One Moment

by Elizabeth Savino

  Darren stops smiling and leans towards me so I know he is serious, “I realize that honey, but don’t go all Rambo on us. Let Logan and I deal with this piece of trash.”

  Logan grasps my neck gently turning me towards him, “Darlin’, please. Listen to me and Darren on this. We have intel coming in on John. He is not a good guy. You’ve already put the pieces together that the book you found is key evidence in putting him and his friends away for a long time. We are just waiting for some more information. It’s slow baby, because we’re not taking our chances with who can be trusted. But soon, darlin’, soon this will be over and you won’t have to ever look over your shoulder worrying again.”

  I nod my consent. Logan leans forward and brushes his mouth against mine. It’s a quick kiss but before he moves away he swipes his tongue against my lips almost as though he just wanted a taste of me. Conversation over, we eat and drink and have easy banter not bringing up anything heavy. Basically, Logan and Darren let us live in the land of denial during the rest of our breakfast.

  Logan answers Jenny’s questions about his equine therapy program that he has started on his ranch. I can tell Jenny respects what he is doing from the way she is listening to him. Her approval means a lot to me. Darren talks a little about his brothers and the bar.

  I notice he doesn’t bring up the security aspect of his life. Silently I wonder if there is a story there. The men decide that it’s still safe enough to drop off me and Jenny at my cottage for the rest of the afternoon so we can catch up. Considering the alarm system is as good as Fort Knox, I think we will be fine. Logan reminds me, “I’m ok with you having a few hours with your friend, but after those few hours time I want you in my sight at all times until this mess is over.” I agree without arguing. Logan looks surprised, and gives me a quick kiss.

  Jenny wants to get caught up on my jewelry line. She loves looking at the new pieces that I have made. I’ll convince her to help me box them up so I can mail them to the stores next week.

  My cell rings causing me to jump. I look down at the display and see its Maggie. I answer with a “Yo Maggie.”

  Maggie giggles at my hello.

  “Well hello to you too Laura.”

  “Hey Maggie, how are you?”

  “I’m good. The question is, how are you?”

  “Well, asides from the drama that seems to follow me everywhere. I’m feeling good.” I state this while looking at Logan’s face.

  “Stop eye fucking him already. Geesh.”

  “What?” I look around and see Maggie sitting at the diner counter smiling at me.

  “Funny. Get your tiny ass over here.” I hang up and slide my phone back into my bag.

  Maggie walks over to our table smiling. Darren scooches over so Maggie can squeeze into the booth. He throws his arms around Jenny and Maggie. Smiling. “I’m one lucky man right now.”

  I chuckle out loud. He can obviously be a corn ball.

  “So Maggie, what are you up to?”

  “I was just going to head to my shop, but wanted to bust your chops first when I saw you looking all lovey dovey at Logan here.”

  “I wasn’t looking at him lovey dovey.” I say with a frown.

  Both Maggie and Jenny say, “Yes you were.” At the same time.

  I scowl at them. “Who say’s lovey dovey anyway? Jerks.” I introduce Maggie to Jenny. We all decide to get together soon. Logan and Darren look at each other with serious faces.

  “OK I amend; we will all get together as soon as Logan and Darren find shit head John.”

  Maggie looks concerned. “Is everything ok?”

  “Yeah, why don’t you come over after you close up shop and we’ll tell you about the drama that is my so called life.”

  Logan leans over and whispers, “Darlin’, this will soon be over. I promise.” I look into his eyes and believe every word he’s saying. How a man can be so amazing is beyond me. I am lost thinking how lucky I am to have Logan in my life.

  “Earth to Laura, come in Laura” Maggie jokes with me. “Actually I’m closed today. I was just going in to check on a few items that I was varnishing. Basically I’m bored.”

  I look at Logan and Darren. “Can Maggie come home with us?” I say in a pleading voice bouncing in my seat. Trying to bring some lightness to my dark.

  Logan sighs. “Sure. Just stay inside, fill Maggie in so she knows to be careful too.”

  When he say’s this Maggie stiffens. I see it, Darren feels it. He looks over at her.

  “Maggie, you alright?”

  She pastes on a huge fake smile, one that would win the “Fake Smile Award” if there was one and say’s, “Of course. Let’s go boys.”

  With that we all leave the diner and head to my place.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Trackers

  I lean my head against the passenger window of Logan’s truck looking out at the darkening sky. Seems we’re in for a storm. It’s as though the sky is mirroring my mood.

  I’m startled from my gloomy thoughts when Logan’s phone rings. It’s Jonsie. I noticed Logan’s face get tight, which in turn makes my stomach sink. Obviously having mind reading voo-doo abilities I was unaware of, he looks over at me realizing I’m not ok. Smirking he shakes his head and mouths, “Not your drama honey.” This enables me to take a deep breath. I turn and look behind us to see Maggie in her car and behind her Darren and Jenny in his truck.

