by June Faver
Leah grabbed several potatoes out of a basket and began to pare them, hoping her homely actions didn’t raise any suspicions on Caine’s part. Rinsing the potatoes in a colander, she placed them in a deep pot and covered them with water. She set the pot on a back burner and lit the flame under it.
The silence pressed in on her. The only sound was the sizzle of chicken frying in melted grease. She was afraid to look at Caine. Afraid to speak. Mostly, she needed a miracle right about now.
“Who would have thought?” Caine broke the silence.
She glanced quickly around, then continued to turn the chicken, using a long-handled fork with two sharp tines.
He was still sitting at the table, his hands splayed out on the surface in front of him.
She had surrounded herself with possible weapons, not knowing when she might get the opportunity to use any of them.
“I never thought you would be the little Suzy Homemaker type. With that body, I figured you would have become a stripper.”
She didn’t respond. Instead, she concentrated on spearing pieces of chicken with the long fork and turning them over, as though this task required all her concentration. All the while, she mentally rehearsed how she would stab him with the fork or the knife if he got up off the chair.
“I spent eight years thinking about what I would do to you when I got out, but I never pictured this.” The chair creaked as he leaned back in it. “I was just barely eighteen when I went to prison. Do you have any idea what they do to young guys in prison?”
Leah didn’t answer, keeping her head averted.
He slammed his hand on the table, causing her to flinch. “Do you?”
Leah dropped the fork, sending it clattering to the floor. Swallowing hard, she leaned down slowly to pick it up, her hands trembling violently. She shook her head, finally daring to glance at him again.
“Let’s just say them boys used me like—” He broke off, his voice low and deadly. “No man should be treated that way.”
Her gag reflex was working overtime. “Tha—that’s horrible,” she said.
He let out a low growl, like an enraged animal. “You think so? I promised myself, when I got out, I would make sure to pay you back for doin’ that to me.”
A heavy silence followed.
She stole another glance at Caine. His face was like a marble sculpture of pure hatred.
* * *
A sheriff’s department helicopter hovered over the scene, relaying images back to headquarters.
Ty stared at the video on the sheriff’s monitor. His heart throbbed in his chest, resounded in his ears, quickened the blood pulsing through his veins. There she is.
“She may not be with Caine at all,” the sheriff said, his tone reasonable. “I’ll just send a couple of deputies out to the Davis place to make sure she’s all right.”
Yeah right. “You do that, Sheriff. In the meantime, I’ll be checking on her myself.” Ty made a break for the door.
“Now, hold on a minute, Son,” Big Jim shouted.
“Wait!” the sheriff yelled.
“Damn!” Big Jim let out a disgusted snort and followed on Tyler’s heels.
Ty was already halfway to his truck when Big Jim caught up with him. “Hang on.” He laid a hand on Ty’s shoulder.
Ty spun around, not willing to let anyone get in the way. “I can’t stop, Dad. I have to find her.”
“I know that,” Big Jim said. “We better take my truck.”
Ty let out an impatient sigh. “Why?”
Big Jim gave him a knowing look. “Because I have guns.” He clicked his remote to unlock his vehicle.
“Okay,” Ty said. “But I’m driving.”
Big Jim tossed him the keys. “Knock yourself out.” He climbed into his own truck on the passenger side and reached for the seat belt.
Ty was astonished. Was his father actually letting him take the lead on something? He quickly recovered and jumped into his dad’s silver, extended-cab pickup, identical to his except in color. Well, with perhaps a few more bells and whistles. He turned the key in the ignition, taking in a huge lungful of air when the powerful diesel engine roared to life. He tore out and made it to the edge of town in no time at all. He glanced at his father. “Guns, Dad?”
Big Jim issued a huge sigh. “Of course.” He opened the glove compartment and took out a large caliber handgun and a box of shotgun shells.
He reached behind the seat and pulled a shotgun in a case to the front seat. “I just figured we ought to be prepared for all eventualities.”
A chill ran down Ty’s spine. To hear his own father talk about the possibility of pointing a gun at someone was hard to take. “Well, I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Son, if this Caine fellow is with her, he’s a dangerous son of a bitch. You can’t go in there all ‘let’s talk this over and be friends.’ That man killed a woman in Oklahoma and tried to kill Sara Beth Jessup. I’m pretty sure they’re not having a tea party.”
Ty nodded. “I know you’re right. I just hope he hasn’t hurt her.”
He drove in silence, way faster than the law allowed. When he slowed to turn off the highway and onto the farm-to-market road, his palms were damp. This Caine had hurt Leah in the past. He had injured Gracie. A cold rage seethed in Ty’s gut. He didn’t need a gun. If Caine hurt Leah again, Tyler Garrett would kill him with his bare hands.
* * *
Leah used Gran’s ancient potato masher to pulverize the hot, boiled potatoes. The sound of the metal instrument against the stainless-steel bowl was enough to set her teeth on edge. She added butter, salt, pepper, and a little cream and continued the assault on the potatoes.
