Hidden Barriers (45 page)

Christmas 2015

Today, everyone gathers at Jeremy and Emily’s house for Christmas dinner. Sam’s parents have already left to return to their hotel before the snow starts falling. Drew also couldn’t make it home on leave from his current duty station at Camp Pendleton, California. He isn’t expected home for another couple of days, which makes Sam happy anyway, since we haven’t seen him in nearly six months.

Sitting at the dining room table, I talk to Dad about my new position at work. Due to the recent situations surrounding Sam and me, I felt it best to take on a position within the local police department. Within the next month, I’ll be working alongside Nick and closer to home on a more regular basis once I go through all the necessary training.

I glance over toward the living room to see Sam sitting on a cushion in front of the fireplace, holding the newest addition to the Page family, my nephew, Ben, who was born a few months ago. He’s the spitting image of Emily. Thank God, because if he got any of Jeremy’s looks, I would have felt bad for him. He’s all blonde hair and blue eyes, just like his mom.

Sam catches me staring at her and hands Ben over to Emily as she heads over to sit with Jeremy on the sofa. Sue lends Sam a hand as she slowly walks in my direction. My dad gets up to give Sam his seat, giving her a kiss on the cheek before she sits down.

“Everything all right?” I ask as she moves to make herself comfortable.

“Yeah, just had some heartburn after dinner. No big deal. He’s fine, still kicking away in there,” she says as she runs her hand over her very pregnant belly.

Our baby boy is due any day now. Dean Jackson Page will undoubtedly be the most spoiled baby we know. If the number of gifts Sam received at her baby shower is any indication of what’s to come, I’ll be putting an expansion on the old Victorian very soon.

Technically, I’d like to say we started trying to make a baby our wedding night, but we actually decided to wait a little longer after that, once Emily and Jeremy announced they would be having a baby. As you can tell, I couldn’t hold off Sam much longer after their news.

She’s keeping busy, even so well into her pregnancy. Until the end of the summer, she was still helping with the C-Naughties, although it was just coaching. She made the conscious decision to retire from derby and focus all her efforts on Vines, which is currently under renovations and expanding in downtown to include the building next door. Sam knew she could manage the bar and handle the baby at the same time. She just couldn’t see getting back on the track with her derby sisters again.

Sam stirs in her seat as I catch Emily and Jeremy leaving the baby’s room out of the corner of my eye. Her face suddenly pales as she winces in pain.

“Sam, what is it?” I ask as my heart begins to race, thinking something is wrong. I watch as she reaches out to grab my hand, squeezing the life out of it in the process. “Is it the baby? What’s wrong?” I move out of my seat to stand next to her as her breathing increases, and her hand clutches over her belly.

“Josh…” Sam exhales deeply through her mouth. “…get the car…now. It’s time.”

“Wait… You mean…right now?…He’s coming…
now
?” I quickly sputter off words, not thinking about trying to find my car keys.

“No, tomorrow, egghead. Yes, the baby is coming now!” Sam chuckles as she continues to breathe deeply before I gently help her to her feet.

I notice a pool of fluid forming on her denim jeans. I am in utter shock at the sight before me. I’ve seen plenty of pregnant women over the years, but I’ve never seen their water breaking. A firm slap across my arm startles me from my shocked state of mind. “Are you just going to stand there, or are we going to try to get to the hospital before our son arrives?” Sam steps carefully as she continues holding her belly. Seconds before I am about to rush out to get the car ready, she slams her palm on the dining room table. “Shit!”

“Contraction?” I ask as Sam just nods with her eyes slammed shut, bending over further. Mom finally makes her way into the room and notices Sam’s appearance before rushing to her aid.

While hurrying around trying to find my keys, I’ve made everyone in the house aware that Sam is in labor now. All the girls are at Sam’s side keeping her calm while I nervously attempt to keep my head on straight enough to drive to the hospital.

My mom is cautiously walking with her arms around Sam, helping her to the car as I rush out the front door to the driveway. Jeremy opens the door for Sam to get into the passenger side as I start up the Jeep. With Sam safely secure, I begin backing out of the driveway to head to the hospital. At the end of the driveway, Sam and I wave back at the house as everyone scurries around getting into their cars ready to follow behind us.

Sam reaches over as I continue to drive to the hospital and rests her hand on my forearm. Her big eyes are full of love and happiness. “Josh, since these will be the last few minutes of only you and me, I want to tell you I’ve never been happier in my life. Dean will change everything, but remember, you will always be the one man who held my heart first.”

“I love you, Sam, and I’ll love you even more once we become a family. You are and always have been the best thing to ever happen to me. Now, let’s get to the hospital, so we can finally meet our son.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Sam pulls my hand to rest with hers on her belly. “Merry Christmas, Dean.”

