Chapter 21

"Did you hear?"

"Who hasn't heard about Elizabeth and Jack?"

"What?"

"Come on Charles…how did you not hear about what happened this morning?"

"She wasn't at school. That Jack guy is nothing but trouble. Have you ever remembered Elizabeth missing school? That guy's a jerk! He's already being a bad influence on her." Charles huffed.

Sam just shook his head. "They were on their way to school and two masked men tried to kidnap them. Jack saved Elizabeth. The men took Jack but somehow, they found him."

"What?"

"Come on Charles. You really haven't heard?"

"No. What did he do that would cause two masked men to do that?"

"Rumor is that they were after her not him. They were trying to take her for ransom."

"I bet he did something stupid at his old school. Maybe that's the real reason he's here. He's running from them, or his parents pulled him out of there for his protection. Maybe he was kicked out of school for this type of behavior."

"You're crazy."

…

The ambulance backed up to the dock and the driver stepped out. He climbed the steps and smiled at the small group waiting. As much as Elizabeth wanted to open the back door of the ambulance and see Jack, she knew she had to wait on his mother. She couldn't overstep. As soon as the driver opened the door, Charlette released Elizabeth's hand and immediately walked into the ambulance. Elizabeth caught a quick glimpse of Jack laying on a gurney. Seeing that took her breath. She thought he was ok. All she could see was the back of Charlette.

"Hey Ma." Jack spoke softly."

"How are you son and don't you dare lie to me." She commanded.

Jack's eyes went to his father and then back to his mother. "I'm ok. A little sore but good. I didn't want to lay on this silly thing, but she made me."

The EMT laughed. "It was a little bit of an argument."

"Sorry…he's a Thornton."

"Hey…" Tom and Jack stated.

"He's good ma'am. All of this is a precaution. Don't worry." The EMT tried to reassure Jack's mother.

"How's Elizabeth? I haven't heard too much. They won't say."

Charlette leaned in for a long, deep hug. When she finally released her hug, she stepped beside her husband. While the back of the ambulance was getting a little crowded, they would make room for Elizabeth.

Jack looked up and saw Elizabeth standing at the end of the ambulance. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He thanked God she was ok.

"E-liz-a-beth…" He drew out her name.

"Jack." She also drew out his name. She placed her hands over her mouth. She could already see the black eye that was getting darker. She saw the cuts on the corners of his mouth. His cheeks were red where he was hit. He still had some dried blood on his face and neck. She wanted to run to him, but her legs weren't responding to her brain's command.

Jack raised his hands for her to come to him. She didn't hesitate to step into the ambulance once her legs began to move. She sat on the edge of the gurney until he took her hands and pulled her down to him so he could hug her. He had to know she was ok. He had to see her, touch her, smell her, and hold her to make sure she was good.

They both needed this time. While their whole families were present, they needed this time together after their traumatic morning. The fear that gripped them was just beginning to release its hold on the young couple.

The EMT started to reach for Elizabeth's back but was stopped by Charlette. She shook her head no.

"But ma'am, we need to get him inside so they can check him."

"I understand. Give them a minute. I promise you if you give them a minute, it will make your job so much easier. They won't fuss and complain the whole time."

The lady stared at the young couple for a moment. She could easily see the love and connection between the two.

"One minute." She stated.

Everyone stepped off the ambulance. Grace went straight to Tom and wrapped him into a hug. She squeezed him until her arms became tired.

"Thank you." She repeatedly whispered in his ear.

After the hug, she introduced Viola to Tom. Grace was a little surprised when William remained in the background. He nodded to Tom but didn't say anything.

A moment later, the EMT opened the backdoor and asked if Jack was ready. They were laying on the gurney holding each other. They weren't talking. She saw the frustration on his face when he looked up. He knew he had to go inside. He was grateful for the moment with Elizabeth. She was grateful too. She needed that time as much as Jack did. As Elizabeth stood, she did not release Jack's hand. She gasped when she saw the red marks on his wrists.

"Jack…!"

"He will be fine dear, I promise. He may have bruises there, but he is perfectly fine."

"Then why is he on the gurney?" Elizabeth's brain was finally kicking in protective mode.

"I promise you; he is good. He is a priority. As soon as we get him inside, the doctor will take a look. He or she may want to take an x-ray or two and the police will want to speak with them. After that, you will be allowed to go back and see him."

"May I go with him?"

"I'm sorry dear, but only family may go with him."

She nodded her head. She didn't like it but understood it. She tightened her hold on his hand. If she couldn't go back with him, she was going to walk him to the door.

