They ate while Jake explained the horrors of being confined behind boarded-up windows with no electricity listening to the wind howl through the eves. And cleaning up after the hurricane was almost as challenging as weathering the storm itself. Jake explained how he and Vanessa worked side-by-side to clean up the mess.
Tucker showed Jake the updates to his cabin, mentioning he received a loan to finance the construction. Jake’s interest piqued.
Loan? Don't tell me it was from Kessler? He sucked in his breath.
"Oh, hell no man! The loan is with the same bank that financed the feed store."
"Good!" Jake gulped down his beer. "Hey, I ran into someone at the truck stop outside of town."
Anyone, I know?"
I don't think so. Remember when I got behind on my payment to Kessler... a few months before I met Vanessa."
"Uh-huh, you were kinda fucked up."
Jake nodded. "Yeah, for sure. Anyway, one of the folks Kessler forced me to strong-arm was Agatha Selman. The last time I went by to collect from her she sent her son to the door because the woman was so sick she could hardly walk. I scared them so bad they moved out of town... drove Kessler crazy."
"Yeah, I remember you telling me that."
"That someone was the Selman boy." Jake turned away. "Thank God he didn't recognize me."
"Oh, now I know who you're talking about. The kid's name is Christopher. I see him come in the store with his grandfather. His mother passed away. I heard a rumor old man Selman used the settlement from her insurance to pay off the house. Now, Christopher lives there with his grandparents."
Jake smiled and peered through the window. "I'm so glad to hear that. Sometimes I dream of his mother's face. Her hollow eyes were looking through me like I was a heartless devil." Jake reached for another beer. "What about Ricky Breckenridge? How's he doing?"
"The Breckenridge place burned down a few months ago. That is what got Kessler arrested," Tucker said chewing his pizza.
Jake leaned forward squinting. "Kessler is in jail for arson?"
Tucker shook his head. "No, not the county jail, the state pen. And yes, he was found guilty for setting fire to the Breckenridge place and for tax evasion. Remember the Pink Kitten?"
Jake nodded. "Yes, how could I forget. I always met with Kessler there, sitting like a fat toad behind his desk. The Pink Kitten was nothing but a sleazy strip joint." He reached for a hand full of chips and crunched one between his teeth. "I feel much better about things now knowing Kessler got what he deserved."
Tucker nodded at the last piece of pizza in the box. "You want that, man?"
After Jake shook his head, Tucker grabbed the slice and finished it in three bites. Wiping his hands, he challenged Jake to a game of pool. "The spare bedroom isn't a bedroom anymore. It's my man cave."
Jake chuckled. "Vanessa would say the whole place is a man cave."
"How is your beautiful wife?"
Jake spent at least five minutes talking about Vanessa and how proud he was of her. She put the pet owners at ease and had several return clients already. Most of all, he was thankful for the way she stood beside him when things got tough. Especially, when he started having PTSD induced nightmares. "Honestly, Tucker, I was afraid she might leave me. It was horrifying."
Tucker patted Jake on the back. "I always knew she would be right for you."
He watched Tucker angling for his next shot when suddenly he straightened up and rested the end of the cue stick on the floor.
"What? Go on it's your turn." Jake was confused.
"I just remembered."
"Remembered what?"
"A dude showed up a while back." Tucker glanced up, thinking.
"What dude? What are you talking about?"
"It was before I took over the feed store... still working at the ranch, about six months ago I think. Older fellow... forty-five or fifty… I'd say ten or fifteen years older than us."
"What did he want?"
"He said he was a friend of Vanessa's from out of town, and just stopped by to say 'hello.'
"When I told him she got married and moved away, he seemed shocked."
Jake frowned. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing, I didn't know the guy from Adam. You know how I am."
"Yeah, tight-lipped." Jake nodded. "Do you remember what he looked like?"
"Average build, not quite six foot, graying hair. What sticks in my mind most is... well, the guy looked sick."
"Sick?" Jake furrowed his brows.
