“I need to use the bathroom,” she told him and slipped into the room. She glanced around the small room. Shit! No window. Becca gazed at herself in the mirror and swore at the tears flowing down her cheeks. Come on Becca, think!
When she returned to the living room, Steve was nowhere around. She ran to the door but just as she reached out to open it, he stepped inside. Becca jumped back and almost fell onto the sofa.
“Were you going somewhere, Becky?”
“I…was wondering where you were.”
Steve nodded. “Why don’t you go lie down for a little while? I’ve changed my mind. Once night falls, we’re leaving.”
Becca nodded. She moved to the other door and entered the room. Closing the door behind her, she leaned back against it and took a deep breath. Looking around the room, she saw a twin size bed with a bare mattress, a small chest of drawers, and a window. She blinked her eyes. This room had a window. This was her chance. She hurried toward it and noticed there was no lock on it. More good luck! She tried to push it up, but it didn’t budge. Not giving up, she pushed at it again. Finally, it moved. Thank you, God.
Becca glanced over her shoulder at the door then back to the window, and pushed again. Each time the window slid a little further, her heart hit her stomach and she looked toward the door. Slowly, she pushed it open until she had enough space to squeeze through. With her stomach in knots, she put one leg through and worked her body out the window. Once she hit the ground, she ran as fast as she could toward the woods. She heard Steve yell her name.
Run! Becca told herself. Keep going. A shot rang out and she skidded to a halt.
“Next one goes in you, Becky. Trust me, I can hit you from here,” Steve told her in a cold-blooded voice.
* * * *
“We need to stop for the night, Jake,” Wyatt said. “The tire tracks are getting harder to follow and the sun’s setting.”
Jake didn’t want to stop but he knew Wyatt was right. They couldn’t risk losing the tracks in the waning light. This looked like as good a place as any to make camp. Jake heaved a sigh, and dismounted. Gabe and Wyatt followed. He and his brothers put their sleeping bags out on the ground and went about setting up camp including gathering wood for a fire.
“I wish I could shoot a rabbit for us but if we’re close to Harris, he’d hear the shot,” Wyatt told them.
Jake froze in place, his arms filled with kindling.
“What is it?” Gabe asked.
“There’s a hunting cabin not too far from here,” Jake said.
“Where?” Gabe and Wyatt asked in one voice.
“It’s about another mile west of here. Hattie had it built for the ranch hands to use.” Jake swore as he dropped the pieces of wood onto the ground. “I can’t believe I forgot about it.”
“Hey, you’ve had other things on your mind,” Gabe reminded him.
Jake shook his head. “Could it be that simple?”
“Only one way to find out,” Wyatt answered as he began gathering the sleeping bags.
Minutes later, all three mounted up. Jake spurred his horse into a run with his brothers behind him. When the cabin came into view, Jake slowed his horse to a stop. Together, the three of them dismounted and tied up the horses. Just as they finished a gunshot rang out. Jake’s heart stopped. He wanted to run toward it, but Wyatt grabbed his arm. Jake turned and glared at him.
“You can’t go running in there, Jake. If he hasn’t shot her, he will if he sees you.”
“Wyatt’s right. You’ll put her in more danger if you go running in there half-cocked,” Gabe added. “Let’s move in closer and get an idea of what we’re up against.”
Jake hung his head. He knew his brothers were right. He looked at them. “I know you’re both right but if he hurts her, I’ll kill him. No questions asked.” His brothers nodded their understanding.
Gabe led them through the woods and held his hand up silently, indicating they should stop. Together they watched Becca walking back toward Steve, her head held high.
Jake never loved anyone the way he loved her, and never more than he did in that moment. He wanted to tell her more than anything. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and have babies with her. He’d die if he didn’t get the chance. When he saw Steve hit her, Jake lunged forward in rage but Wyatt pulled him back down. Jake jerked away from him and glared at him. Wyatt stared back at him. Jake sighed, knowing he had to trust his brother and nodded. He watched as Steve grabbed Becca by her hair, dragging her up the wooden steps. His heart stopped a moment but when she tripped and the bastard pushed her, he saw red. Becca fell on the porch and Jake flinched forward.
“Son of a bitch,” Jake swore with murder on his mind. “I’m going out there. Wyatt, get somewhere where you can take him out if you need to.”
When Jake felt Gabe latch onto his arm, he looked his brother in the eye. “Don’t try to stop me, Gabe. If I can get his attention off her, even for a moment, Wyatt will have a clean shot.”
“Jesus Christ, Jake. He’ll probably kill you,” Gabe hissed out from between clenched teeth.
“Better me than her,” Jake told him and stood up. “I can’t stay here and watch that prick hit her. If he wants to hit someone, he can try me.” He looked at Wyatt. “Do not hesitate to take the bastard out.”
