Authors: JJ Ellis,TA Ellis
“That’s
an understatement. There are rumors that he has been in the pants of every
single woman between here and the Utah border.”
“He
sounds…interesting."
Logan
shrugged. “He’s a good guy, he just loves the ladies a little too much ever
since his one true love told him no.”
“Nicoletta…”
Jayna said quietly, as understanding dawned on her.
“Yeah,”
Logan chuckled as he pulled the baby’s seat out of the vehicle. “Let’s go
shopping.”
An
hour later, after stops here and there within the big box store so Jayna could
rest, they walked out the exit doors with five hundred dollars’ worth of baby
supplies, clothes and things for Jayna.
“You
spent way too much,” she said as Logan loaded the car. “At least let me help
you now.”
“No,
you still need to take it easy. I’m sure you wouldn’t feel safe if you had to
go back to the hospital.”
“I’m
fine, Logan!” she insisted. “I can help a little bit.”
“No,
just go put CJ in the car and then I’ll take you out to lunch.”
“You’re
not my knight in denim armor, you’re a bossy jerk,” she mumbled as she walked
away.
Logan
chuckled and continued to load the SUV. He couldn’t remember having had such a
great time shopping before. Jayna was fun and such a smart ass. Between their disguises
and the quiet chatter and laughing as they walked through the store, security
had been following them around. It was quite amusing to them that the security
guy had gone to school with Logan but didn’t recognize him at all.
**********
Frank
walked into the hotel room with boxes of food. “Breakfast is served,” he called
out. Joe walked out of the bathroom and sat down at the small table in their
room. “So what should we do now? We need to find out which Harper she’s
with."
“Speaking
of Harpers, I hear one of the boys was hurt pretty badly in an accident last
night. I also found out he lives in the lake house on the ranch."
“Ah,”
Joe said as realization dawned. “He won’t be home so we need to search his
house.”
“I
think he could be the one,” Frank added. “He likes the ladies and would
probably be willing to help a beautiful thing like Miss McIntyre.”
“Yeah,
when I was getting dinner last night I kind of ruled out Russell Harper. He
just moved back to town and has a little girl. He’s living with his mother. I
just don’t think it would be easy for him to hide someone.”
“Well
then, after breakfast let’s take a ride out to the ranch.”
**********
Joe
and Frank peeked in windows at the lake house. They came to the conclusion that
the building was empty. “Well, she’s not here,” Joe said as he walked to the
back of the house. “There is no sign of a baby and there is nobody in the
bedrooms."
“Yeah,
let’s go check the car we saw in the parking area,” Frank suggested.
The
two men walked through the trees and down the small hill to where they had
parked their car. Frank was quickly able to break into the little red pile of
junk. He searched the back seat while Joe searched the trunk. He then moved on
to the ash tray which was empty. He moved the papers he found on the front seat
to see if anything was underneath and then he leafed through, finding plenty of
little tidbits to tell him that this was indeed Jayna’s car.
“Hurry
up Frank. I think I hear someone coming. Let’s get out of here.”
The
two men jumped into their car and took off. “She’s in Harper’s Rock,” Frank
told his partner. "Those were her papers in that car."
“Shit!
That guy in the pickup is going to cut us off and make us stop,” Joe said
gritting his teeth.
They
came to a stop and an old man with a shotgun got out of the pickup. “Can I help
you gentlemen?” he asked as he approached.
“Uh
yeah, we’re kind of lost. We are trying to find Harper's Rock.”
“Just
head out here to the highway then turn right and keep going until you see the
town sign,” the old man told them. “You can’t miss it.”
“Thank
you so much,” Joe said, rolling his window up. He drove around the old pickup
and headed back to town. “I think we can rule out Dylan Harper. If she was with
him, she would either still be at the cabin or she would have taken her car to
get away after he had his accident. I think it’s time to start looking at the
grocery store owner. Thank goodness our hotel room looks out across his parking
lot. We’ll know soon enough where Miss Jayna McIntyre is. We can grab her and
get her back to Reggie.”
**********
For
Jayna and Logan, the next four days were spent shopping in disguises, talking
over quiet meals and taking care of CJ as a team. They came to the mutual
conclusion that they worked well together.
