“I know,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for not trusting you.”
Jordan squeezed her. She felt his protective love encircling her. “I’ve never been so afraid of losing anyone’s respect as I have been about losing yours.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I had a visit from Cal this morning.”
He pulled back and held on to her shoulders. “What happened?”
“He wanted me to testify that he would be a better parent than Brenda.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Does this guy have no clue? He ran off on his wife and child. What is he thinking?”
“He isn’t. He’s always had what he wanted. He smooth-talked me for years. Maybe losing his son will help him grow up. I don’t know. But what really bothered me was that he thought I would let him back in my life.”
She felt Jordan stiffen.
“Relax. It’s okay. I handled it. He knows I’m not interested in being involved with him.”
Jordan caressed her cheek. She leaned into his fingers. She’d never felt so close to Cal as she did to Jordan. She closed her eyes, and her voice caught. “Jordan, I love you.”
Jordan scooped her in his arms. “Miranda, you don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear that. Woo-hoo!” he hollered and spun her around.
Duke howled in unison.
She held on as joy flooded her senses. A peace, a connection with Jordan, cemented within her. He was the one her soul longed to unite with. All the fears and doubts from the past melted away. She kissed his cheek. He stood perfectly still and eased her back down onto her feet. “Kiss me,” she whispered.
“With pleasure.” Their lips met, and a deeper sense of connection and oneness fused within her. Her pulse raced. Slowly she pulled away and rested her head on his chest.
Neither of them spoke. They stood there for a moment, caught in the intimacy of the moment. Then she pulled back and looked into his eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Jordan stiffened.
“What’s the matter?”
“Agent Wilkes is standing behind a tree.”
She’d forgotten he’d been out there following Jordan. Watching. A wave of nausea swept over her at the mere thought. Randi swallowed. “Should I go? I’ll be at Jess’s tonight.”
Jordan stepped back. “I’ll see you later.”
Jordan opened and closed his fist several times as he watched Agent Wilkes stare at Miranda while she walked to her car. He followed at least ten paces behind then went to his easel. He had no desire to paint, not now, not when he should be with Miranda. But he had little choice. The only thing he was happy about was that the agent wasn’t holding his listening device and could not have heard the conversation between them.
He sat down at the easel and picked up a brush. Dipping it in the burnt sienna and mixing it with a touch of green, he placed the brush next to the bush he was painting in the foreground. He’d never sell this painting. The best he could hope for was to scrape off what he had done and paint over the canvas. There was nothing of interest in the painting. And if he couldn’t find anything in the picture, a customer sure wouldn’t.
He decided to change the picture to a surreal painting instead of the more traditional impressionist one. It fit his mood better. Moments later, a surrealist image of Wilkes’s head, protruding out of the stone bluff, developed on his canvas. Jordan laughed and continued with the wild rendition.
An hour later, he finished the painting. Picking up his gear, he loaded his Jeep and walked over to the agent’s car with the canvas in hand. “Here ya go, Wilkes. Enjoy!”
“Hey, what—? I don’t look like that.”
“Perhaps not, but it sure felt good painting you that way. Have a good night.”
Wilkes pulled out of his parking place before Jordan reached the door. By the time Jordan drove back to town, he expected the agent to be stationed outside his apartment. As he drove past the sheriff’s office, he noticed Wilkes’s car and the sheriff’s parked outside.
Instead of going home, he headed back out of town for Dena and Wayne’s. Dena’s red convertible Mercedes was parked out front alongside Wayne’s four-wheel-drive pickup.
“Jordan,” Dena greeted him at the door. “Come in. You’re early.”
“Agent Wilkes is at the sheriff’s station….” His words trailed off. Sheriff McKean sat on the living room sofa. “Sheriff.”
“Relax, son. Remember, I called this meeting.”
“What about Wilkes?”
“He’s doing some busywork at my office. I had my secretary draw up a list of recent home purchases in the area.”
Jordan sat down on the rattan chair in the corner of the room.
“Jordan, can I get you anything?” Dena asked. “Soda? Iced tea?”
“Iced tea will be fine.”
“Good. Wayne has the steaks marinating, so we should be eating in an hour,” she said and headed into the kitchen. “A few more will be coming in a half hour.”
He wanted to ask who and why but simply nodded.
“Jordan,” the sheriff said. “First off, I don’t believe you’re guilty. And I do believe you had a wonderful idea in staking out the point. But with Wilkes convinced you’re part of the child’s abduction, I think it best if we organize and stake out the point in shifts. After all, if that little girl is in my territory, I want to find her. I certainly don’t want to spend days talking to the same person over and over again.”
Jordan sat back and smiled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’m glad you called the attorney. If you hadn’t, I was going to do it for you. Enough is enough.”
“I don’t mean to be telling you your job, sheriff, but aren’t you breaking some laws by informing me I was being listened to?”
“Nope. He didn’t get a court order, which means he’s disobeying the law. I pointed that out to him when I radioed him to come in from his surveillance.”
Interesting. “If Agent Wilkes feels he’s above the law, I’ll need to be careful he doesn’t fabricate my involvement.”
