Forever My Cowboy

by June Faver

  Jenn was cramped, to say the least. She had no idea what Maggie planned to do with her, but it wasn’t good. If her captor had killed Jason and admitted it to Jenn, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t make it out of this situation alive.

  What would happen to Leo and Lissy if she wasn’t around to care for them?

  She swallowed hard. She knew that Cade would take over quite capably. He had Mrs. Reynolds to provide day-to-day care, and Cade himself would be a perfect father figure. Strong, honest, loving.

  A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and trickled through her scalp. Oh no! I can’t break down. I have to fight to the last—

  Her thoughts broke off suddenly. I must not even entertain the thought that I won’t survive.

  The car turned off the highway, and for the next half hour or so, Jenn was jarred all over the trunk as Maggie drove on some unpaved road. It was getting warm inside the small, confined space and there was no air circulating.

  Finally, the car ground to a stop and she heard another vehicle pull up behind the BMW. The BMW’s door slammed, and she heard voices. Maggie was speaking to a man who responded in single-syllable words.

  Jenn let out a scream and banged her fists against the inside of the trunk. Maggie slammed her fists on the outside. “You can yell all you want. No one will hear you.”

  “Wait!” Jenn shrieked. “Tell me why you’re so driven to own the airstrip. I have to know.”

  “You think you deserve to know?” Maggie laughed again. “I guess I owe you that much. My father has always treated me as his little darling, while my brothers made the business deals. Lots of Dallas suburbs were built by Swearingen Construction. This totally undeveloped area is all farmland and none of the farmers around here are willing to give up a freaking acre, no matter how much I offered.”

  Jenn winced as Maggie smacked the trunk again. “But when I realized your stupid brother owned almost a thousand acres and all he had on it was that tiny, small-town airstrip… Honestly, he had no vision. I could have made him rich, but nooo. He wouldn’t budge.”

  “Please,” Jenn begged. “Please let me go. I can’t see how my death will get you what you want.”

  “I’m sure that farmer, Cade Garrett, will be easier to work with. He for sure doesn’t want to run an airstrip.”

  Jenn realized Maggie was right. He would sell to the highest bidder so the children would have an assured future.

  “Wait! What about me?”

  Another laugh. “You, my dear, will die. When you are thoroughly cooked, we’ll come back and leave your remains artfully displayed here on the trail. You will be found in a couple of days, out here in the canyon, dehydrated and dead from the heat. Poor, silly girl. Nobody will miss you.”

  Jenn heard the sound of a powerful motor starting up and a door slam, then the other vehicle pulled away, spewing gravel as it departed.

  Jenn stared into the darkness. There was nothing but silence all around her. Silence and heat and very little air.

  * * *

  Cade had driven by Jenn’s house, surprised to find no one at home. He didn’t recall her telling him about any appointments or meetings. He peeked in the garage and found both vehicles parked inside.

  He must have had some sense of foreboding because he wasn’t content to drive away. He called her cell phone, but heard its funny little song tinkling inside the house.

  Jenn had gone somewhere with the children and without her phone…but she wasn’t driving. He called the Langston Inn and Ollie Sue Enloe answered immediately, sounding perky and professional.

  “Ollie, is Jennifer LaChance with you?”

  “Um, no. Is this Cade?”

  “Yes, sorry. I’m worried about her. She and the kids are gone, but both cars are in the garage. I was hoping you might know where they are.”

  Ollie gave a sort of snort of amusement. “I thought you were getting to be pretty sweet on Jennifer.”

  Cade blew out a breath. “Sweet on her? I’m in love with her…and I’m worried. Who would she leave with, especially with the kids?” He realized his hand was fisted.

  “Well, you might check the church. She has been taking the kids to the pre-kinder program at least one day a week, so they’ll have someone their own age to play with, and the church ladies are teaching them things too.”

  “Uh, that’s nice, but it doesn’t help me find Jennifer.”

  “You might try Leah Garrett. Those two are thick as thieves,” Ollie said.

