Chapter 19

I had been talking to Uncle Roy.

CJ and Star had left to get some fresh air and hopefully CJ would talk to her and explain what we wanted to do. It was crucial she be receptive to what we had planned. I couldn't bear to think of her out in the elements especially on that day CJ found Jake the rain was pouring and the wind didn't help. I wondered where she had spent the night and how did she keep warm if all she had was that hoodie she was wearing.

Uncle Roy listened as I told him what we had been updated on and I told him my worries if things didn't turn out the way we wanted.

"Don't worry nephew he's going to be alright we can't think negative, I don't want you to show that to CJ. She needs you and I can see you two are getting closer."

I smiled, "I feel that we are but she's still keeping that barrier between us. I feel her respond to me but it seems her heart takes the lead but then her brain snaps her into reality and she pulls away. I'm just worried this is going to take its toll on her. You see how tired she is and I'm making her take naps when she can. She's still recovering and I'm just afraid she's going to push herself too much."

"I'm glad you're keeping an eye on her and getting her to rest when she can. But, you need to take it slow, you two have been through a lot. She was your friend first Mattlock and now you're asking her to look at you in a different light. It's going to be a lot to process for her and I'm sure she doesn't want to be just one of your 'distractions'. Yes, I've heard her and will refer to your many parade of women as this. She's not like one of them and you will treat her right. Remember I can still put you over my knee and if your father finds out you hurt her in any way he will box your ears in."

I groaned, my past would always rear its ugly head but that was my past and CJ was my future.

"I already told you Uncle Roy I'm ready to take this next step with her. I can't do anything about my past. I was young and that was years ago. Things have changed. I've changed. I'm older and wiser and I know what I want. I hope I'm not too late and she sees that I am a different man now. I know I need to slow down but once I kiss her I can't stop. It's like I've found my happiness, my peace."

I looked away and I felt vulnerable. Uncle Roy never sugar coated his advice especially when it came to CJ so I waited.

He came up to me and hugged me. I didn't know how much I needed that till now.

"I understand, but you need to slow down, you were never a patient child and as an adult it's only gotten worse. You have been there for her but she's fragile and she's got a lot going on with Jake and now Star."

I nodded and asked, "Uncle Roy, how did you get her to call you Uncle Roy? When she said that I did a double take, she's just a little girl, but she's something isn't she."

He smiled, "I just asked her to, I said if she was going to be around us she needed to call me Uncle Roy since she was family. She is something and we will be getting her off the street. I will not have a niece living the way she has been and when are we going to get more information about her. What happened to her mother and father?"

I explained what Star had told me about herself and about her mother, brother and stepfather. I could tell this upset him by the way he clenched his fists. He asked if I knew her stepfather's name. I shook my head and he said did she give any information about the whereabouts of the sorry excuse of a man that he would like to take him out for a long drive. I looked at him and said to stand in line behind me and CJ. I showed him what CJ and I had been working on. He added some things and said he wanted to be there when we presented this to her.

"She's been through a lot Mattlock, we will protect her whether she wants it or not. Becoming her guardian might be easier if CJ did it. A grown man wanting to be a foster parent to a young girl…"

"You're right it would be kind of weird but we will all be there to show that she has support from her extended family."

I started to eat and he joined me saying that Will, Maureen and Carol had been asleep still when he and Star had left. Beast was not happy that he was not coming along. Star had walked him early and got him taken care of. She had to talk to him and explain where she was going and that she would be back not to worry and he needed to nap since they would be having a busy day.

"She asked if he could come to the office. I said I'd ask you so what do you say Mattlock do you want the hound from hell joining us?"

"No! I can see him flying over the terraces wall and going splat on the sidewalk below and I'd have everyone upset with me. Or imaging him swimming in my hot tub. I don't think this is a good ideal."

"Well you better tell that to Star. I am not about to disappoint my girl."

I was about to respond when I saw Emma coming through the door.

"Mattlock what's wrong the color drained from your face, nephew I will tell Star hey speak to me boy."

Emma came up to me and I closed my eyes.

"Hello Emma CJ's outside I'll go get her, Mattlock I'll be right back."

I didn't say anything to Uncle Roy and I still hadn't acknowledged Emma but I knew I had to ask her.

"If it's bad news, tell me now so I can break it to CJ. I want to be ready if I need to pick up the pieces of her broken heart."

I had to be strong for CJ. We were about to get the news of Jake's surgery and I swear my heart stopped.

Before Emma could respond to me CJ walked in being led by Star and I reached out my hand to her. She grasped it like a lifeline and I pulled her close to me. We would both be getting the news at the same time.

She closed her eyes and waited. I was holding her and holding my breath.

"Well he's out of Surgery. Dr. Randall performed the procedure on his heart and everything came out better than expected, he is a little fighter you should both be proud of him. The doctor is coming out in a minute and Jake will be in recovery for a couple of hours so I don't want to see those long faces. He needs you to be your happy selves once he wakes up he's going to be hungry and wanting to see you two. So breathe now Houston before you pass out and take your friend here down with you."

