by Kim Turner
Who was behind this and what did that mean? That was it, she needed to have a chat with Drake Masters, star or not. Enough was enough. This wasn’t some kind of game, it was frightening. She turned and pushed through the flap running smack into Aaron and stifling a scream.
Aaron caught her by the arms to steady her. “Jenna?”
She gulped a breath and fell into his embrace. Safe, she needed to be safe. If this wasn’t Drake’s doing, then there was only Vince… Oh, God. She’d been avoiding that thought for some time, but what if he’d found her?
Aaron tugged her back from him. “What is it?”
“I…got more…flowers, Aaron.” She pushed the words free of her tightened throat, the struggle difficult.
He shook his head. “Flowers, what?”
She backed up then, trying to gain her composure, shaking her head.
“Jenna? You’re pale as a ghost, what happened?” He grabbed her by both arms. “What?”
She lifted her gaze and met his wide green eyes. “He knows I’m not interested. Why does he keep on if it is him?”
“Jenna, you’re shaking.” Aaron bent to see her better. “What about the flowers. Who?”
She shook her head. “Flowers came to my apartment and now there are more in the tent, he has to stop this. They keep coming with notes about ‘Cowboy up’ and ‘Cowboy Down.’ I don’t know why he’s doing this.”
“Wait, Drake is sending you flowers? Why?” Aaron bristled, still holding her by both arms.
“I…I don’t know, but he sent flowers to the hospital and then I got them at home and in the tent before—now here again.” Jenna handed him the card in her hand. “There was also a vase of flowers at the hospital with no card…but…”
“But what?” Aaron questioned. “Jenna, talk to me.”
“I don’t know, it’s just…” She couldn’t fathom her thoughts. It couldn’t be Vince, could it? Not after so long.
“I’ll take care of this and right damn now.” Aaron stormed from the tent.
“Aaron, wait!” She raced to catch up with him, fighting the bile in her throat. His anger could get him in a lot of trouble and if it was Drake Masters sending the flowers then a simple conversation should be enough.
“I’m putting an end to it right now.” Aaron never turned, marching with purpose passed the roped off area mark with a small sign ‘celebrities only.’
Jenna grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. “You can’t lose this job on my account, please, Aaron…please. It isn’t worth a fight.”
“You’re shaking Jenna. Scared. This is out of hand.” He shook his head.
“Let’s just make sure, please…” She could hardly make her legs do what she wanted them to do, but it wasn’t Drake she feared.
“Aaron, please.” She touched his arm, but he only glanced at her as he pounded on the door of Drake’s trailer.
Drake appeared at the door, pushing it open further, smiling ear to ear. “Hey, there.”
Jenna stepped in front of Aaron, her pulse racing. “I…Drake, I am really flattered and all, but the flowers are becoming too much and they are just not necessary. Really.”
Drake stepped outside the trailer, glancing from her to Aaron and back. “Flowers? I sent flowers to the hospital right after my fall, but…”
“Yes, and a number of others.” Aaron raised his voice. “Here, her work and her home. It stops now.”
Jenna put a hand to his chest and pushed lightly. Drake backed up, holding his hands up in innocence. “Jenna, I sent flowers to the hospital after I was injured, but I’ve sent no more. Something’s not right here?”
Aaron ran a hand through his long dark locks, narrowing his gaze on the actor. “Cut the crap, Masters.”
“Aaron, you got the wrong guy. I knew she was smitten with you that night I went to the hospital. I had flowers and pizza sent for everyone there…no more than that. Come on man, I know when a woman’s heart is taken. I told her so.” Drake glanced at her and back holding his hands up as if innocent.
Jenna’s heart dropped to the ground, her next breath coming short. A deep burning dread began in her chest and her vision wanted to blur. She was going to pass out. If it wasn’t Drake then the one other answer was—Oh, God, she had to go, she had to get Mason and leave. She backed up, holding Aaron’s gaze until she turned to run.
“Jenna?” Aaron called after her.
Urgency traced his voice as he called again and finally caught her outside the barn, spinning her around. “What is it, what, Jenna?”
