Sherelle: I assure you that wouldn’t have happened. Sooner or later I’d have figured the whole thing out.
Major Williams: Probably much later if you ask me.
Sherelle: No one is asking you.
Elizabeth: Major Williams, tell me, how did Ms. Lindsey help you rescue her?
Major Williams: When we arrived in Tahrir Square, I saw her through the window. Things got hot really fast. Students were in the streets in a standoff with police and the Egyptian military. They were throwing anything they could get their hands on. After a tank fired through the building, I entered the AUC building and found a policeman standing over Ms. Lindsey. I pretended to be part of the military unit, even though my Arabic wasn’t that good. I covered it up with a lot of yelling and throwing Ms. Lindsey around.
Elizabeth: Why throw Ms. Lindsey around if you were there to save her? Was the force necessary?
Major Williams: I had to play the part. I had to pretend I hated her.
Elizabeth: So, I take it you found Ms. Lindsey in a timely manner.
Major Williams: Yes.
Elizabeth: Did you and your team encounter gunfire as you took Ms. Lindsey to the bunker?
Major Williams: No. That came later. Once we got to the bunker and Ms. Lindsey became conscious, we gave her something to eat. We were due to leave at 0100. But an hour or two after we brought Sherelle—Miss Lindsey—to safety, our team spotted police and military units approaching our location. We couldn’t go directly to the helicopter.
Elizabeth: Why not?
Major Williams: The Egyptian Army would blow it up.
Elizabeth: So, what did you do?
Major Williams: We created a diversion while another unit traveled west for maybe six hundred yards. The Egyptians didn’t realize they were in an ambush until it was too late. Once the enemy encountered our military fire, we headed toward the helicopter and flew out as fast as we could.
Elizabeth: And that’s when you got hurt.
Major Williams: Some time during that process, yes. I’m not sure when I got shot.
Sherelle: He never moaned. None of us knew he was hurt until the helicopter took off. I don’t know how he did it, but he kept quiet about the pain. I remember trying to help him, but he ordered me back to my seat.
Major Williams: But you were hardheaded.
Sherelle: We needed to stop the bleeding, Lennie.
Elizabeth: Did you? Stop the bleeding?
Sherelle: Not completely. Another soldier who had accompanied us on the plane placed something inside his shirt then stuck him with a needle. There was so much blood.
Elizabeth: Major Williams, how bad was the wound?
“Bad,” Sherelle interrupted. “Because of me,” she said slightly above a whisper, “he’ll never fly again.”
“It’s not your fault I took that mission, Sherelle. I made that decision all on my own.”
“And if I hadn’t decided to be so bullheaded about staying in Cairo, you’d be on your next mission right now.”
“And if that had happened, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened. She placed her pad on her lap. Elizabeth took one look at the cameraman then stared back at Major Williams and Sherelle. She quickly picked up her cell and began texting.
“We’re not in love, Lennie,” Sherelle said, tears forming, her voice quivering. “We’re just two people who've had a horrific experience. That’s all.”
“Will you stop saying that? You and I both know there’s no truth in what you’re saying. I am in love.” He leaned forward and buried his elbows in his thighs. “I fell in love with you the moment you walked into my hospital room.”
“And not before?” Sherelle teased.
“Before, you were just a pretty picture. Once that morning light placed a halo over you, there was no turning back.”
“How could you know that?”
“When your heart hurts more than your wounds, you know.”
“I’ve tried so hard not to love you, but I can’t help it. If I go one more day without seeing you, I don’t know what I’ll do. Work doesn’t help. And to think I almost ruined you by publishing that story. I misinterpreted everything I saw in your apartment . . . I . . . I—” Sherelle choked.
“Sherelle—”
“No! Let me finish. Even if those papers held no secrets, I had no right. Lennie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Every time I go to the grocery store, I think of you. Every time we run a military story in the paper, you enter my mind. Can you ever forgive me? I don’t know what to do.”
Lennie stood and took her hand. “We’ll figure this out together. What do you say?”
