Deadly Tracks: A Christian Romantic Suspense Collection by Trumbo Kari & Chastain Jennifer & Phillips Lisa

Author:Trumbo, Kari & Chastain, Jennifer & Phillips, Lisa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Two Dogs Publishing, LLC
Published: 2026-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Jay stepped out of the elevator wearing a snazzy new sling. He was supposed to keep his arm in it for a month. As if that was going to happen. First chance he got, he was ditching this thing. Which meant as soon as he got Morgan back to her house.

He couldn’t believe he’d told her even as much as he did about losing people. Kids, in fact. Sure, it was the reason he’d come here to recover. But that didn’t mean he had to face it, or some such nonsense.

No one cared about his actual feelings. People just wanted to know if he was good to go.

He spotted Tessa, Ava, and Cass walking into the ER and decided he was definitely not mission ready. Not seeing the fear on the little girl’s face.

Cass had her VETERAN military dog vest on, walking proudly. Turning heads everywhere she went—and getting unquestioned access to the hospital.

Jay bent and scratched her chin. “Hey, gorgeous.”

Tessa chuckled. “Hey, yourself.”

He straightened. “Ladies.” Then crouched in front of Ava. “How are you doing?”

She sniffed, looking younger than eight years. And tired from a restless night. “O-kay.”

He touched her shoulder, and she looked at his sling. “Your mom needed to rest. But I heard she gets to go home soon.”

Ava nodded.

He straightened, and Cass leaned against his leg, facing behind him. Watching his six.

“Have you seen her since they admitted her?” Tessa asked.

“No, but the doctor who treated me checked, and they said she was sleeping.” He glanced down at Ava, then said to Tessa, “The damage was mostly superficial, but she’s got a broken nose.”

Tessa nodded, sniffing. Looking like she was about to cry if he was honest with himself. Not something he was used to dealing with—especially not twice in a twenty-four-hour period.

He asked Ava, “What’s your favorite way to wake up your mom?”

Her eyes lit with a tiny bit of excitement. “I made her pancakes on her birthday! Grandma helped me cook them.”

“Do you think Tessa should go get your mom some pancakes?” Jay suggested. “We can wake her up gently and see if she’s hungry.”

“She will be. She always is.” Her little hand slid into his. “But then she always just has cheese and crackers and calls it ‘girl dinner.’ But I like mac and cheese better.”

“I like mac and cheese, too.”

She smiled up at him.

Tessa squeezed his shoulder and handed him Cass’s leash. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” He tried not to sound too desperate and heard her chuckle. To Ava he said, “Ready?”

“I hope she’s awake. Sometimes she gets mad when I wake her up.”

Jay squeezed her hand. “We can go in real quiet and check first.”

“Okay.”

He held the dog leash with the sling hand, and Ava’s hand with the other. It hit him then, where he was. What he was doing. The fact he’d never in a million years have guessed this was where he’d be right now.

Almost like there was some other plan going on right now, aside from what he had figured this trip would be.

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