She shook her head and tried to pull from him, but he held her all the tighter. She couldn’t find her voice, her breath was short, and her mind scrambled. “It can’t be…he can’t—this isn’t right…”
“Jenna, if you don’t tell me what the hell is going on.” He was losing his temper with her but she couldn’t focus. She couldn’t think. Mason, she had to get him and leave town, run somewhere, anywhere.
“I can’t.” She pulled away. This was never going to end. Never. With it not being Drake Masters sending the flowers, then it was—Vince. Why now after all this time? The money, it had to be the money. Or, worse than the money, Mason. Maybe he’d found out about his son.
He grabbed her again. “Wait, it’s him isn’t it…your ex? You think he did this? We’ll call the police.”
“No, you can’t. He’s evil, Aaron, capable of anything,” she spouted, near hysterics, losing it without a doubt.
“Let’s go back to the camper. We’ll figure it out. We will.” He took her by the arm, but the world seemed to fade. She was conscious that he lifted her and she fought to hold on tightly as he took her into the warmth of the camper. She was in shock. As a nurse, the symptoms couldn’t be mistaken, fast heart rate and rapid breathing. She had to calm down or she would do herself and her son no good. So if this was Vince, why the scare tactic? Why didn’t he come right out and say what he wanted, though she’d never part with her son.
“Lie back.” Aaron tucked a blanket around her and lifted her legs onto the couch. “I’m gonna make some calls and get to the bottom if this. I can promise you that.”
“Mason, Oh God, I have to leave, Aaron.” She tried to sit up but he held her still as he manned his phone.
“Hang on; we need to figure some things out first.” He slid a thumb across his cell phone and put it to his ear.
She nodded and did as he said; wanting to close her eyes and withdraw from the world all except for the part where she wanted her son in her arms. She needed to call Ms. Lucy and make sure Mason was all right. She lifted her phone and texted to older woman who cared for him while she worked. The happy response was quick. All was well.
Aaron explained it all to Gabe, but she couldn’t focus. His words blurred as she ran everything through her mind once more. Tears formed again and he sat on the couch with her as he talked taking her hand to reassure her. He would protect her and Mason, she had no doubts there, but if Vince had returned, they were all at risk.
****
“All deliveries have been legit and I check everyone coming through by the master list.” Doug Forest, the security guard from the set, sat at the table inside Drake Masters’ camper. It was Drake who’d called in Doug, Horace Leland, and Aaron to discuss what was going on.
“You’ve seen who delivers all the flowers?” Aaron studied the man with a hard gaze. He’d gotten Jenna back to the camper and left her on the sofa, covering her with a blanket and making her swear she would stay put. She’d said little but had promised. That she was so upset, the others probably knew there was more to the story, but it wasn’t his to tell, with Jenna not wanting the police involved and until he knew who they could trust on the set.
“Yes, sir. I don’t let anyone through that gate without the proper credentials. I stopped the florist and delivered the flowers myself. I didn’t know there was a problem in taking the flowers to Jenna’s tent. They were for her, but the delivery boy is a kid maybe sixteen or so. I don’t le
t him on the set. Drake gets flowers too, like a lot of the actors and actresses. Do the deliveries myself.” Doug glanced around at them all and rested his gaze on Aaron.
“Of course he does. I’ll make sure we beef up security around here, but like you, I’d prefer to keep to local police on the sidelines or this might end up all over the tabloids.” Horace was more than annoyed. “Gentleman, I have a series to film. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.”
“It might be best to halt flowers on the set for a while and see what happens.” Drake eyed Horace and shrugged.
Aaron nodded in agreement, unsure he trusted any one of them.
“Fine. And please let Jenna know new measures are in place.” Horace exited the trailer.
Doug was quick to follow. “I’ll stop flowers at the gate, but Drake, you get flowers every day and sometimes more than once.”
“You are welcome to have them donated to a local nursing home or something like that.” Drake followed Aaron outside his trailer.
Doug nodded and after a quick glance at them both, lifted his radio and headed back to the gate.
