Interview with Jake Steele of Identity Withheld

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.

I’m a widowed, single dad and firefighter. I met Kara when I caught her running away from a suspicious fire. We’d had a series of arsons in the area and when I spotted her, I thought I’d finally caught the culprit. Of course, that hope proved to be short-lived.

2. Tell us about the woman you’re protecting, Kara Grant. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love?

She’s amazing. She could have turned a blind eye to the crime she saw, but she didn’t. She gave up everything—her family, her job, everything—to enter witness protection. And even with someone targeting her, she resisted accepting my help for fear of the danger she’d put my son and I in. It took me awhile to accept that what I was feeling for her was love. But when she recited a silly romantic line from the Titanic and I realized that I felt the exact same way about her, I guess I knew.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? What is your greatest weakness?

Before she died, my wife used to say I had a hero complex. I can’t standby and not help when I see someone in trouble, so I guess I’m a lot like Kara in that respect. My cousin would say that I tend to make decisions based on what I think is best for others, rather than asking how they feel. I’m not sure that’s so bad. People don’t always act in their own best interests and I don’t want them to pay the price for choosing to act in mine.

4. What scares you?

The thought of letting another woman down.

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

What I’m trying to change is to listen better and to see what people aren’t saying…and probably should be saying.

6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story?

I took my faith very seriously, but I couldn’t forgive myself for letting my wife down.

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?

I realized that sometimes God’s greatest blessings come as a result of our darkest moments. Like the songwriter says, “sometimes it takes a thousand sleepless nights to know He’s really there.”

8. What is the one thing you would never do?

Turn my back on someone who needs my help.

9. What do you hope people will learn from your experience in this story?

Don’t let your fears cause you to let a second chance at love slip through your fingers.