“I don’t believe he’ll do that. But I do want to be careful you are with someone at all times.”
After a knock at the door, a half-dozen people came in. Most Jordan didn’t recognize. Among them were Sally, the sheriff’s secretary; and her husband, Doug. Jim Baxter he’d seen a time or two in church. And a Bob and Marie from someplace. Jordan didn’t catch their last name or their connection. He shook hands and sat down.
After thirty minutes, the house was full. It was established that six teams of two would go out on four-hour stretches. Miranda walked in the door as Wayne finished cooking the steaks on the grill. In the end, Jordan learned that most of the people were volunteers for Squabbin Bay’s fire department and other emergency services.
Miranda sat down beside him at the picnic table and slipped her hand into his. “Hi.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“Hi. I’m really sorry Wilkes busted in on us.”
The lilt of her laughter caused his heart to skip a beat. “Do you think he has a tape?”
“What?”
“Might be fun to listen to it several years from now.”
Jordan roared with laughter. Everyone turned and faced them. Miranda buried her face in his chest. “Sorry.”
By the end of the night, Jordan felt so welcomed and a part of this community that he never wanted to go back to the city. He understood completely why Dena had moved up here. And with God’s blessings, he and Miranda would have the same joyful reasons in the future.
The sheriff’s radiophone rang. “Sheriff McKean, Agent O’Malley here. We have a lead. Can you come in?”
eighteen
Randi snuggled up beside Jordan as the sheriff took the call.
“I’ll be right there.” Sheriff McKean turned toward the group anxiously awaiting further information. “Nothing to tell, folks. But you’ll need to take care of one last order of business in my absence.
Who’s spending the night with Jordan?”
The sheriff left without another word.
“I have the dead-man’s shift at the firehouse tonight. Sorry. I can do it tomorrow though,” Jim Baxter offered.
“I can do it,” Steve Healy called out. “Do you snore?”
Jordan chuckled. “Not that I’m aware of.”
Randi wondered and hoped she would find out one day. The thought caught her up short. She’d just kissed Jordan, and now she was thinking marriage. Get a grip, girl.
Wayne Kearns smiled. “Let’s take this one day at a time. Let’s stop and have a word of prayer for this little girl.”
Everyone joined hands, and Wayne led them in a brief but touching prayer. As folks started to leave, they made their way to Jordan and gave him their individual support. Randi couldn’t have been more proud of her hometown.
Jess pulled her aside and out to the deck. “So what’s going on with the two of you?”
“Nothing.”
“Girl, this is me you’re talking to. Give.”
“We made up this afternoon.”
“I’d say made up. You believe him, don’t you?” Jess sat on the rail of the deck, smiling. She seemed so content.
Randi prayed Jess would find what she’d found in Jordan. “Jess, I love him.”
“That was pretty obvious. So come on—details.”
“Ask Agent Wilkes. He might just have it on tape.”
“No.” Jess jumped back to her feet. “For real? Video or audio?”
“Audio, I think.” A smile spread across her face to think that Agent Wilkes might have a video of her and Jordan’s first kiss.
Jess laughed. “You kissed him, didn’t you?”
“I’ll never tell.”
Jess’s laughter increased. “You don’t have to. And to think the first time you met the man you dumped two bowls of lobster bisque on him.”
Randi giggled. “Don’t remind me.” She paused. “Might be fun to have it at the wedding.”
“Wedding?” Jess’s voice must have carried into the house, because everyone stopped talking. Then Randi noticed Jordan. She shrugged her shoulders, and Jordan smiled and went back to his conversation.
“Not yet, but maybe down the road.”
“He must be some kind of a kisser for you to think marriage after just one.”
“I’ve had several thoughts, but it isn’t time yet.”
“Right. You’re bad—you know that? One kiss and you’re sunk. But I have to agree he’s a far better choice than Cal.”
“Don’t even go there.”
“Unbelievable. I’m so glad you didn’t marry him.”
“You and me both. I feel sorry for him. I hope he finds the Lord and saves his relationship with his child.”
Randi peeked into the living room. Only a few people remained. Jordan and Steve Healey were among them. He kept glancing out at her. “Jess, I want to talk with Jordan. Can you drive my car home tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
Randi handed her keys to Jess. “Thanks.”
They joined the others in the living room. “Can I get a lift home with you, Jordan?”
“Absolutely. But what about—?”
She held her finger to her lips, gave the international “sh” sign, then turned to Steve. “Did you come here on your motorcycle?”
“Yup.”
“Can Jordan meet you at his place?”
“Well, I don’t know. The sheriff said we weren’t supposed to leave Jordan alone.”
Randi slipped her arm around Jordan’s elbow. “He won’t be alone.”
“Ah, well,” Steve stammered.
Wayne Kearns cleared his throat. “Miranda, I believe you can use the telephone to talk with Jordan. And considering all that’s been going on, it might be best that you two not spend too much time alone. If you catch my drift.”
Perfectly. She wanted to scream.
Jordan placed his hand over Randi’s. “Excuse us for a couple of minutes.”
