Never Lose Hope: Williams & Company, #1

By Anne Stone

Samantha Jacobs is just trying to lead an average life.  Her family has always been in the spotlight, and she's tired of all the unwanted attention.  She decides to work as an assistant at Williams & Company, a private security firm that specializes in protecting families and employees for major corporations.  But after an affair, unplanned pregnancy, and tragedy upset her escape for normalcy, Sam runs back home to her parents for what she hopes is safety.

Jason Morgan, a retired Navy SEAL, is second in command at Williams & Company.  He's the special-ops person that's called upon to rescue people from dangerous situations. Jason's world is turned upside down after a failed mission leads to him being held captive by drug lords in South America.  Once freed, he endures a long road to recovery, both physically and emotionally.

New tragedies catch up to Sam even as she attempts to outrun them.  She must team-up with Jason and Williams & Company to uncover the facts surrounding her mother's untimely death.

As Sam and Jason get closer to the truth, can Jason overcome the memories of his capture, and can Sam handle everything that's been revealed before it overwhelms her? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anne Stone
• Release date: May 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9780997069129

Book preview

Prologue

Sam, please stay. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave us. 

Sam looked Jason directly in the eyes and smiled. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you get back.

Please promise me you’ll take it easy while I’m gone. I want you resting. Jason smiled broadly at her as he spoke.

I promise. I’ll take care of myself.  She’d make him believe that she was staying, but she’d already made up her mind. She knew Jason was going out on a mission, and so she was pretty sure he'd be gone several days. While he was gone, she was going to make her getaway. Mentally, she’d already started readying for her return home to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Jason pulled her into his arms when he reached the front door. I have to go now. Jefferson’s readying the plane for our departure. Please, rest while I’m gone. You promised me you would. You’ve had a rough time of it these last few days. I promise I’ll be back to you as soon as I can. We’ll talk about us when I get back. Jason kissed her on the forehead. Okay?

She nodded in reply.

He reached for his bag and headed out the door.

Sam collapsed into a nearby chair. She was absolutely exhausted. She’d been putting on an act since losing the baby several days ago.

She’d been going in to work when she saw Jefferson and his wife in front of their office building. Jefferson, who was both hers and Jason’s boss, owned Williams & Company. Williams & Company mainly provided security for private families; however, occasionally, they also protected employees for major corporations. Sam knew that Jason participated in covert operations and had recently returned from a kidnapping where he safely rescued the daughter of a prominent family.

Sam had just felt the baby move when she saw Jefferson kissing his wife Michelle. She’d lost her concentration and tripped over the curb, falling hard. She’d picked herself up and entered the building. She wasn’t going to let that kiss bother her. She and Jefferson were over. Their brief affair had ended when his wife had come to grips with whatever caused her to leave her husband of fifteen years. Jefferson and Michelle had married while he was a member of the Navy SEALs, and Michelle had surprised him when she’d walked away from their marriage. She’d changed after having the children and had become obsessed with both power and wealth.

They’d been separated for six months when he’d thought his marriage was over for good and they’d begun their affair. They’d practiced safe sex, but something had gone wrong and she’d found herself pregnant. Days after discovering her pregnancy, Sam listened as Jefferson told her their affair was over. His wife realized that she loved him and had come to her senses.

Sam didn’t tell Jefferson about her pregnancy. Instead she decided to leave Williams & Company and that’s when Jason discovered her pregnancy and told Jefferson. They’d come up with an elaborate plan for her to move in with Jason—Jason would pose as the baby’s father. They’d all come to an agreement that Jason would raise the baby as his own, and Jefferson would play an active role as an adoptive uncle.

Even though all three of them knew keeping the pregnancy from Michelle was wrong, in the end, they all decided it was the right thing to do. Jefferson wanted to make his marriage work and knew if Michelle discovered Sam was pregnant all hell would once again break lose. Jefferson was thinking of his children and wanted to stay together as a family. Sam had been uncomfortable with the plan, but went along with it to make peace. Jason was loyal to Jefferson. He was single and wasn’t involved with anyone. He didn’t want Jefferson to lose touch with his child.

Both she and Jason were sacrificing an awful lot, Jason most especially. He was giving up his whole life for someone he didn’t care about or even really know. She’d gotten herself into this mess and she alone should find a way to get herself out of it. When all was said and done, though, the plan had begun crumbling to pieces when Michelle figured it out.

