Growth 0f Love (The Heirs 0f Orion Series Book 2) Read online

  "I have a job! I'm a freelance web and graphics designer, and I'm not married because every guy I dated was a jerk!" Rose spat back.

  "Okay! Enough!" Keith barked at them.

  They both stopped and looked at him.

  "Mom, I'm going with Jeri and I don't care what you think, and Rose..." He looked over at her. "I want contact info for all your exs so I can make sure they don't hurt any other woman again."

  Donna paled and huffed out of the room.

  Rose smiled back at Keith. "She'll get over it."

  "I know." He pressed the button on the bed to adjust it and turned to Dean and Anne. "Sorry about what just happened."

  Dean shook his head. "Don't be. Family can be difficult."

  "Especially ours," Rose said with sigh.

  "Sorry you have to deal with mom all the time," Keith told her.

  "Don't be. I have my own apartment, so I can be away from her for a while. She really needs a boyfriend."

  Keith shook his head. "Please, Rose, I don't need an image like that right now. I'm in enough pain as it is."

  Rose smiled. "Sorry."

  "Dean, can you hand me my cell?" He motioned to the phone on the charger on the other side of the table.

  Dean disconnected it and handed it to him.

  "Thanks. I just want to send a text." He typed out a quick message and turned back to everyone. "So, Christmas is really next week?"

  Chapter 11

  Jeri raced down the hallway with Dean's text message flashing in her mind.

  Get to Keith's room ASAP.

  The doctors were ready to release him in another two days and Jeri was making all the arrangements to have him stay with her until he completely recovered. What could have happened?

  Jeri bolted down another hallway and into Keith's room.

  Her heart dropped when she saw Keith on a respirator.

  Dean ran over to her and grabbed her in his arms before her legs gave away.

  "What...what happened?" She gathered the strength to stand.

  Donna sat on a chair in the other end of the room with Rose crouching next to her, holding her hands. Anne talked to one of the nurses and took some notes down on her phone.

  "They think he developed some kind of infection from the wound." Her body began to shake and Dean held onto her tighter.

  "Infection? But he was fine. How could he..."

  "They're trying to find out," he gently told her.

  The world kept spinning around her. Keith. She stared at his unconscious form. He had to pull through. He was too stubborn to die. He’d survived a bombing. He could survive this.

  She rubbed her eyes and found her hand wet. He wasn't going to die on her. She looked up at Dean. His face was stone cold, showing no emotion. Was this what he looked like when he went on all those battles? Keith was his best friend, so how could he hold it together so well?

  The nurses all left and Anne walked over to Dean.

  She rested her hand on Jeri's shoulder. "I'm going to see if Evan can come down."

  Jeri nodded her head slowly and she willed herself to keep it together. Evan was a close family friend to the Stevens family and had the incredible gift to heal people.

  Anne started dialing a phone number and began pace the room.

  "Wanna sit down?" Dean asked her.

  "Yeah,” He helped her sit down in a chair next to Keith. Rose was reassuring Donna and they were oblivious to her entering the room.

  Dean crouched down next to her. "I know. It's not easy."

  "You seem to have it together."

  He rubbed the back of his neck. "Looks can be deceiving, Jeri. I'm a wreck like you are."

  "But you're so calm."

  "Years of being in the service taught me that."

  Jeri looked over at Keith. "I sometimes wish..."

  "What?"

  Jeri looked over at him. "I just wish Keith could be as cool like you sometimes."

  Dean looked perplexed. "What do you mean?"

  Jeri looked down at her hands and scratched the surface of her right hand. She lowered her voice to a mere whisper. "The last time he was up to visit me he didn't leave in a good mood."

  Dean's eyebrows shot up. He was curious to know the story. "Really? That’s very surprising."

  "Isn’t it? Keith has always been so supportive of me with anything I do. That's why I was so surprised when he got all angry at me for having an online dating account."

