Loving You (Love Wanted in Texas) (31 page)

“I’ll go see what’s going on.”

Before I could take a step, William came hobbling toward us. “Your cell phone batteries! Has everyone kept their phones off?”

I nodded and then looked at Nate and Tess. “Yep. Mine’s been off the whole time,” Tess answered.

Nate nodded. “Same here.”

The smile that spread across William’s face was the first sign of hope we had had in the last five days.

“I don’t know what in the hell I was thinking trying to mess with the radio. The emergency beacon is what we need to get working.”

Tess jumped up. “Yes!”

“Using our batteries from our phones, I can wire them together in a series to get enough juice to get the beacon going.”

My heart raced. “Are you sure?”

“Well, I’m not a hundred percent certain it will work, but it’s worth a try. Why I didn’t think of it before now is beyond me.”

I turned to Nate and Tess. “Where are your phones?”

Nate reached into the seat pocket and pulled his out. “Here’s mine.”

Tess rushed to where she had her luggage. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her phone and handed it to me. I could see the hope in both their eyes and I was positive mine reflected the same thing.

“Let’s do this,” I said as I followed William to the little work station he had set up.

After a couple of hours of watching him, I stood up and walked out for some fresh air and to look around. It was beautiful here. Freezing at night, but beautiful.

Closing my eyes, I tried to think positive thoughts. I prayed every night that God would send Taylor some kind of sign that I was still alive. William prayed every night for his wife and unborn daughter. The more he talked about them, the more I had the desire to tell Taylor the second she was in my arms I wanted to have a baby.

When I opened my eyes, I turned to see Tess standing next to me. “He’s driving me crazy. I actually feel like I want to put a pillow over his head and hold it there.”

Letting out a chuckle, I shook my head. “I think he likes you.”

Her head jerked back as she let out a gruff laugh. “Really? If that’s his idea of liking a woman, I’d hate to see what he’s like when he doesn’t like them.”

“Awe, come on, Tess. Nate’s a good guy. You’re not the least bit attracted to him? I mean, I know you’re married and all, but you did say you filed for a divorce right before our fun little trip to the desert.”

She snarled her lip at me. “No, I am not attracted to him at all.”

Lifting my brow, I tilted my head and stared at her. “Really? Not at all.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, “Nope.”

“You know, he told me he thought you looked cute in his sweatpants and sweatshirt.”

Her upper lip twitched as she forced herself not to smile. “He’s delirious from the pain of his broken leg.”

“Uh-huh. And your excuse?”

Giving me a scowl, she asked, “My excuse for what?”

“Jase! Tess!” William called out.

We both turned and rushed back to the plane.

Nate was standing next to William with a huge grin across his face.

“It’s working! He got the damn thing to work!”

Tess turned to me and hugged me before turning and doing the same to Nate and William. “You did it! I knew you would!” she cried out in glee.

Reaching my hand over, I shook William’s. “Good job, dude.”

He glanced down at it and nodded. “Let’s hope they pick it up before our batteries die out.”

My body rushed with adrenaline. We were going home. I could feel it deep in my bones.

“I promised Taylor I was coming back to her. And if it I have to start walking out of the fucking desert to find a way out, we will be going home.”

William’s eyes pooled with tears. He looked away and softly said, “I’ll be home soon, baby.”

It had been five hours since the emergency beacon had started. Nate and Tess were asleep as William and I sat there watching the damn thing. Waiting for the batteries to go dead and the thing to stop working.

There was no doubt in my mind we were thinking the same thing. Where was the search team?

“I swear it feels colder tonight than any night we’ve been here,” William mindlessly said.

Wrapping the blanket around me, I agreed. “I’m going to add more wood to the fire. If they do fly over this area, they’ll at least see the fire going.”

“Need help?”

Motioning with my hand for him to stay seated, I shook my head. “Nah. Stay off your ankle. It looks worse today than it has all week.”

“Hurts like a mother fucker too.”

I walked out and over to the fire. Earlier that day I had hiked back over to the tree line to get more wood.

Grabbing a hand full of sticks, I threw them into the fire. Glancing up, I got lost in the vast amount of stars that lit up the black sky. If I didn’t hate this place so much, I would totally be lost in the beauty of it.

After warming myself up, I decided to head back into the plane, but stopped when I heard something.

Not moving at all, I stood perfectly still.

A plane. That’s a fucking plane I hear!

I quickly ran back to the plane and grabbed two flash lights. “What’s wrong?” William asked.

“It’s a plane. I hear a plane!”

He stood and grabbed the stick he had been using as a cane. Reaching for another flashlight, he followed me outside.

Seeing the lights from the plane, I pointed and yelled out, “Over there. It’s over there!”

“I have a laser pointer!” Tess screamed as she pointed it up toward the plane.

We probably looked like crazy fools as we all jumped and screamed. Nate had made his way over to me and took the other flashlight out of my hand and started waving it back and forth.

