by Karen Ward
******
I helped Jenny clean up the kitchen while Jason tended to the baby and Jacob put Dani to bed. "Goodnight Pumpkin," he says.
"Daddy, is Jana really going to live with us forever?" Dani asks.
Jacob carefully considers his response because he doesn't know for sure how long Jana will stay, "I don't know Dani. She is going to stay at least for a while. Can we try to be happy for however long she does stay?"
"All right Daddy, but I want her to stay forever," responds Dani.
After her Daddy leaves her room, Dani smiles happily. Jana is staying and her Daddy seems to like her more now. He held her hand at dinner tonight and told her he wanted her to stay. He is going to love Jana just like she does. Yes, Jana will be her Mommie. She just has to be patient.
******
Later that night after everyone else is in bed, Jacob joins me in the great room where a fire is smoldering in the grate. He sits on the couch next to me and places his arm around my shoulders pulling me close to his side. Surprised by the show of affection, I look up into his eyes, "Jacob?"
He tenderly strokes a finger down my cheek and a streak of fire roars through his veins as he lowers his head brushing his lips against mine. My breath catches at the contact of his lips and my hand rises to his nape, my fingers tangling in his hair. Jacob continues to nibble at my lips, tasting, savoring, then his tongue slips inside my bottom lip. Fire shoots through my veins and a moan escapes my lips.
Jacob pulls away slightly; then turns me so that I am lying across his lap. He lowers his head again as his arms pull me close against his chest. My mouth opens for him and his tongue slips inside. He sips, he plunders, and he explores every corner and crevice drinking deeply of my unique taste. She is so sweet, so responsive, why did he wait so long? Breathless, he pulls away and presses my head to his chest, brushing his lips in my hair. As our breathing returns to normal, he whispers, "You are so sweet and you feel so perfect in my arms. You scare the life out of me."
"I know. I'm scared too. I've never had this strong reaction to anyone before."
He holds me close for a long time without talking. He slowly strokes his hand up and down my spine. Then he puts a finger under my chin and raises my face to his. He lowers his lips to mine and kisses me warmly, "I think I should walk you to your room now. I think we need to take this slow, don't you?"
I nod, "Yes." I rise off the sofa and wait for Jacob to rise then we walk hand in hand up the stairs.
When he leaves me at my door with a chaste kiss, I watch him as he continues down the hall into his room. He is so gorgeous and boy can he kiss! I have read about sexual chemistry and that must be what Jacob and I share. I have never had such a strong response to a man before. I went from zero to eighty in one second flat with the first touch of his lips on mine. Wow! I can't wait until we are intimate. Wait! What if it doesn't work out Jana? Will you be able to survive an affair with Jacob?
Jacob heads straight from Jana's door to the master bath where he steps into the icy cold shower. Man oh man! That was some kiss! He knew they were going to be spectacular together but the reality is so much more than he expected. A few more minutes and he would have taken her right on the sofa in the great room. He can't believe how quickly he responded to Jana. He could absolutely lose himself in her. It scares the life out of him!
CHAPTER 7
With only a few weeks left until Christmas, everyone is extremely busy at the ranch. Jacob and Jason have promised to have ten horses ready for pickup in two weeks and they are working long hours to make sure all are well trained and ready for pickup.
Dani's Christmas play at school is scheduled for Friday and she is very excited. Dani is to be an angel which I think suits her perfectly. Jenny and I are busy creating Dani's costume along with helping her practice her lines, baking cookies, purchasing presents, and decorating the house.
On Wednesday afternoon, someone knocks on the front door and I hurry from the kitchen to answer. As I swing open the door, my breath catches and a look of surprise covers my face. Standing on the threshold is none other than Barry Farrady, Academy Award winning movie star.
"H..H..Hello." My heart is pounding with surprise.
His face breaks into a huge grin, "Well, hello. What a pleasant surprise! I am Barry Farrady and I'm looking for Jacob."
"Hi, Come in, I'm Jana Bowen. Jacob is down at the barn. Make yourself comfortable and I'll call him for you."
I lead the way into the great room. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Jana, who is at the door," calls Jenny.