Tucker scratched his head and thought a minute. "Yes... sunken cheeks, real pale."
"I guess you didn't find out his name?" Jake took a deep breath working to control his anxiety.
"Nope, but I asked. He shrugged and said it really didn't matter since she was gone."
"That's the reason I moved Vanessa away from here. Too many mysteries, and besides we needed a fresh start in a place new to both of us."
Tucker nodded and went back to lining up his shot, but Jake felt his skin prickle. Something wasn't right. From what Vanessa had told him, she had made a point of keeping a low profile after she moved from Texas. Who would know to come here looking for her?
After the attempts on their lives and the barn fire, everyone just assumed it was Kessler. Or someone Jake ran across from his dealings with him looking to get even. When the sheriff's department came up empty handed with no suspect, Jake was determined to find out who threaten them, so he had hired the private investigator — a waste of money. Now, Jake wondered if the perpetrator was someone from Vanessa's past, instead of his.
Has Vanessa been completely honest with me... or does she have something to hide?
After another beer, Jake's anxiety had subsided enough that he felt he could call Vanessa without her detecting his suspicions by the sound of his voice and start asking questions that would only upset both of them. During the past few months, their relationship had grown.
I don't want to open up a can of worms...
Vanessa's voice was cheerful as she prattled on about surprising Beth with their spa visit, and how she had walked down to the lake to check on his boat. When she asked, "How have you been sleeping without me?" Jake tried not to laugh when he explained he'd pulled into a truck stop and slept in the cab both nights with little sleep, so there were no bad dreams. By the end of their conversation, they confessed their love for each other. Jake was proud of himself for not bringing up the visit from the stranger.
As the evening wore on, Jake lost count of the pool games he and Tucker played as the lines of beer bottles along the window sills grew longer. They stayed up into the wee hours of the morning reminiscing about their many adventures.
Their favorite topic was Jake's rodeoing days. After Karen died, Jake dealt with his grief by competing on the rodeo circuit. He and Tamara became barrel racing celebrities. When an event was over, Tucker would lead Tamara around to cool her off while Jake signed autographs for all the cute rodeo groupies hoping he might ask them out on a date.
By the time the beer ran out, Jake had come to the conclusion those were his 'glory days,' and it was best not to try to relive them. "There's only one woman in the world for me, and she is Vanessa Hart Morrow," Jake professed to himself before crashing on Tucker's leather couch.
Chapter 12
Steam billowed inside the bathroom as Vanessa stepped on the plush rug and wrapped a fluffy towel around her. After they made love this evening, Jake had fallen asleep, snoring. A cue she was free to enjoy some quiet time soaking in their whirlpool tub, and tomorrow was Saturday — she could sleep in. Using the precious moments alone, Vanessa reflected on the past few weeks.
The potted orchid on the sill reminded her of Tucker since it was a gift before he left. They had fun, grilling out and sunning at the beach. What she appreciated the most was his help. During Tucker’s visit, they had interviewed a handful of fellows, and a few gals who had applied for the ranch hand position and hired two students from the university; Seb
astian and John. And during the past week, Jake had taken in four borders. Counting Tamara, there were five horses in the stable. Though Vanessa was grateful for his help, she was equally pleased she and Jake had their privacy back. Since Tucker’s departure, they made love every evening, and Jake had been nightmare free.
Now that Morrow Animal Clinic was in the black, a load was lifted from her shoulders. Jake hinted he had another business venture in mind for them, too. With a heart full of joy, she hummed a tune and used the corner of her towel to wipe the steam from her vanity mirror.
First, she untangled her dark mane before applying hair oil and brushing it back away from her face. While reaching for the night cream, a spot on her cheek caught her eye. Squinting, Vanessa looked closer and frowned when she examined the blemish and discovered it was indeed a pimple.
What's up with this? I haven't had a zit for years. She thought.