…

Detective Stamps arrived at the hospital an hour after Jack did. He had the preliminary investigation reports. The case was progressing very quickly since the Hamilton brothers were telling everything. He also had a video of the incident. The traffic camera was just installed last week. The video was less than one minute in length. He questioned if he should show it to the family. He thought Tom may want to see it due to his police background. He would leave it up to the family to decide for themselves.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm looking for the Thornton and Thatcher families. I'm Detective Stamps with the Hamilton Police Department." He flashed his credentials to the nurse at the emergency station.

"Detective Stamps, they are over there." She pointed toward the corner where several people were sitting.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Stamps made his way over to the corner and Tom recognized him immediately.

"Mr. Thornton. It's great to see you under better circumstances."

"Yes sir. What may I do for you?"

Stamps looked toward Tom's wife and Elizabeth and her family.

"I'm sorry. Detective Stamps, this is William and Grace Thatcher, and their daughters Elizabeth, Viola, and Julie. This is my wife Charlette and our youngest son, Tom. Everyone, this is Detective Stamps. He was the detective in charge this morning."

Everyone nodded their heads.

"Mr. Thornton…if you and Mr. Thatcher would please come with me for a moment. I need to speak to the both of you."

"Is everything alright?" William finally broke his silence.

"Yes, Mr. Thatcher. There are just a couple of things I need to discuss with you. I will also need to speak with Elizabeth and Jack."

"Could that last part wait? They have been through so much already today."

"I understand, sir. It is better to speak with them now when their memories are still fresh. I would request to do it separately with their parents present."

"It's standard procedure William." Tom added.

"Very well."

The three men walked into a small, empty room. Stamps closed the door and turned his attention toward Tom. "Mr. Thornton, thank you for all you did this morning to resolve this horrible issue. Your help was essential for this outcome."

"I'm grateful it ended so quickly and with the best outcome possible."

"Yes, me too. I would like to speak with you at another time to maybe come and talk to the department about some of the techniques you used this morning."

"We'll talk about that later."

Stamps nodded his head in agreement. "Sir, here are your two weapons." Stamps placed a dark bag on the small table. Tom glanced in the bag but didn't take anything out of it once he realized it was his guns.

"Tom…you were carrying a weapon this morning?" William asked a little shocked.

"Yes sir, I was. William, I am always carrying a weapon. It comes with the job."

"I didn't know…"

"You wasn't supposed to know. That was the plan."

William smiled at his friend.

A long moment of silence filled the air. William needed to talk to this friend.

"Tom…I'm sorry…" His voice was broken. He has carried this burden since he and Stamps spoke earlier. He felt the responsibility landed squarely on his shoulders.

"About what?"

"We are here because of me."

"William…what are you talking about?"

"Those men were after me. Since I increased my security, they went after my daughter. When they couldn't get to her, they took Jack." William was barely able to say Jack's name. He didn't feel like he had a right to say that man's name.

"Sir, those two men who wore ski masks did this. Not you! Not Elizabeth or Jack. Those two scoundrels did this." Tom's voice was sincere.

William looked down and slowly nodded his head. He heard the words but wasn't convinced by them.

"If I may…" Stamps broke into the conversation. "I have something you two may want to watch?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just found out that there is a security camera at that intersection. It was placed there late last week. We don't have sound, but we do have the whole incident on video. I think you two will be impressed with your children. They handled everything very well."

"You have the whole thing on camera?"

"Yes, Mr. Thatcher, I do. You will be impressed with your daughter. She acted very bravely. And you, Mr. Thornton, will be just as impressed with your son."

"I don't know." William slowly shook his head.

"There is no sound, that makes it a little easier to watch. You don't have to watch it, but you have that option if you would like to take advantage of it."

William and Tom looked at each other for several seconds. While Tom has seen countless videos of assaults, this was his child. Finally, both men turned toward Stamps and nodded their heads. Stamps pulled out the iPad and turned it on. Then he hit play.

Tom and William watched the whole event take place. The SUV came to a sudden stop. Elizabeth slowly stopped behind the SUV. The men noticed that the young couple leaned in for a kiss. When they did, the doors of the SUV opened The masked men jumped out and ran toward the car. The masked man reached into Jack's window for only a second. Immediately following that, both doors opened. William gasped when he saw the man reach into Elizabeth's side and a few moments later pulled her out violently. He covered his mouth when the man picked her up and she began to kick and swing her arms as hard as she could. He counted two times where the masked man had to set Elizabeth's feet down on the pavement to get a better grip on her due to her struggling with him. She was fighting with everything she had in her.