  Dean’s face turned stone cold. "You have what?"

  Jeri sighed and looked across the room and out the window. She hesitated telling Dean, because she wasn't sure he would react to the news positively. "I started using an online dating site."

  Dean wiped his face with his hand. "Jeri, I can't tell you what to do with your life, and I can't imagine how lonely you must be..." He looked up and took her hands in his. "but I think maybe the reason why Keith was so angry was because he really wants to be with you."

  Jeri closed her eyes. "He can't," she whispered. "I can't give him everything he needs."

  Dean lowered his voice so no one would overhear. "Jeri, not all guys want to be dads, and Keith knows what you went through."

  "I know, but I found out there is another treatment that could give me kids, but it's expensive," she whispered. "I want to try it but I don't want to base our relationship on that. "

  "Jeri, you need to..."

  "Did you know Jake's sister had another baby, her third?" Tears clouded her vision.

  "How do you..."

  "Because I bumped into Martha the other day in the cafeteria and she couldn't help but blab it out." The walls she formed years ago began to crumble." That was supposed to be me. I was supposed to have three kids and a husband and a nice house..." Her hands wiped the tears away and she looked at her brother. "Why can't I find my happy ever after?"

  His hand caressed her cheek. "Because that's not your happy ever after. As much as I love Grandma, she raised us to believe that's what will make us happy in life, but it's not always the case."

  Dean's thumb wiped a tear away from her cheek. "Do you really think Grandma would be happy I'm not married and I'm going to be a dad? Or Eric is never going to be in a long term relationship?"

  Dean had a point. She wiped her eyes again. "You're right. It's just that's all I wanted for such a long time..."

  "Oh, forget your conversation with Martha. She's going to go to hell for the way she treated you."

  Jeri sighed. "I'm trying, Dean, but it's really hard."

  "Listen. When Keith wakes up, and I know he will, the two of you need to talk. I'll wrestle Donna out of the room if I have to. Usually big brothers don't want their little sisters dating their best friends, but I know Keith probably better than his own family does. He is the most honest, trustworthy, and faithful man I have ever met, and I would give my life for him if I had to."

  Tears flooded her eyes. "What can I give him that no other woman out there can?"

  His eyebrows rose up. "You actually have to ask? Jeri, you're very smart, strong- willed, and most importantly you can give him unconditional love, which is something he desperately needs."

  Jeri looked up at Dean and then over at Keith. He was all that mattered right now. As long as he pulled through then they could figure out what it was they wanted out of their lives. He was one of her best friends. She couldn't lose him. He could be her happily ever after.

  ,

  Chapter 12

  "I don't understand what's going on." Evan folded his hands in front of him as he sat next to Keith's unconscious body.

  Donna sat on the other side, wringing her hands in her lap. "There has to be something that you can do?" The worry on her face made her look older.

  Dean paced around the room, unable to sit still for a moment. "Evan's doing the best he can, Mrs. Brinks. We are lucky to have him here at all."

  She looked over at Evan again. "But you have to have so
me kind of knowledge as to why he keeps relapsing?"

  Evan solemnly shook his head. "I wish that I did, Mrs. Brinks but I don't. I'm giving him all the healing that I can."

  Anne walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

  "Go back to the hotel and rest, Evan. I know this takes a lot out of you. I don't need you unconscious, too."

  He nodded, grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and quietly left.

  Jeri leaned against the wall in the corner. Evan had used his powers yesterday when he arrived and it looked like Keith was on the mend, but this morning his vitals dropped again and Evan tried again to give him more healing power, but he reached his limit. They now had to wait and see if Keith improved.

  Jeri looked over at Keith. His skin was pale and his usually pristine hair was disheveled. She desperately wanted to be closer to him, but Donna was not making it easy for her. She smothered the space around him and only allowed the hospital staff, Evan, and Rose anywhere close to him. Anytime she got closer to him, Donna would move even closer to Keith, almost shielding him from her.