A few minutes later, Vanessa cuddled against Jake's back and dozed off. Then her eyes shot open, startled by Apollo's bark from his kennel near the stable. But a moment later he was quiet. So, she figured he spotted a raccoon or the neighbors cat prowling around after dark. She readjusted her pillow and laid back down only to be aroused again. This time, Apollo's bark was accompanied by the thuds of horses hoofs.
Nudging Jake she sprung up and peered out their bedroom window, but there was nothing out of the ordinary in the side yard.
"Jake... wake up. Something is wrong." She shook him urgently.
He sat up in bed and listened. "Why is Apollo going crazy. Something stirred him up."
"A second ago, I thought I heard horses hoofs. At first, it was just whinnying..."
"Let me go look. You stay here," Jake told her jumping out of bed.
Of course, she ignored his last remark and pulled on her clothes and boots as quickly as he did. They ran to the living room and peeked out the window. At first, she noticed the open stable doors and nothing more. But Jake beat her to the back porch.
"Fuck! The horses are loose. Call Sebastian and John. See if they can come and help me round them up."
Vanessa ran to the bedroom to grab her phone. Neither answered, so she hurried back to the living room and found Jake digging through a kitchen drawer.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm unlocking the gun case." He grabbed the key and rushed to the tall cabinet beside the fireplace. "I'm not going through this again. The last time, some motherfucker locked you in my barn and tried to burn it down."
"You're overreacting, honey. We don't even know what happened yet."
Jake stepped around her without a word and carried the weapon with him into the yard. Under the light of there security lamps, they worked together for a few minutes to try and corral the horses. Two of them came to Vanessa when she offered them a bucket of oats. And Jake took off on his own to scour the property for the intruder. He let Apollo loose to help him hunt them down.
Sweat broke out on her brow and a burning rage built inside her as she led the first mare back into her stall. In an instant, Vanessa realized Jake was right — history was repeating itself.
Her heart hammered in her chest when the other horse came galloping by on his way back to the stall. Slamming the gate closed, Vanessa hurried outside. Apollo's barks came from the direction of the lake. Jake had to be nearby.
Tamara munched on the grass in the yard. So, her concern was for the two others still loose. Since they were not well trained, those two made a mad dash for the lake away from the commotion near the stable. Their property was fenced-in along the woods but not behind the lake. Beyond that — the interstate. The thought of what might happen if the horses tried to cross the busy highway played like a horror movie in her mind.
At least no shots have been fired...yet...
Suddenly, Vanessa recognized Jake's voice and it sounded as though Apollo's barks were coming closer. Under the moonlight, she turned to rush down the path toward the lake. That was when one of the horses appeared wild-eyed from around the bend and came straight for her. There was no place to run or hide. She was left with no choice but to fall on the ground, and curl up in a ball with her arms covering her head. Then pray the animal would avoid trampling her.
Scrunched up, Vanessa heard thuds and saw the belly of the gelding as he leaped overhead. Scrambling to her feet, Vanessa ran behind the horse and closed the stall when he trotted inside. Next, she grabbed Tamara’s halter and led Jake's mare to her pen.
Now that four of the horses were secure, she leaned against the stable to catch her breath. Vanessa worked to calm herself and wondered why Apollo and Jake had not reappeared. Listening, she could tell the barks were further away than before. The dog turned around and was headed in the opposite direction. Vanessa's calls out to Jake went unanswered. She worried something had happened to him, and ran as fast as she could down the path to the lake.
As she approached the boat dock, Vanessa was surprised at what she saw. Jake was talking to Sebastian. The other horse stood beside them with a lasso around his neck. "Where in the world did you come from?" she asked Sebastian.
Jake looked down at her smudged face and squinted his eyes. "What happened to you? I told you... You should have stayed inside!"
"What was I supposed to do, stand around twiddling my thumbs?" Giving Jake no time to respond, Vanessa explained how she had collected three of the horses and barely escaped being run down by the forth.
"Are you alright? You're shaking."
"I think so." Vanessa stomped her foot. "Who did this? Where did Sebastian come from? When I tried to call, he didn't answer."
"I'm not sure yet... calm down. Everything is under control at the moment." Jake patted her on the back.