Tom's blood boiled when the man, who opened his son's door, punched him then drug him out. He jerked Jack around with some force. He silently was grateful he surrendered his weapons. He would have used it on that man for the way he abused his son. They could barely see when Jack tripped the man. Then intently watched as Jack broke free of the man and ran directly to Elizabeth and the other masked man. Tom was impressed with the way he tackled the man. They could tell a struggle was happening between Jack and the masked man. They also witnessed when Jack pushed Elizabeth away twice and they could tell he was saying something to her. Suddenly, they saw Elizabeth jump to her feet and immediately reach for her cell phone. She jumped over the man and began looking at her cell phone as she ran. She quickly ran out of view of the camera. They watched as Jack struggled with the man to keep him from chasing after Elizabeth. The man's attention was taken away from Elizabeth's direction when the second man came running in their direction. Jack barely tripped him and grabbed onto his shirt to keep him from getting up. Tom's blood grew stone cold when the two men began to beat his son. They watched the men doing something with Jack when they flipped him on his stomach. They couldn't see what they were doing. Tom and William leaned forward when the men looked like they were talking to each other. After a few seconds, they saw the men pick up Jack and carry him to the SUV. The video ended when the man ran around the back of the SUV and jumped into the passenger door and drove off.

"As Ms. Thatcher ran away, that's when she called Mr. Thornton. She was very brave in doing so. I can't believe she could do that. At some point during that, she took the picture. I asked her about it, but she couldn't remember taking the picture."

"She was scared. I couldn't get her to say anything to me."

"She was scared, but she did exactly what she had to do. She fought against the attacker. In the video, you saw how long it took for that man to carry her just a few feet. She was kicking her legs and waving her arms. Which slowed him down greatly. That gave Mr. Thornton enough time to get to her when he tripped the second guy. If she didn't fight against the man, he would have already had her in the SUV before Mr. Thornton became free. When he tackled them, she paused due to the shock of everything. Then she ran and pulled out her phone. She called for help and took a picture. She did everything she could do. As well as Mr. Thornton. You two should be very proud of your kids."

Tom and William nodded their heads. They were very proud of their kids. The three men spent some time discussing the morning. Stamps spent some time asking questions. Since he had the two men who were involved, he went ahead and got their statements.

…

After what felt like hours, the doctor finally left Jack's room and came into the family waiting room. Tom and William just entered the waiting room a couple of minutes before the doctor.

"Thornton family?" Asked the doctor.

Along with Thomas, Charlette, and Tom, the Thatcher family stood as well. Grace and Charlette gave each other a knowing smile. They knew this whole clan was a family now.

"Wow…" The doctor whispered. "Ok…"

"I'm his mother and this is Thomas, his father, and his younger brother, Tom. This is Elizabeth, Jack's girlfriend, and her family."

The doctor nodded. "Ok…Jack is doing well. He is asleep. He was physically and mentally exhausted. He fell asleep before we even performed the x-rays."

"X-rays?"

"Yes, Mrs. Thornton. We wanted images of his ribs. He was complaining about pain in both his left and right side. His ribs aren't broken, just bruised. Jack had burns on his wrists from the zip ties when he struggled against them. Those marks will hang around for a couple of weeks, but they will completely heal. He has a black eye. It will heal as well in a week or so. His face and stomach are sore from the punches, but that soreness will go away soon. He has two minor cuts on his lips. We are giving him another bag of IV fluid because his body is dehydrated. That should take two hours to finish. Once that is done, he is free to go. He may be sore for a few days, but he has no restrictions. He just doesn't need to push himself too much."

"Thank you."

"Do you have any questions for me?"

"What about school tomorrow?"

"Physically he should be fine, but I would suggest he stay home. He will be pretty sore. We will give him a school note."

"That would be great."

"We have one for Ms. Thatcher as well. She will be a little sore as well. They can both go to school if they want, but I wanted to give them an option if they just weren't up to it."

"That's very kind of you."

"Mr. Thornton is sleeping, but if you would like to go back, that would be fine. Two people are allowed but please be courteous of other patients. He is in room 1213."

Charlette stood silently for a few moments. She looked at her husband for a moment. Then she turned her attention to Elizabeth. She walked up to Elizabeth and took both of her hands into hers. She looked into Elizabeth's eyes for a moment and saw, once again, what she wanted to see. Elizabeth completely loved her son.

