The front door slammed and a panicked voice called out, “Jake?”
David smiled. “Seems you have a visitor. Put your hand on that while I see who it is.” He walked out and came back seconds later with Bella. Her face was blanched of all color, eyes huge in her face. Her lips trembled as she reached for his hand, staring at the blood trail down his face onto his shirt.
“I’m okay. You can stop worrying. It’s only a scratch.”
“God, Jake. When Mari told me you were hurt…”
He pulled her down against his chest, careful to keep his head turned away from her. A shudder went through her body followed by a choked sob.
“I’m fine. Ben shouldn’t have worried you.”
“He was looking for Woodsie and Cory. Your father wasn’t answering his phone so he called the hotel. Didn’t want Cory finding out from someone else. He thought he might be with me but he wasn’t.”
“I think he’ll be at the school grounds doing kicking practice with his friends.”
Bella sat up, stroked a hand over his chin. “Mari is going to find him, bring him over. Let me text her to make sure she knows it’s not life-threatening. I don’t want Cory to be scared like I was.” She pulled her cell from her pocket and quickly thumbed a text to her sister. Her phone pinged straight back.
“She’s found him and will bring him over shortly.” Bella slid her phone back and took his hand, holding it against her chest. “You scared me half to death, Jake.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, believe me.” He looked up as David came back in.
“Sorry, folks. I need to stitch this up now.” He poked at the cut to make sure Jake couldn’t feel anything. “All good?”
“Sure.” He squeezed her hand, brought it to his lips. “Can you go and wait for Cory, please, in case he comes in before I get out? I don’t want him scared.”
“Of course I will.” Bella leaned up and kissed his cheek before hurrying out of the treatment room.
“Seems like a familiar face. Do I know your lady, Jake?”
“Maybe you do, Doc. If you like cooking shows, you’d recognize her from television.”
David’s face underwent a change. “Bella Moore, of course. My mother adores her shows. I didn’t know she was in town.” He tore open the suture pack and threaded the needle. “So, mixing with the rich and famous, eh, Jake?”
“Rich? Is she really? I have no idea. Found out how famous she was but I have no interest in what she earns.” He lay back and closed his eyes as the needle came toward his head. “Her sister owns The Lake Hotel.”
“Hmm, I seem to recall hearing they sold. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for the Christmas gala. Hear it was a great night. Keep still and this will be over before you know it.”
If it wasn’t for the pulling of his skin, Jake wouldn’t have noticed a thing. Pity it would wear off soon. He was going to be left with a heck of a headache. A door slamming and a murmur of voices told him Cory was here. The last thing he wanted was for his son to panic. Accidents were a way of life in his profession. So far he’d been lucky and only suffered the odd burn or scrape.
“Right, good to go. I don’t need to tell you to take it easy tonight. You might feel fine but I’d be watching for concussion. Keep that dressing on for at least forty-eight hours then you can take it off. Stitches out in seven to ten days.”
Jake sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His vision skipped for a second before settling down.
Cory came into the room, followed by Bella. His eyes were filled with tears and his lips trembled. “Dad.” He threw himself at Jake, his voice muffled as he held onto his father. “I was so worried.”
“Didn’t Mari tell you it wasn’t a big deal? Only stitches?” Jake pushed him back and looked into his face.
Cory shrugged, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Yeah, but I had to see for myself. After, you know, Mom, I kind of freaked.”
Jake pulled his son close. Cory relating it to losing his mother wasn’t something he’d even considered. Perhaps it was time to give up his job, do something safer. But as soon as the thought went through his head, it was followed by a refusal. A mental kick in the butt. There were worse jobs out there, more dangerous in fact. He could be killed in a vehicle accident as easily as a fire on duty. He loved his job. Jake wasn’t about to run from danger because Cory still remembered losing his mom. Rather, he would make sure his son understood that it was okay to worry. Just not to go overboard, to put things in perspective. “You and I need to have a talk, Cory.”
Chapter Fourteen
Later that day Jake sat outside on the front porch with a soda, watching the ripples over Flathead Lake. The afternoon with Bella had been as fantastic as it had been eye-opening for him. The ease with which Cory and Bella interacted pleased Jake greatly. She was a natural with Cory and it was obvious that his son adored her. It was a shame about what happened when he went back to work but that was life. Once he’d gotten a lift home, he’d talked it out with Cory.
Jake hadn’t known his son had harbored a deep-seated fear he’d lose his father in a work-related accident. Thank goodness for Bella. She’d stayed with them until Cory announced he was fine, he’d overreacted and she’d been able to go back to the hotel to finish what she’d started earlier in the day.
Now Jake had time to sit and think about their relationship. What scared him was the change