"A beer would be great." answers Barry.
"Excuse me," I say as I hurry back to the kitchen. "It's Barry Farrady. He's looking for Jacob."
Jenny looks at me dismay on her face, "You're kidding, right?"
"No, it's him, in the flesh."
"You'd better call Jacob. He's not going to be happy. Here, let me have that, I'll carry him his beer," says Jenny.
I place the call to Jacob who tells me he is on his way. It surprises me when both Jacob and Jason walk into the house.
Jacob extends his hand, "Barry, it's good to see you again. What brings you to Wyoming?" He then walks to my side and places his arm firmly around my waist. Jana notices Jason has encircled Jenny's waist as well.
A red flush slowly crawls up Barry's neck at their not too subtle statement of possessiveness, "Well, honestly, I need a few days away. I hope you don't mind my dropping in unannounced. I also want to take a look at the property you told me about. I need somewhere to get away on a regular basis."
Jacob responds honestly, "You are always welcome here Barry. I hope you left the Paparazzi in Los Angeles though."
"Excuse me please, I need to go pick up Dani at the bus stop," I say as I leave the room.
"I hope so too. I flew into Cheyenne last night after midnight and drove over today. I don't think I was followed but you know how they can be." answers Barry.
"Unfortunately, I do" responds Jacob.
******
As I reach the end of the drive where the bus always stops to drop off Dani, I notice a strange van parked a few hundred yards down the road. I am a little apprehensive remembering Sam Willard is still around somewhere. The bus is stopping as I get out of the car. Dani jumps down and heads toward me. All of a sudden several people jump out from behind bushes and cameras start flashing.
Dani screams and freezes. It seems to me that everything is happening in slow motion. Terrified for the child, I bolt toward Dani and scoop her into my arms. My heart is pounding as I rush back to the car with reporters calling questions at me and flashes blinding me as Dani's screams fill the air. I drop Dani into the passenger seat and jump behind the wheel. Gravel sprays behind the car as I head back to the house. Dani is still screaming. My heart is pounding with fear and tears are sliding down my face.
The minute Jana pulls to a stop, Jacob hears his daughter. "Aw hell!" He bolts from the room and down the steps pulling open the car door and enclosing Dani in his arms. "I'm sorry Pumpkin."
He looks up and sees that Jana is shaking with tears running down her face. He picks up Dani and walks to the other side of the car where he encloses Jana in his warm embrace also. "I'm so sorry. I'll get some security guards to keep them under control."
When we walk back in the house, Jason is on the phone with the security firm they used after Beverly's death. They promise to have guards at the ranch within the hour. Jacob thinks this may work out for the best. The extra security will be welcome, at least until they know about Sam Willard. Plus, he is sure to stay away as long as the press is all over the place. He hopes the FBI manages to catch him soon.
Barry is sitting on the couch with his head hanging. "I'm sorry man. You know I would never hurt Dani intentionally."
Jacob answers, "I know. It's done. Let's just deal with it."
After Dani has calmed some, she looks at her Daddy and asks, "Why are they here Daddy? Why are they back?"
; "Mr. Farrady came for a visit. You remember him don't you? We're not going to let them hurt you Pumpkin. I promise." answers Jacob.
******
After that one ambush by the Paparazzi, the guards take over and everything seems to be settling into a semblance of a routine. Two guards accompany me to escort Dani all the way to and from school daily. Barry Farrady doesn't venture anywhere close to the road. Jacob is frustrated with Barry but he understands the Paparazzi are unavoidable when you are as high profile as Barry is. He knows that Barry hates them almost as much as he does. He just wishes he could get a few minutes alone with Jana. He doesn't know how she is feeling since she was ambushed two days ago.
Tonight is Dani's Christmas play. The family will be escorted by the guards and Barry will remain at the ranch. Jacob hopes to have a few minutes alone to talk with Jana.
I take Dani backstage and help her don her costume for the play then I return to the audience and slide into the chair next to Jacob. He immediately takes my hand in his and smiles warmly as he brushes his lips across my knuckles. The expected zing of electrical energy flows through both of our bodies as I smile back.
