finding Reese.: a SAFELIGHT novel vol.2 (SAFELIGHT Series) Read online

  The first moment I saw Catalina, I was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. The more time we spent together, the more I felt I needed to be with her. At first it wasn’t easy. There were these push and pull situations between us; the duty to perform a job and the realization that there was more to us than just a professional relationship. Jackson’s press tour has been one of the highlights of my life. I was fortunate to be able to spend time with my childhood friend, and it was during that time I met the woman of my dreams.

  I never knew I’d be so deeply in love with her, so yes, that simple fact still shocks the heck out of me. The more I get to know her, the more I vow to spare her pain. Catalina experienced a rough start in life starting with the unexpected passing of her parents when she was a mere child, culminating with the death of her fiancé and unborn child in a fatal car accident four years ago.

  The press tour gave us a fresh breath of life. It inspired friendship and hope, but more importantly love, so it hurts me immensely to see the shadow of the woman I met almost two months ago consumed with grief.

  Don’t get me wrong; Catalina is a tough cookie, but to see her stripped of that fierce persona I met and fell in love with is jarring. I pray we find Jax alive, because I worry she won’t be able to cope with−let alone recover from−another devastating loss. She once told me, ‘Everyone I ever love leaves me,’ and her words, while eerie, ring true, especially now. I need to prove to Catalina her tragic past ended with Blake. Us meeting was fate, and I doubt destiny is cruel enough to continue with the heartbreak she’s already endured.

  Catalina tries to break from my hold, but my hands hold her tightly in place. Looking into her dark chocolate eyes, I feel the urge to reassure her. “We’re going to get on a plane and get our boy back, and next time we see him, you can slap him hard across the face for putting us through this agony. He’s always been dramatic. Well, this stunt takes the cake,” I declare with a small smile, yet feel the sting of tears forming in my corner of my eyes.

  Catalina leans in for a kiss. “Thank you for being strong for me, for us, but it’s okay to break down every once in a while, Stud,” Catalina murmurs, and for a second there I swear I can hear a part of my heart breaking. Catalina knows me better than I give her credit for, and can read me like a goddamn book.

  My hands move to cup her cheeks, and I bend forward to kiss her forehead. As soon as my lips make contact with the warmth of her skin, the tears that had been forming fall freely from my eyes and wet my cheeks. “I know, baby, I know. I just can’t stand to see you worried or sad. I promised I would make you smile and make you happy, and right now I’m breaking those promises,” I whisper trying to bite back a sob and failing miserably.

  Since the moment I found out about the avalanche and the possibility of losing Jax forever, I’ve felt the need to rein in my true feelings. All this time I’ve kept my composure, trying to be strong for both of us. I guess finding out Jax could very well be alive floods me with relief, and all the worry and anger I’ve been holding in makes its way out. I’ve had nightmares of getting that life-altering phone call in the middle of the night where I’m told Jackson is dead, and his body has been recovered, mangled and frozen in the snow. The thought alone makes me shudder, and my muted crying morphs into full-blown sobs.

  I nestle my head in the crook of her neck finding comfort in her warmth, and take in her unique scent that reminds me of candy. As my crying evens out, I don’t care if I reveal moments of weakness and despair to Catalina, and to be honest I don’t think she’ll see me as less of a man if I cry. That’s why I’m so goddamn lucky to have her in my life. Ever felt like you met the woman of your dreams? Yeah, that’s me all right.

  “Stud, let it all out,” Catalina croons while her fingers gently brush away strands of my hair which skim against the collar of my shirt. My chest heaves less and less with each calming breath I take, and when my tears subside Catalina squeezes my shoulders. “Let’s pack some clothes so we can get the hell out of here and find Jax.”

  Her sudden strength is infectious. I nod and kiss her neck softly, agreeing with her. As soon as I let go of Catalina, my phone rings. In the blink of an eye there’s a moment of absolute panic going on inside my head as I try to think who might be calling and why. Without taking a glance at the caller ID, I answer on the third ring. I sigh in relief when I hear Kaelan’s soft-spoken voice flooding the line.