Logan
had never had so much fun with someone. Now if only he could stop thinking
about kissing her then everything would be great. He actually missed the sounds
of CJ crying and fussing every couple of hours when he was at work during the
day.
One
morning, Jayna finally decided to take CJ out to the loading dock, with no
disguise, for some sunshine. When Logan’s brother and niece showed up, her
nervousness took over and she fled upstairs. She didn’t want her friend to have
to answer any unwanted questions because of her. When Logan came upstairs a few
hours later, he told her they would need to move her car. “The ranch hand had
noticed it. I told him to zip his lip and that I would take care of it. Would
you and CJ like to come with me?”
“Yes!”
she exclaimed. “I’m getting cabin fever. But how are we going to move it? It
stopped running.”
“The
farm hand says he thinks it just need gas. We’ll take a full gas can and Jose will
drive it over to his place and put it under a tarp so no one can see it.”
“He
could take it to the junk yard for all I care,” she mumbled. “I bought the
piece of crap for five hundred dollars."
“I’ll
have Jose ask around,” Logan said, as he buckled CJ into his infant seat. “You
ready to go?”
“Yeah,
I’ll grab the diaper bag and meet you out there.” Jayna packed up the bag and
left the apartment via the back stairs. As soon as she stepped outside a chill
wracked her body. It wasn’t the least bit cold outside. She looked around and
saw Logan standing next to the SUV. She still felt guilty that he’d had to
trade his favorite truck in for something more accommodating for her son.
“Hey,
are you okay?’ Logan asked her as she approached.
“Yeah.
I’m fine,” she said, smiling at him. “I had kind of a weird feeling when I
first stepped outside. But it’s gone now.”
Logan
nodded and got behind the wheel. He also had the same feeling, only for him, it
never left.
He
pulled out on the highway and headed to the Harper Ranch. His mom’s car was the
only one there when they drove by the main house. Hopefully she wouldn’t come
out and flag him down. He wasn’t quite ready to explain his guests and Jayna
was still wary of anyone else knowing about them.
Luckily
he was able to drive right on by and soon they were parked next to Jayna’s car.
Logan got out of the SUV and grabbed the gas can from the back. He set it down
next to the car and took Jayna’s keys from his pocked. As he reached to unlock
the front door, he noticed it was already unlocked. After he’d retrieved her
stuff he had locked it up tight. Hadn’t he?
“Logan,
what’s wrong?” she asked through her now open window.
He
walked over to the passenger door and took the baby seat out. “Could you come
look at the car? Tell me if anything looks out of place.”
“Okay,”
she agreed, slowly getting out of the vehicle to join him. Logan was holding
the baby’s seat tight.
Jayna
opened the car door and looked inside. At first she didn’t notice anything but
then a few items caught her eye. “The ashtray is pulled out,” she murmured. “I
never used it. It was shut tight when I got here.”
“Anything
else?” he asked when she paused.
“Yeah,
the papers on the dashboard were on the front seat.” Her voice gave out halfway
through her statement but Logan had understood.
They
both turned, hearing a vehicle approach. “It’s Jose and his son,” he said.
“Take the baby, get back in the car and lock the doors."
Jayna
knew better than to ask questions, she just did exactly what he said.
Logan
gave the gas can and keys to the two men, shook their hands and got back in the
SUV. “Someone’s been in your car and a couple of city boys were seen roaming
the woods near the lake. I think Reginald knows you’re here.”
“I
know,” she mumbled. “I had a feeling. What do we do now?”
“I
haven’t quite decided yet. Let’s head back to the apartment and come up with a
plan. It might be time to get out of town.”
**********
Frank
and Joe had decided to follow the grocery store owner whenever possible. While
they were picking up some supplies in the grocery store they had heard him say
that he and his new friend were headed out to the family ranch. So they got in
the car and waited. It was just happenstance that out of the corner of his eye,
Frank saw an SUV pull out from behind the store with a man and a woman in the
front seats.
They
knew it was too dangerous to do anything in town and they didn’t want to get
caught following so they gave him a ten minute head start before heading out
toward the ranch. They hid along the side of the road amongst some trees. When
the grocery store owner headed back into town they pulled out and followed.
They would have to do something soon because there was no telling when they
would have the chance again – unless they wanted to storm the grocery store
full of people.