The play is a tremendous success. Dani's performance is perfect and Jacob beams with pride. As we leave the auditorium he pulls me close to his side and carries Dani on his hip. He has the warmest feeling that all is perfect in his world.
Then as they are leaving, Jason's cell phone rings. The head of the security firm informs Jason of a break in at the ranch. Jana's room and car have been ransacked but nothing else seems to have been disturbed. Evidently, Barry heard a noise upstairs and when he went to investigate he scared the burglar off.
When Jason disconnects the call, he pulls Jacob away from the others and whispers the information the security chief had told him. "Damn!" says Jacob. "He must be desperate to find something to come onto the ranch with all of the security and the press hanging around. I hope the fact that he waited until he thought everyone was gone means he isn't interested in Jana or Dani. I better call Tom so he can inform the FBI."
"Tom, Jacob Murray. We had a little incident at the ranch tonight. Jana's car and room were ransacked. It sounds like Sam Willard is right here in Cody."
"I'll let my contact know. They'll be at your ranch within hours. I hope the guy is still around. I would love to get him off the streets." responds Tom.
"Thanks Tom."
"Jacob, don't leave her alone for a second. This guy is ruthless and if he is after something that she has, he won't stop at killing just her. You are all in danger."
"We already have a security firm on site, but I will double their presence and I will personally stay with Jana." says Jacob.
"Have the FBI check for explosives in the house and the car. He has been known to use them on occasion. I'll keep you posted," says Tom.
Jason places the call to the security firm. Jenny and I are curious about what is going on but don't say anything in front of Dani. Once they are back at the house and Dani is safely in bed, Jacob explains to Barry, Jenny and I about Sam Willard. Extra guards have been assigned to watch the house and everyone will stay inside. The FBI swept the house with a bomb sniffing dog but didn't find anything. Hopefully they will catch up with Willard soon.
When I check my room, I find that my money, twenty thousand dollars is missing. I tell the FBI. Oh God! What am I going to do now? That is all I have left in the world. It is supposed to be my stake when I find my new home. Why didn't I open an account at a local bank? I should have known better than to leave that kind of money just lying around. Damn!
When Jacob hears the money is missing he puts two and two together. Sam Willard thinks Jana has the seventy thousand dollars that Cybil had withdrawn from her accounts. If he thinks she has the rest of the money, he will be back. Damn!
******
I have been very careful to make sure I am never alone with Barry Farrady. Jenny told me about an incident during Farrady's trial that had caused a major misunderstanding between her and Jason. Barry is not a bad guy. He would never try to steal someone away from one of his friends, but Jason had witnessed a situation where Barry had been examining Jenny's hand for a splinter. Jason had thought he was kissing her palm and flew into a rage. Obviously, Jason and Jenny had worked through the problem, but Jenny had warned me to be very careful. The Murray brothers can be very possessive.
On Saturday morning following Dani's play, I am busy cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Barry comes into the kitchen to get a cup a coffee and accidentally bumps into me as I turn from the stove and he is passing behind me to get to the coffee maker. Barry automatically reaches out to grasp my shoulders to steady me. As luck would have it, Jacob walks in at the same time and assumes the worst. Barry apologizes to me, takes his coffee and leaves the room. He doesn't witness what happens next.
I have turned back to the stove when Jacob approaches, "Well, it seems I walked in at the wrong time, doesn't it? Sorry I interrupted your little tete-a-tete. "
I look at him with my mouth hanging open. "Don't be ridiculous!" I turn back to the stove shaking my head.
"Well, what would you call it then? It certainly looked like the two of you were engaged in a romantic embrace!" growls Jacob.
Slowly, I remove the skillet from the burner and remove the half baked biscuits from the oven. I turn and look Jacob straight in the eye, "You are an imbecile! I will not live with a man who has so little trust in me!" I storm out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room.
Jacob turns, grabs his coat, and stomps out the back door and goes to the barn. Unfortunately, Dani witnesses the entire encounter between her Daddy and Jana.
Oh no!! Dani is horrified. Jana and her Daddy are fighting. She runs back upstairs and softly closes the door to her room. What is she going to do? She'll never speak to her Daddy again if Jana leaves! She will never forgive him!