Michelle had snuck up on Jefferson late one night as he was discussing the logistics of everything with Jason over the phone. Jefferson had crept out of their bedroom while Michelle had been sleeping and made his way to his home office. It had been a warm evening, so he’d decided to sit on the patio outside his office while talking to Jason. Jefferson had just finished discussing Sam and her intent to move to Jason’s apartment when Michelle had surprised him from behind. She’d just heard Jefferson thanking him for doing this when he’d heard her gasp. He’d turned just in time to see her run from the patio.

Jefferson had quickly hung up the phone as Michelle returned to their bedroom. He’d told Michelle that she needed to control herself so as not to wake their children, Amber and Jefferson Jr., and then he’d told Michelle about the baby. He’d reminded her that she was the one that had walked away from their marriage in the first place, and after a few months, he’d gotten lonely after believing their marriage was over. He’d told her that Sam was pregnant, but their time together was over. He wanted to support his child, but would do it from afar. He was committed to her, Michelle, his wife.

Michelle had calmed down after digesting what Jefferson had said. She had to believe him—that he loved her and wanted their marriage to work.

Jefferson had informed both Sam and Jason about his conversation with Michelle. Neither of them liked the fact that she knew about the baby, but all three of them had agreed to move forward with their plan, even though Michelle was aware of it. Sam was leery about Michelle’s knowledge of the baby. She worried that Michelle would cause problems, but Jefferson quickly told both Sam and Jason that she knew better than to rock the boat any further.

Surprisingly, she and Jason got along extremely well under the circumstances. They’d almost resembled a true couple in love expecting their first child. Many nights they’d have dinner and enjoy their evening together, either by talking or watching television. They both had the same interests and enjoyed watching the same shows, which made living together much easier. When they went out, he often held her hand or would place his arm around her protectively. Several times, she’d overheard complete strangers commenting on what a cute couple they were.

But that fateful day just a week ago rushed back to her. She’d made her way through a good part of her day after falling when the intense pains began. She’d tried to ignore them, but couldn’t. She had been reaching for the phone to contact her doctor when Jason entered the office. The next thing she’d known, Jason was kneeling beside her on the floor. He’d been yelling at her to wake up. Slowly he’d come into focus. She’d seen his lips moving and then she felt the intense pain. All she could do was clutch her abdomen and utter, My baby, over and over again. She’d drifted back into unconsciousness.

The next thing she remembered was waking in the hospital with Jason at her side. As her eyes had fluttered open, Jason smoothed her hair from her forehead.

Hey, there, he’d said as she tried to focus on him. Sam, you’re in St. Luke’s.  Jason reached for her hand and squeezed it.

Sam had splayed her hand across her abdomen. Instantly, she’d known something was wrong. Why am I in here? What happened? What about the baby? she’d asked.

He didn’t know how he was going to tell her about the loss of the baby. When they’d cooked up this scheme, never in his wildest dreams would he have thought he’d develop the attachment he had with Sam and her baby. He’d started to come to think of the baby as his own.

Jason had looked down and then up again. He’d looked her squarely in the eyes and told her the truth. Sam, you lost the baby. 

She’d stared at him, disbelieving. She hadn’t been able to formulate a single thought. Intense pain crossed her face.

Sam, you collapsed at the office. Do you know what happened?

A lone tear had escaped her eye and trailed down her cheek. She had remembered all too well what had transpired. I tripped on my way into the office. I fell. I didn’t even think anything of it. I felt fine. As the day went on, I started experiencing some pain. I tried to call my doctor when I realized something might be wrong, and that’s the last thing I remember.

I came in the office and found you collapsed on the floor. We called for the ambulance, but by the time they’d arrived, you’d already lost the baby. 

She had just stared off into the distance. What about Jefferson?

He knows. He’s taking it pretty hard. 

Sam hadn’t commented. She fully remembered why she’d fallen. Seeing the kiss between Jefferson and Michelle had made her realize that their relationship was truly over.

Now, since she’d lost the baby, she needed to make new arrangements for herself. And those arrangements no longer included living with Jason. Sam gathered her thoughts and carefully laid out a plan as she lay in the hospital bed, recovering from her miscarriage.   There was nothing to keep her here anymore. As soon as she had the opportunity, she was moving on, leaving all of this sadness behind her.