THE END

Save My Life – ZZ Ward

Hey Ya (Originally by OutKast) Obadiah Parker

No One’s Gonna Love You- Band of Horses

Hurt – (Originally by Nine Inch Nails) Sandi Thom

Kill Of The Night – Gin Wigmore

I’ll Take Care of You- Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa

Tainted Love- (Originally by Gloria Jones) Hannah Peel

Howlin’ For You- The Black Keys

Storm Comin’- The Wailin Jenny’s

Here’s to Us- Halestorm

Candy- Gavin Degraw

Too Afraid to Love You- The Black Keys

Satellite – Dave Matthews Band

Fall at Your Feet – Boy & Bear

My My Love – Josh Radin

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

Precious Love – James Morrison

Carry on my Wayward Song – Kansas

I Will Never Die – Delta Rae

Something I Need- One Republic

Because the Night – Patti Smith

Build me up from Bones – Sarah Jarosz

Collide – Howie Day

Continue reading for the Prologue from
Burning Barriers
, A Novella (Barriers 2.5)

Prologue

Lucy

I can’t figure out why I am suddenly back in the woods behind my parents’ house in Breckenridge, Colorado, but here I am, walking down the mountain bike trails along the ski slopes. The Aspen trees rustle above me as the typical summer afternoon storm is suddenly rolling in. I hear the thunder clap overhead before I see the blackened storm clouds that continue to darken the path I am trekking. I traveled this path a million times before I left this town. It was the quickest route to Jake’s house. I could walk this path blindfolded in the dark; that’s how many times I snuck out to see him.

To see him
.

I never really went
to see him
. Until the end of the summer after high school graduation, we were hotter than hot for each other. His parents owned this luxury mountainside villa that cost more than I would ever earn in my lifetime, but I never had any issues with his family. They owned a number of horse ranches in the area, trained barrel racers, and were hardly around. I’d sneak out almost every night to be with Jake.

My feet move steadily below me. Branches crunch under my sneakers just as the wind howls through the thick tree cover. The heavy rain suddenly begins to push through the trees, soaking me to my bones. I quicken my pace some as I begin to make out the lights of Jake’s house ahead through the onslaught of raindrops, the clearing to his property just yards away.

Something sends a chill down my spine, and I turn to see his stealthy eyes staring at me. I’m no longer that teenager sneaking out to see her boyfriend. I’m twenty-five and peering at the man who fucked me a couple of times no more than a month ago. The same man who gave me the scar that now brands my neck as he attempted to kill me, as well as my best friend, Sam.

Stone.

My hand runs along my sopping neck as I feel the raised scar tissue where the knife sliced through, permanently scarring me. I watch as Stone stomps forward before I yell at the top of my lungs and turn toward Jake’s house where it’s safe for me. Just as I turn, hands wrap around me from behind before my feet slip from under me on the slick, rocky trail. My vision becomes foggy as I am propelled forward, hitting a tree trunk on the way to the ground.

Stone’s rough laugh and evil smile rush closer to me at the same time a body flies out of nowhere, pushing Stone to the ground. The mystery man kneels over Stone, ultimately pinning him below his strong, powerful body. Punch after punch lands across Stone’s face as his shoulder muscles strain through the back of the wet t-shirt of the man who came to my rescue. I watch until Stone’s body goes limp within seconds, and the grunts from my rescuer grow silent.

This man who just saved me stands over Stone’s lifeless body, making sure he’s no longer a threat. I catch him raise the front of his shirt to wipe the sweat and rain off his face before he slowly turns to face me. I see his face. The face of my rescuer stares back at me, and my body tingles all over. He’s even sexier than he was the last time I was with him. He’s no longer that high school boy I left behind. He’s
all
grown up.
A
cocky smile creeps across his face as he begins to near me as I simply gaze.

My jaw drops as my body weakens into lava the closer he gets to me. “Jake,” I breathlessly say as my body temperature rises, and my heart pounds in my chest.

My eyes can’t focus and begin trailing over his body. His chiseled jawline is sharp, but his eyes scream dominance. His defined muscles along his abs peek through the soaked beige shirt that clings to his skin. His bicep and forearm veins protrude as he intensely stands before me.

“Hey, Luce, miss me?” his deep voice rumbles through me as he reaches down to pick me up. We continue to stare silently at each other as he cradles me in his arms, walking back toward his house. I take one last look behind me to see Stone’s body still lying motionless on the ground.

My arm sneaks up around his neck as I tease my fingers in his wet, messy brown hair as I hear him groan through his throat. His telltale sign that I am turning him on. My eyes venture up from my fingers to his face just as we enter the back of his house with purpose.

His feet hastily make their way through his private entrance, and I’m suddenly inside Jake’s old bedroom. My wandering eyes take in the walls as a soft glow lights them. Nothing has changed since the last time I was here. Before I can make a comment about our prom picture still sitting on top of his bureau, I’m dropped onto his oversized bed. His outdoor woodsy smell seeps into my nose as I glance up at Jake who is hurriedly removing his shirt and kicking off his sneakers. His hands drop to start fiddling with his leather belt until it’s undone; his zipper opens just as fast. Jake’s soaked jeans and boxers get pushed to the floor in an instant, and out of nowhere, he is standing naked before me.