by Mia Ford
I turned to see Jenni racing out of the house and across the street towards us, and realized my mistake a second too late.
Garth lunged for me, slamming his body against mine and pushing me back until we slammed into the side of his car. The rifle fell from my hands, and he kneed me in the side twice before I even had a chance to collect myself. I cried out in pain, tried to block his attack, and felt my head snap to one side after his fist connected with my jaw. I stumbled and fell to a crouch, Garth’s knee slamming into my chin and almost knocking me out completely.
I rolled away from him, blood pouring out of my nose and into my open mouth. I watched him rush for the rifle, and I quickly pushed myself to my feet and rushed after him. Before his hands could reach the weapon, I threw my weight against him and brought him down hard. His head smacked against the rear bumper of his car as we fell, and he rolled away from me, groaning in pain.
I tried to stand up, my eyes watering from the pain, and I waited as he used the rear of the Mustang to hoist himself up. He swayed on his feet, and I immediately grabbed him by his collar and threw my fist against his nose. I felt it break against my knuckles as he fell back against the car. With one hand holding him in place, I landed one punch after the other, screaming in rage as I attacked him. I don’t know how many times I hit him, but by the time Jenni grabbed my arm and pulled me back, he slid sideways and fell in an unconscious heap onto the ground.
I staggered away from his limp body, and immediately turned to Jenni, holding her tight in my arms as she cried against my chest. I ran my hand across her back, burying my face in her hair.
“You’re okay,” I whispered, trying my best to soother her. “We’re okay.”
I closed my eyes and held her tight as sirens sounded in the distance.
Chapter 25: Alex
“I could get used to this,” Samuel said, folding his hands behind his head and sighed as I rolled him towards the house in his wheelchair, briefly struggling with the uneven path that led to the front porch.
The hospital had released him an hour earlier, and I had never seen him happier. He looked at least ten years younger, and a part of me knew it was because of all the attention he had been getting from the nurses. I even caught one blowing him a kiss as we drove away, and when I asked him about it, he expertly dodged answering.
“Maybe I should just leave you out here,” I said, grunting as I pushed him towards the makeshift ramp I had set up at the end of the porch steps.
“I think Kelly might just kill you if you do that.”
I chuckled. “Her and about half of the hospital staff.”
“Are you still going on about that?”
I pushed him up the ramp. “What they see in an old man like you, I will never know.”
“It’s the Logan charm, Alex,” he laughed. “I don’t expect you to understand that, the grunt that you are.”
“Gee, thanks, dad,” I said.
The front door flew open, and Kelly raced out, practically jumping onto my father’s lap as she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed.
“Woah, easy there, chipmunk,” I said. “He’s not fully recovered.”
“Oh, shut up and let the girl welcome her grandfather back home,” Samuel laughed, hugging her back and trying to hide his pain.
I looked up just as Jenni walked out, all smiles and eyes glowing. It had been a week since the kidnapping, and I wasn’t about to let her out of my sight, insisting that she stay with us as long as she needed. As long as I needed. I had gotten so used to her being around, I couldn’t even imagine her going back to her apartment. It was as if she belonged, and even Kelly could attest to how much brighter our lives had become with Jenni around.
“Can I roll the old man inside, or are we going to spend the rest of the afternoon out here?” I asked.
“Is the chair too much for you to handle?” Kelly asked. She shot me a look that made me hold up my hands in mock surrender, and she quickly pushed me aside, grabbing the handles of the wheelchair and taking control. “I got this. You can go back to growing old.”
Samuel laughed as she rolled him away, looking at me over his shoulder. “She takes after her grandfather,” he said, winking at me.
Jenni bent down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Welcome back, Sam,” she said.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes, Jenni,” he said. “I hope my son’s at least trying to be a good host.”
“Push faster, Kelly!” I called out as they disappeared inside the house.
Jenni giggled as I wrapped her in my arms, kissing her deeply. “It already feels good to have him back,” she said.
“Yeah, now I have a trio against me,” I said. “I’m jumping up and down in glee.”
She slapped my arm and led me inside. “You don’t actually think we needed Samuel to gang up on you, did you?”
“Nope,” I smiled. “Between you and Kelly, I’m as castrated as they come.”
* * *
“So, you’re done?”
I was sitting in my father’s room, adjusting his bed as he watched me from his wheelchair.
“Pretty much,” I said.
Samuel nodded, clearly impressed. “Never thought you’d do it.”
“Really?”
He shrugged. “Thought I’d be getting a call one day telling me you to collect my orphaned granddaughter and the casket with my son’s body in it.”
I looked at him, meeting his eyes and trying to decide if he was joking or serious. “That’s a little dark.”
“Hey, kid, I know you,” he said. “That shooting you survived? I never doubted you’d jump right back into the line of fire if they let you.”
I shrugged. “I probably would have,” I said. “A part of me still wants to.”
