“Maybe…he was helping someone else?” Sara suggested in a low voice, that thought so horrible she shuddered all over.
“Maybe.” Jack buried his face in both hands again. “Or maybe Iʼm just losing my mind. I know I am. Why the hell didnʼt J.T. write more about it?” He cursed, mostly to himself. “Iʼm back to square one. All this time, all these months, I thought this would be it―I thought that finding the journal found finally give me the answers I needed.”
“Honey…”
Jack raised his gaze to her. “I donʼt give a fuck about revenge anymore. But, dammit, Sara, I need the truth!” He smashed a fist on the dirt beside him.
Putting the journal down, she kneeled beside him and hugged him in a tight embrace. “Honey, you have to show this journal to Brent and Nicky,” she whispered, stroking his back.
“I know. I will.”
“Today?”
“No way.” He shook his head. “I want some more time alone with you before bringing reality back into our life.”
“Jack, please, you have to tell them. Itʼs too important.”
He looked at her for a long moment before drawing a deep sigh. “All right. Iʼll tell them today.”
“Thank you.” Sara flashed him a relieved smile. “And Iʼm telling them about our baby, too.”
“Fine. But weʼre not telling anyone else for now,” he warned her as she tried to kiss him. “And I want you by my side at all times until this nightmare is over.”
“Try to stop me.”
“Iʼm serious, Sara. I need you to promise me you wonʼt go anywhere without me, unless Brent or Nicky is with you.”
Sara nodded. “I promise. Now, can you just shut up and kiss me?”
Jack couldnʼt help grinning as he bent his head. “Try to stop me.”
***
“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!”
Jack and Sara burst out laughing as Nicky jumped up and down and hugged them both. “You guys got back together? Seriously?”
“Pretty seriously, yes,” Sara confirmed. “I mean, we havenʼt set a date or anything, yet, but―”
“Ohmygooooosh!” Nickyʼs eyes became enormous. “Brent, these two are getting married!”
He grinned as she sat back down beside him in their favorite booth at The Cove. “I can hear, Einstein. And, if you donʼt lower your voice, the whole of Starville will, too.”
Jack shook his head. “Go ahead, Hayden, brag away. I know youʼre dying to say that you were right and Iʼm an idiot.”
“As if we didnʼt know that already,” he grumbled. Too bad his chuckle ruined the effect. “By the way, Jack, you and Sara are coming to my parents’ tomorrow night, right?”
He frowned. “Isnʼt the ranch open to the public on Thanksgiving?”
“Only in the morning, and only the corn maze. My mom has always been adamant about Thanksgiving being a family holiday, so we usually stay open until lunch and have our celebration at night. I know sheʼd be thrilled to have you over.”
Jack exchanged a look with Sara. She nodded and smiled at Brent. “We would love to come, thank you.” It was true. She had so many wonderful memories of the night they’d spent at the ranch. The night she and Jack had probably conceived their baby. At that thought, she twisted her hands nervously over her stomach. “You guys, Iʼm sorry I didnʼt tell you about the baby before,” she apologized, embarrassed. “I just…wasnʼt ready, I guess. I wanted Jack to know first.”
Nicky put a hand on her arm. “Itʼs okay, hon. I mean, of course Iʼll never forgive you and everything, but there are still a few months until the baby comes, and thereʼs so much to do. We need to go shopping for the nursery and baby clothes, and then Iʼll throw you the most awesome baby shower ever!”
She laughed at her friendʼs enthusiasm and the horrified expressions on Brent’s and Jackʼs faces. “Something tells me weʼd better do it without the boys, though. And speaking of pregnancy, I have to use the restroom again.”
“Iʼll go with you.”
As soon as they walked away, Brent leaned back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest, and looked straight into Jackʼs eyes. “Tell me youʼre sure about what youʼre doing.”
“Dead sure.”
“You canʼt hurt her again, Jack. I wonʼt let you.”
“I wonʼt. I never wanted to let her go in the first place, Brent. Leaving her nearly killed me.”
