by Lee Rose
“Don’t panic, honey. The police are protecting your parents at home. They think he’ll go there first to look for you and they are prepared,” Flo explained in a calming voice.
Grace took a deep breath, trying not to let the fear and panic she was feeling overtake her. She needed to call Jackson. He would help her think of what to do. “Can I call Jackson?”
“Sure, honey. Use the kitchen phone,” Flo said firmly. “Don’t worry, Grace. It’ll be okay.”
Grace dialed Jackson’s number with shaky fingers, anxious to hear his strong voice, knowing she’d feel better then. Ida answered the phone, not sounding very happy.
“Ida, it’s me, Grace. Is Jackson nearby? I really need to talk to him,” Grace asked in a worried tone.
Ida’s voice changed to hesitation. “Um, oh yes, he is here, honey. Let me go get him.” Ida laid the phone down on the counter unaware Grace could hear everything. “Jack, it’s Grace on the phone. It sounds very important.”
Grace heard a female voice answer in a scathing voice. “Tell that little hussy Jackson is too busy with me right now.”
It was Kelly’s voice. Grace knew her whiny voice anywhere. What was she doing there at Jackson’s? A pain shot through her chest as she hung up the phone, not waiting for Ida to tell her he was busy. She stood there in shock for a few seconds not noticing the tears falling down her face. Was Kelly the reason he had gone to Randy’s last night? None of this made sense. She knew Jackson cared about her, but what if he was still struggling with feelings for Kelly, too?
“Grace? What’s wrong, honey?” Grace looked up into Bill’s concerned face. “Did something else happen?”
“I called Jackson but he was with Kelly,” she whispered, still having trouble comprehending it. She went and sat on a stool with shaky legs. It was all too much for one day. This was a nightmare!
Flo gasped loudly and scowled. “That no good, cheating son of a bitch! I knew he hadn’t changed.”
“Forget him Grace, we have other things to worry about. The sheriff wants to see us right now,” Bill said furiously. “I told Ben we were on our way.”
Grace nodded and numbly followed Bill out the door to the sheriff’s station. This all couldn’t be happening. This morning she had been happy and falling in love with a wonderful man that made her feel safe. All that was gone now—again.
She sat in the sheriff’s office numbly listening to the sheriff talk about the information he had found out from the Michigan State Police, but she didn’t hear the conversation going on in her presence. Her mind was stuck on the pain, the betrayal of Jackson and Kelly being together at his house. Jackson had said he was over Kelly, but he had loved her not too long ago. Maybe he wasn’t over her like he thought. Maybe he had only used Grace to forget Kelly and now Kelly wanted him back. There were just too many thoughts going through her head, giving her a headache and an ache in her heart.
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Bill growl. “Forget Jackson Hawthorne, that lousy two-timing cheater!”
Grace looked at Bill’s angry face and the sheriff’s worried expression. They were both looking at her as if waiting for an answer.
“What?” she whispered, wondering what she had missed by being lost in her own thoughts. “What about Jackson?”
“The sheriff thought the ranch would be a good place to hide in case James comes this way,” Bill stated, looking very irate with the sheriff.
Grace shook her head standing up and putting her hands on her hips angrily. “No way! He is obviously not over Kelly if she is hanging out with him at his house, and I refuse to be there to see those two together.”
Ben looked at Grace sadly. “Jack is a stupid fool. I heard he picked her up from Randy’s last night but I had hoped he learned his lesson. Okay never mind, Jackson’s place is a bad idea. The police think he’ll head to your parents’ place and they will catch him there. But just in case, I have his picture and I’ll spread it around to the motel, bar, and local businesses. You’ll be safe here, Grace. This is a small town and a stranger will be noticed quickly.”
Grace shivered with cold and fear. Safe? She didn’t feel safe right now. She felt empty and shattered. After they left the sheriff’s office she went upstairs to her apartment and took a sleeping pill so she could sleep and forget this day ever happened.