Chapter One

It had been six months since she’d lost the baby and Sam Jacobsen had returned to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She was living in a cottage on her parents’ ranch. The entire time that she’d worked for Jefferson, she’d lived under an assumed name. She hadn’t wanted him to know anything about her life prior to her move to Minneapolis. She was using her real name now, unlike the name she used while living in Minneapolis as Sam Jacobs. Close to her true identity, but not exactly. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know what her name truly was. Her parents had been aware of what she was doing when she had moved and changed her name. They weren’t pleased, but understood her reasoning—she’d grown up surrounded by a security team. Her father was a prominent businessman, and for some reason, her family was always a target. Her life had been threatened countless number of times. A disgruntled employee was often behind the threats after being on the wrong end of one of the many business mergers her father had led throughout his illustrious career. It was because of this that she’d sought out a position at Williams & Company—she was tired of constantly feeling threatened. She thought she’d be safe there.

She had heard about the company when she’d read an article about a senator whose wife and children had been kidnapped while on vacation. Williams & Company had been called in to run the operation that freed his family. No one had known about the situation until everyone had been returned safely. She researched the company and thought she’d be safe there surrounded by experts in security. After all, the owner and second in command were former Navy SEALs. She secured a position as an administrative assistant to Jefferson Williams and felt safe in her job.

Her parents were wealthy in their own right. Sam had obtained a business degree and had often worked for her father’s various companies when she decided she needed a change and found her job at Williams & Company.

Upon her return to the ranch, she pretty much became a recluse. Her parents took care of all of her needs. They had no idea that she’d been physically involved with Jefferson... had become pregnant with his child. Had tried to pass the baby off as another’s. Had lost it. They thought that she’d decided the job at Williams & Company just didn’t suit her, believing she’d eventually return where she left off at Jacobsen Industries, working for her father’s office handling special projects. So they pretty much left her alone. They thought she was job hunting, but she wasn’t. She knew how to play the game around her parents—she did her best to appear upbeat when around them. When her father asked when she planned on returning to Jacobsen, she always told him she wanted to try something different.

But right now her parents were off traveling to handle their quarterly meetings, and so they weren’t seeing her for weeks at a time. Consequently, she often didn’t leave her cottage for days. Since her father’s guards and chauffeur traveled with him, she was basically alone at the ranch and didn’t have to answer to anyone about why she’d become such a recluse.

Many nights she replayed over and over again in her mind the time she spent in Minneapolis. Often she thought of her time with Jefferson. Almost immediately after hiring her, she’d felt an attraction towards him, yet he was the one to first act on it. One night, they’d been working late. She’d dropped her pen on the floor and it had rolled underneath Jefferson’s desk. Both of them dropped to the floor in search of her pen, but instead of locating the pen, Jefferson pulled her into an embrace that ended with a heated kiss. One thing led to another, and they had ended up in their relationship.

Sometimes she sat alone in her cottage comparing what attracted her to both Jefferson and Jason. Both men were practically the same height and build, but Jason was slightly taller than Jefferson at six feet. They both maintained their exercise regimen that had become part of their lives while in the Navy. Jason maintained his physical appearance with a military-short haircut, while Jefferson’s hair was long enough to curl at the ends when it needed trimming. What stood out most to her, and what really drew her to Jason, was his eye color. His eyes were bluer than blue—almost the color of the ocean on a calm, clear day.

At night, she’d sit in the dark hugging her legs to her chest, crying. She hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself, but she missed Jason so much and was in a deep depression. She didn’t sleep for fear of the dreams that plagued her.

Nightly, she saw herself holding her baby girl and lying in Jason’s arms. She’d wake up sobbing, tears cascading down her cheeks. It took her hours to calm herself after those dreams, and most often she just couldn’t fall back to sleep. She was so tired—absolutely exhausted, and she really didn’t understand how she was surviving with little to no sleep.

She was just thankful that Jason hadn’t tried to find her. She guessed that leaving him the way she did worked out well for all involved—it would seem that he truly didn’t care for her. He’d just been caught up in the moment, responding to his boss’s desires. Jason never said no to Jefferson. They’d been friends since being part of the same SEALs team. Upon their retirement, Jefferson started Williams & Company and Jason had become his right hand and top operative. Jason knew the business inside and out. Generally, he was involved in almost every mission that Williams & Company undertook. He oversaw the security side, too. When Sam worked as Jefferson’s administrative assistant, she had been his right hand in regards to managing the office, but she had never been privy to the actual missions they conducted. It was all too secretive. The company was run like a branch of the military—only those who were a part of a given mission knew about the ins and outs of the job.