Brent gave him a long stare. “I donʼt get it, man. When you told me that you were going back to Chicago without Sara, I knew there was something going on, but I figured you knew what you were doing, so I kept my mouth shut. But then Max died and everything finally started going back to normal, and you still disappeared for months!”
“I know. But thereʼs something you donʼt know.” Jack swallowed hard and leaned forward across the table. “Max was the one who assaulted me the night I returned to Starville six months ago.”
Brentʼs mouth opened and closed a few times. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure, yes. I never saw his face, but I know it was his car that ran me off the road before I lost consciousness. Not that it means anything, of course. Itʼs no secret that Max hated me, but that doesnʼt make him the murderer.”
“It doesnʼt make him innocent, either.”
“I know, but… Brent, do you believe Max is the killer?”
His friendʼs brows pulled together. “Are we being honest here?”
“It would help if we were.”
“Then no, I donʼt.”
“Why not?”
“The most obvious reason? He had good alibis for each murder,” Brent answered, his voice almost a whisper. “The night J.T. was killed, he was at home with Layla and Charlene, and when Charlene died, he was at The Cove playing cards with Hank, Doc, and my dad.”
“I forgot about that.”
“Not to mention Carrie. The night she was murdered, Max was having a pizza at his house with Layla. Unless everybody is lying, including my dad and the pizza guy, thereʼs no way he can be the killer.”
Jack took in a deep breath. “Thereʼs more than that, Brent. I know now that Max was the one who took J.T.’s money before he was killed, and passed it on to Charlene.” He explained everything he had discovered, from the deposits made to Charleneʼs account to the journal heʼd found with Sara. By the time he finished, Brentʼs face had turned a few shades paler.
“Holy shit, Jack. This is insane.”
“And itʼs not even the worst part. The day Max died, I received a phone call.”
Brentʼs eyes narrowed. “From whom?”
“I donʼt know, the voice was electronically modified―but it freaked me out. Whoever it was, they knew about Saraʼs accident in Dallas and also that she was out shopping with David and Nicky as we spoke.”
“Dammit. What did they say?”
“It was not so much what they said as what they implied…warning me that Sara should be more careful, that it was a good thing she was with her friends because anything could have happened to her otherwise. They said she would never be safe as long as she was with me.”
Brent slumped in his seat, his mouth flattened into a hard line. “Did you tell Sara?”
“Only yesterday. It was stupid of me, I know,” Jack added at his glare. “Honestly, though, at first I thought it was just Max messing with me again; but then Sara told me he died before seven p.m.”
His friend nodded. “Between five-thirty and six p.m., according to the autopsy.”
“Yeah, well, I got the call after seven. Unless Max rang me up from the dead, he was not the one who made it.”
Mumbling a curse, Brent rubbed a hand over his face. The silence stretched before he finally said, “It was a while ago, but I can try to trace the call.”
Jack lifted one shoulder. “The number came up as private, so it was probably made from a pay phone.”
“Itʼs worth a shot, though, right?”
“Hell, yeah.”
***
“Iʼm so happy you guys
came!”
Sara smiled at Martha Hayden as she hugged her. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“Itʼs our pleasure, dear. I was thrilled when Brent told me you and Jack were back together.” She turned to her husband. “Richard, have you heard from Brent, by the way?”
“Heʼs going to be a little late,” Nicky answered for him. “He had some paperwork to finish at the office, and heʼs also waiting for an important phone call. He asked me to tell you that heʼll be here as soon as he can.”
“Oh, well. Letʼs have a drink while we wait for him,” Richard suggested with a shrug, leading them toward the backyard. “Nicky, have I showed you my new canvas?”
“Not yet, but Iʼll be more than happy to see it.”
“Iʼd better go check on our dinner, then,” Martha said with a wink.
Taking a seat with Jack in one of the loungers, Sara breathed in the fresh winter air and looked around with wonder. Even in November, with the trees almost bare of their leaves and the grass browning, the Haydensʼ ranch was as beautiful as ever. Maybe one day she and Jack would be able to restore J.T.’s property next door. Now that she knew how much it meant to him, she promised herself she would do anything to make that happen.