Chapter 11
Jackson had had a hell of a day already and it wasn’t even noon. He drove into town to the hardware store but his mind was on Grace. He planned to stop by the café and see her and explain what he had been doing with Kelly. Kelly had called him drunk from Randy’s and pleaded with him to talk to her. He really didn’t want to listen to her whining but he also couldn’t let her drive as drunk as she sounded. If she got into an accident he’d feel terrible, so he reluctantly drove to the bar, amazed that he hadn’t thought of his once-favorite hangout in a long time.
He picked Kelly up from the bar and drove her home, seeing her inside of her apartment, then he planned on leaving. Instead Kelly had grabbed onto his belt to prevent him from walking out and had cried all over him, refusing to let him go. She said Grace got her fired from her job out of jealousy and Eddie had broken up with her because he found someone new. He wasn’t surprised about Eddie. He was a player and Kelly knew that from the beginning. As for Grace, he found it hard to believe she would purposely get Kelly fired. There had to be an explanation. Kelly wasted no time in trying to seduce him, taking off her top and trying to kiss him, but he wasn’t even tempted. He didn’t want her back. Kelly finally realized Jackson was serious about them being done and started cussing at him instead and hitting him. He went home with a headache and Hannah told him Grace had called, but it was too late to call her back. Then in the morning, Kelly showed up at his house, pleading with him again to take her back. She swore she had changed and would be a faithful girlfriend this time around. Once upon a time he might have fallen for her crocodile tears but he was so over Kelly. Grace knew Kelly was there at his house and he felt bad about that, but it had taken him some time to convince Kelly he was done with her and she better not ever show up at his house again. She had left cussing up a storm and squealing tires in the gravel, but he hoped he was rid of her once and for all.
He walked into the café but didn’t see Grace. Only Jane and a new girl he didn’t know. Bill walked out of the kitchen walking toward him, shooting daggers at him. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here young man. Haven’t you hurt Grace enough? And just when I was beginning to think I had judged you wrongly.”
“I haven’t done anything to Grace,” he answered, feeling puzzled and looked around the restaurant. “Where is she?”
“This is a small town, Jack. We know you picked up Kelly from the bar and took her home and she was at your house when Grace called. Leave Grace alone! The last thing she needs right now is an unfaithful asshole making her empty promises. That girl has been through hell already.”
Bill’s angry voice was causing people to look, so Jackson decided to leave and come back later when Bill’s temper cooled down. Once he was in his truck, he took out his cell phone and called Grace’s apartment but he there was no answer.
After buying the things he needed from the hardware store he walked over to Ben’s office. Ben glared at him as soon he walked in the station. Jackson held up his hands in mock surrender. “I know you’ve heard the gossip, too.”
Ben led him into his office and closed the door so no one else could hear them. Ben sat at his desk and looked at Jackson in a disappointed glare. “Well, is it true? You took Kelly back?”
Jackson gave him a disbelieving look as he sat down across from Ben feeling tired. “Don’t you know me better than that, Ben? Look, Kelly called me drunk from Randy’s crying for me to come and get her. What was I supposed to do, leave her there to drive drunk?”
“No, but you could’ve called me or her boyfriend, Eddie,” Ben answered with a deep frown.
Jackson sighed, putting his hands
through his hair in frustration. “Eddie dumped her, that’s why she was drunk. And you’re right. I should have let you deal with her. I forgot how people like to gossip around here. Damn, Grace must have heard the gossip, too.”
“And today when Grace called your house?” Ben asked, leaning back in his chair as he looked at Jackson and waited for an explanation.
“Kelly came by begging me to take her back. It took me forever to get rid of her. She’s like a leech,” Jackson complained, rubbing his hands tiredly over his face. “Believe me, I count my lucky stars every night that she leeched onto Eddie or I’d still be playing the blind fool.”
“So why didn’t you call Grace and explain all this to her. Do you know the hell she’s been through and is still going through?” Ben asked in a relieved voice.
