Just as we were finishing up eating, finally laughing and talking again, I got a phone call. It was my insurance adjuster, letting me know they would be heading out momentarily to the ranch to assess the damage. They had flown in from New York and stayed at the same hotel as me. I could only wish that Alison’s insurance adjuster was that quick to hop on things. It was starting to bother me for the first time that big money came before people who were actually in need. The barn was covered, but she could use that money to replace the other stuff I didn’t even know was lost in the fire.
“So, my insurance adjuster is on the way over to the ranch to look at those solar panels,” I said.
“That was fast,” she replied.
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “Wish Alison’s was just as fast.”
“I know, right?”
“I guess I’ll have to go over and meet with them since I took them inside and locked them up to keep them safe from the elements,” I said. “Do you want to come out there with me?”
“I would, but I have some work I really need to get done,” she said. “And then this afternoon, I want to head out to the horse rescue to see if Alison needs any help with anything. Is that okay?”
“No.” I laughed and smiled. “But I suppose I’ll have to make due.”
“Thank you,” she said, returning the smile. “I have some really big plans today.”
“Oh, yeah? Whatcha doing?”
“I have some serious filing plans.” She laughed. “I have papers stacked up to the ceiling in my office that need to be filed away in their correct folders.”
“You don’t put them in a computer?”
“No, we do, but we keep the hard copy,” she said. “I like to have it in my hand when I’m examining a patient in case I need to know something then and there.”
“Ah,” I said, shaking my head. “Old-school, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Yeah,” she scoffed. “Coming from the technology wizard, I have a hard time believing you.”
“You do what’s right for you.” I smiled, standing up. “I’ll walk you to your car at the Mexican restaurant.”
“I almost forgot I left it there,” she said.
I paid the tab and walked her, hand in hand, out to her car in the parking lot down the street. I leaned up against her van and smiled at her. She looked back at me as she pulled her keys from her purse and blushed.
“What?” She laughed.
“Just thinking about how beautiful you are, that’s all,” I said. “And how I want you to promise to meet me for dinner tonight. I don’t want to go days without seeing you. I want to start seeing you every day if I can, multiple times if it’s not too creepy.”
“Not creepy at all,” she said. “But why don’t we cook dinner at my house tonight? We’ve already eaten at the only two restaurants in town more than once.”
“That sounds nice.” I pulled her in and kissed her lips. “Though we haven’t had the culinary stylings of the Saloon yet. I’m sure they have killer cheese fries.”
“Actually, they are cheese tater tots. And I don’t go in there.”
“Why? Don’t like dirty kitchens and frozen gourmet cooking?”
“No, as a matter of fact, I don’t.” She laughed. “But I haven’t set foot in that place since I found out Janson was cheating on me with not one but two of the waitresses employed there. Thought it might be a tad awkward, and it was his stomping grounds.”
“Ugh.” I grimaced. “Seriously, that guy is an asshole.”
“Was an asshole,” she pointed out.
“Very true, but still, I hope someone kicks his ass six ways from Sunday while he’s in jail,” I said. “He’s a terrible human being all around. I’m struggling to understand how you ever started dating him.”
“Well, he didn’t start out like that. He hid it from me for a good while,” she said. “But his true colors showed through eventually.”
“I’m just glad that’s all behind us now, and we can look forward to the future,” I said, leaning in and kissing her lips. “But I have to go before this adjuster has a hissy fit for having to be in the middle of nowhere for too long.”
“Go,” she said, laughing and slapping my ass. “I’ll see you tonight at my house.”
“I can’t wait.” I smiled and walked over to my truck.
I climbed into my truck and headed out for the ranch. When I got there, the adjuster was standing outside in a skirt suit, swatting flies, and struggling through being out in the country. She sighed and went inside with me, going over the damages, taking pictures, and listening to the different accounts from the employees. They already had the police report, and this should finish up their investigation. When that was done, I went to my office and tried to focus on my own work until it was time to see Sara again.
It was hard to do when all I could think about was her. The night before kept blowing through my mind over and over again, the way she’d looked on that dance floor, how relieved she was to hear about Janson, and how blown away she’d been by the romantic gesture I had made. What she didn’t realize was that I wanted to spend my life doing things like that for her. I wanted to pamper her, make her feel special, and always make the effort to go above and beyond to make beautiful memories together. It was definitely a change in mindset for me from where we had started, but I didn’t regret it at all.
On top of all that, the night had been interesting for another reason. During sex, I had blurted out that I loved her. I’d meant it. I didn’t just say it because of the moment, but I was worried my execution might have been a little off. I wasn’t even sure if she had heard me because she didn’t say anything back. Of course, I didn’t give her much time since both of us exploded into orgasm as soon as I’d said it. Still, I had waited for her to bring it up all morning, but she never did. She acted almost like it never happened. But maybe she had heard me. I’d been loud and looked straight into her eyes when I said it.