“Hi, guys.”
Startled, Sara looked up at Layla with surprise. “Hey, Lay. Sorry, I didnʼt see you.”
“I just got here. Grab one of these cocktails, theyʼre out of this world,” she said, pointing at the colorful drink in her hand.
Sara shook her head. “My, uh, stomachʼs been a little upset lately, so I think Iʼll pass. Thanks, though.”
Jack squeezed her knee and stood with a wink. “Iʼll get you some water.”
“Iʼve got to get some more of this, itʼs really good,” Layla said, following him to the drink stand. Sara watched them leave with a smile. Jack had become super attentive and even more protective of her since heʼd learned about the baby. Not that she was complaining. In fact, she loved seeing him like this.
She was still looking in his direction when he came out of the house and walked toward her with a bottle in his hand, only to be intercepted by Layla again. Sara nearly rolled her eyes in amusement. Why, yes, she knew that women would always look at Jack with desire, but she didnʼt care anymore. He was hers and hers only. That thought warmed her heart so much that she kept smiling even as she saw Layla put a hand on Jackʼs arm.
“Having fun, sugar?”
“Itʼs a beautiful party,” Jack answered, his eyes flicking back and forth between the bottle he was holding and Sara.
“The Haydens know how to entertain their guests,” she agreed, following his gaze. “So, itʼs true, huh? You and Sara really got back together.”
“Yeah, weʼre giving it another shot.”
Layla smiled conspiratorially and nudged his shoulder with her own. “Honey, from the way youʼre looking at her, Iʼd say youʼre giving it a little more than a shot.”
Her words forced his attention back to her. “Yeah, well, weʼre taking things one day at the time for now,” he said with an embarrassed shrug.
“I always thought you guys made a beautiful couple, you know—a little unusual, maybe, but beautiful nonetheless. Kinda like…the devil and the angel.”
He couldnʼt help chuckling at that. “Iʼll take that as a compliment.”
“It was.” She gave him a long look, then sighed dramatically. “So, I guess my plans of winning you all for myself will have to be abandoned now.”
Jack shook his head, still smiling. “Were there ever such plans, Lay?”
“Oh, yeah. I mean, of course Brent would always be my first choice, but youʼre not too bad, either.”
“Gee, thanks.” Before he realized what he was doing, he caught himself tugging at a strand of her red curls, just as he used to do when they were kids. It was hard to believe that the scrawny, freckled little girl who followed him everywhere and whose long red braids heʼd always loved to tug, had turned into the gorgeous woman standing in front of him now. Long-forgotten memories started flashing through his mind in a chaotic blur, and for a moment, he felt almost disoriented.
“You all right, hon?”
“Yes, I…” Jack took a deep breath to regain control. “Layla, I should have told you this a long time ago, but Iʼm sorry about your father. I know Max and I didnʼt have the greatest of relationships, but I never would have wanted him to go that way.”
A dark veil of sadness fell over her blue eyes. “Thank you, Jack. It means a lot to me.” Layla flipped her hair back with a weak smile. “Well, Iʼll let you go back to your princess now. Iʼm going to call Brent and see what’s holding him up.”
Jack nodded as she pulled her cell from her pocket and headed toward the house. In a few long strides, he crossed the distance to Saraʼs chair. “Here you go,” he said, handing her the water.
“Thank you.” She grabbed the bottle but kept her amused gaze on him.
His brow quirked. “What now?”
“Apparently even famous models canʼt stay away from you, Turner.”
A smug smile flickered over his lips. “Told ya, itʼs not my fault Iʼm handsome and smart, and women―”
“Fall at your feet. I know, I know,” Sara finished for him, rolling her eyes.
He chuckled as he offered her his hand to help her up and gathered her in his arms. “Do you want to try the maze?”
“Tonight?” The way Saraʼs wide eyes looked at him, youʼd think he’d asked her to dance naked in the moonlight.
“Come on, I promise Iʼll protect you from the big, mean bugs.”
She shuddered at the thought. “Thanks, but no, thanks. Tomorrow morning, yes. In fact, Iʼve been through the maze in daylight before, and itʼs pretty awesome.”