They
hung back at what Joe thought was a safe distance and began to plan. “So, where
should we grab her and the baby?”
“Maybe
where the road forks up ahead we can rush to get in the lead and then block
them off. And we are only getting her. The boss doesn’t want the baby."
“We
have to take the baby, he needs his mother,” Joe insisted. "We’ll let the
boss decide what he wants to do about him.”
“He’s
gonna be pissed,” Frank said matter-of-factly.
“I
don’t give a damn. We are taking the baby too and we need to make sure he isn’t
hurt. The boss might not care, but you know how our family is…you don’t hurt
relatives. Reggie’s dad would have us all killed if something bad happened to
that little one.”
“Yeah,”
Frank reluctantly agreed. “It’s going to make things a lot harder because we
have to make sure not to hurt anyone.”
“Except
for Logan Harper,” Joe said. "I don’t think the boss would care if he
disappeared. He doesn’t like the thought of anyone else having his property.”
Joe
hit the accelerator to speed up as they got closer and closer to the fork in
the road. Just as he was about to accelerate and make a move, deer started to
pour out onto the road from behind some trees. Joe slammed on the brakes and
came to a complete stop. The SUV was up ahead and quickly passed the fork in
the road. “Damn it!” Frank exclaimed. “Now what are we going to do.”
“We’re
going to be patient and get the job done properly,” Joe said. “Leave it to
Wyoming that we get stuck behind deer in the road.”
Logan
rushed Jayna and the baby inside, through the grocery store. The more people
around them the safer he felt. Once they were inside the apartment, he locked
the doors and started packing a suitcase for the three of them.
“You
have a plan now?” she asked quietly as she fed CJ.
“Yeah,”
he said. “I just hope it works.
“Just
point me in a direction and CJ and I will head that way. We held him off okay
for quite a while. Now that I’m not sick, we can do it again."
Logan
looked up at her and shook his head vigorously. “No way in hell am I sending
you out there alone with a six-day-old baby. I’ll be with you until you’re
safe.”
“Oh,
come on Logan…” she started.
“Don’t
argue with me Jayna. I need you to make a list of anything personal you might
need over the next few weeks.”
“I’m
sorry I’ve disrupted your life like this,” she said softly. A tear dripped from
her eye onto CJ’s cheek and she brushed it away.
“Please
don’t,” Logan begged. “Promise me you’ll stop doing this. I want to help.”
Jayna
looked up at him. The look in his eyes was somehow always comforting even when
he was frustrated with her. “I promise,” she whispered. How could she not. The
thought of being on the run, alone with a newborn, terrified her.
Logan
handed her a notepad and a pen and she got started on a list for them. When she
was done, he sat down next to her and took the paper. “Can you use a gun?”
“I
grew up in bear country, Logan. Of course I can. But I don’t have one anymore,
Reginald took it."
He
left her side and went to the closet. From the top shelf, he grabbed a locked
box and brought it back to her. Taking the 9mm out, he checked it over and
handed it to her once CJ was safely in his carrier. “If anyone but me comes in
that door, shoot them.”
“Okay,”
she agreed getting used to the feeling of the cold metal in her hands. “Nice
piece.”
“Yeah
it is,” he smiled. “I’m going to go get supplies then I’ll come back up here to
get you and CJ. I think we’re going to take a ride in a bread truck."
**********
Logan
had the supplies boxed up, made a few calls, and then bought a pay-as-you-go
cell phone before heading back up the stairs. Jayna was singing to CJ when he
walked in the door.
“Are
you ready to go?” he asked, picking the pistol up off of the table and putting
it in the back waistband of his jeans.
“I
guess. Why are we leaving in a bread truck?”
“We
were followed here by a couple of nasty looking guys in a black car. I guess
they don’t realize how observant I can be.”
“Shit.
Reggie’s goons are usually meaner than he is.”
“That’s
why we will be leaving here in the back of Curtis Blackwell’s bread truck.
We’ll meet up with my dad’s friend, Travis, where we will get a vehicle and
head out of town.”
“Where
too?” she asked, grabbing her purse.
“Someplace
that I barely remember,” he murmured, a tortured look clouding his eyes. “Come
on, let’s go.”
The
loading dock was deserted and all of the bays were closed but one. A
Blackwell
Bakery Distributors
truck was backed all the way into the opening.