Jake took a deep breath and stepped out from the brush. He was pointing his pistol in Steve’s direction as he walked toward them.
“Hey,” Jake yelled.
Steve spun around. Jake saw the coward pull Becca in front of him. “Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m the man who’s going to take great pleasure in kicking your ass,” Jake sneered with a satisfied smile.
Steve’s eyes widened and then he laughed. “Oh right, her cowboy to the rescue, huh? Only you’re not going to rescue her. I believe I have the upper hand here. I have a gun to her head. Drop your weapon, asshole.”
Jake hesitated. He saw Steve press the gun harder against Becca’s temple.
“Do it now. I won’t hesitate to kill her,” Steve yelled in anger.
Jake’s gaze shifted to Becca’s face. She was as pale as a ghost, but she shook her head at him.
“No Jake. Please, don’t do it. He’ll kill you.” Even from this distance, he saw her eyes glisten with tears.
“Don’t do it and see what happens…Jake,” Steve growled, and then laughed.
* * * *
“No,” Becca screamed when she saw Jake lower his gun to the ground then was forced to watch as Steve aimed his gun at Jake, and pulled the trigger, hitting him. Becca felt as if the bullet tore through her own flesh. “Jake!” She watched as Jake fell to the ground. She screamed as she punched and kicked at Steve, but he just laughed at her.
“Your cowboy is gone, Becky.” He spun her around and tried to kiss her.
This time, Becca was ready and kicked him hard in the groin. He grunted in response and let her go. Becca ran but when she heard a single shot, she froze and waited for the pain. When she didn’t feel any, she looked over her shoulder to find Steve lying on the ground with blood flowing from a bullet hole in the center of his forehead. Not understanding how and not caring, she ran toward Jake. Gabe and Wyatt came running from the woods, Wyatt carrying a high-powered rifle. She fell to her knees on the ground beside Jake.
“Jake…Jake…oh God…Jake, please don’t die,” she begged as tears ran down her face. Jake had blood seeping from a wound in his shoulder. Wyatt and Gabe joined her alongside him.
“Jake, I told you not to be stupid.” Gabe moved Jake’s shirt aside to check the wound. “Through and through,” he said as he moved away to call Sam on the walkie-talkie.
“Sorry, I couldn’t get a shot off before he hit Jake. He had Becca in front of him,” Wyatt said, his voice filled with sorrow and apology.
“Jake, please open your eyes. Please don’t leave me.” Becca cried cradling his head against her thigh.
“Didn’t you tell me to stay away from you, Red?” Jake said
his voice barely above a whisper.
“I didn’t mean it,” she said, smiling even as tears streamed down her face. “I was hoping you’d come for me. Please stay with me, Jake. I want to stay here with you. I know I was a fool about things, but I want to be with you. I want you to help me with the B and B. I need your help. Please. I can’t imagine my life without you. Please, Jake…” Becca knew she was rambling but didn’t know how to stop.
“Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much, Red?” Jake smiled, but closed his eyes.
Her laugh came out as a sob. “Why, you think you can shut me up, Stone?”
“You know I can, darlin’. I’ll gladly show you every day for the rest of my life, if you’ll let me…” His voice faded away to a barely there whisper.
“Jake?” Becca worried she was losing him.
He opened his eyes. “I love you, Becca. I have since the moment I first saw you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, which could be sooner than expected if you don’t get me to a hospital.”
She fought back a smile hearing him joke. She knew he was going to be fine. They were going to be fine, even as she heard Gabe tell Sam where to send the ambulance and the coroner.
“I love you, too, Jake.” Becca sighed as she leaned down and kissed him. “I’m never going to let you go.”
Epilogue
Jake sat on the front porch of the Clifton Bed and Breakfast and smiled when Becca came through the front door. He patted his knee and she took a seat on his lap.
“Are you nervous?” he asked, tucking her hair behind one ear.
“A little bit. This is a lot different from running a coffee shop.” She pressed a kiss against his jaw. “I can’t get over that all the rooms are full for our opening. It’s a little scary.”
Jake laughed. “After what we’ve been through, this should be easy.”
She put her head on his shoulder. “I’m so glad you came after me.”
He kissed her temple. “So am I, Red. I wanted so much to get my hands around that bastard’s neck and squeeze the life out of him.”
“You shouldn’t have walked out there,” Becca scolded him. “He could’ve killed you.”
“I had faith in Wyatt. I knew if I walked out there, Harris wouldn’t concentrate on you as much, and Wyatt could get a clean shot.”
Becca chuckled. “Remind me never to piss Wyatt off.”
Jake wrapped his arms tight around her. “Wyatt said he took great pleasure in shooting the bastard, especially when he saw Steve aiming for you after you kicked him in his jewels. He said he’d be damned if that son of a bitch was going to shoot his future sister in-law.”