  Rose sat up from the foot of Keith's bed and walked over to her.

  "Let's get some coffee."

  She really didn't feel like coffee, but she needed to get out of the room for a bit.

  Rose motioned to Anne. "Want me to grab you some juice or water?"

  Anne shook her head as she sat down in the empty chair. "I'll pass, this time. You guys go ahead."

  "Okay. Do you want anything, Dean?" Rose asked as he stood behind Anne and began to gently rub her shoulders.

  "I'm fine. Thanks."

  "Mom?"

  Donna shook her head.

  "All right. Text me if anything changes."

  Rose grabbed her coat and Jeri zipped up hers. They walked out of the room and down the hallway towards the elevators.

  "I'm sorry my mom is hogging Keith." Rose punched the elevator button. "Ever since my Dad died we have been her world. When Keith went to the Middle East to help find terrorists he nearly gave her a heart attack. When he got injured after that attack it almost killed her. And when he moved here after his injury and didn't want her here she was very hurt. I guess this is her way of making up for not being here before."

  "You don't need to apologize. He's her son and she loves him."

  The doors opened and three nurses stepped out. They both walked in and Jeri pressed the ground floor button.

  "That doesn't give her the right to push all his friends aside, especially you."

  Jeri looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

  Rose smiled back and pushed a strand of her midnight black hair aside. "You and Keith are not just friends."

  The elevator stopped and the doors opened. "Of course we are."

  They exited and turned towards the main entrance. Rose stopped in front of her. "Jeri, I know my brother pretty well. When he was dating the bitch from hell his voice always turned cold when he talked about things they did together, but when he talked about you..." Her smile widened. "The joy and happiness in his voice was undeniable."

  Jeri bit her bottom lip.

  "And I can see you feel the same way towards him."

  "Please don't tell me that you're an empath, too?" During the time they all were together they all shared the knowledge of their abilities. Donna apparently was able to read people's emotions, while Rose was able to zip people with 'electro stingers' as she called them. It really didn't surprise them, since they had an idea that these gifts were inherited.

  Rose shook her head. "No, that's all Mom."

  "It's a really creepy power. I feel like she can read my mind." Jeri rubbed her arms to mentally clean away the feeling. "I think she hates me."

  Rose moved towards her and placed her hands on Jeri's. "She doesn't hate you. She is scared of losing Keith. That's why she wants him to move back to New York, so he'll be close by and she can keep an eye on him, but he can't do that."

  "It's his choice, Rose."

  "Yes, it is, but it's not the right one. He needs to stay here with you."

  Jeri sighed and took hold of her hands. "I think your mom is going to do everything in her power to stop that from happening."

  "Then you need to convince her."

  "How?"

  Rose smiled. "By letting your true feelings for Keith show. These past few days have been tense, and there's obviously something that happened between the two of you that has caused a rift, but you have to let it go. If I can pick up on it, I know my mother has and she'll use it to get her way."

  Jeri squeezed Rose's hands. She was so grateful they really hit it off as friends. "I'll do my best."

  "Great, now let's go get some lattes. I want to hear more about your farm!"

  Chapter 13

  Jeri took Keith's hand and brought it close to her heart. His fingers were so cold. Rose managed to pry her mother away for a meal, which allowed Jeri some time with Keith. Anne sat on the other side of the room, going through her tablet as Dean hovered over her.

  The doctors now believed that it wasn't an infection but an allergic reaction to one of the medications he was on. They took him off one medication to see if that would help improve his condition.

  Daniel sent her some additional information he found on the Orion project. and they combed through it, hoping to find some information on where their gifts all came from and maybe some kind of clue which would help them heal Keith.

  Jeri looked at Keith's unconscious form. Stubble on his face gave him a more rugged look. Was that how he looked when he was out on missions? She often wondered what he and Dean went through out in the desert. From what she heard it was no camping trip and conveniences were scarce. Whenever she could she'd send a care package over to Eric and his team. Most of the time it was home-baked goods, since that's all she could afford, and even those made their day.