  Cade disconnected, his concern growing. Where would she go?

  “Young man?” An elderly woman across the street was leaning on her walker, but she let go with one hand and waved at him.

  Cade crossed the street, trying to mask his fear. “Yes, ma’am. Can I help you?”

  “If you’re looking for that pretty girl who lives there with the two babies…the poor little orphans…”

  Cade’s chest felt as though it might explode. “Yes, ma’am. That’s who I’m looking for. Have you seen her today?”

  The woman smiled, her face wreathed in a thousand wrinkles. “I’ve seen your truck outside. I was thinking maybe you two were courting.”

  Cade tried to be patient. “Yes, ma’am. She’s my girlfriend. I’m worried about her because I can’t reach her by phone. Do you know where she might be?”

  “Well, I was sitting on my porch this morning, having a nice cup of decaf, and I saw this silver car come up with a screech. I know the driver was speeding.” The woman gazed up at him earnestly. “And a dark-haired woman went rushing up to knock on the door. I couldn’t hear what she said, but she was yelling at your sweetheart.”

  Cade swallowed hard. “Yelling?”

  The woman nodded. “Your girlfriend let her in, but I could hear the mad woman yelling after she went inside. Then, in a very short time, the door opened and the dark-haired woman came out with the young lady and made her get in the trunk. Then she drove away.”

  “What? Why did Jennifer get in the trunk?” Cade couldn’t imagine.

  “Oh, didn’t I tell you? The dark-haired woman had a little gun.”

  * * *

  It was getting hotter. Jenn was sweating and felt weak. There was very little air in the BMW’s trunk, and what air remained was like an oven. She groped around for something to use to pry the trunk open, but of course there was nothing. It seemed Maggie had cleaned out her trunk before forcing Jenn to climb inside.

  What else?

  Reaching in her pocket, she drew out the key chain that Jason had always carried, the one with the children’s pictures. The hard plastic disk and keys were the only tools available.

  Jenn gritted her teeth and pried the covering off the taillight, pulling the tiny bulb out of its setting and using the key to crack the red plastic outer covering. She poked it again and again until finally the plastic shattered and fell outside the trunk. Jenn could see the sandy, dry scenery that could only be the canyon. At least there was a little air in the void. She pressed her lips together. Damned if I’m going to go easy.

  She could not reach the other taillight by her feet, but she was wearing the boots Cade had purchased for her. She kicked the second taillight out in one single thrust. Yes, there was air. It was hot air, but at least it was air.

  Surely someone will find me. Cade, where are you?

  She cradled her head in her arms and tried to be as comfortable as possible in her cramped position. She envisioned Cade’s handsome face. The way he told her he loved her. And the kisses he delivered. He had to find her so they could get married and live happily ever after.

  * * *

  Cade returned to his truck and made a call to the sheriff’s department. His friend Sheriff Derrick Shelton answered. “Derrick, my girlfriend has been abducted. You have to find her.”

  He hadn’t heard the old truck pull up behind him, but
when he turned, Edgar Wayne Pell was glaring at him. He listened while Cade explained to Derrick what had happened.

  “The neighbor across the street said it was a dark-haired woman in a silver car, and that she had a gun when she forced Jennifer into her trunk.”

  “That’s gotta be Maggie Swearingen. She’s got a slick silver BMW.” Pell was rubbing the side of his very red face. “She’s tryin’ to buy the airstrip.”

  “Did you hear that, Derrick? It’s a woman who has a hangar out at the airstrip. Silver BMW. Her name is Swearingen.”

  “Swearingen?” Derrick asked. “Like Swearingen Industries?”

  “I guess,” Cade said.

  “Big money. Big old money.” Derrick said he was putting out an APB on the silver BMW and would be going out to the airstrip to see if he could locate Maggie Swearingen.

  Cade disconnected. He stood, frozen with indecision.