  Our own little convoy. If the situation was different, I would find this funny. After Logan hangs up with Jonsie I ask, “How’s Cody? I miss seeing him, is he all right? Seriously I know I’m a problem. And I know that said problem is keeping you from your son, and...”

  “Laura, stop. Your problem is going to go away, soon. Then we can make up the time to Cody together. I spoke to him this morning. He’s having a blast with Helen. They are breaking in a new horse for the equine therapy and he loves every second of it. I’ll see him later this evening. He thinks he’s on a mini vacation. Zoe is enjoying her time with her friends. And I’m happy about that because I’d like her to move in with them. They live in group home for the elderly. She has a blast every time she’s with them. I hate that she feels obligated to come back to my ranch. So it warms my heart that Zoe is where she is. Basically, all is fine, relax darlin’.”

  I grasp Logan’s hand. He looks over at me with a smile. I give him a wobbly smile back. “Thanks honey. You have no idea…just you have no idea what all this means to me. Everything you’re doing. Words can’t express.” I stop talking and start breathing in through my nose trying to stop the threatening tears.

  “You can express your gratitude later in other ways.” Logan says and winks at me. I know he’s kidding, trying to lighten the mood. This makes me love him all the more. Yet, I smack his arm. Causing us both to chuckle.

  Our group pulls up in front of my cottage. Maggie takes a look around in awe.

  “This place is awesome.” She breathes in a big lungful of fresh air. I have to agree, this place really is awesome, if not for my daily drama. I let out a little shiver when the wind starts to kick up a notch.

  Logan looks at Darren who is staring at Jenny. “Darren.” That jolts his attention to Logan. He gives him a chin lift which I have learned is male speak for “Yeah.”

  “Jonsie’s on his way over. Seems Joe Richards’s boy is up to his old tricks again. Went missing but this time with his three year old brother. Jonsie needs help tracking them before this storm hits.”

  “Are we definitely getting a storm?” I ask leaning into Logan.

  “Yeah, seems like we’re in for some nasty weather. Darren and I are good at tracking people, so Jonsie needs our help. It’s easier to track someone before it rains, or gets too windy. Shouldn’t take long, and we want to find them before Peter gets his baby brother hurt, or worse.”

  “Peter has always been a little prick. He really needs his ass beat.” Darren grumbles, pulling out a map from his truck.

  Jonsie pulls up and walks over
to us. “Let’s go inside and figure out how to handle this.” Jonsie say’s while discretely looking over at Maggie. I notice Maggie stiffen though her cheeks turn a little pink.

  Logan takes my keys and lets us all in to my little cottage, turning off the alarm. Logan and Jonsie put their hands up simultaneously to keep Maggie, Jenny and I from entering further into the cottage. Our protectors. This gives me a warm squishy feeling all over.

  They do a walk- through of the house while Jonsie is looking around the outside. When all is deemed safe we go into the kitchen. Logan wraps his arm around me pulling me close. Jenny see’s this and her face softens staring at us. I catch her eye and she mouths. “You deserve this.” I smile back at her.

  Jonsie and Maggie are doing an awkward silent dance around each other. One would look and then look away, then the other. Interesting.

  Darren grabs Jenny’s hand motioning for her to sit next to him at the table. She scowls at him, but sits. Jonsie sits next to Darren and they start looking at the map.

  From the information that Jonsie got from Peter’s Dad Joe, Peter was last seen with Gabe earlier this morning. It’s now mid afternoon so they have been gone for only a few hours and couldn’t have gotten far. Seems Joe is done dealing with Peter’s bullshit, and called the cops in right away. He’s worried about Gabe. He’s only three.

  Logan is very hesitant leaving us alone. His pacing and excessive hand through his hair is making me worry. But I assure him that we will set the alarm and lock the doors. I send a silent prayer that they find the boy’s quickly so that I know the little Gabe is safe and so Logan can come back to me.

  Funny how quickly I have come to depend on him to help me feel safe. But it’s not only that, I want him with me, I wish Cody were here too. I am quickly falling in love with both of them.

  “We’re good at tracking baby, so hopefully this doesn’t take long. If it wasn’t for this storm brewing I would never leave you. But Gabe’s just a baby.”

  “Logan, stop. You don’t have to explain, you’re doing the right thing. Now go find those boys so you can come back to me soon.” I lean up and give Logan a kiss that will keep him thinking about me after he’s gone. He pulls me close and takes over the kiss. I forget we have an audience until I hear a giggle. I reluctantly pull away and feel all eyes on me. Jonsie is smirking and Darren flat out smiling. Men. Maggie and Jenny give each other a knowing smile.