Aaron turned back to Drake. “Sorry for jumping to conclusions, but I’ve never seen her so frightened.” He’d studied the man, finding no hints of someone who was lying. Doug, on the other hand, was jittery, forcing himself to hold eye contact his voice wavering. Either he was scared of losing his job or knew more than he was telling.
“No worries.” Drake nodded toward the medical tent. “If I had a woman like Jenna I wouldn’t take this so lightly either.”
Aaron nodded. It was the best he could do for the moment. He wanted answers and if it wasn’t Drake, then Jenna thought it to be her ex-husband and he wasn’t sure at all what that might mean.
“I saw your jump earlier. Looked really good.” The actor lifted his brows as if amazed.
“Timing was right and it went off smooth.” He had to agree, though it seemed now the jump was the least of his worries.
“Better you than me.” Drake offered a hand and he took it briefly. “Let Jenna know we’ll pay attention to things and if I can help in any way. Anything at all.”
“Thanks.”
“See you on the set.” Drake headed off that direction on a trot.
Aaron glanced around the set as he went back toward the camper. People came and went everyday from the minimally guarded set, but it wasn’t that things were just happening at the set. Jenna had gotten flowers at the hospital and her home. If it was her ex-husband then he already knew too much. She’d been fine with confronting Drake Masters, but then he’d watched her wither like a desert rose when she realized all the flowers weren’t from him. He needed to pay attention to who was hanging around, besides the security guard; he was on the set more than anyone else due to the horses.
He entered the camper, finding Jenna still on the couch where he’d left her. She looked a little better as she sat to face him.
“Are you all right?” He sat on the couch at her feet, pulling her legs across his lap.
“I don’t know.” Her eyes were swollen from tears but at least the color had returned to her face.
“I know it’s hard but you have to tell me everything, Jenna. All of it. We won’t call the police, but Gabe’s friend, Tucker’s a P.I. and a good one.” He spoke soft but sure, thinking his brother and Tucker could just about figure out most anything.
“It has to be Vince, I’m sure of it.” She shook her head, “but why he would jeopardize his career now? He even has a new wife and her children.”
He shook his head. “He’ll have to get through me to get to you or Mason, best he doesn’t try it. Either way, Gabe and Tuck can give us a hand. But you aren’t staying alone anymore. I’m taking you and Mason to the ranch.” If her ex-husband had found out where she lived and worked, it was likely he was well aware of her visit to the ranch, but he wouldn’t know anything much at all about the cabin if it came to that.
“You can’t put your own family in danger,” she protested, shaking her head.
“You are not free to choose this one, babe.” He pushed a strand of hair back from her face and wrapped an arm around her. “What’s Vince’s last name?”
“Hanson.” She held onto him and sniffled. “Vince Hanson.”
He studied her for a moment. Jenna Wilder, the woman he loved. “You didn’t take his last name?”
She shook her head, “I did but changed my name back after the divorce was final.”
He nodded, having thought so.
“Afterward, I could hardly breathe, my ribs were broken. My mind was so foggy. I was bleeding from my nose and mouth and my eyes were so puffy I could hardly see. The police wanted me to press charges but I couldn’t out of fear I suppose.”
He took her hand in his, tracing her nails with his thumb. While he needed to know more, seeing her in this kind of pain was his undoing.
She sat back and brushed away tears. “But it was his father who came to the hospital. He said if I wouldn’t press charges he’d see to it that Vince left me alone and that he would send my personal things, allow the divorce. At the time it seemed best. I was so confused and shocked it had even happened and that I was pregnant. I hadn’t known.” She shook her head. “I made the great mistake of questioning where all the money was coming from. Large amounts were being dropped into our accounts out of nowhere and I knew it wasn’t from his father. Strange calls were coming to the house from those that seemed to have a vested interest in those funds. And one day I asked a little too much about where it was all coming from.” She sniffled and rested her elbows on her knees, drawing her hand away from his.