  “Well, what are you waitin’ for? Let’s get to moving.” Pell gestured to Cade’s truck. “We gotta save Miss Jennifer. Let’s go to the airstrip.”

  Cade nodded and the two men, who had not been friends before, were united in a single mission: find Jennifer LaChance.

  On the drive, Cade called his uncle, Big Jim Garrett, to get the rest of the family stirred into action. The more people looking for Jennifer, the better, and Big Jim was capable of bringing a lot of force to the search.

  At the same time, Pell had his cell out and was making calls. Cade had no idea who he was talking to, but the more the merrier.

  When they arrived at the airstrip, there was no silver BMW to be found. Pell pointed out the hangar rented by the Swearingen Corporation. But it appeared to be closed up and uninhabited.

  The two men peered inside, seeing the two planes.

  Just then, Big Jim Garrett pulled up behind Cade’s truck. And behind him came Tyler and Colton. The Garrett men looked very grim.

  “What do you need us to do?” Big Jim said.

  Pell looked him over critically. “Well, Mr. Garrett, how do you feel about a little breaking and entering?”

  * * *

  Cade was gripping the armrests of the shiny blue plane that Pell had gotten airborne. Stolen, actually.

  He had no faith in Pell’s abilities, especially after he’d crashed his own plane with Jennifer in it. But she had complete faith in Pell, extolling his abilities. So Cade had climbed in with Pell.

  Big Jim showed no such fear and seated himself behind Pell. He did deny his two sons seating on the plane. “Just sayin’…better to have some Garretts to carry on the name. You know, in case…”

  Now they were airborne and peering out the windows.

  “This sure has a quiet motor,” Big Jim said. “What do you suppose a little plane like this one costs?”

  “This little beauty is an Eclipse 550,” Pell said. “It runs just under three million and is one of the most fuel-efficient twin engines on the market.”

  “Holy crap!” Big Jim exploded. “What’s it made of? Pure platinum?”

  “No, sir,” Pell replied. “Just some of the most advanced design in aeronautics available today.”

  “Well, what the hell is that woman doing flying around in this thing?” Big Jim growled.

  “Whatever she wants,” Pell said. “Keep looking out both sides for the silver BMW. I put a call out to some of my veteran flyboys, and there are a lot of small planes in the air right now lookin’ for Miss Jennifer.”

  Cade sucked in a deep breath. Jennifer was right. Edgar Wayne Pell was a good man. Cade stared out the window, hoping to spot a silver BMW on the ground below—hoping to find Jennifer alive and well.

  Chapter 30

  Jenn wasn’t aware that she slept. She had almost given up on being found. She was dreaming of Cade Garrett and he was looking at her in that way he had, the way that made her insides turn to jelly. And he was saying her name… No, he was yelling her name.

  “Jennifer! Jennifer, baby! Please wake up!”

  She heard him, but he was calling her from somewhere overhead and far away. She didn’t know how she had sunk to the depths of wherever she was, but her skin was damp and now a breeze was cooling it.

  “Come on, babe. Please look at me.”

  She opened her eyes, blinking in the bright sunlight. Cade held her in both arms and he appeared to be very stressed. She tried to speak, but no words came forth—just a sound between a moan and a grunt.

  “It’s okay. Don’t worry. We got you.”

  Who got me? She struggled to regain full consciousness.

  Big Jim Garrett leaned over her. “Here, try this.” He mopped at her face with something wet and cool.

  It all came back to her in a rush. “Oh!”

  Big Jim handed a bottle of water to Cade, who held it to her very dry lips. She tried to peel her tongue off the roof of her mouth, but it felt like a strip of leather. Slowly, enough water trickled into her mouth to allow her to swallow.

  A breeze lifted her hair. Her other senses gradually awakened. Gasping, she took in big gulps of the dusty air. Although there was still plenty of light, she realized it must be late in the day because the sun was sending big smears of brilliant color across the skies from a westerly direction.

  “Cade, I—I…”

  He pulled her closer. “Don’t try to talk. We know about that Swearingen woman. I’m just glad that we found you.”

