Heather Rainier

by His Tattooed Virgin

  Her heart was pounding by the time they entered the gate leading to the private airfield. All appeared deserted around the hangars except for a mechanic with a tool belt slung low on his hips. He was standing in the wide-open door of a hangar from which a sleek Learjet, undoubtedly Henri’s, was being pulled by a work truck. Two other Learjets sat on the tarmac outside the hangar, as well as a sleek helicopter, hinting that there was more to Lusty, Texas, than just the sleepy little town it appeared to be.

  As they rolled up, Jayne recognized that man’s confident stride. Julián Alvarez. Seeing someone she knew increased her hope. Jayne remembered that Julián was a cowboy by trade and it was unlikely he’d be there unless it was to help her and Toby. His appearance and easygoing grin would lead anyone to believe that he was a grease monkey and this was just part of his normal workday.

  Phillipe said, “I don’t remember him.” He’d lapsed into French, which did him no good as she understood him.

  Henri made a dismissive gesture with his hand and replied in French. “Pfft, never mind about these sweaty Texans. Get the two of them on the jet while I settle the bill for the repair and the use of their vehicle. I want to be in the air as soon as possible.”

  Julián gestured for them to pull the SUV into the shade beside the hangar, which was situated next to another smaller building. They did as he directed.

  Fighting nerves, Jayne darted her eyes around the seats, searching for a means to help secure their escape. Her eyes settled on the diaper bag. Henri murmured to Jayne in English, “If you speak or misbehave in any way before Phillipe gets you on the jet, I will shoot you, kill this man, and anyone else who interferes. Phillipe is armed as well.”

  He might’ve been a little rat of a man, but Henri had already proved his willingness to use violence, and she recalled what Seth had told her. Her best shot lay in behaving and waiting for an opportunity.

  Julián ambled up in his dusty cowboy boots, looking like a good ol’ boy, and pushed his cowboy hat back as he leaned against the window frame. From her vantage point, she could see the handgun slid into the waistband of his jeans. Henri lowered the passenger side window.

  “It’s repaired, fueled, and ready. The pilot is just doing some last-minute checks and you can be on your way.”

  Julián opened Henri’s door and would’ve opened her door, but Henri stopped him to ask for the bill as he shifted in front of her door to open it himself. Julián handed Henri the bill as she climbed from the vehicle. She turned back and made as much of a production of lifting Toby from his car seat as she could while Henri pulled bills from his wallet and paid in cash. Julián chewed his toothpick as he turned his gaze on her and nodded imperceptibly but didn’t smile.

  Emanating menace and blocking Julián’s view of her, Phillipe turned her with a strong hand on her lower back and directed her toward the jet. He had to keep forcing her forward as she resisted each step that took her closer and closer to the means by which Henri would get away with this heinous crime. Clutching the heavy diaper bag and Toby, she finally mounted the first step with Phillipe grasping her upper arm tightly.

  Where are they?

  She looked back one last time before stepping over the threshold and hid her surprise as men swarmed the tarmac and emergency vehicles raced down the road to the airfield. Knowing Henri and Phillipe were armed and that this could easily turn into a shootout with her and Toby at point-blank range, she did the only thing she could. She grasped Toby to her chest with her left arm, and swung the diaper bag, filled with at least a dozen glass baby food jars, in as tight an arc as she could. On the upswing it struck Phillipe in the head as his attention was drawn by the activity on the airstrip. He teetered on the edge of the top stair step, grasping for the handrail.

  Thanking Charity silently for that self-defense class she’d talked Jayne into years before, she turned, shot her foot out, and slammed her heel against his knee. Pain and shock filled his eyes as he lost his balance, falling down the fold-out steps toward Henri as he ran up them, brandishing his gun. Evidently realizing his luck had run out, Henri pointed the gun at Toby. She jerked her body around to shield Toby as the gun blast filled the jet cabin. A white-hot blast of pain tore through her side as she was tackled by a hard male body, pinning her facedown onto a cushioned leather seat with Toby still in her arms, dazing her as the wind was knocked from her.

  The body lifted off of hers, and someone shouted while attempting to turn her. A loud buzzing sound rang in her head, over which she heard cursing and a tearing sound.