I didn’t know how to think about that, thinking that she heard it and didn’t respond. Did that mean she didn’t feel the same way as me? She had to feel something for me, right? We had been around the block trying to get together, and she had taken care of me after the fire. She wouldn’t just keep going out with me and hanging out with me if she didn’t have some sort of feelings for me. I swore I’d seen the look of love in her eyes when we were dancing that night, and I never mistook that look. It was the one that, in the past, would have made me run for the hills, but not with Sara. With Sara, it only made me want her that much more.
I couldn’t let this go. I was going to get a hold of her that night and just kiss her over and over again until she admitted she loved me as much as I loved her. I knew it was in there. It was just a matter of making her feel comfortable enough to say it. I wanted to hear it so badly that I couldn’t really think of anything else. When she finally caved and admitted her feelings, that’s when I was going to completely buckle and take that girl to the church and make her my wife. There was no other woman in the world for me. I knew that without a doubt, and marrying Sara would make me the happiest man in the world.
Chapter 64
Sara
I had to admit, despite my thoughts the night before about everything, I was really excited to be cooking Ryan dinner that night. It would be a nice, relaxing dinner at home. I had spent the day getting all my filing finished and then headed over to the stables to work with the horses. I had been in a good mood all day and even opened up to Alison about how I was feeling. She was happy for me.
When I pulled into the driveway, I sighed relief, not seeing any sign of Janson’s handiwork. It was nice living without fear like that. I jumped out of the van and opened the side door, grabbing the bag of groceries out and propping it in my arms. I had several files to carry in the house, too, figuring I could get some studying done on a new cow that had been impregnated on the farm on the other side of town. My arms laden, I struggled up to the door and unlocked it. Just as I swung it
open and stepped one foot inside, I heard a rustle in the bushes. Normally, I wouldn’t think very much of that, probably a squirrel, but this time, for some reason, it caught me wrong. I took two quick steps inside and turned to shut the door quickly. Before I could even get my hand on the doorknob, a figure appeared, rushing forward and pushing me down the hall.
I lost my balance and watched as the groceries flew from my hand scattered out across the ground. The bottle of wine smashed inside the bag, little pieces of glass flying upward. I hit the ground and bounced a couple of feet, feeling pain shoot up through my back. I lay down and groaned slightly, trying to stand up when I realized someone was still there with me. Before I could, though, there was a man over me, wrestling my arms to my sides. I looked up into Janson’s eyes and fear flooded my stomach.
“Stop struggling,” he groaned.
“Fuck,” I screamed out, pulling my arm free.
Without thought, I reared back and slapped him as hard as I could in the face. When he sat up and grabbed his cheek, I punched him in the gut. He doubled over for just a moment, and I took advantage of that, pushing him over and crawling to my feet. My head was spinning, but I ran as fast as I could for the door, trying to find the keys in my pockets.
“Stop,” he screamed, the sound of a gun cocking behind me.
I stopped in my tracks and put my hands up in the air, knowing exactly what had happened. I slowly turned back around him, and he had a pistol pointed right at my chest. I froze, not moving another inch, feeling my heart pounding wildly in my chest. A million questions blew through my mind, and for the first time ever, I actually thought he would pull that trigger and shoot me where I stood. There was a look of desperation in his eyes, something I hadn’t seen from him before.
“Janson,” I said carefully. “You don’t need to do this.”
“Shut the fuck up,” he yelled. “Get your ass over here, slowly.”
“All right,” I said. “I’m coming.”
Carefully, I started to move toward him, one slow step at a time. He waved his gun, signaling for me to pick up the pace, but that was as fast as my body was letting me move. I could see that muscle right below his eye twitching under the skin and as I got closer, and his finger tightened on the trigger. I had no way to fight him. He was too strong, and I wasn’t putting it past him to shoot and kill me if I refused whatever he wanted. When I got close enough, he reached up and grabbed me tightly by the neck. I grimaced as he pulled me toward him, digging his rough, calloused fingers into my skin.
“We’re going to go for a little ride,” he said, smelling like alcohol and cigars.
He turned me around to face the door and shoved me slightly. Quietly, he walked up behind me, and I could feel the barrel of his gun pressed firmly against my back. I didn’t think I had ever been this scared in my entire life. Sure, I was scared of getting shot, but he was capable of much worse than that.
“Now walk,” he whispered. “And act natural, or I’ll kill you on the spot.”
I nodded my head up and down and walked out of the house, letting him guide me to my car which was parked to the side of the driveway. I barely drove it anymore, having the van, and most people wouldn’t automatically recognize me in it. I beeped the locks as we approached, and he pushed me into the driver’s seat.
“Scoot over to the passenger seat,” he growled.
I kept my hands up, nodding my head and moving over the gear shift and into the passenger seat. I watched as he climbed his big body into my small car and pushed the seat back as far as it would go. He closed his doors and looked over at me angrily.
“Give me the keys,” he growled.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys, my hand shaking as I handed them over to him. I pulled my hand back quickly as he snatched them from me, keeping his gun pointed at me as he turned on the car. He put it in reverse and backed out of the driveway, heading out of town. I looked down at the gun he had in his hand, now resting on his leg, his finger still tightly around the trigger. I looked out the window, trying to figure out where we were going.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping one eye on his gun. “I heard you got arrested.”
