane ride was uneventful and soon they were on their way to his parents’ animal refuge and home. He hadn’t had time to find a place to live yet. He’d been planning on doing that after the show as over, and hopefully with Kina. He wanted to find a home she’d feel comfortable in.

After the long trip, Jonathan finally gave in and took a pain pill. He was in quite a lot of pain and only wanted to sleep. That was a lie, he only wanted Kina, but after that he wanted to close his eyes and let the fog of the pain medicine take him. As he settled into the queen bed in his parents’ guest room, he felt someone at his side. He cracked his eyelids open, hoping against hope it was Kina. It wasn’t.

Becky sat down at Jonathan’s bedside and took his hand in hers.

“You’ll find her when you’re better.” She knew.

Jonathan took a deep breath. “What did she say to you, Beck? Do you know where she went?”

Becky shook her head. “I don’t know, but I have a feeling she’ll find her way to you. She was dealing with some pretty heavy stuff in the hospital. She was feeling guilty you were hurt protecting her.” At Jonathan’s shake of his head she hurried on. “We told her she shouldn’t feel guilty. I even hinted to her that she’d do the same thing if the tables were turned.”

“Did she get it?” Jonathan asked, tortured by the thoughts of Kina feeling bad for one second about what he’d done. He hated the thought of Kina being the one hurt and lying in a hospital room, but he knew she’d protect him in a heartbeat if she had to.

“I think she did. She got a weird look on her face and ran out of the waiting room like a fire had been lit under her. She loves you, Jonathan. I’d bet my life on it. You should’ve seen her. She was magnificent. She got hold of us and helped arrange for all of us to get to the hospital. She kept us informed about what was going on with you until we could get there. I know you don’t remember this, but at one point the doctors weren’t sure they wanted to do surgery because you were so weak. She knew if they didn’t do it, there was a high chance you wouldn't survive. From what the doctor told us, she browbeat them into agreeing it was the only thing to be done, and you were in surgery before we even arrived.”

Jonathan smiled weakly. He could imagine Kina doing just that. “I can’t keep my eyes open, but tomorrow I’m going to find her.”

Becky smiled. She had no doubt Jonathan would do just that.

* * *

Kina sighed. The last two weeks had been so frustrating. She’d gone back to the production house intending to talk to one of the producers, but she’d forgotten no one was there, they were all still on Bear Island. She had no way to get out there, and honestly didn’t want to. She had way too many bad memories to want to ever lay eyes on it again.

She had to wait another two days for Eddie and the others to get back. Taylor and Carl wanted to know how Jonathan was. Since she hadn’t been back to the hospital she could only say that he’d be fine. She didn’t know the particulars, but was thankful Dean had been texting her and keeping her in the loop.

Dean was the only person in Jonathan’s family who knew what she was planning. She hadn’t wanted to tell anyone other than Jonathan, but she also wanted to make sure at least one member of his family knew she was coming back. She wasn’t deserting him. She just had some things to take care of first.

Kina sat down and met with Eddie. The meeting was a long one, but after it was over Kina knew her life had changed, hopefully for the better. She’d taken a risk. She hoped, but wasn’t one hundred percent sure, that Jonathan would think what she’d done was a positive thing. Only time would tell.

Before sitting down with Eddie, she’d had a long talk on the phone with Dean. She didn’t want to go behind Jonathan’s back, but she had to secure her future before she could involve him. She knew Jonathan would do whatever it took to get her to Arizona, and she appreciated it, but she had to do this on her own. For her to have any feeling of accomplishment, she had to make this happen herself.

Dean, at first, wasn’t too sure about having anything to do with Eddie. He’d never gotten over what had happened to Becky, and Eddie wasn’t on his list of favorite people. After talking it over with Becky and having his lawyers look over the paperwork she’d faxed to him, he’d finally agreed. Kina smiled, remembering how he’d told her in a disgusted voice, “I’m only agreeing because you’re family.” Family. Maybe she’d finally get the loving family she’d always dreamed of.

It was time to get to Arizona and to Jonathan. She’d heard from Dean that Jonathan had been snarky and grumpy and downright annoying. God, she missed him and hated like hell that she hadn’t been able to talk to him, but it was time to face him and let him know what she’d done. She only hoped he still wanted her in Arizona with him.

Ironically, she was at the airport at the same time as Darius and Roger. She hadn’t seen Darius since that day on the island and she was honestly glad to be able to say good-bye to him. A little bit of her was still pissed at him for his role in what had happened to Jonathan, but after she’d thought about it for a while, she realized she probably would’ve run the same way he had. If Jonathan hadn’t been there with her, telling her to calm down and stay still, she probably would have taken off right after Darius. She had to forgive him for being too scared to think straight.

They were all on separate flights, making their way home, but managed to have time to sit down for a drink before they had to leave.

After giving Darius a big hug and telling both men all about what had happened to Jonathan and how he was recuperating in Arizona with his family, she couldn’t resist asking, “So…who won? Who is the ‘Extreme Alaskan?”