My heart was racing and all I could think about was seeing Taylor. Her smile that lit up my entire world. Those stunning green eyes that I saw every time I closed my eyes.

“Down here!” Tess cried out.

Tears were streaming down her face as we quickly looked at each other and then back up to the plane.

Flashing the light on and off, Nate yelled, “We’re here!”

Each one of us was yelling. A mixture of emotions being let out. Hope that we would be seen. Fear we wouldn’t. And dreams of being back in our loved ones’ arms.

Tess screamed louder, causing the other three of us to do the same. Of course they couldn’t hear us, but it was the first sign of anyone since we had crashed here six days ago. Hell almost seven days ago.

“Oh my God! They’re turning around!” Tess yelled out as she jumped.

When we saw the plane drop in altitude, we stopped carrying on like crazy fools.

“Please see us,” Tess whispered.

The plane flew so low as it went over us, there was no way they hadn’t see us.

“They see us!” William cried out. We all turned and looked at each other. It was in that moment that we truly knew we were going to be okay. My heart didn’t ache quite as much as it did earlier. Tears flowed freely from each of us as we formed a huddle and celebrated.

I’m going to see Taylor again. My sweet, beautiful, Taylor.

“Stop grabbing my ass, Nate!” Tess cried out as William and I both laughed.

Dropping my head back, I let out a long sigh of relief as I looked at the brightest star in the sky. “Thank you, God.”

Taylor

My mind drifted to the last kiss Jase had given me at the airport. Running my fingers along my lips, I looked out at the night sky. Was Jase looking up at it as well? God I hoped so.

The door to Jase’s bedroom flew open and Layton came rushing in.

“The beacon!”

I jumped up and turned on the light. “What?”

He walked up to me, wrapped me in his arms and spun me around before putting me back down.

“Ryder just called. They picked up the beacon signal a few hours ago. It was nowhere near where they were searching.”

“Where is it?”

“In Wyoming at the edge of the Red Desert and the foothills. Ryder went with them in the plane to the location. He didn’t call because he didn’t want to get our hopes up.”

My breath hitched as I felt my heart pounding throughout my entire body. Tears streamed out of my eyes. For the first time in days I had such a strong feeling of willingness to believe that all would be okay. A strange sense of calm came over me.

“Please tell me,” I whispered.

“They found them, Taylor. All four of them are alive.”

An unexpected release of tension had my body collapsing into Layton as I sobbed in relief.

The pain in my chest replaced with a lightness I couldn’t describe. “I knew it! I knew he wasn’t gone!” I cried as I buried my face into his chest.

“I’ve booked three tickets on the first flight out from Austin in the morning.”

Pulling back, I looked up at him as he looked at me with so much love and happiness. Wiping my tears away, he kissed my forehead.

“Where is he?”

“They took them to Rock Springs to a hospital there. Looks like everyone is okay, but Nate has a fractured leg, William sprained his ankle and Tess broke her hand.”

My stomach felt sick. “Jase?”

“From what Ryder said, it was a good size cut on his forehead and that’s it.”

My shoulders sank in relief.

“In the morning they are flying them to Cheyenne. That’s where we’ll meet them.”

“Why hasn’t he called?”

Layton grinned. It was at that moment my cell phone rang.

“He wanted you to be told first before he called.”

I quickly raced over to the side table and grabbed my phone.

“Jase!” I practically screamed.

“Damn . . . it’s so good to hear your voice, Taylor.”

My body shook as I cried. “Thank God! Thank you, God!” I cried out as I sank down on the bed. Layton sat next to me and it was then I noticed Whitley.

“I’m so sorry, Taylor. If I could go back and never get on that plane I would.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. None of that matters. You’re alive and I get to see you tomorrow.”

“Ryder said Dad booked three tickets and y’all were meeting us in Cheyenne.” Grinning, I looked at Layton. “Yes. Hold on, your dad and mom are here.”

I handed the phone to Layton. Whitley sat on the other side of me and wrapped her arms around me. For the first time in seven days, I felt like I could breathe without it hurting my heart. Leaning closer to me, she whispered, “He’s coming home. Our Jase is coming home.”

When the plane touched down on the runway in Cheyenne, I breathed a sigh of relief. Peeking over at Whitley, her knee bounced up and down. I knew the moment my eyes landed on Jase I’d want to be in his arms. Whitley had to feel the same way.

Talking it over with Layton, I told him I thought they needed to see Jase first and then I would see him. Reaching her hand across the aisle, she winked. “It won’t be long now.”

“I know. My heart is pounding so hard in my chest.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Are you sure you don’t want to see him first?”

Pressing my lips together, I smiled and nodded my head. “I know the moment I see him I won’t want to let him go.”

With a wink, she replied, “Fair enough.”

Layton had hired a car to pick us up at the airport and take us to the Marriott where Jase and the others were staying.