“Afterward, I was afraid, so afraid. So I left Atlanta for Virginia and stayed with Brianna, but I didn’t know about the money. I mean Vince’s father told me he’d send all my personal things and the money that belonged to me.”
“What money?” Aaron questioned. If she had serious money then this would explain a lot of things.
“Like money could ever…” She burst into tears.
“Jenna, what money?” He raised his tone an octave.
She lifted her head to look at him. “Brianna found the statement in the mail and brought it to me. My daddy left me a great deal of money when he died, and Vince’s father made sure I got it back. He’d opened an account in my name and put it there. But I was so afraid; I cashed it out and put it in a number of new accounts so it couldn’t be traced.”
He pulled her against him, hugging her tight, letting her sob. There was nothing worse than a woman in tears, but Jenna in tears crushed his heart right into the dirt.
“I haven’t seen him since. So I don’t understand, why now? It’s been nearly two years. What if he knows about Mason? Oh my God.” She tried to get up, but then leaned forward to cover her face with her hands for a brief second.
“Jenna, how much money are you talking about?” He had to ask to understand the full impact of the situation.
She held up two fingers as she turned to him with tears streaming her face.
“Two-hundred-thousand?” He narrowed a gaze on her.
She shook her head and whispered. “Million. Two Million—a good bit more by now.”
Aaron lifted his brows. Well, that made things quite complicated either way. “Where’s the money now?”
“In various accounts, CD’s, money market, IRAs. I was so confused and shocked. Oh my God, I have to get Mason out of here.” She stood and glanced down where his hand still held to her forearm.
“Jenna, don’t do anything in haste. I’m gonna put Tucker and Gabe on this and right now we just have to act normal, finish out the day.” He tugged her back down beside him. “I’ll get you and Mason to the ranch. If it is Vince and you run, he’ll just find you again.”
“Aaron you can’t let everything go to protect me. You have the ranch, your job here with the jump in a few days and Lily. I’ve got to be at the shoot out at the saloon in a bit.” She wiped her face. “I texted and Ms. Lu
cy and Mason are fine, but I need to get to him right after.”
“When you are off, we’ll go get Mason and pack a few things and get you to both to the ranch.” He kissed her forehead, hugging her close for a moment more. “We’re not taking any chances here and running isn’t the answer.”
If he could get her settled at the ranch, then he could protect her there. Meanwhile, he’d have Gabe and Tuck look at things, starting first with the whereabouts of Vince Hanson.
Chapter Seventeen
Jenna lay awake in Aaron’s bed, unable to sleep. It had been late when he had gotten her settled in, with Sarah more than kind to make sure she had all she needed for herself and Mason. She was a very kind woman but the worry on her face told the story. She shivered in spite of being warm, inhaling the scent of Aaron that rode the heavy covers and content that Mason slept soundly in his pack and play in Lily’s room.
Vince had to be the one behind the flowers and it had to be he’d returned for the money or, her worst of fears, Mason. Money made people crazy and it was why she’d relished in her simple paycheck, having never touched the money she hidden away. It was long after midnight and she was certain sleep wouldn’t come. Aaron had been downstairs for a few hours now discussing the issue with his brothers and Gabe’s friend, Tucker.
That alone was alarming, as she’d brought possible harm to this beautiful family and she was sure of nothing. The last she’d even read related to Vince was that he was assured a seat in the senate, victories were coming for him left and right and his new wife and her children had been in the one picture. All she could remember about that was the sorrow she felt for what the new wife likely didn’t know—yet. So if he was so successful in meeting his father’s dreams for his career, why did she or Mason even matter at this point?
Vince’s father had known of her pregnancy, but he’d sworn to keep her secret. And after he’d wired her the money that belonged to her, she’d changed her name, her accounts and anything that linked her to the past. She was now and had been for some time, Jenna Wilder. The pen name she’d planned to use one day had become her ‘real’ name and Mason’s last name as well. She’d never shared with Vince the name she was using, so how could he have found her? At times she’d been plagued with guilt of not letting Vince know he had a son, but she wouldn’t subject a child to the beating she had taken and a full escape had been the only way.