"Dear, take care of my son. Let him know I love him."

"What?" Elizabeth slowly stated.

"Go take care of my son. Go…go…" Charlette turned her around by her shoulders. "Love my son." She whispered as she gently pushed Elizabeth toward the doors that led to Jack's room.

Everyone watched Elizabeth slowly walk toward the door. The closer she got to the door, the quicker she began to walk.

Tom stepped closer to his wife and wrapped his arm around her waist. "How does it feel to give up your role of the most important woman in Jack's life?"

"I'm still his mother. So, that will always mean I am important to him. However, I can see it in his eyes that Elizabeth is very important to him too. I guess I'm just sharing that title with her."

"You're a good mother." Tom kissed his wife on her check.

…

Elizabeth softly knocked on the door of room 1213. She walked in when she didn't hear a response. Jack was laying in the hospital bed asleep. His head was turned slightly to the right and his mouth was barely opened. The lights were off, and the blinds were down. The room was a little on the dark side. She watched Jack for a few moments before walking into the room. She noticed the tray table just to the side of the bed with a cup of water on it. The TV was on, but there was no sound. Jack's hair was messy, which she loved. She noticed the chair in the corner, but she had no thought of using it.

Elizabeth slowly walked toward the bed, never taking her eyes off him. She was grateful when her eye adjusted to the low light of the room. That was until she saw the black eye and the bruising and cuts around Jack's lips. A tear fell down her right cheek. He had all of that on his face because of her. She walked around the bed so she would be on the side that didn't have the IV. She adjusted the shirt that the hospital gave her. It was a little big on her, but it was better than her shirt since it was torn in two places. She slowly laid down on the bed beside Jack. She settled her head on his chest and shoulder and placed her left hand on Jack's chest. She made sure that she was careful because of his ribs. She cuddled up closer when Jack wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. He never opened his eyes.

"I thank God you are safe." He whispered and then kissed the top of her head. He moved very little due to the fact that he was hurting.

"I thank God you are safe." She stated in a loving tone that matched Jack's.

Within seconds of becoming comfortable, they fell asleep.

…

After being dismissed from the hospital, everyone went over to the Thornton's home. For some reason, they wanted to be around each other. William and Tom stopped by and picked up Tom's truck. Then they stopped by a Chinese restaurant to pick up an order for dinner. The two men thought the ladies ordered enough food for an army. They took two trips to the truck to load all the food containers.

Grace, Viola, and Julie followed Charlette to her home. Grace loved the flowerbeds that Charlette had worked on for a few weeks now. Grace especially loved the home.

After dinner, the adults stayed in the dining room sitting around the dining room table to just talk. They didn't want to be alone. They needed the company and the laughter each one caused with the conversation. Charlette and Grace excused themselves for the third time to check on Jack and Elizabeth. They were in the living room sitting on the couch with the TV on. They were asleep sitting beside each other. They were holding hands, which were resting on Elizabeth's thigh. Her head was resting on Jack's shoulder. His head was resting on the top of her head.

After checking on their kids, Grace would go to the bathroom in the hallway and Charlette would go to her bathroom in her bedroom upstairs. Each mother would break down for a few minutes. While they were strong during the hospital visit and during the dinner, the time for them to be strong was over. This was their time for their mother's heart to let out all the anxiety and fear that it held in for their children. When they knew their child was safe, their eyes would immediately become watery. Then they would excuse themselves for a good motherly cry. The men would see the red eyes, but neither said anything. They knew their wives and understood they needed their time alone.

Tom and William were quiet for the most part. The ladies just figured it was from the day's events. The mother's refused to watch the video. Their babies were safe and that was all they needed to know. William and Tom were thankful. They thought if their wives would have seen what those men did to their babies, they wouldn't need a trial. They wouldn't be any part of the men left to stand trial.

Since Tom was a retired cop and detective, he knew how bad it could have been. He was thankful the whole ordeal was over in just under two hours. Elizabeth was fine and his son was fine. For Tom, he was good.

William was still struggling with the knowledge that his daughter and her boyfriend had to deal with everything because of him. He didn't want to be sociable, but he also didn't want to be alone. The image of his baby girl and Jack being forcibly pulled out of the car and jerked around played in an endless loop in his mind. He should have been the one in the car, not these two people.

The parents would have been a little concerned with the amount of time their kids were sleeping if it wasn't for the doctor and nurses telling them to let them sleep all they wanted too today. Jack and Elizabeth have been through a very trying event. They were physically and emotionally exhausted. The mothers knew the young couple found comfort and peace from each other. They were perfectly ok with them sleeping on the couch in the next room.