She had taken the last pieces of chicken out of the black cast-iron skillet and set them on a folded paper towel on a big Fiestaware platter. Now she had the two items ready with no more stalling. She was out of time. Taking a plate out of the cabinet, she loaded it up with a big serving of potatoes and placed three pieces of chicken alongside. She turned to Caine, approaching him warily with her offering.
“Right here,” he growled, indicating the space in front of him.
She sat the plate down, but he grabbed her wrist when she tried to draw away. “Bring me a beer and some ketchup.” He released her abruptly.
Leah was amazed her rubbery legs could transport her to the refrigerator. She opened it and peered inside, momentarily confused as to what she was looking for. Pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling, she found the ketchup in the door and removed a longneck bottle of beer from the back of the top shelf.
“Hurry up!” Caine snapped.
“Coming,” she sang out, trying to inject a cheery note into her voice.
She set both items on the table and stepped back.
“No, sit yourself right down here. I want you to tell me about my daughter.”
All the air was sucked out of her lungs. Her heart stopped beating. Her brain flatlined. He had said the words she feared most. In her heart, she had never thought of Gracie as having any connection with Caine. Gracie belonged to Leah. Caine had no right to Gracie or any knowledge of her.
“Well?” He picked up a drumstick, tearing a bite of meat off with his teeth as he glowered at Leah.
“Um, she’s eight now.”
Caine snorted. “Well, I know that. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“She’s in the third grade, and she’s very smart.” Leah heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. Maybe it’s Ty. Maybe it’s someone to help me. She raised her voice and started talking faster. “She loves animals, and she has a dog named Eddie. She’s only been in her new school a few days, but she already has a friend.”
The screech of tires right outside was impossible to cover up.
Caine turned around to stare out through the screen and the open doorway. “Oh
, hell no!” He jumped up and grabbed Leah, dragging her in front of him. He backed up to the counter where she’d been working and grabbed the knife she had used to cut up the chicken. When Ty burst through the door, Caine held the knife against her throat. “Easy now,” he warned. “You need to back on out of here. Me and the little woman here was just settin’ down to dinner.”
“Put the knife down,” Ty ordered.
“Well, you ain’t in no position to be tellin’ me what to do.” Caine took a step backward, but Ty advanced toward him.
“You do not hurt her,” Ty said. “You can walk away from this, but so help me, if you hurt her, I will take your life.”
Caine laughed and loosened his grip on her. “This must be the boyfriend.” He gestured with the knife, and she twisted away, reaching for the cast-iron skillet, still filled with smoking hot grease. When Caine grabbed at her again, she slung the grease on him, bashing him with the skillet in the process.
Cursing, Caine howled in anguish, dropping the knife and sinking to one knee.
Ty rushed him and threw a punch that took Caine all the way down to the floor. Ty scooped Leah into his arms, crushing her against his chest. “Are you all right?”
Leah wrapped her arms around Ty’s torso, but when she opened her eyes, she saw Caine reach for the knife as he struggled to his feet. She let out a scream, and Ty turned, thrusting her behind him.
At that moment, a shotgun blast exploded Caine’s chest. He fell back, lying motionless on the floor, his eyes wide open, gazing at the ceiling.
Big Jim Garrett stood, holding a shotgun on the fallen man, a steely expression on his face.
Ty drew her back into his arms. “Everything is going to be fine.”
Leah pressed her face against his shirt.
The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.
Big Jim snorted. “’Bout damned time.”
Chapter 16
Leah’s ears were still ringing from the shotgun explosion, and now the high-pitched sound of sirens grew louder and louder.
A few minutes later, the sirens wound down as two sheriff’s department vehicles screeched to a stop in the front yard. Two deputies came running into the house, their hands on their holstered weapons.
Big Jim stood stoically to one side, his shotgun broken over his forearm. He appeared to be remarkably calm, considering that he had just shot a man dead.
The deputies shouted into their two-way radios, each voice drowning out the other.
Ty held Leah, keeping her face averted from the bloody remains strewn on her grandmother’s kitchen floor.
She was still shaking with fear, although the reason for her terror lay dead beyond any doubt.
The deputies confiscated the knife and Big Jim’s shotgun before questioning him.
“My dad was only protecting us,” Ty protested.
One of the deputies raised a hand to quiet him. “We’ll get to you in a minute.”
Big Jim appeared to be completely relaxed and not in the least bit concerned. He gazed at Ty, giving him an almost imperceptible nod before turning his attention back to the deputy.
Leah raised her face to gaze at Ty. “I’m so sorry I caused all this trouble.” She heaved a sigh.
He brushed her hair back from her face. “Baby, nothing that happened here was your fault. You were the victim. I’m just glad you’re safe. I couldn’t let him hurt you again.”
She pressed herself back against him, her head tucked under his chin. “I feel so relieved. Am I a bad person to be glad Caine is dead?”
Ty pressed his lips against her temple. “I don’t think so. Caine needed to be put down like the rabid animal he was.”
Ty told the deputies he was taking Leah to sit on the front porch and shepherded her outside. Temperatures were dropping, and the night sky was more black than purple. Stars were strewn across the heavens, and a chorus of frogs sang counterpoint to the crickets.