As they followed Sebastian leading the horse toward the stable, Jake had one arm around her waist and shouldered his rifle with the other. He told her how out of nowhere, Sebastian had appeared and lassoed the horse as it ran beside the lake.
She looked at him puzzled. "So, Sebastian showed up mysteriously and caught the horse. Don't you find that a bit suspicious?"
"Yes, and no. I don't understand why he would let the horses out and then help catch them. That makes no sense."
"What was he doing on our property after work hours, Jake?"
"Don't worry. We're going to get to the bottom of this. I'm just glad you're safe."
"You too. I was worried you might go off half-cocked and shoot someone."
"I know better than that, sweetie. Don't forget my background." Jake tried to reassure her. But after listening to his horrifying military stories and his experiences while working as Kessler's strong-arm, those tales were exactly what caused her worry — she guessed.
All of a sudden, Vanessa became dizzy and thought she might faint." Jake, I need to go inside and rest. I don't feel well. Too much stress in one night for this girl," she told him with a little giggle, trying not to cause unnecessary worry.
"Let me help you inside. You need some water. Take a shower and go on back to bed. I’ve got this.”
Minutes later, Jake kissed her on the cheek and helped her to the couch. After resting for a while, and sipping some cold water, she felt better. So, Vanessa slipped out to the back porch and sank into the swing with Apollo at her feet. Nearby, she could hear the voices of the two men but could not make out what they were saying.
As they approached the house, seemingly in good spirits, Vanessa stood from the swing and waited until Jake pulled open the back door before she asked, "What is going on, Jake?"
"Oh, I see you're feeling better."
"Yes, but you didn't answer my question." She eyed Sebastian with suspicion.
"I'm not entirely sure. But it is obvious someone purposely turned the horses loose."
"Sebastian. Did you do it?" Vanessa yelled.
"No, ma'am... no, ma'am. It wasn't me." Sebastian stopped at the steps and shook his head ready to turn and leave.
"Vanessa hold on. You weren't there when he explained what happened,�
� Jake told her stepping up on the porch. "Sebastian was already here... down at the lake sleeping in my boat."
"What? Why? You never mentioned it to me." Vanessa felt tears in the corners of her eyes. "You told me to call him. Why would you do that if you knew he was already on the property?”
"Vanessa... what the hell is going on with you?"
"Nothing, I'm fine... I just..."
"Look, Sebastian's stepfather kicked him out of the house, and he had nowhere to go. He's been sleeping in the boat for the last few nights."
"God. Why didn't he tell us then?"
"Pride. Fear... I was afraid you would say no," Sebastian spoke up.
"Oh, I'm so sorry..." Vanessa bit her lip ashamed at her outburst.
Jake motion for Sebastian to come up to the porch and held open the door. "I've invited him to sleep in our guest room until we can sort this out in the morning..."
Before Jake could finish his sentence, Vanessa let out a loud cry and began sobbing. Covering her face with her hands, she ran inside and slammed the bedroom door shut. Sinking into their unmade bed, she buried her face in the pillow and sobbed until the door open, and Jake stepped in.
He sat on the side of the mattress and didn't say a word until she acknowledged his presence. Taking her in his arms he smoothed her hair. "Okay, Vanessa, what's going on? I have never seen you like this."
Sitting up, she buried her face in his chest. "I'm so embarrassed, I don't know what came over me. I didn't want to be mean to poor Sebastian, but... but I could tell you were going to allow him to stay. And I'm tired of guests. Tucker just left. And well, I was enjoying having you to myself. Now, this..."
Jake kissed her cheek and cupped her chin with his hand. "Is there something more you aren't telling me?"
"No, Jake... no... there is nothing else." She pulled a Kleenex from the box and blew her nose. "Where's Sebastian? I need to go apologize and make the bed. The guest room sheets are still in the laundry room.” Jake nodded and smiled a sideway's smile helping her up.
Mended Hearts: Bad Boy Action-Adventure Romance (Renegade Series Book 2) Page 8