…

Jack walked into the kitchen at two in the morning. He couldn't sleep. He was physically tired even though he slept most of the day. He spoke with Elizabeth for an hour after her family left to go to their house. She ended up calling his house phone when he wouldn't answer his cell. She didn't know that he hid it under the back seat of the black SUV. His phone was in evidence at the police station. She was freaking out until she called Charlette. She told Elizabeth about Jack's phone and where it was. She was very close to getting her father to take her back over to Jack's home to check on him.

Jack wasn't hungry or thirsty. His mind was racing. It wasn't the events of the morning that were weighing on his mind. It was the cause of those events. He blamed himself. Jack looked around the kitchen and then just walked out onto the back deck without getting anything. He thought the cool night air may be helpful. He really wanted to go to the Thatcher's home to talk to William. He just didn't want to wake up his parents. He jumped when he noticed someone sitting in a chair against the house.

"Ma…what are you doing? You scared me!" He reached for his ribs. The jerking motion he did when he was frightened hurt his sides.

"I'm sorry." She mentioned as she whipped away another tear. She didn't want Jack to see her crying. She had to be strong for her boy. "I just couldn't sleep. What are you doing? Shouldn't you be upstairs resting?"

"I can't." Jack stated as he sat in the chair beside his mother. She noticed a little smirk on her son's face. "You know…how can someone as strong as you be so soft?" He couldn't keep the chuckle from escaping his lips.

She swatted her son's arm. "What a thing to say to your mother."

"Ouch." Jack stated. Jack reached for her hand. That was the first time in a long time they held hands. As a teenager, he loved his mother, but he didn't want to hold her hand any more. He did all the time when he was a child.

"I'm grateful you are ok."

Jack nodded his head. "Yeah…me too."

"I'm also grateful Elizabeth is ok too."

"Yeah…"

"How are you feeling?"

"A little sore and hurting. I'm a little surprised so much is sore. But I'm ok."

"Ok Jack…out with it!

Jack looked at his mother. She just knew…his mother always knew.

"Ma…may I go over to the Thatcher's?"

"Now?"

"Yeah."

"Jack, Elizabeth is sleeping. You can't go over at this hour. You may see her a little later in the morning."

"I don't want to see her…I need to speak to her father."

"Why?"

"Ma…"

Her eyes connected with her son's eyes. He was struggling and he had to talk to William. She knew she shouldn't let him go. It was two in the morning. Everyone was going to be asleep, but she knew that look in her boy's eyes. The whole conversation that would have taken minutes with words took only two seconds through their eyes. She let out a long sigh.

"Keys are in my drawer. Your father's phone is on the dining room table. Take it and text me when you get there, and I want a text when you are heading home."

Even though her son was safe, she was still scared. Jack knew she would be overprotective for a while.

"Thanks Ma."

"Hey Jack!" She called out just before he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah Ma?"

"The sleeping on the couch with Elizabeth was today only."

"I know Ma."

"I love you two together, but…"

"You know me Ma. You and Pa did a good job in raising me."

"Are you trying to flatter me, son?" Jack could see the teasing in her face.

"No Ma…just afraid." He smirked as he turned around to leave.

…

William was sitting in a chair beside the big picture window in the living room. He was just staring outside looking at nothing in particular. The part of the video where Elizabeth was jerked out of the car replayed in his memory. The moments she was kicking and swinging her arms fighting against the man was on constant replay in his head. He could only imagine the fear that was pulsing through his daughter. He was proud of her for fighting so hard. However, his daughter lived out a nightmare because of him. Those men didn't want her. They wanted him. Since they couldn't get to him, they took her. He felt like a failure as a father. His daughter faced all of that because of him. He closed his eyes and those images just replayed on the inside of his eyelids. As proud as he was with Elizabeth's actions, he was disappointed in himself. He wished he hadn't seen the video.

William snapped out of his unfocused daze when he heard a car door close. He was looking in the general direction of the driveway, but he didn't see any headlights. It took him a moment to comprehend what he saw. He looked at the grandfather clock and it showed two thirty. William looked back at the car and thought it was Charlette's but there was no reason for her to be there at this time of morning. He focused on the individual who was walking toward the front door.

Jack took a deep breath and closed the car door. He was shaking. He closed his eyes for a moment and began the short journey to the front door. He wasn't even sure if anyone was awake. The house was dark. He didn't know how to get Mr. Thatcher's attention if he was asleep. He didn't want to ring the doorbell and wake everyone up. However, he had to speak to Mr. Thatcher and apologize for the horrific thing he did.