  She managed a smile. “I had no doubt that you would find me.”

  He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “What made you so sure I would find you?”

  Jenn stifled a giggle. “Because you haven’t proposed to me yet.”

  * * *

  Jennifer was taken to the hospital with a retinue of trucks behind the ambulance. When she was delivered to the emergency room of the regional hospital in Amarillo, she found Dr. Cami Ryan waiting for her.

  “You have a lot of cowboys in your fan club,” Dr. Ryan said. “It looks like most of the Garrett clan is camped out in the waiting room.”

  Jenn let her head loll back onto the pillow on the gurney. “Aren’t they wonderful?” Her words were a little slurred. “They found me…Cade found me.”

  The nurse had started an IV to rehydrate her, and Dr. Ryan was taking her vital signs.

  “And you were very lucky, my friend. You would have cooked in that trunk without water.” She finished her preliminary examination and said she was keeping her overnight.

  “I have to talk to Cade,” Jenn said. “Please let me see him.”

  In a matter of minutes, Cade was standing beside her in the emergency room cubicle. He kissed her forehead and clasped her hand.

  “Cade, you have to go get the children. I left them in the church day care program. They must be closed down by now.” She felt tears gather in her eyes.

  Cade leaned close and whispered, “The kids are just fine. Misty picked them up and is taking care of them at her home.” He kissed her temple this time. “Don’t worry about a thing. We’re all here for you and everything is going to be all right.”

  Jenn felt all of the tension leave her body. She took in several deep breaths and exhaled them forcefully. Everything was going to be all right. “There’s one more thing, Cade.” She gazed up into the intense blue eyes. “Did I propose to you?”

  A wide grin spread across his face. “Yes, you did suggest that I should get on the ball and propose to you, but I was planning on a more romantic setting. I mean this place smells like antiseptic, and—”

  “Yes. I accept,” she said. “I will marry you.”

  Cade just grinned and said, “That’s good enough for me.”

  * * *

  In the morning, Cade was awakened when a hospital attendant stopped outside Jennifer’s room, pushing a very noisy cart. Cade stretched, trying to unkink his very sore muscles that had tightened
up after he’d spent the night cramped in a chair.

  The hospital aide sorted around, moving glassware and metal utensils, then gave a brisk knock on the doorframe and brought a covered tray to Jennifer’s over-bed table.

  “Just leave it,” Cade ordered, sending the man from the room with a nod.

  Jennifer, for her part, slept on in a nicely medicated state. The nurses had checked on her all night and replenished her fluids, but Jennifer had slept through all the noise and activity.

  Cade settled back in his chair, content to stand watch over the woman he loved, glad she had survived and that she had taken the initiative when it came to the proposal. He had been thinking about it for some time, but never seemed to find the right moment. But now, it was done. He would figure out what needed to be accomplished and follow through: the church…and they needed a license… He was deep in thought when a knock at the door jerked him out of his concentration.

  It was Sheriff Derrick Shelton, peering into the room. “Hey, Cade. Can I come in?”

  Cade glanced at Jennifer and motioned for him to enter but indicated he was to be quiet. “Hey, Derrick. Jennifer’s out of it. They’ve got her medicated.”

  The sheriff stepped into the room, casting a glance at the woman sleeping in the bed. “Sorry to see that. I was supposed to question her about the event. I understand that this Swearingen woman kidnapped her.”

  Cade motioned Derrick to the other chair, speaking in a low tone. “I didn’t get to ask her much when we found her, but the lady across the street from the LaChance house was the one who informed me that Maggie Swearingen had forced Jennifer to get into the trunk of her silver BMW.”

  Derrick’s eyes widened. “She said all that?”

  “Well, no. She described the dark-haired woman and the silver car. It was Edgar Wayne Pell who put it all together.”

  Derrick was making notes. “I’ll talk to both of them, but I really need to interview Jennifer to document this correctly. You know…tie it up with a bow?”