  Toby wailed hysterically as she pushed him into the seat and checked him for injury. She kissed his face and wiped his tears as he turned and clung to her neck, sobbing wildly.

  “You’re okay, baby. Don’t cry.”

  Tears came to her eyes. Pressure was applied to her rib cage, and she yelped at the pain as someone attempted to lift Toby from her arms, which felt weak. She held on for dear life and tried to pull him back to her, her heart hammering with panic.

  “No! He’s mine!”

  Her heartbeat drummed in her ears and stars swam in her vision as she fought the restraining hands. Pain blazed in her side as Toby was removed from her arms, screaming. This couldn’t happen to her, not when they were so close. Determination gave her renewed strength and she fought to hold on to him.

  “You can’t have him! Toby! You c—”

  Her face was turned by a gentle hand, and she looked up into Seth’s frightened eyes. She clenched his shirt and tried to smile. Her fingers lost their strength and darkness shrouded her vision as Seth called out her name, his voice echoing down a dark tunnel.

  “Jayne!”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Seth’s boots felt like they were full of bricks as he carried Toby up the second flight of stairs to the room that had been prepared for them at the Parkview Inn. Toby had looked a little shell-shocked as the furor surrounding the events at the airstrip, a “dustup” as one of the men had referred to it, had died down and Jayne had been rushed to the Lusty medical clinic.

  He’d been impressed by their setup and had also been grateful that the town was so well prepared for emergencies.

  “My mommy?” Toby queried over a wide yawn as he rested his head on Seth’s shoulder.

  “We’ll see Mommy in the morning.” It still got to Seth, every time Toby called Jayne that. All kinds of disjointed thoughts crowded his mind. Seth knew Toby came first at the moment, but struggled with the need to return to the clinic. It hurt to be parted from Jayne, even knowing that she’d be okay.

  He stood in the center of the room, dumbfounded by the outpouring of caring from the citizens of Lusty. He peered into one of the shopping bags on the bed which contained baby items like clothing, diapers, wipes, and bath products. The other bag held a change of clothing for him and toiletries.

  Toby heaved a heavy sigh, reminding Seth that he needed to be changed and bathed quickly before he passed out from sheer exhaustion. While he started filling the tub in the bathroom with warm water, Toby rested his head beneath Seth’s chin. Seth tilted his head down to kiss the top of Toby’s head and breathed in his sweet boy-baby scent. He could also detect a trace of Jayne’s fragrance, because she’d kept him close to her all day, protecting him. Seth’s heart ignited with love as he recalled the way she’d fought for Toby despite her own injuries.

  “Mommy?”

  “Mommy’s okay, buddy. We’ll see her in the morning.”

  He’d bathed Toby and gotten him dressed for bed, his dark-headed son already half asleep, when someone knocked at the door. Lifting Toby’s solid little body back into his arms, he answered the door. On the threshold stood a pretty, and very pregnant, brunette in her midtwenties. She seemed familiar from the restaurant where they’d eaten supper earlier, but he couldn’t recall her name.

  “Mr. Carter, I’m Ginny Kendall. We met briefly at Lusty Appetites. My husband is Adam Kendall.” The sheriff’s wife.

  “Right. I’m sorry. Today
has been a blur for us.” Worry momentarily entered his mind. “Is Jayne all right? Would you like to come in?” He supposed that it was all right to invite her in.

  “Sure. Yes, Jayne is just fine as far as I know. Last I heard, Dr. Robert was staying overnight at the clinic to keep an eye on her. Jayne’s in good hands. Don’t you worry. I told Adam I was heading over to see if you needed anything. I had this feeling that you might want to check on Jayne now that she’s settled in her room at the clinic and I’m volunteering my services.”

  He felt a little guilty when his heart surged with relief but the little guy on his shoulder had been through a lot that day and needed his routine. “That’s really nice of you, ma’am—”

  “Call me Ginny,” she replied quickly with a wave of her hand. “I offered because I know how it is to be separated from someone you love and…need. Plus, you’d be doing me a favor.”

  “I would? How so?”