William opened the large front door just as Jack stepped onto the porch. "Jack…are you ok?"

Jack's face immediately lowered. He nodded but didn't look up in William's direction.

"It's a little late to be here. Elizabeth is asleep. You should be resting too. Jack, you had a hard day yesterday."

"Yes sir." Jack never raised his head. He felt ashamed. "Sir, I didn't come to see Elizabeth." Jack shifted on his feet for a few seconds. "I came to see you." Jack's voice was soft. William had a hard time hearing it.

"Me…?"

"Yes sir."

William looked at Jack for a moment. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't get past his own failure as a father. Not only did his failure endanger his daughter, but it also hurt this young man. He really liked Jack. He was pleased he was with his middle daughter. He made her happy. He also knew from the incident yesterday that Jack would love and protect his little girl. Since William couldn't do that, he was grateful a trustworthy man was in her life, and he would.

William nodded toward the rocking chairs to his left on the porch. He also didn't want to wake his family. He also didn't want any of them to overhear his failure as a father.

Jack followed William's gaze and took a few steps to the chairs. He sat down and immediately leaned forward with his hands clasped together with his elbows on his knees. He took another long breath and began to speak softly.

"Mr. Thatcher, I am so sorry for yesterday morning. I should never have distracted Elizabeth at that stop light. I failed her and you." He leaned a little further forward in the chair. "If I wasn't flirting and playing around, none of that would have happened."

"I'm sorry Jack…what?" Asked a shocked William.

"Elizabeth was driving on Jackson. When she stopped behind the SUV, I began flirting with her and distracting her. I leaned in and kissed her gently. When we pulled back, I said something trying to be funny. Because of that, we didn't see the men coming until they opened the doors. If I hadn't distracted her, she would have had time to back up and sped away. It's my fault that your daughter was hurt. It's my fault that she went through all of that yesterday. I'm so sorry."

William watched Jack lower his head even more. A tear slowly fell down Jack's face. He heard everything Jack said, but he just couldn't believe it. How could this young man who fought two men for his daughter think he failed her…and him? It just didn't make sense to him.

"If you…" Jack continued until William cut him off.

"Jack…you have it all wrong. You did not cause yesterday. I did." William's last statement was very soft. That was the first time he would voice out loud what he knew deep in his heart. He spoke about it to Tom shortly in the hospital, but he knew this conversation would be different.

Jack's head shot up very quickly. "Sir, you weren't even there yesterday. You didn't have anything to do with it. I was the one too busy flirting with Elizabeth that we didn't notice the men. I was holding her hand, trying to be funny, and kissed her. I was the one who kept our eyes off the road. If I wouldn't have done any of that, we would have seen them long before they opened our doors."

"But that's it, Jack. I wasn't there. We knew they were up to something. They were fired a few months ago because they were stealing merchandise from the warehouse."

"All of this happened because they stole stuff and was caught?"

William nodded his head. "Yes. We knew they were following me. Your father was tracking them but it's not illegal to follow someone. When he knew they were following me, he had a security driver begin to pick me up from work and take me home for safety. One of the brothers stated that since they couldn't kidnap me for ransom, they decided to kidnap one of my kids. They said that they knew I would pay for their safe return. It's my failure as a father that Elizabeth and you lived through that nightmare. I failed my daughter." A small tear that he denied finally won and slowly made its way down his cheek.

"But if I wouldn't have distracted her…"

William cut him off. "But if I would have been…"

"You both are trying to carry the blame for this and it's not yours to carry." Grace stated from the doorway.

William and Jack were so lost in their guilt and conversation that they didn't hear Grace open the front door. The two guys quickly looked toward Grace. Jack reached for his ribs at the sudden movement.

"William…you were taking precautions to keep yourself safe. We were using our home security system. Which we haven't used in years. You needed to be safe. What would they have done if they got ahold of you? They could have done a lot worse than asking for money. And you…" Grace turned her attention toward Jack after wiping a tear away from her eyes at the thought of William not coming home. "…did you distract my daughter while she was driving?"

Jack shook his head no.

"And when those bad men came after you, didn't you fight with all you had to keep my daughter safe?"

Jack lowered his head but didn't say anything.

"Didn't you fight two men so Elizabeth could run away? Didn't you risk your own safety for my Bethie?"

Again, Jack didn't look up or say anything.