“You did?” He chuckled, an evil smile on his face. “Funny thing about being sheriff is you tend to make friends in all kinds of places. I still have buddies on the state police force. We’ve known each other since the Academy. One, in particular, owed me a favor and looked the other way while I was being processed. It was pretty easy once I was out of there. I just had to hotwire me a car and drive back to town. With everyone at breakfast this morning, no one noticed me walking through town.”
I was disgusted he had some bad cop, who was probably scared of him, set him free just so he could come back and take me hostage. Who could you trust if you couldn’t trust cops to do their damn jobs? I hadn’t actually thought there were cops like that out here, besides Janson, of course. I thought it was just something in the movies. Apparently, I was more than wrong, and at that point, no one knew where I was.
“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to figure it out.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about location,” he said. “That’s all irrelevant. What you need to know is you’re going with me so that I can teach you a lesson. Do you know what you’ve done or are you too stupid to see it? You got me arrested and fired from my position. You took my entire life away from me and all for that disgusting piece of trash boyfriend of yours. Now, though, you’re going to get what’s coming to you. You didn’t actually think you would get away with this, did you?”
“I didn’t get you arrested,” I said with a shaking voice.
“No, I suppose you didn’t do it directly. Your little boyfriend did it, but you’re the one who caused him to be back in town,” he said. “And you were, I’m sure, egging him on to do something about me.”
I was terrified, and my hands were shaking so hard that clutching them together did no good. I had to get out of this situation, and I had to figure out how to do it fast. I had a feeling he was going to kill me, and I wasn’t ready to go down like this. That’s when it hit me. I still had my phone in my pocket. I had stuck it in there when I got out of the car. I moved my hand to my side and nonchalantly pushed on my pocket feeling it inside. I glanced over at Janson, but he was focused on the road. As slowly as I could, I slipped my hand inside of my pocket and pulled out my phone. I quickly moved it down beside me and looked out at the road, seeing a sign. With one hand, and only quick half glances, I got the phone unlocked and managed to pull up the text screen. I paused for a moment when he coughed, looking straight out the window in front of me.
He shifted in his seat but kept his finger on the trigger of that gun. I closed my eyes for a moment in panic, trying to pull my thoughts together. I had to be smart about this, or he might kill me right then and there. I wanted to call 911, to get help immediately, but I knew he would be able to hear the call, even if I put it on silent. There was no other way to contact them in that small town, so I had to come up with another idea, and I had to do it fast.
I glanced down at my phone and looked at the last text I had sent. It was to Alison, telling her about the date I had that night. Carefully, I clicked on the text and opened the screen. One letter at a time with big pauses in-between I typed out a text to her.
“help Janson kidnap Route 2—”
He cleared his throat and looked up over at me, snickering and looking back at the road. I let out a quiet breath and closed my eyes again, knowing I needed to finish this text. It was going to be the difference between finding me and not, and I didn’t want to die out there. I glanced back down at the phone just as Janson looked over at me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he said, raising his gun. “Give me the damn phone. Give it to me now, or so help me, I’ll fucking blow your brains out right now.”
I slid my finger over to the send button and then hit the power button before he could get it from me. I handed ov
er to him, and he snatched it right out of my hand, trying to see who I texted but the lock screen was back up. Sadly, I wasn’t able to type in the last zero, so they probably thought I was on Route 2, not Route 20. He had an old hunting cabin out there, and it wouldn’t be hard to find. It was the only place along Route 20 for miles.
“You think you’re so goddamn smart,” he yelled, putting the gun in his lap. “You think I’m just a dumb redneck. Well, I’ll show you just how not dumb I really am.”
He raised his hand over his head, and I ducked, looking up as he smashed my phone over and over against the dashboard. Several pieces flew over into my lap and the screen was completely smashed. He quickly rolled down the window and tossed it out on the street, my hopes tumbling over the asphalt with it.
“Looks like I can’t trust you to do the right thing,” he said.
I turned to look at him and talk, but before I could, he punched me right in the face for good measure. All I remembered after that was everything going dark as I passed out into sweet oblivion.
Chapter 65
Ryan
My excitement was palpable, and I had been waiting all day to have dinner with Sara. When I pulled up to her house, the van was there, but I was surprised to see that her car was gone. She barely ever drove the thing. I got out of the car and looked up at the house, noticing the lights were on inside. It was strange to me, especially since she was supposed to be there to cook dinner. I headed to the back door, figuring I would take a look around before going inside, just in case the knot in the pit of my stomach was there for a reason. The yard looked perfectly trimmed as always, and I smiled at the laundry line she had hanging out back to dry her sheets. She had a dryer, but she was old-fashioned like that. I walked up to the back door and jiggled the handle, but it wasn’t locked. I pulled my face up to the glass and looked around the kitchen, but it didn’t look like she had been in there. I was about to turn and walk back to the front when I caught sight of just the corner of a grocery bag in the hallway in front of the front door. I couldn’t see because of the angle, but there was definitely something wet on there as well.
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