She often sat in her cottage wondering what Jason was doing at that moment. Was he travelling, or sitting in his office planning his next mission? Was he dating someone? Was he possibly missing her? But she knew the answer to that question.

Chapter Two

Jason’s arms throbbed. He’d been carrying Anna Evans, the woman he’d rescued from her captors, for hours. He was in the South American rainforest and sweat dripped from his arms, his face... He felt dirtier than all get-out. Ahead, he could see the clearing where the plane was waiting for them. He’d contacted Jefferson before entering the dense forest—he knew his friend wouldn’t let him down.

He could hear the engines roaring on the jet. As he approached the plane, his body faltering under Anna’s weight, he could hear helicopters nearing. He picked up his pace to a sprint. Just as he reached the plane and the door opening, the helicopters overhead started firing. Jason practically threw Anna aboard. Just as he readied to climb the stairs into the plane, he was hit by enemy fire and he fell hard.

The pilot tried to grab Jason, but couldn’t get to him. James knew the plane needed to get the hell out of there as fast as it could, but it was being fired at directly. Jason also knew that James, the pilot, couldn’t abort the mission—he had to get Anna out of the country. James made a decision then and threw the door to the airplane closed.

Jason watched the plane take off, lying on the tarmac and clutching his wounded leg. He hoped that James would be able to return soon, but things went dark as he began to slip into unconsciousness, unable to return to the dense foliage for protection.

Just as the plane was gaining distance under heavy fire, James saw a brigade approach Jason. As he crested towards the mountains, he saw the militia removing Jason’s body from the tarmac.

*****

Jason awoke with a start, Jefferson standing over him. Jason recognized the hospital room. He rubbed his eyes.

Same dream? Jefferson asked.

Yeah, Jason replied. This time I woke before I got to the gory parts.

That’s good. Maybe that’s a sign you’re beginning to get over it.

I don’t know about that, Jason said. He rubbed his face with his hands, Any news?

No. I still can’t find her.

Why not? Jason snapped. We have the best intelligence. We can find anyone at almost a moment’s notice. Where is she? She couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air. 

I know. It’s just taking a little longer than usual.

A little longer? Jefferson, you said she’s been gone for months that she disappeared right after I went on my rescue mission.

Jefferson turned away from Jason, shaking his head. I know. We’ll find her. I promise.

Jason rubbed his leg and groaned.

How’s the leg?

How do you think it is? You just rescued me from that God-forsaken prison last week. I was shot and endured a nightmare of an infection, an infection that I was lucky to survive. I might add that I was repeatedly beaten. I have another gunshot wound that I received just as I was being rescued. Truly, how should I feel? he asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Jason, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.  Quickly changing the subject, he asked, Have you started therapy yet?

I start today. The doctors tell me it’s going to be a rough road ahead, one that I am not looking forward to. I need to be on my feet and looking for Sam, not lying here useless in this damn hospital bed.  Shaking his head in disbelief, he ran his hand through his longer-than-usual hair. He couldn’t wait to get a haircut.

Jefferson, I’m worried that something has happened to her. She wouldn’t just disappear. She promised me that she’d be here when I returned. Where would she go? She never spoke of family. For all I know, she has no family. I can’t help going over how she looked that last time. As I was getting ready to leave for my mission, she seemed—

Before Jason could finish his thought, his therapist entered the room. Jefferson excused himself and returned to the office, vowing to find her. Jason needed her now more than ever.

*****

Sam was feeling a bit run down—she had just finished speaking with Trevor Adams, the head of her father’s security team. Trevor lived in a cottage on the family compound, and he’d recently been made aware of a threat against the family that had been made prior to her parents’ most recent trip. Threats against her family were not uncommon, but over the years, none had come to fruition. They took them in stride and were always aware of their surroundings, especially when they traveled away from their home base.

Her father traveled around the country quarterly, visiting his major businesses. This week, her parents were visiting one of his subsidiaries near Denver. Her mother loved traveling with her father and interacting with the employees. Often times she held impromptu luncheons for the staff at their various businesses. By doing this, she got a sense of the morale in the office. She often heard of issues within the organization before Robert did. The staff enjoyed seeing her, and they easily opened up with the comings and goings within the office. Robert used his wife to get a sense of how the offices were being managed and then compared them to his meetings. Quite frequently he would learn more from his wife than from the office managers. They worked well as a team and often used their visits to improve the overall success of the Jacobsen Empire.