“Oh no, we’re not telling you, sorry,” Darius said teasingly. “You’ll have to watch the show with the rest of America. You know we’re under contract to keep silent.”

              “You mean after everything we’ve been through together, you’re seriously not going to tell me?” Kina asked, annoyed. “You owe me!”

Both men laughed at her.

“Consider this payback for all those horrible shots you took of us,” Roger told her, only half-kidding.

Kina got over her snit quickly, because honestly she didn’t really care who’d won in the long run. She gave each of the men another big hug before heading off to her gate. “Thanks for being pretty cool about everything,” she told them. “I’ve been on shows with some pretty horrible people, and you guys are all right.”

They knew she was teasing and told her they’d see her later.

Kina knew they wouldn’t, but it was a nice sentiment.

A few hours later Kina’s nerves were getting the better of her. She was more nervous at what would happen next than she’d been for her first job interview as a camera operator. Dean had assured her Jonathan wanted her with him, but until she saw it for herself firsthand, she just wasn’t sure.

After getting the rental car, Kina checked the map on her cell phone for the tenth time. She couldn’t believe she was just going to show up at the refuge where Jonathan was staying with his parents, but she just wanted to get it over with. She couldn’t go another day without seeing for herself that Jonathan was alive and well. Kina could still remember the feel of his warm blood seeping through her fingers, as she frantically put pressure on his stomach, while they were in the woods on the island.

Every now and then she’d have a nightmare where he’d be walking toward her holding his intestines in his hands, and asking ‘why.’ She shivered. Yeah, it was time to see him for herself and make sure he was okay.

Jonathan was sitting at the dining room table talking with his mom and making a list of places to start looking for Kina when the doorbell rang. Bethany got up and went around the corner to the front door. Jonathan didn’t get up, he still wasn’t moving very quickly these days and he was concentrating on his list.

He heard the surprise in his mom’s voice when she opened the door, but couldn’t hear her actual conversation with whoever was at the door. He steeled himself to entertain another one of his parents’ friends. They’d been coming by at regular intervals to check on him. It was annoying, but sweet at the same time.

Jonathan couldn’t believe his eyes when his mom returned with Kina in tow. He was stunned. He’d been all ready to set off to find her and here she was!

Jonathan slowly stood up and held himself steady with one hand on the tabletop. He simply stared at hi
s
One
,
as she stood in the doorway.

Neither noticed as Bethany disappeared into the back of the house.

Kina shuffled her feet. God, He looked like crap, but so good. He was standing in front of her, alive, and whole. Not knowing how he’d take her being there, she didn’t move.

Jonathan had no such hesitation. He stepped toward her unsteadily. He had to have her in his arms right now.

Kina saw him falter as he came toward her and that loosened her feet. She lunged at him and they met halfway across the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his waist carefully and leaned against him. God. How could she ever have thought for a second about not coming here to be with him? She only felt whole in his arms. She felt his hand come up and cup the back of her neck as he always did. It felt heavenly.

Jonathan let out a shaky sigh. Kina was here. She’d come. “Thank God,” was all he could get out. “Thank God you’re here.”

Kina nodded and couldn’t help the tears that coursed down her face and soaked into his chest. “I wasn’t sure you still wanted me to come.”

Jonathan drew back and took her chin in his hands. He hated to see her cry, but he had to make sure she understood his next words. “I was making plans to come find you, love. I wanted you here. I would’ve spent the rest of my life searching for you so I could convince you to stay with me.” When Kina buried her head against his shirt again he couldn’t help but tease her. “Would you rather have a beautiful woman wipe snot on you after crying or have her sneeze on you?” She laughed as he meant her to.

Jonathan shuffled with her, still snuggled in his arms, over to the couch. He carefully sat, not jostling his abdomen too much, and settled into the cushions with her in his arms. After she’d stopped crying, he finally asked, “Why’d it take you so long to get to me?”

Kina sat up part way and rubbed her hands over her face. Gah. She knew she had to talk to him, but she wasn’t a pretty crier. Some women could cry crocodile tears and not mess up a speck of their makeup, not her. She got blotchy and her eyes swelled up terribly. When she looked up at Jonathan, he was looking at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. God, she loved him. Yes. Loved. Him.

“I love you.” She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Being here in his arms was a miracle. She hadn’t known if she’d ever feel the strength in his arms again. That bear had scared the crap out of her and made her understand just what she had in Jonathan.

“I love you too, Kina.” 

Kina nodded. “I know.” She smiled sheepishly at him. “I should’ve told you before now, but I was scared. I wasn’t sure how you could love me
.
M
e
. I’m nobody important. I haven’t done anything important in my life. No one will remember my name. I didn’t understand. Then you got hurt and I was literally holding your life in my hands and I knew. We don’t have to do anything, we don’t have to be famous, we can just love each other and be happy together. I wanted that. I wanted that more than I wanted my next breath, but you were lying under me and I was holding your intestines in my hands. I was scared to death.”