by Kim Turner
Aaron held her by both arms, his green eyes clear and sure. “Sarah’s gonna take the children and go to her sister’s and from there they are going someplace we have no idea about. We have to get the children out of here.”
Jenna was already shaking her head. “I can’t…let Mason…”
Aaron’s voice went up an octave. “Look at me. We have to get the kids to safety. This is the only way. Sarah will have her sister’s help and move every few days and even we won’t know where. Gabe and Tuck were on Vince’s men this morning.”
“Oh, God, Aaron. How can we…” Jenna wanted to scream. She couldn’t part with her son, and at the moment she couldn’t even breathe.
“Jenna, think about it. If we don’t even know where they are then neither will Hanson,” Aaron tried to convince her, his green eyes so intense it reminded her of when he’d first been injured.
“He’s looking for me, so I stay here.” It wasn’t a question but a statement and he was right. If she parted with Mason he was safer even if she thought she might implode with pain. “All right, but what do we do?” She was all Mason had except for Brianna and—Aaron.
“You and I are gonna stay right here until we hear from Tuck.” Aaron walked across the room and lifted a tan box high on a shelf and pulled a nine millimeter pistol from it, shoving it in the back of his jeans.
He held Jenna’s gaze. “Tuck will be here any minute. I need to know what you’re thinking, babe.”
Jenna held his gaze a moment longer and went into the kitchen past Sarah. She held her tears, not wanting to scare Mason or Lily and sat on the floor by their small table.
“Jenna, we are going on a trip and Mason gets to go with us to play.” Lily was all smiles.
Jenna gave the best smile she could. “I know, and it will be so much fun.” She touched Mason’s dark curls and leaned to kiss him, inhaling deeply the sweet baby scent of him.
Her son grinned and dipped his pancake in syrup and licked the syrup off. Moments from now he would no longer be where she could touch him and rock him to sleep at night and play with him during bath time. Maybe she would never see him again but if that were the case it was much more the reason to allow Sarah to take him.
Behind her, Aaron and Sarah scrambled up and down the stairs, getting last minute things together and adding them to the pile where she’d left Mason’s suitcase. She studied her son with his bright eyes and dark curly hair, his sweet face, her best friend since the day she’d given birth. There was no love like that of a mother she supposed and in keeping him safe; she would pay any price, even her own life if that is what it took. She tugged him into her lap, him being oblivious of anything save his yummy breakfast. She placed her cheek to his dark hair and wept silent tears, memorizing the feel of his pudgy body and the weight of him in her lap. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but Aaron’s words broke her thoughts.
“Tuck’s here.” He touched her shoulder.
She stood then, with Mason in her arms as Lily scampered off, excited about the trip.
“Grandma, we are gonna fly in the plane right now?” Lily lifted her Teddy bear and walked over to hand Mason his ruddy little lion.
“Yep.” Sarah set Jenna’s bag aside as Tuck came inside and began carrying bags out.
Jenna nodded to him and while she’d seen him on the set a couple of times, his eyes held the same worry as Aaron’s. She hugged Mason tighter and closed her eyes. With Sarah, Aaron, and Tuck busy loading bags, she had this last moment.
“Baby. Mason.” He looked up at her with a grin, hugging the lion close. He had no clue what was going on and he was so young. How would he understand she wasn’t there and for how long? “Mama loves you so much, you are such a big boy, be good, Mason. Always be good.” With that she hugged him to her to the point he tried to wiggle away but offered her his lion for a kiss.
She laughed then and kissed the stuffed animal with animation and then kissed him. That was how she would do it. Let Aaron take him to Sarah while he was happy and laughing. She kissed him again as Aaron came back inside.
He shook his head, the pain clear on his face. It was as hard for him to send Lily away. “This is the right thing, Jenna.”
“I know.” She held Mason tighter as he chewed on the lion’s tail, drooling. It was only a whisper as she handed her son off to him and followed to the door.