  “Jupiter, can you make it to JFK in an hour, tops? There’s a flight in an hour and a half. Just say the word and it’s yours.”

  “Yeah, Kaelan. Go ahead and book it, and email me the flight info. We’re gathering some things and we’ll be right out the door. Any news on the coordinates we gave you?” I ask, hoping she delivers us some much needed good news.

  “Yes. Right now the search and rescue officials are keeping mum to the press which is good. The last thing we want is to bring the public’s hopes up, in case it’s not a happy ending. The folks here are moving all of their resources to find our boy. The bracelet is still giving out pings, so all in all it’s great news.” Kaelan replies confidently, which eases my anxiety a bit.

  “This is great news! We’ll be there in a few hours. I hope by the time we arrive in Calgary, we’ll have news worth celebrating. Thanks, Kaelan.”

  “Okay, son, have a safe flight,” Kaelan says and promptly hangs up.

  Catalina is busying herself trying to get the essentials packed, but the steady shaking of her hands and her constant pacing back and forth in the room isn’t getting anything accomplished. Our nerves are frazzled, and time is against us. We need to get out of here, and fast.

  “Come on, baby. Let’s just wash up and leave,” I breathe encouragingly, taking the sweater away from Catalina’s trembling hands and throwing it on the bed.

  After some coaxing, I guide her into the shower and we bathe together, making sure to be in and out in less than five minutes. With small overnight bags in our hands and equally tired and weary faces, we emerge from Catalina’s loft in SoHo twenty minutes after Kaelan’s call. I hail a cab, and we begin the trek to JFK. Good fortune is on our side when we arrive at the airport; we’re checked in and through security in under fifteen minutes. Feeling mentally and physically exhausted, we sit in the First Class lounge watching cable news. Every so often the flashing news ticker pops up with the top world headlines, among them, Jackson Reese remains unaccounted for, and the chances of being found alive are slim.

  News channels continue to play the footage of the avalanche on a constant loop; analysts are interviewed and prominent members of the sports community are seen offering their condolences to the families of Chris and Rem as well as Jackson. The more I watch the news, the more my stomach churns. I hate the fact that the world press is practically declaring Jax dead when those closest to him haven’t lost hope. I find it to be exploitive reporting and quite frankly it disgusts me. As we’re being called to board, the red block letters of BREAKING NEWS pop up on the screen followed by a reporter standing at the foot of Kicking Horse ready for a live-shot. We both halt in our steps, and Catalina squeezes my hand painfully hard as we look at the TV−both of us holding our breaths.

  “We have seen increased activity today at the base of Kicking Horse. It would appear the recovery efforts that were suspended yesterday evening have resumed. Search and rescue teams are now actively searching for Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Jackson Reese. Sources say he may be alive, but our experts indicate the probability of survival is less than ten percent. Experts further indicate the average length of time a person can survive in these frigid conditions is at best twelve hours. Given it has been close to forty hours since the avalanche struck, the odds of finding Reese alive are extremely low. However, our sources indicate rescuers know the exact location where he is trapped, and it is too early to speculate the condition in which he is in. Folks at home who are watching, if Reese is recovered alive, it would be the bit of good news his camp and family desperately need. We will be here as long a
s it takes, and will break the news as soon as we get more information from the Canadian officials. Reporting live from the Purcell Mountains, this is Troy Evans for CBC, back to the studio.”

  Ungluing our eyes from the flat screen TV we exchange glances, and while none of us say a word I’m pretty sure we’re sharing the same thoughts. Please let them find Jackson alive.

  “Good afternoon, passengers. This is the first boarding announcement for flight 1701 with non-stop service to Calgary. We are now inviting those Business and First Class passengers to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Welcome aboard.”

  “Come on, baby. That’s us,” I say to Catalina, holding her hand and whisking her away from the TV set.

  Walking down the jet way my mind whirls back to the day Catalina and I first met. We reach the threshold of the cabin door, and I turn Catalina around for a quick hug, not caring if we are blocking anyone else from entering the plane. Her arms snake around my neck, and her erratic breathing speaks volumes, she’s afraid and understandably so. The fact that we’ll be thirty thousand feet up in the air for several hours means we’ll be incommunicado. The news could go either way during that time; Jax could be found alive, or dead.