Sherelle broke from his embrace, turned away, and cupped her hand over her mouth. When she faced him again, she had fear in her eyes. “What about Angela?”
Lennie took her into his arms. “There’s something you don’t understand. I should have found a way to tell you. Even after you asked me to leave, I should have found a way. That night you saw us on the street . . . Well, that was my goodbye to her. I’m not proud of the way I handled it. What I did was stupid. I wasn’t thinking. I gave her one last kiss then I told her I never wanted to see her again. Please believe me, Sherelle. There wasn’t an ounce of affection behind that kiss. I thought I was taking out my revenge. I had no idea my spiteful behavior would grab me by the throat. I’m in love with you. Only you.”
Lennie slid his fingers through layers of Sherelle’s thick freshly processed mane. A chill went down her spine. He brushed his nose against hers then gently tilted her head and kissed her. They pulled inches away and looked in each other’s eyes—her volcanic fires dissolving; his satiny light browns dilating and latching onto every ounce of her love, refusing to let her go.
“I almost lost you,” Sherelle said.
“You could never ever lose me.”
“This could get complicated.”
“Please, complicate me.”
“And messy.”
“I was a soldier with the United States Army. Special Forces. I’m accustomed to messy.”
“But how will we ever get over Cairo?”
“We don’t have to. We’ll get married there instead.”
Sherelle’s eyes lit up. “Next week?”
“What about your parents? I’d hate to start off on the wrong foot with them.”
“In two weeks then.”
“In two weeks.” Lennie pushed her an inch away and gazed into her translucent amber eyes. “Promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Anything?”
“Anything.”
“Promise you’ll never leave me, no matter how complicated or messy things get or how old and decrepit I become.”
“Lennie Williams, I will never leave you. Ever.”
EPILOGUE
It took much cajoling from the United States’ Ambassador to Egypt and a letter from the President of the United States to convince Cairo dignitaries to allow Lennie and Sherelle to marry in the middle of Tahrir Square. The happy couple had to wait fifteen months to perform the ceremony before a crowd of three hundred. After the beautiful festivities, Lennie and Sherelle made a stunning announcement.
“We are happy to tell you that we were actually married seven months ago in a quiet ceremony on the White House lawn. We couldn’t wait,” Lennie said as he held his wife close and nibbled on her ear.
The crowd gasped.
“And we have another announcement,” Sherelle said with a wide grin. Lennie and Sherelle looked into each other’s eyes for a moment then together they said, “We’re five weeks pregnant.”
The crowd erupted and everyone rushed toward them and extended their congratulations. Lennie’s best man, Harold, had to sit or his weak knees would give out and he’d plummet to the ground. A constant flow of tears ruined Victoria's makeup. Lennie and Sherelle’s parents beamed. Lennie’s six brothers got into an intense
debate over the sex of the child. One brother, Larry, promised to give up his love for cookies and ice cream if Sherelle didn’t have twins. Each sibling tapped him on the head and shoulder for thinking he could overcome the main reason for his bulging stomach.
Filled with excitement, Sherelle patted her flat tummy and shared her hopes for a girl. Lennie wanted a son and another six if he could get Sherelle to agree.
Throughout the ceremony, several of The Nation’s News’ staff took pictures, interviewed guests, snooped on private conversations, then texted Randall Osborne this headline: The Nation’s News Managing Editor Marries Hero! Twice!
Randall Osborne reclined in his chair, rubbed his chin, and smiled. “This is the kind of stuff that sells papers.”
THANK YOU!
Thank you for taking the time to read "Selfish Ambition." I hope you enjoyed it and were able to experience Sherelle and Lennie’s emotional rollercoaster ride to happiness. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review for my book at your favorite retailer. Reviews are a big part of a writer's success. The more we acquire the more doors are opened for us. So, please, share your thoughts.
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For a sneak preview of my next novel, scroll to the next page.