Mason went without issue, glancing outside and giggling as Aaron handed him off to Sarah, who sat in the back of Tucks work truck with both children. Somehow, she’d thought she might simply collapse and fall to the floor in tears, but in handing off her son for his safety, she found strength inside herself she hadn’t been sure she owned.
Her heart raced so hard in her chest. If this had gotten so bad she had to send Mason off to somewhere safe, then it was time for it to end one way or the other. She would run no more and she would take charge of what she could to make sure her son didn’t live a life on the run. When Tucker’s truck had disappeared from sight, she turned to hold Aaron’s gaze. “This ends now.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Aaron sat on the front porch, using a small saw he’d taken from the barn to cut away the plaster cast to his wrist and hand. It was early, the sun peeking across the horizon and he’d slept little, holding Jenna close most all night. White dust flew as he angled the cast to where he could saw through at his thumb. It had been almost six weeks and it was time to get the darn thing off.
He coughed and clutched his ribs, still tender, but better for the most part. He glanced out across the ranch for a second. Gabe had called earlier to say Tuck had run across two men near the set but hadn’t been able to tail them close enough to get an I.D., though they were the same men from the day before.
The plan was for Jenna and him to continue life as usual, going to the set during the day and returning to the ranch at night after work. He wasn’t sure anything was safe, though Tuck had sent Sarah, her sister, and the children off at the airport with no trouble.
Not knowing where Lily was crushed him, but he suspected it was far worse for Jenna, worrying over Mason. The seriousness of the situation was out of control and he’d resorted to carrying pistols and hiding weapons around the ranch, as well as in the camper and barn on the set. He’d offered Jenna a small gun for her purse, but she’d opened her bag, showing him the one she already carried. The fact she carried a gun wasn’t a surprise to him. They were in a great deal of danger with Hanson knowing where the ranch was located, and while he’d planned on hiding out at the cabin, it seems not having transportation other than horses left them at possible risk.
“Doctors hate it when you do that.” Jenna appeared on the porch, fully dressed and sipping a cup of coffee. She’d probably not slept any better than had he, but she looked as pretty as he’d ever seen her.
He smiled. “Docs charge another fifty bucks to do what I can do for free.”
She walked closer and set her cup on one of the tables, taking the saw. “Let me, I do this all the time, though a cast cutter makes it much less dangerous.”
He held his casted arm out. “Did you sleep?”
“Some.” She began at the wedge of plaster between his thumb and first finger. “I should have pressed full charges back then and ended this.” She focused on the sawing, wiggling the piece of plaster until it gave as she tugged it away.
“He’s got a few murders behind him. Likely it would have been you if you had fought him then. Tuck and Gabe said to go about our day so they can track us and see about finding Hanson and the men with him. Won’t seem as anything is different or out of the ordinary,” he answered. “I suppose that means we both go on to the set, even though you’ve not been, you’re staying with me. Filming for this season is winding up and you can pack up your clinic.”
He dug in his pocket, lifting the dragonfly pendant Tucker had given to him. “You need this all the time so we can know if you are in trouble and where you are. Just push the button here if you need us, but it�
�s best you aren’t alone.”
Jenna took the pin. It looked as simple as any other piece of cosmetic jewelry. “I hope I never need it, but…”
“Listen, it’s best. Tuck waited at the airport and made sure Sarah and the children boarded with no problem. She’ll meet her sister somewhere, best we have no idea. I’d thought the cabin might be best, but if he knows the ranch, then it wouldn’t take long to figure out the cabin.” He waited as she sawed with effort down the length of his arm and then lay the saw aside.
“I’ll do what you think best, Aaron.” She used both thumbs to pry the cast apart and he lifted his arm from it.
Damn, he remembered this, the soreness that went with being cast free and the limited movement. His wrist hurt like hell in trying to bend it. He let out an exasperated sigh at the effort.
She rubbed his arm and hand gently. “It takes a bit when you come out of a cast, maybe a wrap or brace for a time.”
