Chapter 12
“Nicole are you coming to watch?” Julie asked poking her head into the bedroom.
Until that moment Nicole hadn’t decided if she was going to watch Jared announce that he would be running for governor in the upcoming election or not. But when Julie asked, she knew that she didn’t want to miss it, so she struggled up off the bed, her huge stomach making her feel like a turtle flipped over on it’s back. Julie laughed and came into the room to help her.
“I miss being able to get up by myself, it feels like these babies are never going to be born.” Nicole said, when she finally managed to get to her feet.
“I remember that feeling all too well, of course I only had one baby so I imagine it’s doubly bad.” Julie said, kneeling down and helping Nicole put on her shoes. “Are you ready for this?”
Nicole nodded and followed Julie out of the room and down the stairs to the big living room. Over the long fall and winter, she’d watched as Jared’s name was dragged though the news, first for the mine accident, then the demise of his political career. But for the last few months there had been rumors that he was still planning to run for governor.
He’d announced this press conference less than a week ago, and everyone was eagerly awaiting the speech he was going to give. When he walked on stage, it took all of Nicole’s strength not to cry, he looked so much like the Jared she’d come to love that it was hard to believe that the man on the television wasn’t the same person. Instead of a suit and tie, he’d dressed casually, as if this was only a meeting between friends.
But when he began to speak it was clear that he was neither of those men anymore, he was an entirely new man. The kind of man who cared about the environment more than he cared about money, a man who wanted to bring Alaska into the future of renewable energy, a man who was willing to risk total humiliation in the election to bring his ideas to the public. Love burned in her heart for Jared, and she missed him more in that one moment than she had for the last nine months.
Missing Jared had become a part of her life, a part that she often couldn’t control, the empty feeling finding her when she least expected it, taking her breath away and leaving her in tears. The babies growing insider her were the only thing that saved her, their constant moving, kicking, and she was sure punching, reminding her that soon she’d have a part of Jared that no one could take away from her.
A loud cheer from the television brought her out of her thoughts, Jared seemed to be wrapping up his speech and the crowd had loved him. “Thank you all for coming today, it’s with great pleasure that I announce my candidacy for governor. I’ll be running as an independent and I hope I can count on your support. Today has been the culmination of years of preparation, a summer of soul searching, and I couldn’t be happier, but there is one thing that dims the brightness of the day.” Jared had the crowd eating out of his hand, and when he paused for effect there was silence.
“This day would have been perfect, but along with a few major mistakes I made last summer, I lost the woman I love. You see I thought that she wouldn’t fit in, thought that I needed a different kind of woman, but I was wrong. She’s the woman that I love, the perfect woman for me, and I walked away from her. Nicole if you’re watching this now, know that I love you and that I was wrong, the only place you belong is here with me.”
The room had gone completely silent but Nicole wouldn’t have noticed anyway, her heart was pounding in her chest, her love for Jared making the tears stream down her face. Julie came over and hugged her, they’d been fighting for months about Nicole calling Jared, and now she understood that Julie had been right.
“You were right Julie. But how can I call him now? What would I say? I love you too Jared, oh and by the way we’re going to have twins any day now.”
“I don’t see why not, any man who would say that he loves you on television would be overjoyed to hear that he was going to be a father.” Julie said, although a part of her wondered exactly how Jared would react.
“I can’t do it Julie. I’ll call him after the babies are born.” Nicole said, getting slowly to her feet. “If you don’t mind I think I’ll go to my room and take a nap.”
Julie felt bad for her friend but could do nothing to take her pain away, “Are you packed for Anchorage? The doctor wants us to leave tomorrow.”
That perked Nicole up a little bit, she and Julie would be moving to Anchorage until the babies were born, the house too far from medical care to be a safe place for Nicole to stay. “I’m ready. I just hope these two can wait until then, they’ve been crashing around in here all day.” She said, rubbing her belly.
“Well, if they’re still moving around we have a little time before they come.” Julie said, happy to see a smile on her friend’s face.
Gina could only stare at the television, too shocked by what she’d just heard to do anything else. She’d been sitting right in front of the little set stroking Jared’s face with her finger when he’d announced that he was in love with someone else. Those few words had crushed the last shred of hope she’d been nursing over the long months she’d been hiding in the little motel room. Over and over she’d told herself that Jared would straighten up the mess, but as the months passed, she’d begun to give up hope.
But then one day she’d heard the rumor that he was running for governor and she’d known that it was time for her to join him again, be at his side as she was meant to be. She’d been tempted to quit the waitressing job she’d been forced to take to pay her bills, but remembered what had happened the last time she’d quit a job before having a new one. Instead she’d taken some of her hard-earned savings and gone to the salon and gotten a full treatment, after all she needed to look good on camera.
As the day of the press conference got closer she waited for Jared, sure that he’d come for her, but he never had and now she knew why. That woman had done something to him, enchanted him with magic or something, that was the only explanation she could come up with. What man would want a nanny over her, with her perfect body and beauty, it was impossible that Jared would choose someone else.