“Things were going so good for us and I guess I knew she’d be mad so I put it off. I just came from the restaurant but they wouldn’t let me talk to her. What’s going on, Ben?” he asked worriedly, realizing something serious was happening besides town gossip.
“Her ex escaped from jail,” Ben stated in an angry, cold voice. “Just when things were looking up for her, too. I hate that this is happening to her again. She doesn’t deserve this asshole coming after her.”
“What? And she’s all alone?” Jackson stood up, feeling scared and tense, ready to go back and find Grace to make sure she was safe even if he had to go through Bill and Flo and the whole damn town.
“Relax, Jack. Stan is parked in front of the café, looking out for her. Flo said she took a sleeping pill and she is sleeping, so just stay away from her, Jack. If you would’ve seen her in here earlier, she looked like a damn ghost all pale and out of it. She was lost in her own thoughts, which I’m sure included you and Kelly, but she is ready to break down. Just leave her be for now.”
“She needs me, Ben. I promised to help her feel safe. How can I just leave her alone? No one is getting in my way of protecting that girl. She means the world to me!” Jackson yelled. “I love her!” Jackson sat back down, feeling the shock of his words go through his body but also realizing they were true. “Shit, I love Grace,” he said, reaffirming the words to himself, feeling the rightness of it in his heart. He looked at Ben with a sappy grin, feeling a little shaky at the grand revelation.
Ben smiled, patting Jackson on the back in congratulation. “I like Grace much better than Kelly. I’m glad to see you thinking clearly again, my friend. Just give Grace a few hours of sleep to escape this nightmare. I have a feeling that jerk may head this way. Then you go see your woman.”
Later that night he had Hannah call Grace since Flo wouldn’t put his calls through. He had explained to Hannah and Ida about Kelly. They had both been relieved he wasn’t taking Kelly back. It had infuriated him that everyone thought he was so foolish to be taken in by Kelly again but he put all that aside. He told his family he loved Grace but he was worried about her safety. He needed to hold his woman in his arms and keep her safe. He wouldn’t feel better until he saw her face-to-face. Even if she was mad as hell, he would stick to her like glue until James was caught.
* * * *
Grace picked up the phone, yawning and still feeling tired despite sleeping the day away. “Hello?”
“Grace,” Hannah said, relieved to hear her friend’s voice. “I’ve been so worried about you! I know your ex escaped. What can I do to help?”
Grace exhaled the breath she had been holding in when she picked up the phone without thinking. Flo had been with her all day and only left with the promise that Grace wouldn’t answer the phone. “Oh, Hannah. I’m so glad it’s you. Yes, it’s true he escaped early this morning. I just woke up so I’m still a little groggy.”
“Oh, Grace, this is just awful. Come stay with us,” Hannah suggested. “You’ll be safe here. I will shoot the bastard myself!”
“Thanks Hannah but I can’t. Jackson and Kelly—” She couldn’t continue with her voice breaking and the tears coming. Suddenly she heard pounding on her door and she screamed and dropped the phone on the floor. She stood up and hung up the phone without thinking. She stood silently looking around the living room for a weapon to defend herself. James couldn’t get here so fast, could he?
Chapter 12
“Grace? Grace?” Jackson heard his sister yelling into the phone with a panicky voice. She looked up into the worried faces of Jackson and Ida. “Someone banged on her door and she yelled and hung up.”
Jackson didn’t wait to hear any more. He grabbed his keys and ran out the door, yelling, “Call Ben!”
He jumped in his truck and sped off. All he could think about was saving the woman he loved.
* * * *
“Gracie, it’s Billy.” She heard a voice and jumped up, running to the door, and opened it with disbelief.
“Oh God, Billy, you scared the crap out of me!” Grace said, putting her hand up to her still loudly beating heart. But she hugged him all the same, so glad to see him. Because of his traveling it had been years since she had seen him.
Billy picked her up and twirled her around, closing the door behind him. “Sorry, the line was busy and it worried me. God, look at you. Where’s the skinny little frizzy-haired kid gone?” he said, setting her down and looking her over with a rakish smile.