I am pacing back and forth in my room. I cannot believe that Jacob could think I would have anything to do with Barry Farrady. Doesn't he know I am in love with him? Well, maybe not since I haven't told him, but then again, he hasn't said how he feels about me either! In fact, he has only recently even acted like he cared for me. He's only kissed me once for heaven's sake. What right does he have to act jealous? Pausing I realize he WAS jealous! A warm rush of pleasure flows through me. He must care about me!
A knock sounds at my bedroom door. Jenny asks, "Jana is Dani in here with you?"
"No, isn't she in her room?"
"I've looked everywhere in the house and I can't find her anywhere." Looking at me for the first time she asks, "Are you all right?"
"Not really, but I will be. Come on I'll help you find Dani."
We look everywhere in the house, under every bed, in every closet and Dani is nowhere to be found. I worriedly ask Jenny, "Jenny, would you mind calling Jacob and see if maybe she is down at the barn?"
Jenny sends a puzzled glance at me but dials Jacob's cell phone as requested, "Jacob is Dani in the barn with you?"
"No, I haven't seen her this morning. Did you check her room?" answers Jacob.
"Jana and I have looked everywhere in the house. She is not in the house anywhere," responds Jenny.
Jacob says, "All right, Jason and I will be right there. Check with Barry, see if he has seen her."
"Barry hasn't seen here either. He has been in the great room watching television."
"We're on our way," responds Jacob. His heart is pounding with fear. Oh God, where could she be? Please God, don't let anything happen to Dani!
The group spends the next hour frantically searching every place they can think of around the outside. It is very cold outside with more snow forecast for later in the day. I am becoming extremely worried. With Willard somewhere in the area, what if he gets his hands on Dani? Oh God, please, keep her safe!
Finally Jacob notices little footprints in the snow headed for the garage. He follows them inside. He calls, "Dani? Are you in here?" No answer.
He starts checkin
g the vehicles one by one. When he gets to Jana's SUV he notices a lump in the back floorboard under a blanket. He opens the door and then he hears the quiet sobbing. "Dani?"
"Go away, I hate you!" Dani cries.
He reaches down and pulls her into his arms, "Pumpkin, why are you mad at Daddy?"
"You and Jana were fighting, now she is going away and I'm going with her!" sobs Dani.
"Oh Sweetie, Jana isn't leaving, she loves you. Daddy won't let her go away," consoles Jacob.
"She said she wouldn't live here if you couldn't trust her," quotes Dani almost word for word.
"Oh Dani, I'm sorry you heard our disagreement. Jana isn't leaving, Daddy won't let her leave," reassures Jacob.
"Promise?" asks Dani.
"I promise," says Jacob. "Come on, let's go inside and warm you up."
When they enter the kitchen, Dani immediately runs to me and I hug her close, "Please don't leave Jana. Daddy didn't mean to make you mad, did you Daddy?"
I look up at Jacob and sees warmth in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he says. "I really am an imbecile! Can you forgive me?"
I smile, "Of course."
Dani smiles and hugs me close. She is happy. Her Daddy apologized to Jana and she is going to stay. Maybe there is still hope that Jana can be her Mommie.
CHAPTER 8
Walking into the great room after lunch Jacob says, "Come on Barry. We are supposed to meet the realtor at the Rock Springs Ranch in a few minutes."
When the ranch adjoining the Rocking J went on the market a few weeks ago, Jacob had notified Barry Farrady of the pending sale. He is here to check out the property and possibly make an offer. Ever since Barry had first visited Jacob in Wyoming back during his trial, he has wanted to have a ranch in the area of his own. The stress of living in the public eye is unbearable at times and he can't wait to have a place where he can sneak off to and unwind.
In order to avoid the Paparazzi they take Jacob's pickup and head across the back pasture to the private gate between the two properties. When Jacob gets out of his truck to open the gate he notices new tire tracks in the snow. As far as he knows, no one has been out here in months. It must have been the guards, he will check with them when he gets back to the house. It is strange that they extend into the adjoining property though.