Gina had been balancing precariously on the edge of losing it, counting the days until she could break free of the prison she’d put herself into. She’d done it all for Jared, the horrible motel, the terrible job, and even the sex in the alley behind the diner so that she could afford to keep up her looks. All of it had been for him, and he’d turned his back on her to be with a nanny, and a fat one at that.
Getting to her feet, she turned off the television, it was time to take back what was hers and the best way she knew to do that was to eliminate the competition. With Nicole out of the picture, Jared would be all hers again and she’d be by his side as he walked into the governor’s mansion. The fulfillment of her deepest desires would finally come true, a rich husband, social acceptance, and best of all the nicest house in the entire state.
Almost in a trance she packed a bag, got the gun her dad had given her when she left home, and headed for her car. She had no real plan in mind, wasn’t sure exactly how she’d get Nicole in the car with her, but she did know that Nicole’s days of interfering with her life were over.
Jared breathed a sigh of relief, it had taken hours for him to get away from the crowds at the press conference, his campaign manager had lined them up by the hundreds. But now he was on the road, heading straight for Nicole, praying as he drove that she’d seen the press conference and his plea. Scared that when he got to her, she’d turn away from him again, that he’d have to fight for her, but determined that he would if he had to.
It was a long drive to his family home from Juneau, but if the weather held, he’d be there by tomorrow afternoon. As he drove he thought about the long months they’d been separated, he’d missed her everyday with an intensity that had scared him at first. But as time passed and the feeling mellowed, he understood that he loved Nicole, loved her more than anything in his life, including his political career.
He knew that if she still refused to go back to Juneau with him, he’d find a way to stay there with her. The campaign could be run from anywhere, and since he and Seth had patched things up, he was sure that Seth would agree. But what he really wanted was to take her back to Juneau, back with him to his life there, whether that was as governor or just a regular man, he knew that he’d be happy as long as Nicole was with him.
He drove through the night, knowing that even if he stopped he’d never sleep, the prospect of seeing Nicole all he needed to keep him awake though the long night. As the sun came up he saw that there were clouds building over the ocean, a sure sign that there was a storm coming, and he pushed the car a little harder, hoping that the storm would hold off until he got there.
By noon, much to his annoyance, it began to snow. Fat flakes that were heavy and full of moisture, almost immediately blanketing the ground as the temperature dropped. His car had no trouble navigating the snow blanketed roads, but he knew that if it got much deeper he might be in trouble. He pushed harder, relieved when he crossed over onto the family property, sure that nothing could stop him now.
But as he came around a corner just a little too fast, he nearly ran into the end of an SUV which was in the ditch. For only a second he thought about going right by, but only for a second. Sliding to a stop, he got out of his car and approached the SUV.
“Is anyone inside? Are you hurt?” He shouted, noticing that the vehicle was almost completely covered with snow.
He brushed the snow off the back window and saw two figures huddled together in the front seat, then rushed around and tried to open the door. It was frozen shut so he braced his foot against the door and tried again, finally it flew open revealing that the two huddled figures he’d seen were Julie and Laruen.
He reached in to pull them out of the car, but Julie pushed him away. “You have to go.” She said, her teeth chattering. “You have to go get Nicole.”
“Where is she? What happened?” Jared’s protective instincts suddenly kicked in.
“We were on the way to the hospital when a car ran us off the road.” Lauren said.
“Jared, it was Gina and she did it on purpose, she had a gun.” Julie added.
“A gun?” Jared was confused, but needed to know where Nicole was. “Where’s Nicole?”
“Gina took her, she was going on and on about her destiny and the governor’s mansion. Jared, she looked crazy, I don’t know what she’s going to do.” Laruen finished, then motioned to the road. “She hasn’t been gone for long, you can probably catch up to them.”
It took a moment for Jared to sort out what they were trying to tell him, but it finally made sense, Gina had kidnapped Nicole. He had no idea why, but if she had a gun, she might be dangerous. “Which way did they go?” He asked, climbing back up the bank to the road.
Julie pointed down the road, and Jared ran for his car, but just as he was about to get in, he stopped and ran back to the car. “Why were you on the way to the hospital? What’s wrong with Nicole?”
Julie and Lauren looked at each other, then back at Jared. Julie opened her mouth, but nothing came out, so Laruen said, “Jared she’s pregnant, we were taking her to the hospital because she’s in labor.”
Jared couldn’t breathe for a full minute as the words sank in. Nicole was having a baby and he knew that the baby was his, a quick count of the months told him that. For a moment he was angry that Nicole had hidden the baby from him, but then Julie interrupted his thoughts.
“Jared, go get her. Be mad later.” She screamed at him.
Jared felt hopeless as he drove down the road, he’d never be able to find them on his own. He picked up his phone to call Seth wondering why Julie and Lauren hadn’t done the same, but he had no service. That was when he remembered the satellite phone in the glove box, and felt a surge of hope. When Seth picked up the emergency line, he quickly explained the situation and Seth jumped into action.
“Stay on that road and keep your eyes open, in this weather she couldn’t have gotten far. Once they reach Porterville, they’ll have to stop, the roads beyond there have been closed for hours. I know a lot of people in that town, let me make some calls and let’s see if we can’t find them.” Seth’s quick action gave Jared hope that they might get there before it was too late, he had no idea what Gina might do, especially if she was as crazy as it sounded.