“Jayna,
give me your cell phone,” Logan said as his manager, Andrew, approached.
“Uh.
Okay, why?” Her hand slipped into her pocket and she turned the phone over to
Logan.
He
gave his cell phone, and hers, to Andrew with instructions to put them in the
office until their return. “I trust you to take care of my store. If you have
any trouble, call my mother.”
“Yes
sir. We’ll return the store to you exactly as you left her.” The two men shook
hands and Logan picked up the suitcase and the baby then ushered Jayna into the
truck. Five bumpy miles later, the big white delivery vehicle came to a stop
and within a few moments, the door rolled up.
“Were
you followed?” Logan asked Curtis immediately.
“Nope,”
he chuckled. "The two
gentlemen
are enjoying complimentary hot dogs
and sodas at Harper’s Grocery’s post Labor Day blowout.”
Logan
looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. “Andrew’s idea?”
“Yes,”
Curtis answered with a grin.
“Good
ruse. Tell him I said thanks.”
“Will
do.”
Logan
and Curtis unloaded the truck – two boxes of supplies, a suitcase, the base to
CJ’s car seat carrier, and a rifle that Jayna hadn’t known about. The two men
shook hands as Cole Harper’s old friend, Travis Miles, pulled up in a pickup,
followed by an old model SUV driven by another older man.
While
Travis and Logan talked, the other man loaded the SUV and even helped Jayna to
install the car seat. She was getting a kick out of the conversation the two
were having. They both obviously missed Logan’s father.
"So
son, are you sure you want to go there? If you give me another day or so, Old
Bill there and I could find you a different cabin.”
“No,”
Logan stressed quietly. “I think it is about time I go back up there.” Jayna’s
heart ached at the sound of her friend’s voice. She’d never heard someone so
sad…or was it afraid.
“Okay
son,” Travis said, shaking Logan’s hand. "If you need anything just holler.”
Jayna
was deep in thought in the passenger seat when Logan appeared beside her. The
engine started and he pulled out onto the highway. She noticed him checking the
rearview mirror often.
“Where
are we going, Logan?”
A
sigh eased its way from between his lips. “My family’s hunting cabin.”
“If
it makes you uncomfortable…”
“It’s
okay, Sleeping Beauty. I’ll be fine.”
Jayna
warred with herself. Should she push it? Or shouldn’t she? In the end she
decided to push on. If he was going to be moody when they were cooped up
together, she deserved to know why. “Why are you hesitant to go there?” she
asked softly. “I should know.”
Another
sigh slipped between his lips, only the end of this one sounded like a whimper.
“My
brother,” he murmured then cleared his throat. “My oldest brother, Ben, killed
himself at the cabin.” His voice broke. “My dad and I found him, and I haven’t
been back since.”
She
looked away from him. “I’m so sorry Logan. Maybe we should go somewhere else.”
“Like
I told Travis, it’s time for me to go back. You’re just my reason. A very good
reason,” he said reaching over to squeeze her hand. “Why don’t you take a hint
from your son and take a nap. We have at least an hour until we get there."
Jayna
closed her eyes, thinking about how hard this was for Logan and about how she
would be the cause of his pain. Within a few minutes, exhaustion took over and
she fell into a trouble sleep.
**********
About
an hour later, Logan pulled up in front of the cabin. As he reached toward
Jayna, his hand abruptly stopped. A tremble had overtaken him and he felt cold
inside. After a moment, he was able to wake her with a light tap to the
shoulder.
“Are
we home now, Daddy?” she asked sleepily. “I had a horrible dream.”
“We’re
at the cabin,” Logan replied, shock evident in his voice. “Remember, the
cabin?”
Jayna’s
eyes flew open in alarm. The brown orbs flashed around quickly before settling
on the concerned face of her friend. When she saw him, she settled back into
the seat and sighed. “I’m sorry, it all seemed like a dream.”
“Hey,
it’s okay. I know
I
wish the threat to you and CJ was just a dream,” he
replied, opening the driver’s side door and stepping out. “Let’s get inside and
settle in.”
“Is
it always so gloomy here?” she asked, looking around the shadowy landscape.
“No,
no, it’s the time of day,” he replied. “The sun is hitting the trees just
right. The place is fantastic around noon.”