He shook his head. “It’ll get there. And soon enough this whole thing will be over.”
She nodded and smiled, still sitting beside him. “If we ever see the other side of this, Aaron, I’m going to be a stay at home mom and love Lily and Mason every day as they grow up. I won’t miss one breath of loving you all the while.”
He wanted to chuckle but drew her closer. “I swear to you on my last breath, we’ll have that, like you want it.”
“I feel like my chest will cave in without Mason. And Lily for that matter.” She glanced at the horses who had ambled up to the fencing by the barn, surprised that Maxus was there too. “Maxus is in the corral.”
“He seemed interested in following the others so I turned him out. It’s hard missing Lily too, but Sarah’s good with them and this is the right thing.” He gripped her hand tighter. “Come on, we’ll head to the set, have breakfast with Sally. One step at a time. Tuck and Gabe are tracking us in Amos’ old truck. I gotta check on Thor, pack up the barn and you the clinic. Horace wants to close the set by the week’s end. It’ll keep us busy.”
With that, he led her inside. Neither of them would likely be of much use, but he needed to check on the horse and wait for anything from his brother or Tuck. Going to the set was dangerous but so was sitting idle on the ranch. He’d thought about sending Jenna somewhere like he had Sarah and the children, but she was the lure to get Hanson to crawl out of the hole where he was hiding and this time he’d be ready.
****
Jenna glanced into the early afternoon sun coming across the set. Her nerves had eased little during the day but going through a bit of routine gave her moments where she was distracted, though missing Mason caused her moments of physical pain and panic. Her only solace was knowing this was the only way she could keep him safe. And that was all that mattered if it came down to it, even if moments of panic took her. She supposed it would be this way, pretending and trying to survive one day at a time. Aaron had barely let her go to the bathroom alone, much less spend this few minutes packing up her clinic, which was in the middle of the busy hustle to close up the set for season’s end.
There had been a bit of jubilation from all those working the set, given The Bounty Hunter Series had been picked up for the next season. Aaron was as happy with that as was she was, since Horace had made time to run by the tent and speak to her. He’d let her know that she was indeed welcomed back to the second and future seasons if she still wanted the position. She nodded and accepted her last payment of which he’d paid her in full. She hadn’t expected that with the time she’d missed, but she would love to see her life back to normal and she had enjoyed working on the set.
She bagged up the linen dressings and tossed the bag in the box of items she needed to lock away in the cabinet for the season’s end. It was hard to imagine that her life might be normal again by the time filming started again next year. She went to the metal cabinet and hesitated. She’d once opened it to find flowers from Vince. Well, she wasn’t afraid anymore, she couldn’t be if she wanted her son and her life back. She slammed open the cabinet doors, finding what she expected, the other supplies she’d put there a while back.
She glanced around, having boxed up most of the items she used. Those closing off the campus would be around to rope off and tidy up each of the tents and buildings before the day was out.
“Well, that does it.” She turned to go, walking back toward the camper, wondering if Aaron had returned from where he’d gone to meet with the breakdown crew about needs for next season. She’d been surprised he had let her pack up her clinic alone; though he had walked her there to make sure she was safe.
She entered the camper and locked the door behind her. The camper was warm and inviting against the chill and she took a deep breath thinking of Mason and Lily. Thank God they had Sarah to help, and while not having Mason with her, she wasn’t worried of his care with Sarah. Having him safe was enough. She walked into the tiny bedroom and tugged off her jacket glancing at the clock. It was after one and it would be a while until they headed back to the ranch.
She grabbed a towel from the floor and lifted one of Aaron’s shirts off the back of the chair, folding it. She set the shirt on the dresser and stepped into the tiny bathroom and froze.
Flowers. Again.
Her body shook as she forced herself not to make a sound, tears welling in her eyes. The tiny flowers were in a ceramic blue elephant vase as if for a newborn. Her knees wanted to buckle and her heart skipped a beat but she took a breath and snatched the card open.