Grace laughed and playfully hit him on the shoulder. “I grew up, silly, and what a hunk you turned out to be. I guess I should have married you when we were eight and you proposed.” He was tall and husky with blond hair and brown eyes and bulging muscles everywhere.
Billy teased her, pulling gently on her hair like he used to when they were kids. “Too late, darling, now I’d know you were using me for my body.”
Grace laughed and hugged him again, so glad to see him safe and sound and feel his arms around her. Before she could speak the door broke open and she screamed. Billy turned toward the door, sheltering Grace with his body. He turned to see the sheriff with his gun drawn. He looked at Grace and then at Billy. “Shit, Billy, when did you get back?”
Billy smiled and shook Ben’s hand. “Just got here today and I came to check on Grace. I hear I am just in time to kick some ass. My favorite thing to do.”
Ben nodded, putting his gun back in the holster. “Good to have you back. Hannah called me, hysterical that Grace screamed and someone was at her door. Took ten years off my life.”
Grace gasped and looked at the sheriff. “Sorry, Sheriff. I was talking to Hannah when Billy’s knock on the door scared me and I dropped the phone. Let me call her back so she won’t worry.”
Ben smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll call her in a second. Jackson is on his way here to save you.”
Grace folded her hands in front of her, getting an angry look on her face. “Well, I don’t want to see him, especially if he’s with Kelly.”
Ben grinned when he heard squealing tires. “I hear his truck. I’ll let him explain that one.”
“Who’s Jackson?” Billy asked curiously, looking at Grace’s angry face and tensing as he heard footsteps climbing up the stairs, getting into protective mode.
“Who are you?” Jackson asked sternly, walking in the open door looking at Billy first then at Grace. “Are you okay, Grace? You scared the shit out of me.”
Grace nodded then turned away and sat on the couch, not wanting a confrontation with Jackson, not right now. She wasn’t strong enough emotionally to handle it right now. She was scared James would find her and hurt someone here and that was enough to deal with.
“I’m her cousin Billy and I am here to protect Grace,” Billy answered, giving Jackson his best intimidating glare that usually scared the crap out of people. “Are you the no-good, cheating asshole my parents told me about?”
Ben stepped in between the two men as Jackson walked fiercely toward Billy. “Now is not the time to flex our muscles, guys. I have news and we need to work together if we want to protect Grace.”
Grace gasped. “He knows where I’m at, doesn’t he? Are my parents okay? He did
n’t hurt them, did he?”
Ben walked over to her and sat next to a pale-looking Grace. He didn’t know how to tell her. He motioned for Jackson to come over close to her. Jackson put his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her. She tensed up but didn’t protest.
Billy sat across from the couch with a concerned look on his face.
“He broke into your dad’s office at work earlier and stole his address book. Thank God your dad was at home with the police,” Ben began. Grace nodded and braced herself for more bad news and instinctively grabbed Jackson’s hand despite being mad at him. Ben looked worried. “His cell mate told the police that all James talked about was getting back together with you. He is delusional and says people want to keep you from him but he knows you want to be with him.”
Grace put her hand over her mouth as Billy muttered under his breath. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling, and then the sobs started. Jackson came around the couch and hugged her tightly, rocking her back and forth and staying calm. “It’s never going to end, is it?” she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. She couldn’t stop the tears. It was like trying to stop a flood. “I’m trying to keep it together and not fall apart, but I am so terrified right now, Jackson.”
“It will be okay, Grace. You have to believe that. I know you’re scared but between all of us, we’ll protect you,” he said firmly and calmly, willing her to believe that. Ben motioned for Billy to follow him outside so Jackson could have a moment alone with Grace.
Once Grace was done crying she looked up at Jackson and gave him a mean look as she remembered Kelly. “Why are you here if you’re back with Kelly?”
Jackson tilted her chin up and looked straight into her teary eyes wiping them gently away with his thumb. “Do you honestly think I would prefer Kelly to you, Grace? Give me some credit.”