“But
it…it’s so shadowy and dark,” she murmured. “Someone could sneak right up.”
“They
would need to know we’re here,” Logan replied with a knowing smile. “Plus there
is dangerous wildlife in the area.”
Pulling
the carrier from the SUV, Jayna turned and headed to the porch. Logan noticed
she constantly scanned the area as she moved.
Opening
the back of the SUV, he started pulling the boxes out and headed toward the
cabin. As he stepped on the porch, he came to a complete and sudden stop. His
body began to tremble and his eyes glazed over. There in front of him lie the
body of his brother. The vivid image had him dropping the box and turning to
vomit over the porch rail. He could still see the blood splatter, the gore, and
the pool of blood beneath sixteen-year-old Ben.
"Logan
are you okay?” she asked, concern coloring her words. “Poor baby, let me help.”
“I’ll
be okay, just give me a minute,” he said, wiping his mouth. “When I stepped on
the porch, the image of Ben came back in detail.”
"I’m
so sorry, this is my fault,” she cried. “You wouldn’t be going through this…”
“Stop!
Just stop!” he commanded. “Don’t talk like that.
I
chose to do this.”
Jayna
nodded as she dried her tears. Stepping aside, she let Logan unlock and open
the cabin door. Moving through, she was amazed at the sight. The rough log
walls were decorated with mounted heads of deer, elk, and moose. In front of
the fireplace was a bearskin rug. What really stood out was the lack of any
electrical lamps throughout the living area.
“Dylan
did say he likes it rustic for his hunting adventures,” Logan said as he
stepped in. “I didn’t realize how rustic though.”
“I
just hope there's running water,” Jayna said with a giggle. “I’m not sure how
good I’d be at pumping well water.”
A
fussy whimper sounded from the carrier so Jayna moved to a sofa and sat down.
She cast an apologetic look to Logan then pulled CJ from the carrier and began
to feed him.
Logan
smiled, set the box down, and headed outside to get the rest of the supplies
and gear. A few minutes later, he locked the front door. Seeing that the other
two would be a while, he decided to check out the cabin. Wandering into the
kitchen, he found it well provisioned for the upcoming hunting season. It
looked like his little brother had learned from the previous October’s blizzard
to stock up. With Dylan laid up after his recent car accident, these supplies
would last quite a while if need be. Oh how he wished his brother were there
instead of in a hospital in Billings.
Leaving
the kitchen, he walked toward the back of the house and the bedrooms. He was
taken aback stepping into what had been his parents' room. Instead of the king-sized
bed, he found four sets of bunk beds. Dylan really had taken over the place.
Checking each room in turn, he found each had a pair of bunk beds in them.
Out
the back window, Logan noticed a new building connected by a covered breezeway.
He would need to check it out as soon as he could. But first he would have to
take care of the ‘I’ve got gas’ cry he heard coming out of the living room. He
walked in and took CJ from his mother as if it was just a normal part of his
day. And he was quickly rewarded with a hot wet feeling down his back when he
put the little boy over his shoulder. “Ugh, he blurped on me! Gross!” he said,
reaching for the burp cloth Jayna held. “Well, at least you seem happy now,
little man.”
The
baby made what seemed to be a content gurgle, probably secretly laughing at
him. He felt a light brush against his ear as CJ began flailing his arm. “Are
you having fun exploring the world, my man?”
“Logan
what’s up the stairs?” Jayna asked as she headed to the other side of the room.
“That’s
just the loft. We always used it as a place to get away from Mom and Dad.”
Climbing
the stairs Jayna let out a great laugh. “It looks like your brother took over
this room.”
“What
do you mean?”
“There’s
a queen-sized bed up here,” she snickered. “As well as some interesting
artwork.”
“Artwork?
My brother has artwork?”
“Yes.
Nudes are considered artwork,” she replied trying not to laugh. “At least they’re
tastefully done.”
Good
lord, what had he walked into. He should have known Dylan would have made a
home away from home. His brother couldn’t give up his tastes even for the
hunting season. With a sigh, he headed upstairs with CJ.
“Looks
like a buffet for this little man up here,” Logan joked as he reached the loft.
“Counting you, there are four pairs of breasts in all."
“Three
pairs of them are perfect,” Jayna said looking at the paintings. “The artist
really is excellent.”