‘When the bough breaks’
She crumbled to the floor, holding her mouth to keep her cries quiet. What if Vince had Mason, had discovered Sarah and the children.
“Oh, God, Mason…” She shook her head hard. It wasn’t likely Vince had found Mason but this was proof enough Vince was still here. She turned a full circle and thought hard. There was little possibility Vince would know anything about where the children had been taken as they didn’t even know. But there was something she needed to do without Aaron’s knowledge. She had one task to complete and she had to do it without Aaron.
She stuffed the flowers, card and all into the kitchen trash and grabbed her purse and jacket, thinking she could beg forgiveness later. Searching at a frantic pace she located Aaron’s keys and opened the camper door, glancing all around. She had to slip away for a few hours without Aaron knowing, even if he would be angry she hadn’t followed orders.
Frightened for Mason, she brushed the tears away and stepped outside, trying to act as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Tossing her purse into the front seat of Amos’ beat up truck she cranked it and, looking behind her, backed it away from the camper and off to the road behind the set buildings. She had to get to the bank and glanced at her watch. Plenty of time, though she needed to hurry.
Amazed she made it out of the set without much notice; she hit the pavement and made her way onto the highway back toward her apartment. Tears rimmed her eyes, but she wiped them with the sleeve of her jacket and increased the speed of the old truck. She had put her son in protection and now she would make sure of one last thing, in case things didn’t go the way they needed to.
“Oh, Aaron will be so angry, but this won’t take long and I need it done.” But he would have never allowed what she was about to do and once it was done there wouldn’t be anything he could do to change things.
That Vince had gotten flowers all the way into Aaron’s camper meant he could get anywhere and as they had all suspected, the showdown was coming. She slammed the old truck into fourth gear and squeezed tighter to the steering wheel glancing in the review mirror as she put on Aaron’s sun glasses.
“This one thing, please God.” She spoke to herself as she pulled off the exit and into town, the ride giving her too much time to think. She rode past her apartment building twice making sure no one was around, before pulling the truck in and parking it behind the row of buildings where she, Brianna and Ms. Lucy lived. She waited inside the truck, gathering her shredded nerves
and then stepped outside, putting on one of Amos’ baseball caps to cover her face. Climbing the stairs on the back side of the building she skirted to the front and used her key to enter her apartment, her heart pounding.
She glanced around, the toys all over the floor reminding her of Mason. The longing for her old life was so profound she lifted one of Mason’s shirts and smelled it. No, she didn’t have time to cry now. Running to her bedroom she opened the small jeweled case in her sock drawer and lifted the key to the safety deposit box.
She raced to the kitchen and opened several cans of cat food for Bodi who was tangling his way around her legs, meowing in rapid succession. She bent, setting the large bowl of canned food on the floor, the old cat raising his back as she rubbed a hand down to his tail. “Oh, Bodi…Tuck will look after you. I hope you are being nice when he feeds you.”
She stood again, lifted the key, and stuck it in the pocket of her jeans. She grabbed Mason’s shirt from the table where she’d tossed it and folded it into the pocket of her jacket. Trotting to the refrigerator she opened the freezer and dug for a packet of tin foil and shoved it inside her purse. There was five-thousand dollars along with a new identity hidden there, should she need it. She wasn’t planning on changing who she was anymore, but she wanted to give Aaron the money, as he’d sent Sarah off with all the cash he had.
She turned once more to survey her home. For a moment she thought to crumble, fall apart over the idea that Vince was aware of Mason. She’d known she should have told him about his son, but with how things were, she had full proof that would have been a terrible idea. Mason deserved a father, not a mentally deranged stalker who was now in trouble with the law.
She slipped back into the old truck without being noticed, still wearing Aaron’s sunglasses and Amos’ hat. She cranked the old engine and, shifting into drive, pulled the sputtering vehicle out onto the main road headed for the bank at the end of Great Falls.