A Sneak Preview of Another Romance
Donna B. Comeaux
Red Satin Ribbons
Turn the page for a first look at
Donna B. Comeaux's new stand-alone novel
that reveals how an ugly duckling and a handsome widower
find love through a common misfortune.
Red Satin Ribbons
Chapter 1
“Hey! What are you doing? Get out of there before you drown!”
If he inched away from the stony riverbed and got closer, he might lay a hand on her arm. But he slipped. He eyed the raft behind him, but couldn't decide whether to go for his paddle or lunge for her. Water rafting required a raft, a life jacket, and headgear. This woman had neither. She stood in frigid waters wearing a sheer sleeveless dress with a jacket hanging off her shoulders. Pale fingers looked icy cold. In slow motion, she lifted her hands waist-high and stepped into the river until knee deep.
If he didn't hurry and do something, rough currents would sweep her downstream. “Lady, don't do it!” He rushed to his raft and grabbed his paddle. "Here, grab hold. I’ll pull you in."
She looked over her shoulder. Locked her deep-set eyes on his. Her beardless Van Gogh stare almost devoured him. All of a sudden he felt weak. It was as if the shadow of death in her eyes threatened to grasp him by the throat and take him under. He knew that look and the power generating it. Her inability to cope with life ramped up enough energy to shove her over the edge. This power had anesthetized her so she might better cope with death. Her death. It gave people like her the courage to step off ledges; shoot or hang themselves. How did he know this? His own hand-to-hand combat with life placed him in a tightly sealed garage with the motor running while he waited for death to arrive. But the car ran out of gas. He felt embarrassed over what he had almost done to himself, but he got through it. He wanted to help her—to tell her that if he could make it so could she.
He balanced his footing on the rocky bank then got close enough to latch onto her arm. Just as he reached for her . . .
She plunged forward.
"Nooo!" he screamed as she slipped out of his reach. One bad footing after another plummeted his knees on the river bank before he was able to push his raft in after her. Although he scanned both sides of the canyon, the female had disappeared. Powerful waters dipped and propelled his raft upward then slammed it too close to shore. In frantic attempts to find her, he stabbed his oar into the waters and maneuvered to the middle of the river. Currents blindsided him then catapulted the raft high in the air. The raft bounced so hard on the turbulence he almost went overboard.
At last he saw the woman's body wedged between two boulders along the river’s edge. Her arms and legs bobbed. A sheet of dark hair gleamed in the sun. For ten minutes, he fought the currents before he got out and brought her ashore.
On one knee, he lifted her hand and felt for a pulse. Nothing. He pressed two fingers on her neck. Nothing. He rubbed his cold wet hands together then extended both arms and found enough courage to perform CPR. He had to be careful. He didn't think she weighed a hundred pounds. If he applied too much pressure, he'd crack her sternum in two. But after three failed attempts, could he save her? He told himself he had to keep trying. "Come on! Breathe. One . . . Two . . . Three." He stared at her chest. "Don't you die on me! Don't you dare die on me! One . . . Two . . . Three. Come on!" He couldn't go through another death. Not now. Whoever this woman was he had to save her. He just had to. "One . . . Two . . . Three. Come on lady. Breathe. Breathe! One . . ."
The moment she coughed he let out a deep sigh of relief. She never opened her eyes. Other than a small rising and falling of her chest, she lay lifeless. Lips, purple. Nail beds, pale. Fingertips as deeply rutted as dried prunes.
As he dug in his waterproof waist pack to retrieve his cell, he stared at a mop of unruly strands that covered half her face. Parallel folds in her dress led him to bare thighs, white panties, and the skinniest legs he had ever seen. He tugged at the soggy garment and covered her thighs before he noticed she had on one shoe.
After he dialed 911, he looked at the cloud-cluttered sky. Colorado's mountain air would soon get colder.
“Glenwood Emergency Dispatch. What’s your emergency?”
“A woman jumped in Glenwood Canyon.” He placed the call on speaker phone then lifted the woman’s eyelids, mimicking what he once saw on television.
“Someone jumped into the river? Where about?”