  “You’d be giving me the chance to pay forward a kindness that was done to me, when I needed someone to watch after and protect my little Benny. He’s my little boy. They took care of him when I couldn’t. I have plenty of experience with boys, and you needn’t worry about any gossip. Everyone knows me here. This is my aunt Maggie’s bed-and-breakfast, and I’m married to the sheriff and he knows I’m here too.”

  “Well, I wanted to stay on Toby’s routine as much as possible…”

  Ginny’s smile was openhearted as she pointed to Toby. “Seems to me like he’s already adhering to his routine. He’s conked out.” Toby let out a light, whiffling snore as if to verify Ginny’s statement.

  Seth took in a shaky breath and gave in. “I would love to see her, just for a few minutes, if you wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all.” She pulled back the covers on the bed and Seth eased Toby down onto the mattress. Toby shuddered when his head made contact with the cool cotton of the sheets but settled quickly. Seth tucked the sheets and covers in around his son, and noticed Ginny’s smile as she gazed at Toby. She stroked her protruding abdomen.

  “They are a wonder, aren’t they?” A mist of tears came into her eyes and she sniffled lightly and chuckled. “Pardon my hormones.”

  “You’re sure about this?”

  “Of course. The sooner you leave the sooner you get to see her. We’ll be safe and sound right here.”

  Seth took her hand and said, “Thank you.”

  Eternally grateful, but still just a tad uncomfortable about leaving Toby after such a traumatic day, Seth made the quick journey to the Lusty Clinic in Dr. Robert Jessop’s Jeep, which he’d loaned to him, telling him he wouldn’t need it for the night. He’d even had the loan of a car seat for Toby. When he arrived, he was shown by Dr. Jessop to the private room where Jayne would be spending the night.

  “She’s been given pain meds, Mr. Carter, so she may be a little out of it. Otherwise she’s doing just fine and you’ll most likely be able to take her home tomorrow, barring any complications.”

  Seth shook his hand gratefully. “Thank you for taking such good care of her.”

  “Glad I could help.”

  Seth eased into the chair positioned beside the bed, and lifted her pale hand into his much bigger hand. Her thick, dark eyelashes flickered and then her eyes opened. Her voice wavered as she spoke. “Hey there.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “Pretty loopy. I was hurting earlier and they gave me something so I’d be able to sleep.” Her eyes came open wider. “Where’s Toby?”

  “Ginny Kendall, the sheriff’s wife, is watching over him. She came by to check on us and told me she’d stay with Toby for a few minutes while I came to see you.”

  “Nice people here,” she said as she squeezed his hand. “You doing okay?”

  Seth nodded, and lowered his gaze to her hand. He kissed her delicate skin and traced her knuckles with a fingertip until his vision wavered and he blinked. Tears splashed onto her hand and she made a small distressed sound. He had difficulty swallowing over the lump in his throat. “We are in such good hands.”

  Jayne nodded. “Dr. Jessop told me that my rib would be healed in no time. They told me they’d make sure you and Toby had everything you needed.”

  Seth smiled at her, knowing she’d misunderstood. “I mean Toby and me.”

  “Huh?”

  “You fought like a wildcat, even though you had a gunshot wound, when you thought they were taking Toby away from you. I felt like I was seeing inside your heart, and how much you treasure him…and me. Toby and I are in good hands. You own both of our hearts, baby. Thank you for doing what you had to do to keep him safe. I love you.”

  Tears trickled out of the corners of her lovely blue-green eyes and she sniffled. “Getting on the jet was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And that’s saying a lot because I had some hard times when I was sick. I knew what would happen if we got off the ground, and once I was inside, I no longer had anything to lose and everything to gain by fighting. I hope I didn’t hurt Toby, holding on to him so tight.”

  “He’s fine. They checked him out. He had a little lump on his noggin from being knocked into the seat but that was my fault for tackling you, not yours. He was sound asleep when I left a few minutes ago.” Seth felt a tugging in his heart and the need to return to the bed-and-breakfast to check on his son. It felt like being on a seesaw, wanting to be two places at once.

  Jayne reached out and smoothed a tear track on his cheek with the back of her fingers and sighed softly. Her eyes became a little unfocused. “I want to go home tomorrow.”