  "Please wake up, Keith," she whispered. "We need you." Her hands rubbed his again as she tried to warm them up. She leaned closer to him and ran her hand through his disheveled hair. All the time she had known him she had never been able to do this, but now it just felt so right. She was about to shake the thought out of her mind again but stopped. She needed to take a chance with Keith. What if he really was the one who would finally heal her soul and heart? All these years they couldn't be together, but now there was no one standing in their way.

  She sat down on the edge of his bed with her back towards Anne and Dean. This wonderful man saved her brother's life, and maybe he would save hers. She leaned over him and whispered in his ear. "I need you." With the ventilator in place, her wish of kissing his lips would have to wait. Instead, she kissed his stubbly cheek.

  As she moved her hands to sit up her hand went over his IV tube and she froze. There was a plant presence in the tube. Were one of his medications plant based? She stood and walked over to the three IV bags. She placed her hands over the first one and felt nothing.

  "What's wrong?" Dean walked beside her.

  "I felt a plant presence in his IV." Her hand went to the second one and her eyes widened. Some kind of plant presence was there. Her hand moved from the bottom of the bag and some liquid began to move. She took hold of it and slowly moved it to the top of the bag. The clear droplets stuck to her hand like metal to a magnet. It looked like a water imprint of her hand.

  "I need to touch this in order to know what it is." Jeri looked around the room. "Is there a pair of scissors or a safety pin?"

  Dean looked through the drawer and Anne grabbed her purse.

  "I have this." Anne pulled out nail clippers.

  "Perfect."

  Anne tossed them to Dean.

  "Can you snip this edge?" Jeri pointed to the side of the bag as she still held the suspended liquid.

  Dean moved around her and snipped the bag.

  Jeri moved her hand towards the edge and the suspended liquid began to move out of the cut. She reached out with her other ha
nd and touched the liquid. Her thumb and pointer finger rubbed the liquid, her face deep in concentration.

  Her eyes widened. "Foxglove." She grabbed the bottom of the bag and ripped the tube from it, spewing the IV fluid with the foxglove all over the floor. "It's a poisonous plant." The alarms started to blare.

  "Who the hell would put it in?" Dean grumbled as he moved her aside and looked at the bag. "This is just regular IV fluid. It's not even the medications they are giving him."

  Anne moved closer towards them. "Then how did a poison get in there?"

  Dean glanced at Jeri. "Jeri, you need to stay by Keith's side and keep checking his IV line. If you feel this plant again I want you to say, 'Anyone have gum?' Got it?"

  Jeri couldn't take her eyes off the puddle on the floor. Poison. Someone was trying to poison Keith. That's why he was getting worse instead of better.

  Her head nodded as a nurse walked into the room.

  Dean spun around. "Oh, good. I was trying to reach for my sister's jacket and tripped. Tried to grab the table to stop from falling but got caught on the tube."

  The nurse shook her head in frustration. "You need to be more careful. I'll go get another bag and someone to clean it up." She left the room and Dean turned back to Jeri.

  "As soon as she hooks up the bag you need to check the fluid."

  "I know. I won't let any more of that stuff get into him."

  Dean reached over and hugged her. "We'll find out who's doing this to him."

  "Who would want to hurt Keith?"

  "He was on a special task force, so he probably made a lot of enemies."

  "Dean, I think I should hire some bodyguards for Keith." Anne moved towards them, worry etched on her face.

  Dean let Jeri go and kept his voice down. "Not, yet babe. We don't want to tip them off. We need to know who is doing this."

  When the nurse came back with a new IV bag they moved aside for her to install it. Jeri took hold of Keith's hand that contained the IVs and kept checking for the poison. When the new IV was set a janitor came in and mopped up the floor.