“What changed?”
“Kelly, for starters,” I said. “We had a heart to heart. I don’t think I can put her through any more of my crap.”
“That’s mature,” Samuel replied. “And very unlike you.”
“Come on, dad, give me some credit.”
Samuel grunted. “Well, I’m definitely proud of you.”
“Thanks,” I said, bending down and looping an arm under his legs, carrying him off his chair and onto the bed. I fluffed his pillows, adjusted them, and made sure he was comfortable before rolling the wheelchair by the bed and propping his crutches up against the bedside table.
“So, what’s the plan?” Samuel asked.
“I’ll go back to Miami in a week or two, after I’ve made sure everything’s settled here,” I said. “Finish off the paperwork, finalize Kelly’s transfer papers, and if you’ll have us, we’ll make the remaining few years of your life miserable.”
Samuel smiled. “I love misery.”
“I had a feeling you might.”
Samuel laid his head back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling for a bit before he chuckled and shook his head.
“What’s so funny?”
“How this whole thing played out, you know?” Samuel said. “I mean, I really thought that was it for this town. We were rolling downhill and picking up speed.”
“We’re not out of the woods just yet,” I said.
“Yeah, well, at least we’re not lost anymore,” Samuel mused. “And no one’s going to be knocking on our door trying to buy that piece of land, either.”
“Well, Garth’s behind bars, along with the rest of his crew, if you want to call it that,” I said. “Whether or not Hope Enterprises will stop trying to turn this town into a metropolis is still in the wind.”
“Nothing stuck to that Alexis woman, huh?”
I shook my head. “She keeps herself out of the dirty business, which is smart,” I said. “Would have been surprised if we had been able to link Garth’s drug business to her. And the company had reported those vehicles back in Miami as stolen, so again, nothing.”
“What’s going to stop her from trying to start this whole mess all over again?”
“I doubt she’ll do i
t,” I said. “Too many eyes watching. The FBI is looking into Sheriff Blake, the community college is reconsidering who it wants to affiliate itself with. No casino, that’s for sure.” I shrugged. “Smart woman like her, she’d take the illegal stuff somewhere else.”
“Another small town in Connecticut,” Samuel mumbled.
“I’d say well out of the state, maybe far away from New England in general.”
“Well, good riddance,” Samuel sighed and closed his eyes. “Now, get out and let your old man get some rest.”
I laughed. “Now you’re old?”
“When it’s convenient.”
I smiled, made my wait and closed the door.
* * *
I found Jenni outside, sitting on the porch swing, coffee mug cradled in her hands. She smiled at me as I approached and shifted to let me fall down next to her. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. We didn’t say anything, just stared out at the street and the woods beyond, savoring the peace.
“He’s going to be fine, right?” she finally asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “He’s a fighter. Always has been.”
“Must be to raise you the way he did,” she said.
“Is everyone taking hits at me today?”
“Today?”
I laughed and squeezed her closer. “I’m going to head back to Miami in a couple of weeks, finalize the paperwork.”
“So that’s it?”
“That’s it.”
She sipped her coffee and rested her head against my chest. “People are usually trying to leave Kent, not the other way around.”
“I guess they just need a reason to stay,” I replied. “Or in my case, come back.”
“That’s sappy,” she giggled, looking up at me, “and incredibly sweet.”
“Well, you know, I actually like you.”
“Actually?”
I kissed the tip of her nose, losing myself in her eyes. “Wanna join me?”
“Where? Miami?”
I nodded. “Probably won’t be there for more than a week or two. Raul’s willing to send me the finalized papers and sell the house for me, so I don’t have to be there for long.”
“That’s nice of him.”
“So, what do you say?”
Jenni smiled at me. “Fuck, no.”
I laughed, pushing her off me playfully. “You don’t have to be so excited.”
“If I come with you, who’s going to take care of Samuel?”
“Kelly can pull that off,” I suggested.
“She’s still twelve, you know,” Jenni glared at me. “And after what happened, I’m not leaving her alone, at all.”
I fell in love with her all over again. For the two weeks she’d been here, she took on the motherly role pretty well, and surprisingly, Kelly didn’t mind. Jenni had found that perfect balance between being a friend and earning Kelly’s respect enough for the girl to listen to her, and to me, that was almost as if she had performed a miracle. I couldn’t really ask for more.
“Fine, then it will just be me,” I said. “Although that could be dangerous. I might actually enjoy my stay there and reconsider moving.”
Jenni eyed me with mock anger. “You wouldn’t.”
“I might.”
“Fine,” she shrugged. “We’re staying right here. You can visit in the summer.”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me, kissing her passionately. When I pulled back, she was smiling up at me, her eyes glimmering in the sunlight. “You can’t make it a week without us,” she said.
And she was right. For the first time in a very long time, I finally felt like I was home.