“The Shoshone section . . . near the highway. I think she tried to commit suicide. She’s unconscious.”
“How long has she been unconscious?”
“I don’t know. Fifteen minutes. Twenty.”
“Do you have flares?”
“No, but like I told you, I can see the highway from where I am. Please hurry.”
“I’ve dispatched emergency personnel, but I need you to stay on the line. It's important to keep her warm. Sir, what’s your name?”
He hurried and took off his life jacket, knelt beside the woman, and covered her. “Robert Jaeger. My name is Robert Jaeger.” Robert wondered why she wanted to die. To leave life without fully living it somehow seemed selfish. But hadn't he contemplated suicide six months ago after his wife's death? Robert shrugged off the thought. He had an off day, that was all. He'd never meant to go through with it.
“Mr. Jaeger? Mr. Jaeger!"
"Yes. I'm here."
"How long ago did this happen?”
“Twenty— Twenty-five minutes.”
"Does she have any other injuries?"
"She has a bruise under her left eye." Robert removed the life jacket and rolled the woman onto her left side then her right where he discovered her blood-soaked back. "She's bleeding." Overcome with fear, he tore open her dress. "Oh, my God!"
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"She has a large cut across her stomach. It extends from her naval to her right side." Robert got up, took a couple of steps then spewed on the bank.
“Mr. Jaeger? Mr. Jaeger? MR. JAEGER!"
"I'm here." With the cell phone still gripped in his hand, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Is the woman still breathing?”
“Yes. What should I do?”
“I need you to remain calm. You're doing fine, Mr. Jaeger. Help is on the way.”
# # #
Robert sat in the hospital waiting room wrapped in a blanket, holding a cup of coffee. Ever so often when he tasted leftover gall, he'd swish the hot b
rew in his mouth. Robert tried to sit still, but couldn't. He walked the halls every five minutes, his boots sloshing water onto the floor with each step.
Six months ago he'd paced another hospital hallway while he waited to hear of his family’s condition. After a horrific three-vehicle pileup, they'd reported that his wife was in critical condition. Hours later the physician had laid a firm hand on Robert’s shoulder and encouraged him to sit. “Your wife didn't make it . . . I’m sorry, Mr. Jaeger. . . I'm sorry, Mr. Jaeger. . . I'm sorry . . .”
Robert sipped the tepid cup of coffee then wiped his moist eyes with the blanket. He did everything he could to reserve memories of his dead wife for another time.
On the television screen in the far corner of the room, a local news anchor announced the woman's suicide attempt and the rescue by “. . . the computer mogul, Robert Aaron Jaeger. Mr. Jaeger first came on the scene in 2009. He was fresh out of college when he launched his computer empire. As many of you know, Mr. Jaeger is not only the owner of RJ Enterprises, the second largest computer company in the world, but he is also known for his charitable contributions. It doesn't come as a surprise that he would risk his own life to save someone else. They haven't been able to identify the young female and we've been told by our sources that she has extensive injuries. They're not even sure she'll make it. We hope to have an update to this story at ten o'clock tonight. In other news today, . . .”
Robert turned away from the newscast and watched a physician, two police officers, and a woman gather in the hall several feet away. After a police officer pointed at Robert, the doctor walked toward him.
“Robert Jaeger?”
“I'm Robert Jaeger.”
“Evening. I'm Dr. Patrick Crane, the attending physician here at Valley View Hospital. I understand you’re responsible for saving the woman’s life.”
“How is she?”
“We almost lost her. She’s still unconscious. I’m afraid the river took a lot out of her. I’m very concerned, Mr. Jaeger. Can you give me your best estimate as to how long she stopped breathing?"
"It took me at least twenty minutes to get to her, maybe longer. I had to administer CPR six times before she finally breathed."
Dr. Crane rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "At this point, all we can do is hope and pray. The next twenty-four hours are crucial. We should be able to better assess her condition in the morning. The police tell me you witnessed the whole thing. You have no idea who she is?”