CJ took a breath and opened her eyes. She looked at me and gave me that smile that lit up the whole valley the first time I met her. My heart started and I breathed. I let out a whoop and picked her up and twirled her around. We were laughing as was Uncle Roy and Star.

I hugged them both and then Emma.

"Thank you, this is the best news. I was so worried. Can we see him please?"

Doctor Randall came out and gave us an update.

"Hi, so you are the hero with the dog that saved the little guy huh? Well we have been monitoring his heart and things weren't feeling right and I had Nurse Roxy keep an eye on him and when you too left things got hairy and we decided we needed to go in without that ultrasound we wouldn't have seen what we missed with the first ultrasound. Jake wasn't being very cooperative and I heard you two made him a model patient. He was a handful all afternoon when I came to check on him and they told me of your ability to get him to be calm and to listen. So thank you. We appreciate the help and you might have saved this little guy's life."

CJ hugged the doctor, "No thank you for saving his life. He's got a lot of support and we all want him to get better and we promise we will have another talk with him about behaving. He's a little stubborn and takes after my friend Houston here."

"Nope he takes after you CJ you can be the most stubborn person and I do believe you rubbed off on him so no worries doc we will have him listen to all of you, you have my word. Can we see him please?"

Dr. Randall looked at Emma.

"He's still out of it but you can come in for a minute okay just a minute and then I'm going to ask that you come back around 4:00 we should have him back in his incubator and ready for his next kangaroo session. Does that sound doable?"

We nodded. I turned back and smiled at Uncle Roy and Star told them we'd be right back. Star ran up to us and gave us a hug and told us to tell Jake that she couldn't wait to meet him. I told her I would do that. Emma took us to the recovery room and we walked in to see him he still had wires and a breathing tube I looked at Emma and she reassured me that it looked worse than what it was that when she called earlier she thought his lungs were affected also but it turned out it was just a valve that had not full opened and they had gone in to make sure that blood would flow freely like it was supposed to function.

We gowned up quickly and moved over to where he laid.

CJ couldn't speak. She was biting her lip holding back the sob I knew she wanted to stop from coming out.

I took a deep breath grabbed her hand and started to speak

"Hey Jake it's us again. I told you we'd be here when you got out. So everything went well. You are going to be all right partner. You will be out of here and then we can go back to telling stories and you eating to your heart's content and maybe if you're good CJ will sing to you again. I like when she sings I never knew she had such a beautiful voice. I have you to thank for that. So get some rest little guy we will be back and remember what we said about you not giving anyone a hard time while we aren't here. They are all part of Team Jake and we all have the same goal to get you out of here and home. So I'm going to take your hand so we can shake on it okay remember a cowboys word is his bond."

CJ watched me take Jake's hand and shake. He started to stir and she went to his other side.

"Hey sweetheart we are here waiting for you to wake up. We are so proud of you Jake. You are a fighter and everyone wants you to get better so we can introduce you to your extended family. One in particular is here now waiting to meet you. Her name is Star and you will love her. She's best friends with Beast. Remember he's the one that found you. Oh baby I'm so happy this obstacle is over with and now all we have to do is get better and out of here. I will sing to you but only if Houston sings too it's only fair if I have to so does he right?"

She reached for his other hand and he took her finger and started to stir.

Emma came over and shook her head, "This guy, he'll be giving us a run for our money sooner than later. We will be keeping an eye on him so I think we should let him get some sleep. I'm glad I called. I think you are right CJ he needed to know you guys were here pulling for him. He wasn't responding much before you got here. That's why I called. I couldn't imagine you guys not getting to see him before he went in. He needed that incentive. Okay let's go you two, Jake needs his rest."

We whispered we'd be back and we left him with Emma. She reassured us again he was in good hands. We watched him for another minute deep in our own thoughts knowing we had a job to do and we were making sure we got back to be with Jake. We came back to the waiting room and I looked at my watch.

"It's almost 9:00 why don't we head to the office and CJ you can get some rest okay you have that interview and I want you to be on your toes I don't want these guys to slip something in that will upset you even though we will have control of the questions I have a feeling things might get out of hand."

"You're reading my mind I could go for a nap and we have time before they get to the office to set up so Uncle Roy are you guys coming also?"

Star shook her head, "Sorry Boss Lady I need to get back to the beach house. I have to take Beast for a walk and check out some of the feelers I had out yesterday to see if anyone got any new info but I will be there to help go through the footage. So Uncle Roy, ready to head back?"

Uncle Roy smiled. I knew he was feeling what I was. Star was starting to trust us. Her calling him Uncle Roy gave me hope we were breaking down her walls.

"You two go ahead we will bring everyone to you okay and don't worry CJ, Too Mean will be acting as your bodyguard so I don't think these news guys will try any shenanigans."

We all walked out to the parking lot and hugged and we promised to get some sleep. I opened CJ's door and she slid in. I buckled up and we headed to the office.

I told her what me and Uncle Roy talked about and our plan to help Star. She nodded and I continued but I could tell it was a losing battle. Her eyes were starting to close and she leaned towards the door and the next sound I heard was snoring. I took her hand, kissed it and promised that we would have this discussion of us finally crossing that line from being best friends to hopefully something more and in the future if I was lucky husband and wife.