"Young man…the answer is yes. I would like to hear you say it!" She stated in a mother's tone. It reminded him of Elizabeth when she had him pushed up against the locker. It also reminded him of his own mother's tone.

"But I…"

"The answer is yes!" She stated with authority. "You need to say it!" She demanded.

"Yes." Jack finally stated.

"I'm under the understanding that you fought for the horrible man to release my daughter. And when he did, you pushed her away twice. You yelled at her several times to run away. All the while fighting against two men. You never once thought of your safety. You were only concerned with my daughter's safety. Isn't that correct?"

When Jack didn't answer, Grace walked to Jack. She took his hands and pulled him to a standing position. She saw him flinch from the pain. He was taller than she was by almost a foot, but he felt like a little child in front of his mother. She stared into his eyes and spoke like a mother.

"Mr. Jack Thornton, didn't you fight for my daughter with everything you had and pushed her to safety? You didn't one time think of yourself. You were only concerned for Elizabeth's wellbeing, isn't that correct?"

Jack could only stare at this determined woman. She reminded him so much of Elizabeth. He knew where she got her determination from. He wanted to look away, but her eyes held him captive.

"You're not leaving this porch until you verbally answer me, young man!"

"Yes ma'am."

"Now that is understood. Isn't that all true?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Great! Since that is settled." She leaned up and kissed Jack on the cheek. "You may sit." Then she turned her attention to her husband. She did the same with William as she did with Jack. She reached for his hands and pulled him up to stand in front of her.

"Yes, ma'am." He stated. They had been married so long that he knew exactly what she was going to say.

Grace smiled at him. "Great!" She leaned up and kissed him on his lips.

She remained standing in front of William but spoke to both gentlemen. "You cannot carry any of the blame here. You two didn't do anything wrong. Stop trying to take the blame for two bad men who decided to do something horrible. It's not your burden to carry. Now, we will not have this discussion again…understand?"

William and Jack nodded their heads. They had a little smirk on their faces.

"Gentlemen…I need to…" She began to firmly state until she saw the smirk on their faces. She looked at Jack. "You're lucky my daughter loves you." She wagged her finger in his direction. Then she turned and poked William's chest with her finger. "You're lucky your cute." She smiled. She kissed William again and then hugged and kissed Jack on his cheek.

The two men watched as she walked across the porch and into the house. When the door closed, William smiled. "You will realize she can be a little…let's say…demanding when her mind is set."

"I know where Elizabeth gets that from." Jack chuckled.

William let out a laugh. His first one since the morning's incident. "What I have never understood is why is Elizabeth her daughter when she does something good and she's my daughter when she does something bad?"

"My Ma is the same."

The two men sat down on their chairs again. They looked out over the dark front porch and just enjoyed the few minutes of silence and stillness.

"Jack, are you going home and going to bed?"

"I need to go home. Ma is being overprotective right now. If I don't text her soon, she will send out the national guard looking for me, but to be honest, I'm not that sleepy."

"I understand that. Grace has stood at Elizabeth's bedroom door more than laying in her bed tonight." William sat for a few moments. "Hey…text her and let her know you're here."

"I did that before I got out of the car. I had strict orders."

William laughed. "Well, text her and let her know you're still here. I would like to show you something. I would also like to talk to you about it.

"Sure."

…

Elizabeth woke up a little before nine. She laid in bed for a few minutes. As she moved to get up, she was a little surprised she was sore. The doctor told her she would be, but it just didn't register. She quickly washed her face but didn't do her full morning routine since she wasn't going to school today. As she descended the stairs, she was glancing at her texts. She had what felt like hundreds of texts. She ignored everyone's texts, including Charles' text, except for Connie's and Steph's. She texted them that she was good and wouldn't be at school today. She promised she would call them after school to catch them up on everything.

She followed her nose to the kitchen where her mother was making something that smelled good.

"What are you doing?"

"Hey, you're up. How are you?"

"I'm good. A little sore. My ribs hurt a little but not too bad."

Grace nodded her head and then turned her head so Elizabeth couldn't see the tear that fell. Against her better judgement, she prayed for two minutes alone with those two men.

"Breakfast is ready. I have French toast and bacon."

"Mother, how hungry do you think I am?" Elizabeth laughed as she sat down at the kitchen island to a huge plate full of food.

"Oh dear, those are for the boys whenever they come back."

"What? Who?"

"You didn't know?"

"Now what?"

"Jack's here."

"Jack's here? When did he get here?"

"At about two thirty." Grace answered as she watched her daughter begin to fuss over her hair. She was trying to calm down her bed head. "Don't worry sweetheart. He didn't come to see you."