  “He’s going to be okay. Trust me on this, Cat. Jax will be okay.”

  Catalina exhales deeply and breaks our hold. Walking into the cabin, she plops herself against the leather seat, and as soon as she’s buckled in, she takes hold of my hand and ever so sweetly kisses the skin above my knuckles.

  “Deep down I know he’s fine, but when stuff like this happens, I go into self-preservation mode. I can’t help but prepare myself for the worst so if I get bad news, I’m sort of mentally ready for it,” she confesses with sad eyes.

  “You need to stop that, Catalina. You’re only making yourself sick with worry. You have to be positive. Listen, we’re both tired. Let’s take the next few hours to get some rest. This-no-longer-random-stranger’s-shoulder needs girl-who-sleeps-better-on-a-random-stranger’s-shoulder to rest, okay?” I wink as I call her by the moniker she introduced herself with on the day we met.

  Catalina smiles softly and after leaning over for a chaste kiss, she nestles against the crook of my neck. Not even twenty minutes after takeoff, she is sound asleep against my shoulder with a tiny grin on her face.

  God, if you’re listening, please spare my kid brother’s life. Keep him safe and well until we get there. I don’t think Catalina could handle another loss in her life. Please. I know I sound like a hypocrite praying to you when I never do, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Guide those rescuers to wherever he is. Please.

  I fervently pray until my eyelids feel heavy, and what seems like a New York minute later I’m awakened by the rattling sounds of the cabin as the plane lands at Calgary International. Glancing to my side, I see Catalina looking out the window with a worried expression on her face, which takes me back to the day we landed in Vancouver on the day we first met.

  “Hey, how’d you sleep?” I ask her in between yawns.

  Turning her head to face me, she replies with a small grin, “Oh you know, incredibly well. That shoulder of yours is miraculous. I’m feeling much better.”

  I remove my seatbelt and stretch my long legs and arms. “Good, so did I.”

  Reaching into my pocket, I grab my cell phone and power it on. As soon as it buzzes to life it begins to ring loudly in my hands. Catalina looks at me with hopeful eyes, her teeth grazing her plump lower lip with a look that screams she’s desperate to hear good news.

  I’ll admit my finger is shaking as I swipe the screen to unlock my phone and exhaling a huff I read the text messages. There are some from Jax’s mom, Kathy, some from Kaelan, some from Jax’s coach, Rob, and even a few from Olivia my ex-fiancé and Jax’s youngest sister. Holding my breath, I decide to start with Kaelan.

 

 

  I take the deepest breath and my eyes instantly wet with tears. Crouching over in my seat, I clutch my phone with a closed fist with my eyes closed, and hands locked tightly in prayer. Exhaling shakily, I open my eyes and see Catalina. She must’ve misinterpreted my reactions to the texts because she breaks down in tears in the middle of the cabin.

  “No, God, please, no,” she wails loudly, garnering the attention of our fellow passengers. I kneel in the small space in front of her. My hands squeezing her shoulders soothingly.

  “They found him, baby. He’s in a coma, but he is alive.” I declare, my voice cracking with emotion. My hands move to cradle her face, my eyes full of elated tears as hers weep inconsolably.

  “He’s alive?” Catalina asks, her soft voice cracking. As I nod, a small smile emerges on her gorgeous face and it’s in that moment I know everything is going to be fine.

  “Yes,” I reply, returning her smile. “We are going to meet Kaelan at the hospital. He’s there now being treated for chronic hypothermia. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to see him. See, baby? You saved his life. Thanks to you, he’s alive.”

  Catalina’s hands cover her mouth, and a look of wonder takes over her features. “I saved his life,” she whispers looking at me square in the eye.

  “Yes. You did.”

  Catalina removes her buckle and pulls me up to stand. Joyful giggles leave her chest as we hug in the middle of the people exiting the aircraft. I don’t care if other passengers think our actions are over the top. Just as long as my Raven Girl is happy, that’s all that matters to me.