Apparently, all was right in the universe. In spite of the terror and violence Leah had experienced earlier, the images were being eased from her brain. Drained, she felt limp with fatigue. Suddenly, she jerked, alert to the real issue. “Gracie! I didn’t get to the school to pick her up. I have to go.”
Ty stopped her. “Don’t worry. It’s already taken care of. Gracie and your grandmother are safe with my brothers at the ranch.”
Leah blew out a sigh of relief. “Thank God!” she said fervently.
Ty sank onto the wicker rocking chair and pulled her into his lap. “Just relax. This will be over with, and we can go home.”
The word home resonated in her brain. She wasn’t quite sure where home was anymore. She had thought it was here on her Gran’s little farm, but apparently, Ty was referring to Big Jim’s huge spread.
Leah rested her head against his shoulder, her tension suddenly melting from her taut muscles. She slipped her fingers inside his shirt, needing to feel closer to him. “Thank you for saving me.”
He kissed her forehead. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m keeping you.”
She laughed. “I want you to.”
Another vehicle came roaring up to the house, red and blue lights flashing but no siren. The sheriff turned off the motor and stepped out, glaring at Ty and Leah as they sat cuddled together. “What’s this about a shooting?”
Ty rolled to a standing position in one smooth move. He set Leah on her feet and stepped forward to meet the sheriff. “The man who got shot is the same one who tried to kill Sara Beth and kidnapped Leah. He had a knife and was threatening to kill Leah when my father blasted him with a shotgun. Dad saved both our lives.”
The sheriff rubbed his jaw. “Well, Big Jim is a righteous man. I’ve never known him to do anything rash. I don’t suppose he would shoot someone without a damned good reason.” He nodded at Ty and went into the house without any further discussion.
Ty stared after the sheriff a moment, slowly shaking his head. “I’m always amazed at my father’s sphere of influence. The man’s got clout.”
Leah stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Well, that’s a good thing.”
He resumed his seat in the rocker and pulled Leah into his arms. Wrapped so securely, she felt safe for the first time since she’d had to leave Oklahoma. No, she felt valued for the first time in her life. Someone loved her. Someone was willing to fight to protect her. It was even more than Ty. It was his family who’d stood by her too.
The next vehicle to arrive was an ambulance, but they weren’t hurrying. Someone must have told them their passenger wasn’t in a rush. The ambulance pulled close to the house, and the two attendants climbed out, removed a gurney from the back, and rolled it through the front door.
Leah was content to keep her eyes closed and her face pressed against Ty’s neck. Whatever was happening inside couldn’t hurt her as long as she remained so.
Big Jim stepped out onto the porch. “The sheriff says you kids can go home. I’ll wait until everyone is gone and secure Fern’s house. I’m pretty sure the sheriff will give me a ride home.”
“We’ll wait for you, Dad.”
“Your little Leah looks plumb worn out. I’ll be fine.”
Leah roused herself at that. “We’ll wait for you.”
Big Jim’s face split into a big grin. “That’s real nice.”
After quite some time, the ambulance rolled out with Caine’s remains in a black, zippered body bag. The deputies exited the small house and climbed in their vehicles, leaving in a much more sedate manner than they had arrived.
Finally, the sheriff and Big Jim came out and shook hands on the porch. The sheriff departed, and Big Jim motioned to Ty and Leah. “Let’s go home.”
Ty and Leah climbed out of the chair. “Right behind you, Dad.”
* * *
The next morning, Leah woke up in Ty’s
bedroom at the Garrett ranch. Surprisingly, Ty was in bed with her. She didn’t remember much of the ride home or how she had gotten out of the truck and into the house.
That they shared a bed was somewhat disturbing. She figured his brothers and father knew they were intimate, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to rub their noses in it.
A few rays of the early-morning sunshine crept through the curtains.
She watched Ty as he slept, feeling nothing but love for him. Dark lashes shuttered his eyes. The planes of his face were sharply defined in this light, and his jaw was shadowed with a scruff of beard. She resisted the urge to run her fingertips over his cheek.
His blue eyes opened. “Good morning.” His voice was rough with sleep.
“Good morning.” She cuddled closer in his arms. “I better get up and get ready for work.”
“No,” he said. “With everything that happened, I think you can take a day off. Breck will understand.”
“Do you think so?” She hated the idea of shirking her duty, but she would also love to remain in Ty’s arms and be able to embrace her entire family, not allowing them out of her sight.
She was painfully aware of the danger she had been in the night before and how easily she could have become the victim. An even more tragic outcome could have resulted. “I’ll call Breck.”
He nuzzled her forehead. “I could have lost you yesterday.”
Leah splayed her fingers over his chest just above his heart. “Maybe. I somehow knew you would find me.”
“I need to ask you something.”
“You can ask me anything.” She leaned back to gaze into his eyes.
“Are you ready to marry me now? I don’t want to wait any longer.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “I love you like crazy, but I still have to take care of Gran and Gracie. I’m not sure it’s fair to ask you to take on my responsibilities.”
A slow grin spread across his features. “Don’t be silly. They’re a part of you, and I love you. The question is, will you take on my responsibilities? I have two crazy brothers and a father who thinks he rules the world and everyone in it.”