Jared made it to Porterville without seeing another car or evidence that one had turned off on one of the few side roads he passed and for once he was glad that his family home was so far from civilization. The town was nothing more than a few streets grouped around a school and post office, so he headed to the first place he could think of — the motel. When he came to a halt by the front door, he saw several cars in the parking lot but didn’t recognize any of them, so he went into the office.
After giving the desk clerk a description of the two women, he said, “Oh, yeah. I rented them a room a little while back. The pregnant one didn’t look too good, but when I asked if she needed a doctor, the blonde one said she was fine. Made me kind of nervous the way she was acting, but I figured with the storm and all, she was just freaked out.”
“What room are they in?” Jared was getting more panicked by the second.
“Well, I don’t know if I can tell you that.” The clerk said, stepping back from Jared.
Jared reached across the counter and grabbed the man by the collar, “That pregnant woman is the love of my life and she’s been kidnapped. Give me the room number and call the police, tell them she’s got a gun.”
Jared approached the hotel room quietly, glad that it was on the first floor. He had no idea how he’d get past Gina if she had a gun, but he had to get Nicole out of that room. Then he had a brilliant idea, instead of getting Nicole out, he’d get Gina out, he’d lure her out of the room then take the gun away from her. It was the safest plan he could think of, so he walked boldly up to the door and knocked.
“Who’s there?” Gina shouted through the closed door.
“It’s Jared.” He said, then added, “I’ve come to take you back to Juneau.”
The door opened a crack, then all the way and Jared’s heart skipped a beat when he saw that she had the gun in her hand. “What do you mean?” She asked, looking at him skeptically.
“I’ve come to take you back with me to Juneau. I’m sorry it took so long, I had to get some things straight first.” Jared said, trying to pull her into his arms.
“Do you really think I believe that? Where have you been all winter, a winter I spent living in a motel room and selling my body to pay my bills?” Gina screamed at him.
“Oh, sweetheart I didn’t know. You should have let me know, I would have taken care of you.” Jared said, hoping his words would hit home.
More than anything else Gina wanted to be taken care of, and she immediately responded by throwing herself in Jared’s arms. “Oh Jared, that’s all I ever wanted.”
Jared immediately pulled the gun out of her hand and threw it out the door, which he’d left open. He whipped her around and captured her wrists in his strong hands, then pushed her out the door just as the police pulled up. When they jumped out of the car, their weapons drawn, Jared let go of Gina and put his hands in the air.
Gina immediately turned on him, screaming and punching him, trying to scratch his eyes out until she was pulled away and put in the back of a police cruiser. Jared explained the situation as quickly as he could, anxious to get back into the room and check on Nicole. Finally, the officer followed him into the room, demanding that Nicole back up his story, but he took one look at her and called an ambulance.
“I don’t think this little lady is going to be giving any statements any time soon. You’re just going to have to come with me.” He said, trying to pull Jared out of the room.
Nicole was panting, the contractions coming closer and closer together, but she managed to say, “That woman ran us off the road and brought me here at gun point, this man is the father of these babies, he saved us.”
Jared rushed to the side of the bed and took Nicole’s hand, “Babies? I don’t understand.”
“We’re having twins.” Nicole managed to grind out through clenched teeth, another contraction building.
Jared smoothed the hair off her face, “We need to talk later Nicole, right now we need to get you to the hospital.”
“Jared, I don’t think there’s time. I think these babies are going to be born right here.” Nicole said, fear suddenly clouding her eyes.
“Okay, that’s okay.” Jared said, as much to himself as Nicole. “We can do this.”
An hour later, with the help of the paramedics who showed up just in time, Jared was holding his sons. They were the mirror image of each other, their perfect little bodies so small they barely filled his arms, but Jared was already in love with them. It seemed impossible that less than twenty-four hours ago he’d had no idea that these little beings even existed, but now that he did, he was happier than he’d ever imagined he could be.
The paramedics were anxious to move Nicole and the babies to the hospital, but Jared chased them out of the room, wanting a few minutes alone with Nicole. He sat down on the bed with her and handed her one of the babies, who immediately snuggled down in her arms. Jared had so much to say, but knew that he only had a few minutes.
“I’m sorry I was so stupid, that I couldn’t see that without you my life is empty. Even before this, I wanted you with me. I was on my way to get you. Come back to Juneau with me Nicole, I want to wake up to you every morning for the rest of my life.” He said, stroking her cheek with his free hand.
Nicole reached up and returned his caress, “I saw the press conference, if I could have I would have come to you. I know I should have told you about the babies but I was afraid you’d feel some obligation and I never want to be an obligation.”
“You will never be an obligation Nicole, I love you. I love you so much it hurt the entire time we were separated, and I don’t ever want to feel that way again. No matter what happens in my life, even if I lose the governor’s race and all my money, it won’t matter as long as we’re together.” Jared said, bending down to kiss her tenderly on the lips.
“I love you too Jared and I’d like to find out what it’s like to live in the governor’s mansion.” Nicole said, sure that someday that was exactly where they’d be.
The end.