“Spoilsport.” Jack shook his head and kissed the tip of her nose. “Are you cold? Itʼs starting to get dark.”
“Nope. I have a very hot fiancé to keep me warm.”
“Is that right?” Jack brushed her lips with his. She sighed with pleasure as his mouth moved to her neck, and tilted her head to the side to let him nip at it.
They both jumped at the low, embarrassed cough that came from behind them. Sara forced her eyes open, and her confused gaze met Richard Haydenʼs smiling one. Jack flushed like a schoolboy, and she thought he was adorable.
“Mr. Hayd—uh, Richard. Sorry, I didnʼt hear you coming,” he muttered.
“I figured that much,” he older man joked. “I was hoping I could exchange a word or two with you, if you donʼt mind.”
Jack looked at Sara for a long moment before nodding. “I wonʼt be long.”
“Take your time. I need go to the bathroom, anyway.” At his worried frown, she gave him a reassuring smile. “I just need to freshen up a bit.”
Sara planted another quick kiss on his lips and walked to the Haydens’ house, heading toward the bathroom located on the ground floor. She felt better after washing her hands and splashing her face with fresh water, though her stomach still felt queasy. She had no idea how she was going to go through with the entire Thanksgiving dinner without letting everyone figure out that she was pregnant.
Sheʼd just walked out the door when she realized sheʼd forgotten her purse in the bathroom. “Darn pregnancy brain,” she mumbled, turning around to go retrieve it. She stopped with a hand on the doorknob at the sound of a troubled voice coming from the side of the house.
Laylaʼs voice.
She was talking on her phone, struggling to keep her tone low despite her obvious agitation. Not wanting to eavesdrop on her private conversation, Sara hurried to open the door and started walking inside the house, but the womanʼs anxious voice stopped her again. She sounded scared. Almost panicked.
“Honey, listen to me, you need to calm down. Nobody needs to know about this. Please, Brent… Iʼll help you any way I can. Iʼll take care of everything. Nobody will ever know, I promise.”
Every muscle in Saraʼs body tensed upon hearing Brent’s name. At that point, she couldn’t k
eep from paying closer attention to Layla’s words, so she carefully peered out the door.
“Stop saying that! Everything will be all right,” the woman was saying. Then she sighed. “Brent, honey, you know I love you. Iʼll do everything I can to help you through this, but you have to stay calm. No! Jail is simply not an option, you hear me? I promise I wonʼt say a word to anyone—just like I kept my mouth shut about Charlene and the journalist. Please, trust me.”
Sara’s blood froze. It took her a few seconds to make sense of what she’d just heard, but the instant she did, nausea attacked her all over again.
Brent.
Her head started spinning. Her legs wobbled so much that she nearly fell to her knees and slumped against the wall beside her. Ohmygosh… Brent? Brent was involved in the murders?
No, she must have heard it wrong. It was impossible. Brent was one of her best friends. No way could he be responsible for the brutal death of all those innocent people. No way could he have lied to everybody for years and let Jack go to jail for a crime he hadn’t committed!
Jack, she thought confusedly. She needed to talk to Jack…
“Hello, Sara.” Layla’s icy voice behind her almost gave her a heart attack. A cold shiver ran along her spine as she slowly turned around to look at her.
“Hey,” Sara exclaimed with a smile, trying to sound natural despite the wild hammering of her heart. “I’m looking for Jack. Have you seen him?”
The other woman scanned her face intently, as though trying to read her mind. “I thought he was with you.”
“I left him a few minutes ago to use the bathroom. Anyway, heʼs waiting for me, so I'd better go.”
“Not so fast, honey.”
Saraʼs breath caught as Layla grabbed her left arm, keeping her from leaving. When she opened her mouth to scream, the woman opened one side of her jacket and pulled out a small gun. Sara raised her head to give her a shocked look but winced at the cynical grin on her beautiful face.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Layla said. “You and I never really had a chance to talk, and I believe it’s time we do.”
Bound to the Past (Starville Series Book 1) Page 40