After All This Time—Chapter Four



The plane landed with a bump and small squeal from Parker's lips. Jarod laughed as he climbed out and helped Miss Parker out of the small plane. If Jarod hadn't been there she would have fallen down. "Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"My knees feel like jelly."

Jarod smiled at her, "From my flying or your own?"

Parker shook her head, "I still can't believe I flew a plane!"

Jarod laced his arm around Parker's shoulders to steady her as they walked over to the entranceway. "You should try flying a jet."

Parker made a rude sounding noise, "Not on your life."

Jarod flipped coin at a bum looking man standing near the doors, "Bruce would you mind terribly getting the lady and my bags?"

Bruce grinned, "Yes, Sir."

Parker gave Jarod a strange look, "You've been here before?"

Jarod would have shrugged but his one arm was busy supporting Parker, "I know a lot of people Miss Parker."

Parker made another rude sounding noise, "You know three quarters of the country by now."

Jarod had to agree with her. He had met a lot of interesting people in his travels. He had met corrupt cops, plastic surgeons, pilots, scientists, teachers and…. Zoe. Jarod had no idea what he was going to do. He had never expected to fall in love with Parker. At least not in this lifetime.

"Jarod are you okay?" Parker asked.

Jarod nodded, "Come on. My family is waiting."

Bruce returned with their bags and left again. "Jarod…" Parker started slowly, unsure of what to say.

Jarod and Parker sat down and he brushed the hair from her face, "Don't worry about it. My father told me what happened. He was touched that, despite what you believed, you still trusted in him. He knows you're a good person."

Parker nodded slowly, "All right. Lets go."

They drove for an hour in silence. Neither one of them sure what to say. "Parker…" Jarod said slowly, unsure of how to say it.

"Yes?"

"Um… before we go and see my family there is one thing you need to know."

"Which is?"

"Parker… before I discovered Ethan…I-"

"Let me guess it has something to do with a woman?"

Jarod stared at her, his mouth open. "How… How did you know?"

Parker laughed, "Jarod if it was anything else it wouldn't be so hard to tell me. We've shared more intimate secrets and many experiences than most married couples."

Jarod couldn't disagree. "Quite true."

"So… um…." She fumbled for words.

"I don't know how to tell her its over."

Parker's head whipped around, "What?"

Jarod turned to Parker and nodded, "But she's been in hiding ever since you and I and Ethan were on that train."

"With your family?"

Jarod nodded, "I don't know what to tell her, or how to act. She's been with them for so long now."

"Why?" Parker asked. She couldn't help herself.

Jarod glanced at her quickly before turning back to the road, "Cox found out about her and tried to use her to stop me from going after Ethan."

"Ah." Parker said.

The two of them road in silence for a while longer. Parker then said, "I think I'll give you guys some peace when we get there." More silence. "Is the boy there?"

Jarod turned to her in surprise, "Yes… Why?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Jarod asked. Where was she going with all of this?

"I tried to take him out of there."

Jarod almost ran the car off the road, "You what?"

She nodded, slowly, thinking. "Yes. I couldn't let them do to him what they did to you."

Jarod agreed but still was quite surprised. "We're almost there."

And they were. They came upon a camp and Jarod pulled in. Emily and Zoe were in the yard, planting something. Jarod climbed out of the car, followed by Parker.

Emily's face exploded into a grin as she embraced Jarod, "Jarod you're all right!"

Zoe stood off the edge, alone. Jarod turned to her, "Zoe?"

Zoe's eyes welled up with tears, "Oh Jarod. I'm so sorry!"