Janice also treated the employees as a second family. She loved hearing about impending weddings and births, and often remembered the employee whenever said events occurred. Janice was loved by all and respected for the role she played in tangent with her husband, as they virtually ran the business together—she overseeing the human resources side, and he the business. They complemented one another. This relationship had seen Jacobsen Industries quadruple in size over the years. They were highly revered in the business world and were role models in their business community. Rivals saw their union as the driving force to the success of the company. They were the premier couple, often imitated.

Over the years, Robert suspected that one of his rivals was behind the threats. If Robert and Janice, as a team, were broken up or separated for some reason, then the business would be ripe for overtaking. Robert believed that their success as a couple was the main reason behind the threats over the years. If they were separated, would the success of the business be at risk? All the mergers that resulted in job loss were viewed as secondary possibilities to Robert.

Trevor had told Sam that her parents’ trip was going as planned. They were going to attend a dinner party that evening. They had planned to board their plane and return home after the party had concluded. She was always on pins and needles when they traveled, especially now since Trevor had told her about the latest threat against her family.

The threats were nearly always the same, and the latest one was no different. Either they were directed at an impending merger, or they were focused on her family. Generally, her father was threatened—that he needed to watch his back or he and his family would be the target of a heinous act. None of the threats had ever materialized, but they were all taken seriously. Generally, though, the threats always went away after whatever deal her father had been working on at the time ended.

Sam wasn’t processing Trevor’s information all that well, though, since she’d been having a particularly rough day. She’d looked at the calendar and realized the date: her due date. This was the day that she’d expected to deliver her baby. Her baby. She rubbed her lower abdomen. Tears began to prick her eyes. Her baby. She remembered the day so vividly. The kiss. Her fall. The terrible pain. And then, Jason telling her she’d lost the baby. Her life hadn’t been the same since that awful day six months ago.

She drew her knees to her chest and cried. She sobbed for what seemed like an eternity before she finally drifted off to sleep.

She was awakened by someone shaking her shoulder. It was Trevor.

Sam... Sam wake up.

Trevor? What’s wrong?

It’s your parents. They were involved in a car accident. Your mother... Your mother was seriously injured. She’s in surgery at a Denver hospital. 

Sam was in a fog. She couldn’t fully understand what Trevor was saying. She shook her head. Her eyes were red-rimmed from her crying earlier.

Did you hear what I said?

Sam looked up at Trevor. She couldn’t speak. Shaking her head no, Trevor repeated himself.

Sam, your mom’s in critical condition. They were on their way back from their dinner when their car was run off the road. Thankfully, Dominic was behind the wheel. He was able to keep the car under control, avoiding going over a cliff; however, they still crashed. Your mother was thrown from the car. Your father’s okay—just minor cuts and bruises.  Rubbing his neck, Trevor continued,  Dominic was able to call for help. He took care of your parents before the ambulance arrived. 

Sam continued to stare at him without really seeing.

Did you hear me, Sam? 

She nodded slowly.

Trevor added, I’ve got the plane on standby. Let’s go.

Sam pulled herself up and almost dropped to the floor. Trevor grabbed her by the arm and led her out of the cottage. Whatever they needed, they would grab in Denver. Time was of the essence.

Trevor drove Sam to the airstrip. They flew directly to Denver where Dominic awaited their arrival. Sam sat in silence for the entre flight—she stared straight ahead in a trance-like state, her arms wrapped around herself. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Her parents had been in a car accident. Her dad seemed okay but her mom... she had to be alright. Sam still needed to tell her about the baby. She still didn’t know why she hadn’t told her parents about Jefferson, and now... was it too late?

Upon landing, Trevor had to unfold her arms for her and guide her from the plane. She was in total shock. Several hours had elapsed since Trevor had walked into her cottage, and the next thing Sam was cognizant of was the embrace of her father. He was the strong one under the circumstances, and she was the weak one. In addition to this tragedy, she was still consumed by the irony of the date. Between the loss of her baby and the car accident, she didn’t know which tragedy consumed her more. And her dad still had no idea what she’d experienced in Minneapolis.

Her mother was still in surgery. Her father relayed the doctor’s prognosis: her mother was in grave condition. They didn’t know if she would make it through surgery. Upon hearing the news, Sam collapsed against her father. Trevor led them down a hallway to a small conference room that he’d secured for their use. They waited in the room together well into the early morning hours.