  Her eyelids slipped closed then popped back open. It wasn’t right to stay here and keep her from sleeping. As he rose from his chair, he said, “The doctor told me that you could go home tomorrow, barring any complications. I’m going to let you rest, sweet Jayne. Don’t worry about a thing.”

  Jayne smiled blissfully and nodded. “Love you.”

  “I love you, with all my heart.” Her eyes slid closed, a sweet half smile on her face, making her look like an angel. He brushed his lips against her forehead and gratefully breathed in her vital, feminine scent. Today could’ve ended so much differently if she hadn’t kept a cool head. “God, I love you so much.”

  His heart felt like it had stretch marks from how utterly full it was as he drove back to the bed-and-breakfast. Ginny Kendall answered the door, smiled, and nodded when he quietly inquired about Toby.

  “He was a sweet little sleeping angel the whole time you were gone. The poor baby was completely tuckered out. He reminds me so much of my Benny when he was that age. He’s seven years old now and, boy howdy, is he a piece of work. Was Jayne all right?”

  Seth nodded and smiled at the angelic woman as she smoothed the covers over Toby one last time. She had a nurturing spirit and Seth was grateful she’d shown up at his door. He knew that Toby had been in good hands.

  * * * *

  The following afternoon, Jayne clutched the white paper box which the elderly and charming Kate Benedict had just given her as Seth helped her into his truck. The box contained several scrumptious-looking crème puffs created by Tracy Alvarez-Kendall, the pastry chef at Lusty Appetites, and wife to Jordan Kendall and Peter Alvarez, Julián’s brother.

  Grandma Kate stood in the truck’s open doorway. “Remember what I said, Miss Sheridan. You and your family are welcome in Lusty anytime.” Jayne thought that might be sooner rather than later. Seth had told her about the bed-and-breakfast, Parkview Inn, which they’d stayed in overnight. He’d suggested it as a place they could spend their honeymoon, if she was open to the idea.

  Kate looked pointedly at Seth then disarmed him with her mischievous grin as she patted his forearm. “And you, Mr. Carter, are a hero in my book. Sometimes bullets are just faster than people, no matter their good intentions.” Kate held up the origami swan he’d made for her while visiting Lusty Appetites. “And thank you for my swan. What a treasure.” Jayne couldn’t help but grin at the pleased smile Seth gave Kate as his cheeks flu
shed a little. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  Seth had been waiting for her on the plane and she hadn’t known it. It had been him who tackled her and Toby, trying to protect them from the bullet, but Henri’s aim had been true. The bandage around her ribs attested to that fact. She was lucky that the bullet had been a small caliber and had hit one of her ribs instead of doing major internal damage.

  From Seth’s arms, Toby flirted and cooed at Grandma Kate, who was standing right at his eye level. “And you, cutie-pie, with that twinkle in your eyes, you remind me very much of four little boys who stole my heart many, many years ago.”

  Proving he was a heartbreaker in training, Toby chuckled and blew her a kiss. He’d been winning hearts and influencing goofy behavior at Lusty Appetites, or so she’d heard, while she’d been cooped up in the clinic. Kemp had brought Seth’s truck to him late the evening before so that Ace could return home since the danger had passed.

  Henri Broussard and Phillipe Rousseau were in state custody, being held on multiple counts of kidnapping, breaking and entering, and assault charges. With the cooperation of the pilot, Guy St. Pierre, the prosecutors were working on adding human trafficking to the charges as well.

  Grandma Kate turned to Julián Alvarez, who’d joined the crowd telling them good-bye. Julián had also been shot while wrestling the gun from Henri. “I’m thankful that odious little man waving his pistol about didn’t result in a more serious injury from this little ‘dustup,’ Mr. Alvarez.”

  “Me too, Grandma Kate,” Julián said with a chuckle as he glanced back at his brother, Peter, who had been the man in the truck on the highway. “It seems to run in our family.”

  A speculative gleam came into Kate’s eyes as she eyed Julián. “Peter tells me you’ve decided to move on to Divine. If we’re losing you, I couldn’t imagine a better place for you than there. I wonder if that’s not where you’ll finally put down permanent roots.” Arching her eyebrows, she added, “Maybe find a good woman?”