  We are the last ones to get off the plane, and a polite flight attendant hands us cocktail napkins on our way out. I impulsively kiss the nice woman’s cheek shocking her in the process. “He’s alive!” I exclaim to her. The pilot and co-pilot standing in the galley look at each other with a puzzled expression and shrug their shoulders. The flight attendant, meanwhile, stands there with flushed cheeks, and her hand touches the cheek I kissed her on.

  Taking hold of Catalina’s precious hand, I run up the jet-way with our carry-on bags searching for the customs desk with the shortest wait, and then bolting towards the nearest exit towards ground level in search for a cab. While Jackson isn’t out of danger, the fact that he’s in the hospital and in the capable hands of medical professionals makes me hopeful. Tossing our carry-on bags into the trunk, we climb into the cab and make the less than three hour journey to the Golden & District Hospital. Every so often Catalina sighs loudly and I can relate because I’m dealing with some anxieties of my own.

  From time to time our phones chirp with incoming messages, and while Catalina ignores hers, I’m periodically checking mine. Jackson remains in a coma but his vital signs continue to improve. Just as the cab pulls up to the hospital drop-off area, my phone rings. It’s Kaelan.

  “We’re here,” I answer before she has an opportunity to even say hello.

  “Wonderful. He’s in room 1023. You are both on the list of authorized visitors. He is isolated right now, but in a few hours he will be allowed visitors. See you in the waiting room. We’ll chat further. Oh”−Kaelan pauses, taking a deep breath−”heads up. Olivia is here.”

  Groaning, I hang up and pay the cabbie. In the parking lot I see countless news vans and reporters standing around. Some are doing live shots, while others stalk the entrance of the hospital waiting for news on Jackson’s condition. Holding our bags, I follow Catalina into the hospital and check-in at the desk. After receiving our visitor badges, we enter the elevator. Catalina’s breathing becomes uneven, it appears she’s fighting back tears. Whisking her to my side, I whisper reassurances, trying my damnedest to pacify her.

  “I hate hospitals, Stryder. They bring back bad memories,” Catalina mutters with her arms wrapped tightly against her chest. I nod, knowing Catalina must’ve spent some time hospitalized after that
fatal car accident she was in. Not to mention her black-out episode at Xsports which landed her in the hospital after she saw the coverage of the avalanche on network TV.

  “I get it, babe. Hopefully, we won’t be here for long. Jax is pretty resilient, and if he was able to survive an avalanche, this should be a walk in the park for him,” I tell her softly as the elevator doors open.

  Waiting for us are Kaelan and Kathy. I wrap my arms around both women who mean so much to me as Catalina stands close by smiling. Kathy breaks free from my hold and hugs Catalina fiercely, and holding back sobs, she speaks.

  “You saved my boy’s life, Catalina. How could I ever repay you?” Kathy cries, holding onto Catalina’s cheeks with her palms. “If not for you, we wouldn’t be here right now. Thank you, my dear. Thank you.”

  My heart swells to watch my second mom embracing Catalina like that. It’s not hard to see how much my family loves her. Looking over my shoulder I notice Olivia standing nearby with her arms crossed, watching us. Raising my hand, I wave at her but don’t get close. After the way she treated Jax at his birthday party, it’s needless to say she’s no longer in my good graces.

  Oli waves back, lowering her gaze in embarrassment. I’d bet money she’s regretting her bitchtastic ways, especially now that Jax is in critical condition. Oli approaches Catalina reluctantly, and whispers, “Hey.”

  Catalina looks at Olivia with sympathetic eyes and while women can be evil with each other, especially when there’s a man in the middle, I have to remind myself Cat isn’t like most women. Extending her arms, she embraces my ex-fiancé lovingly.

  “Hey. How are you holding up?” Catalina whispers to Olivia.

  I guess being held by Catalina is too much for Olivia because she breaks down in tears. “I’m so sorry. You saved him. Thank you,” Olivia mumbles in between breaths.