Jake thought back to the pain when the bullet slammed into his shoulder but when he went down, he didn’t take his eyes off Becca—not once. When she started running toward him, all he could think was, now, Wyatt, now. It was as if Wyatt had heard him. His brother took the shot and hit Steve dead on. The bastard fell without getting another shot off.
“When are you going to marry me, Red?” Jake asked Becca, inhaling her sweet scent.
“I like the idea of a wedding next May. What do you think?”
“Darlin’, you could say right now and that would be fine with me.” Jake tipped his face up to look into her eyes. “I’m never letting you go, Red. Not in this lifetime or beyond.”
He thought about how surprised, yet pleased, everyone was that the Clifton B and B had a
full house for the grand opening. It was already August and Becca’s six months were up. The ranch was staying in her possession and Jake was very proud of her. Olivia had agreed to stay in Clifton, so she and Becca sold the coffee shop. Emma was already trying out her recipes.
Jake saw the postman coming up the drive. He nudged Becca and together, they stood. He watched Becca walk down the steps to retrieve her mail. She had to sign for something. She held it up to show him. It was a certified letter. Jake smiled at her when she grinned and shrugged. He motioned for her to take a seat beside him on the swing. He watched her open it, scan the contents, but then heard her gasp.
“What is it?” he asked trying to read over her shoulder.
“It’s from Mr. Gray. It’s a letter my grandmother wrote to me,” she answered. He saw her lips tremble as she handed it to him to read.
My Dearest Becca,
We both know what it means if you’re reading this. I’m not sure what I can say to you about what happened between your daddy and me. I tried to talk to him but he was so angry and now as I think back, I realize it was my fault. He lost all the love he once had for the ranch when his own daddy died. After he left for college, things changed for him. He didn’t want to run the ranch and we had a big argument about it. I shouldn’t have told him that he wasn’t welcome at home. I will never forgive myself for that.
Know this, Becca, I kept an eye on you. Thanks to your mom, I saw you grow up through pictures and phone calls. After Will and Sarah were taken from us too soon, I hired a private detective to find you and keep me posted on you. I was so proud when you bought that little shop of yours. I wanted to see you but didn’t know what you would think of me after all the time that had passed. I’m leaving you my ranch in the hopes that you’ll love it as much as I do. If for some reason you don’t, then please sell it to my friend, Jake Stone. He certainly doesn’t need it but I trust him with it and he’s a good man. He’ll take care of it and won’t let any strangers take Daniels’ land. He’s like a son to me, so if he has it, I’ll be fine with that. Please know that I love you, Becca-girl. I always have and I always will. I really hope you love the ranch and decide to stay. It would be wonderful if you could find a good cowboy and have some babies here in Clifton. Remember, I’ll always be watching over you.
I love you,
Gama (that’s what you called me when you were 3)
* * * *
Becca smiled at Jake with tears in her eyes.
“I remember calling her, Gama. I remember saying that,” she said with wonder. Becca couldn’t help but see that Jake’s eyes were bright with unshed tears so she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her tightly and laid his cheek on the top of her head.
“I’m so glad Hattie wrote this to you. If it hadn’t been for your mom…I can’t imagine how Hattie would’ve felt,” Jake said before pressing a kiss against her hair.
Becca gazed up at him. “She did have some hopes for me, didn’t she?”
“She loved you very much, just like I do.” Jake grinned. “And I think we should do what she suggests.”
Becca frowned at him. “Suggests? What do you mean?”
Jake chuckled. “Well, you found yourself a good cowboy…that would be me, by the way, so now we should get married and work on those babies.”
Becca felt her cheeks burning as she smiled up at him. “I think that’s a really good idea, Stone.”
Jake burst out laughing. “Finally, Becca Daniels agrees with me on something.” Becca giggled and smiled against his lips when he kissed her. “I love you, Red.”
“I love you too, Jake and I will forever.” Becca put her head on his shoulder and silently sent a prayer of thanks to the grandmother she’d never known, but who had always loved her with all her heart.
*The End*
About the Author
Susan Fisher-Davis was born and raised in Cumberland, MD. She moved to Tennessee in 1996 with her husband and two children. She now lives in a small town outside of Nashville, along with her husband and their three dogs. “Jake” is her first book in a series of eight. Although, writing for years, it was just recently she decided to submit to publishers and went with Secret Cravings Publishing. Susan is a huge Nashville Predators hockey fan. She also enjoys fishing, taking drives down back roads, and visiting Gatlinburg, TN.
She would love to hear from her readers and promises to try to respond to all.
You can find her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/skdromanceauthor and her website at http://susanfisherdavisauthor.weebl
y.com/
Secret Cravings Publishing
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
Jake (Men of Clifton Montana Book 1) Page 16