"Wait. You said he was here at two thirty? That's been almost seven hours ago."

Grace nodded her head.

"Why in the world would he be here at that hour?"

"He came to talk to your father."

"At two thirty? Why didn't you wake me? Where are they now?"

"Slow down sweetheart." Grace took a few minutes to share with Eizabeth the reason Jack came. She didn't know exactly what all her husband and Jack spoke about. Jack feeling that he was responsible for yesterday morning made both ladies cry.

"That's not true, mother." Exclaimed Elizabeth.

"I know dear. I told both of them that." Grace spent a few moments telling her daughter about the demons her father was fighting.

"That's not true either."

"I know and now they know."

"So, where are they?"

"I don't know. I left them on the porch and came in. When I came down at seven, they were gone."

Elizabeth looked around as if she was trying to figure out where they were. She didn't understand how Jack could be there so long with no one telling her.

"His car is in the garage still and Jack's is still in the driveway. So, they are on property somewhere. Let me get my phone." Grace grabbed her phone and pulled up the Life360 app.

"When did you get that?"

"We all did. I downloaded it last night on everyone's phone."

"Mother…"

"That is how they found Jack. He hid his phone under the back seat before they took him into that warehouse. Tom was able to locate him because of this app. Everyone has it on their cell phones." Elizabeth wanted to complain, but she knew her mother's tone. There was no use in her arguing. That part of the conversation was settled.

"Father does know that Jack is my boyfriend…right? That he comes here to see me and not him."

"I know your father enjoys being around him. I do think there is a little bit of a bromance there."

"You need to talk to father about this." Elizabeth stated sternly.

"He's in that old barn." Grace stated looking at her phone.

"Why? That's twice. That's more times than he has been there in the last twelve years."

"Let's put this away to keep warm and we will go and check on them."

Grace shook her head and smiled when Elizabeth jumped off the stool and ran upstairs. She just knew her daughter was going to fix her hair and put on a little bit of makeup.

…

Grace and Elizabeth walked toward the old barn hearing muffled sounds. They turned the corner to see Grace's husband and Elizabeth's boyfriend standing in front of the old truck with the hood up. They were bent over looking at the engine. They couldn't help but smile at their guys.

"What do you think, sir?"

"First, stop calling me sir. We have talked about this countless times." William's tone was firm.

"Yes sir."

Elizabeth covered her mouth to keep the giggling quieter at the tone of sassing in Jack's voice.

"Listen here son…" William huffed. Then he just shook his head. "I think we need to replace the water pump, fuel pump, and the carburetor needs to be cleaned out. While we are doing all of that, we should go ahead and change out the spark plugs and air filter."

"Ok…is that hard to do?"

"No, but we will need your father's help."

"I think he would love to do that. You don't mind if we all do it?"

"I would be excited to help if you and Tom don't mind."

"I would enjoy that a lot. sir."

"All of this depends on one thing. You really need to stop calling me sir."

"Yes, sir."

William could only shake his head.

Grace and Elizabeth stood watching the two men tinker with things. They couldn't see what they were doing, but the sight in front of them was fun to watch and listen to. When William and Jack stood up looking at the engine, Grace spoke up.

"What are you two doing?"

William and Jack quickly turned around. They were a little surprised. Again, Jack reached for his ribs with another quick movement. "Just looking at this old truck to see what we need to do to get it up and running." William smiled at the two ladies in front of him.

"Why would you do that? That old thing has been in here for years."

"Yes, Elizabeth, it has. But it's time we got it running and repaired. Especially if you are going to ride around in it."

"Why would I ride around in that old thing?"

Grace and Elizabeth walked up and stood beside their men.

"Well…Mr. Thatcher has sold it to me. It's mine." Jack stated.

"You bought it?"

Jack smiled at his girlfriend's confused expression. "Yes. Mr. Thatcher and my father need to work out the details, but the truck is mine. We just need to get it fixed."

"Jack, why did you buy that old truck?"

"First, it's a classic." William and Jack nodded their heads and spoke at the same time. The girls could see a growing bond between the guys.

"Plus, I needed a vehicle."

"So…you wanted an old truck."

"Classic Elizabeth…it's a classic. It'll look great once it's all cleaned up. Trust me."

"Ok…"

"Plus, you did tell me that you would never ride on the back of my bike." He leaned into her shoulder giving her the look she loved and hated at the same time.

"Come on boys…breakfast is ready." Grace stated with a smile.