Epilogue: One Year Later: Jenni
The house was dark except for the dim glow of the candles that Alex had set up all around the living room. I sat on the couch, watching him light one after the other, sipping at my glass of wine and feeling the slight buzz of the alcohol in my head.
It had been an incredible evening. A walk through the park, dinner by the river at that new restaurant that had opened near the university, and a movie with enough popcorn I could have swam in the bowl. Not to mention the locket he had wrapped around my neck, the gold now glimmering in the candlelight.
When it came to anniversaries, Alex Logan really knew how to keep it sweet and simple, and I loved him for it. Besides, the wine was the perfect touch, especially with the candles.
“I don’t think I bought enough,” he said, eyeing the setup.
“You can light up a church with what we have here,” I replied, laughing.
“If you say so,” he smiled. Pouring himself a glass, he sat down on the carpet beside me and pulled me into his arms.
It was rare for us to have the entire house to ourselves, and we had decided to make the best of the opportunity. With Kelly at a sleepover and Samuel on a two-day fishing trip, I felt like a parent whose kids had just moved away to college.
“This was a beautiful night,” I said, easing into his arms.
“Least I can do,” he replied. “You’ve given me one of the best years of my life.”
I sipped on the wine. “Did I?”
“Of course,” he said.
“It was a pretty good year, wasn’t it?” I smiled. “You’re not all that bad in the boyfriend department.”
“Wow, thank you, I’m glad you approve.”
I giggled, kissing his cheek and playfully biting his chin. The truth was, it was one of the best years of my life, too. Ever since I had moved in, things seemed to be a lot more stable. Work at the diner was a lot smoother, especially since Hank now trusted me with a lot more responsibilities and wasn’t constantly breathing down my neck. Apparently, being with Alex seemed to settle well with him, as if his little girl had finally made the right choice in the relationship department, at least in his eyes.
Besides, I loved being a part of the Logan family. Samuel had definitely taken a liking to me, even using me as an excuse to take shots at Alex. Every time we disagreed on anything, Samuel was quick to take my side. Even Kelly jumped at any chance to use me as a card against her father. Tonight’s sleepover was a perfect example. Not to mention that I was a major player in convincing her father that having a boyfriend was not the end of the world.
All in all, it really was a great year, and despite my initial concerns, the worry that we were going into this way too fast, it had played out pretty well. I couldn’t really imagine my life without Alex anymore. It was like everything before him was non-existent.
“So, how does Alex Logan plan for this night to end?”
Alex looked at me, a playful smile spreading across his face. “Well, we do have the house to ourselves.”
“I noticed that.”
“And there’s enough wine for us to get really, really drunk.”
I smiled. “I see.”
Alex leaned in and kissed the crook of my neck, softly, his breath warm against my skin. I closed my eyes and moaned softly. “I did have a few things in mind, though,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow and bit my lower lip. “Well, please, don’t let me get in the way of your plans.”
He took the glass from my hand, placed it on the table beside me and leaned in again, his lips locking onto mine. I kissed him passionately, then hungrily. He pulled me to him, and I straddled him, feeling his already hard cock against my crotch.
I pulled back and began to grind slowly. “Why, Mr. Logan,” I whispered. “You seem to be a little too excited.”
He closed his eyes as I pressed against him, swirling my hips around, my hands slowly unbuttoning his shirt.
“I think the wine’s getting to my head,” he said with a smile.
I leaned in, kissed him, and pulled at his lower lip with my teeth. “I think it’s more than just the wine,” I said, gazing into his eyes seductively as I continued to grind against him.
His hands grabbed my waist, and he began to push my shirt up. I slapped his hands away and shook a finger at him. “You se
e? Too excited.”
“Someone’s in a playful mood,” he said.
I pouted. “Maybe it’s the wine,” I teased. But it was more than that. Ever since dinner and I had been fighting back the heat inside me, and even during the movie, it took every ounce of self-control I had not to rip the clothes off his body and take him. The atmosphere, the wine, the romantic anniversary gestures, it just made me want him so fucking badly I could almost feel the heat between my thighs spread like wildfire through me.
I continued to unbutton his shirt and leaned in, kissing his chest, running my hands across his body. I kissed my way down, unbuttoned his pants, and gazed into his eyes as I pulled them off. I slipped a hand inside his boxers and squeezed, smiling as he gasped at my touch.
“What do you say we have a little fun?” I teased, stroking his cock.
Alex opened his mouth to reply, then closed it, his eyes rolling back in pleasure. I pulled off his boxers, bent down and gently ran my tongue across his shaft. The way he shuddered under me only turned me on even more. I looked up at him, meeting his gaze, and slowly took his cock into my mouth. He groaned in pleasure and his hands clenched against the couch cushions. I sucked on his cock, wrapping my hand around him and pumping him as I twirled my tongue around the tip. I felt his legs shake, and I quickened my pace.