He led Randi out to the deck. “Honey, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I just want to spend time with you.”
He wrapped her in his arms. “And I, you. But—” He kissed the top of her head.
Randi sighed. Her head was buzzing with conflicting emotions. “I’ll call you after I get home.”
“Good. Everything is going to be all right. Trust me.”
Randi let out a nervous giggle. “I do.”
Jordan’s emotions had run the full gamut today. He could only imagine Miranda’s had done the same. Wayne Kearns in his not-so-diplomatic way was right; they shouldn’t be alone tonight. Caution seemed to be the word for the hour.
Steve had followed him home from the Kearnses’. They talked briefly; then Steve sat down on the sofa and watched the Red Sox win. Jordan placed a call to Miranda and planned to meet her for breakfast in the morning.
Jordan took a hot shower and allowed the pulsing water to work out the remaining tension in his back. Even though the sheriff believed in him, the fact still remained that Agent Wilkes believed him guilty. And the very real possibility existed that he could be set up if the agent went rogue. Please, Lord, prevent that from happening.
He called his father and told him about his developing relationship with Miranda. “Dad, I want to marry her.”
“Well, congratulations, son. Would you like your great-grandmother’s engagement ring?”
“Really?”
“Sure. Let me check with your mother. Hang on.” His father covered the phone with his hand. “Mom’s all excited. She’s picking up the extension.”
“Jordan, is this the same girl you were talking about when you were here?”
“Yes.”
His mother giggled. “I thought so. Your great-grandmother would love for your wife to wear her ring.”
“I think Miranda would like it, too. It isn’t your traditional engagement ring.”
“No, it isn’t,” his father agreed. “But if her eyes are the same color as your great-grandmother’s, I’d say it would be as beautiful on her as it was on your great-grandmother.”
“Yeah, I believe so.”
“So when do we get to meet our new daughter?” his mother asked.
“We’re not married yet. I haven’t asked her.”
“All in good time, son,” his father said. They talked for a few more minutes, and Jordan agreed to take a trip down to Boston with Miranda when things were settled in Maine concerning the missing child.
He hung up the phone, and it immediately rang. “Jordan, it’s me.”
“Miranda?”
“Yeah. Listen—I remembered something Mabel said to me. I’m going to check it out.”
“Miranda, what are you going to do? Don’t do anything foolish. Call Sheriff McKean. Tell him what you’re thinking. What are you thinking?”
“Mabel said something about new neighbors. I’m going to check out the neighbors.”
“Miranda, don’t. Let the police handle it.”
“I’ll be careful. I’ll just visit Mabel.”
“Honey, it’s late. How late does this woman stay up?”
“Half the night.”
“Miranda, please—let the sheriff do this.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I don’t like it. Please stay home.”
“Jordan, you need to trust me.”
Jordan groaned. This was the issue she had with him, and now she was turning the tables on him. “I still don’t like it.”
“I’ll be fine. I grew up playing over there. I know all those roads.”
“Be careful.”
Jordan started to pace. He rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. Duke watched him without moving. His eyes simply rolled back and forth, not missing one of Jordan’s steps. “I will. I love you.”
“I love you, too. That’s why I want you to be careful.”
“I know, and I will. I’ll call you in the morni
ng.”
“Call me when you return.”
“It will be late.”
“I don’t care. Call me.”
“Okay. Love you. Bye.”
Jordan hung up the phone and fell on his knees. “Dear Lord, protect her.”
Randi ran down the dirt road and over to Mabel’s house. No lights were on. She wouldn’t wake the older woman. She ran past the various houses that made up Mabel’s neighborhood. A large dog barked. Randi kept running. Seeing nothing, she ran back to her car and called Jordan on her cell.
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Where are you?”
“At Mabel’s. Everyone’s asleep down here.”
“Of course they are. It’s midnight. Go home, Miranda. I’m not comfortable with you being out there.”
“Okay.” She turned on the car engine and popped the car into gear. “I’m heading home now.”
In her rearview mirror, she saw a porch light come on at one of the houses. She continued to head back toward town.
“Miranda?”
“Huh? Oh, I’m fine. Sorry. A porch light went on. I was trying to catch someone in the rearview mirror.”
“Honey, call Sheriff McKean.”
“I will in the morning. ‘Night, Jordan. Sorry for the disappointment.”
Jordan let out a nervous chuckle. “I’m glad you’re all right. These people abduct children for money. They can’t be real nice, reasonable people.”
She hadn’t really thought about that. She’d only been thinking about Jordan and how to help him. “You’re right. I’ll call the sheriff.”
“Good. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” They hung up, and she called the sheriff’s office. The answering machine came on. She left a detailed message about what Mabel had said about her new neighbors and hung up.
By the time she returned home, Agent Wilkes was standing at her door. “Are you insane?”
“Good evening to you, Agent Wilkes.”
“Look, lady. I don’t care what you think of Jordan Lamont or me, but you can’t go running off in the middle of the night looking for trouble. Didn’t your parents teach you anything?”
“Nothing happened. I’m fine.”
Trespassed Hearts Page 14