Her mother was finally out of surgery, but the odds were against her. Janice had incurred severe internal injuries. The doctors had to remove her ruptured spleen, and she’d also suffered a punctured lung. However, the most concerning, outside the large amount of blood loss that Janice suffered, was a subdural hematoma. She’d received this when she’d hit her head during the accident. The doctors had burred a hole into her skull to remove the collection of blood. Time would tell if the procedure was successful.

Sam and her father were able to visit Janice in the ICU. Robert held her hand and told her how much he loved her while Sam stood looking on. She couldn’t speak. She just stood looking at her father. The love he had for his wife poured out of him.

She knew how much her mother meant to her father. She was his life. He was hurting, and she couldn’t watch her father look at her mother the way he was. It was almost like he was seeing her for the last time, saying his goodbyes. She couldn’t think along those lines. She needed her mother in her life—she needed to tell her about the baby. She felt like she was falling apart on the inside, especially after dealing with her own loss earlier. She couldn’t take it any longer and ran from the room.

Thankfully, Trevor was there. He guided her back to the conference room and eased her to the sofa. She pulled her legs up and buried her head in her knees. Trevor tried to sooth her but she pushed him away, so he just stayed with her until her father returned.

Sam looked up as her father entered the room. He was pale and had a drawn expression. How he had aged... He sat on the couch and gathered Sam into his arms. She needed her father, and he needed his daughter.

*****

Jason couldn’t sleep through the night. Not only did he have the recurring dream of his experience in South America, he also dreamed of Sam. The dream was always the same... Finding her on the floor of the office unconscious, then of his having to tell her about the miscarriage. It always ended with him leaving the apartment and their last goodbye.

He’d fallen asleep with the television on and woke with a start. He closed his eyes again and tried to focus on the latest breaking news.

"Robert Jacobsen, owner of Jacobsen Industries, was on a business trip with his wife in Denver when they were involved in a serious car accident. Details are pending but Robert Jacobsen..."

Jason started to drift, but kept trying to focus on the reporter’s voice.

Their daughter flew to Denver immediately. Here she is seen entering the hospital. We will keep you apprised of the situation as more details become available. 

Jason drifted off to sleep again as pictures of Sam flooded his television screen.

Chapter Three

Sam was in shock. Trevor knew it, her father knew it. They rang for someone to help her, and she was prescribed a sedative. Her father watched her as she slept. Trevor entered the room carrying a tray with coffee and sandwiches—they all needed to eat. As Trevor handed Robert his coffee and sandwich, he told Robert, I am worried about Sam. 

Robert nodded in agreement, So am I. 

They ate for a few moments and Trevor continued his thoughts, Robert, when I went in to wake her and tell her about the accident, I could tell she’d been crying. Her eyes were red rimmed. She didn’t seem herself. I can’t put my finger on it, but something else is going on with Sam. I just don’t know what it is. 

Robert nodded again, and they continued eating.

Robert visited Janice in the ICU several more times before Sam woke from her sedation. She was disoriented at first but started to come around. She felt more in control of her emotions and even ate a few bites of her sandwich. Robert advised her of her mother’s condition. It was still grave and the next forty-eight hours were crucial. Sam was processing all of her father’s comments and asked if she could see her mother.

Robert was pleased with her progress. Hand-in-hand, they walked into her mother’s room. Sam concentrated on the beeps coming from the various machines that her mother was on. She walked to her mother’s side, grabbed her hand, and started talking to her.

Robert left the room for a few moments to give them some privacy, and that’s when Sam told her mother of her own tragedy. She didn’t know if her mother could hear her or not, but she decided she had to tell her. She wanted her mom to know about what she’d been going through. She pleaded with her mother to wake, that she needed her to help deal with her loss. She had barely finished her story when Robert returned to the room. She still wasn’t ready to tell her father. For now, it was still her secret, a secret she hoped to keep to herself.

*****

News about her parents’ accident filled the airwaves—Jacobsen Industries’ vast empire had holdings all over the Midwest, but every time news of the accident filled his television screen, Jason was either in therapy or asleep. Days elapsed before he was even fully aware of the story, and by then it was too late—Janice Jacobsen had succumbed to her injuries.

Jason had just finished his dinner and was flipping through the television channels, looking for something that would hold his interest, when he heard the