  “Lock the door and set the alarm darlin’. Be back as soon as I can. Keep your phone on you at all times, you need me you just call.”

  When they leave I lean against the door and sigh. Jenny and Maggie are quick to laugh at me.

  “That was some kiss. I guess you do like him.” Jenny jokes.

  “Most of the women in this town have tried to land Logan Thompson from what I hear for quite a long time. Glad to see he’s finally settled on an amazing one.” Maggie says this as she grabs my hand and squeezes.

  Jenny observantly starts teasing in a sing song voice. “Jonsie has a crush on Maggie.”

  Maggie shoots her a death glare and her face turns bright red.

  I laugh at her reaction. “Oh my god, you like him too don’t you.”

  Maggie doesn’t deny it, just drops her head on the kitchen table. “You don’t understand. It’s complicated.”

  “My life is the definition of complicated. Lay it on me sister. I want to hear it.”

  Maggie looks up. “Laura, I’ll tell you mine, after you tell me yours. Because it seems something else other than that nasty storm is brewing.”

  Jenny is all too quiet. I don’t know if she feels guilty, or what is going on in that pretty little head of hers. She feels me staring at her. Just as we make eye contact she burst into tears. I rush over to hug her. Maggie looks confused, then jumps to the wrong conclusion.

  “Did Darren do something to upset you? If he did I will kick his ass.” Maggie say’s this looking like she is formulating a plan to do just that.

  “N..N..No” Jenny hiccup sobs, “he was actually really nice to me. I stayed with him last night and he was a gentleman. A little bossy, and he made me sleep in the same bed with him.”

  I thought this was odd information. “What? Wait, why would he make you sleep with him?”

  Jenny stops crying and dabs at her eyes with a tissue Maggie hands her, “That’s what I said. I offered to take the couch, the floor, anything but to sleep with that man. My God, did you see him? It’s like male perfection in a human being. That face, those hands, those dreamy eyes.”

  Holding back laughter I wave my hands in front of my possessed looking friend whose brain has taken a break and is in Darren world, “Jenny, snap out of it and tell us what was his reasoning for you sleeping in the same bed.”

  “Well, that’s the really sweet part. So get this, I was pissed. I got washed up for bed all while stomping around in a snit. This would normally piss the normal male off, not him. He said I was adorable. This in turn made me angrier. Darren quickly changed into a tee and sweats in the bathroom. He comes out and I am just standing there in front of the bed trying to figure out how in the world I am going to sleep there, with him! He moves to the left side and tells me to lay down on the right. I scowl at him and slip under the covers; he then lies on top of the covers on his side. I start to huff and puff and turn and toss. And then I say, “Can you at least tell me why we have to sleep in the same bed?” Jenny’s face takes on a dreamy far- away look finishes with, “Get this, he tells me, ‘this way if any trouble finds its way into my house, which it won’t, it has to get through me first before anything gets to you. And that will never happen. You’re in my bed so I know you’re safe. Go to sleep’.”

  Maggie and I now have identical dreamy looks on our faces.

  “Wow,” I breathe out.

  “Sweet,” Maggie agrees.

  “OK, no more bedtime love stories,” Maggie looks at me, “You got some explaining to do.” Maggie states while trying to lighten the mood by trying to sound like Ricky Ricardo.

  I take in a deep breath and decide to tell Maggie everything. We make tea, sit down and I unload my whole sad sorry story that is my pathetic life. From my abusive ex, to my parents passing. My sister and niece, and her crazy ex. The notebook and why Jenny is here. It’s a lot to take in, but Maggie does it like a champ. She has tears in her eyes, and has to clear her throat a few times. But she remains strong because she knows that is what I need right now. Jenny has tears running down her face because she is either blaming herself again, or remembering because she was by my side through almost all of the things I am telling Maggie. But I know my friend and guilt is written all over her face, and she needs to stop it.

  With Maggie’s help we are finally able to convince Jenny she’s not to blame for John knowing where I am. In fact with all of us talking I have come to realize that I’m glad Logan took the lead with his team of commandos to take down John once and for all. It will be nice not to have to keep looking over my shoulder, or thinking I may have to move. But the real reward will be for him to be punished for taking my sister and niece from me. All three of us are holding hands by the time we’re done talking.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Here’s Johnny

  Jenny and I are sitting on my couch drinking wine and watching a movie. Neither of us are hungry for dinner, so liquid courage it is. I would bet my right kidney that neither of us could tell you what movie is playing. Considering we are both listening to the wind howl and the rain beating against my cottage.

  It’s now dark out thanks to the storm clouds. It’s a little past six, and I find myself wishing Logan would hurry up and find these boy’s.

  Maggie left about a half hour ago. She left all of her windows open at home and wanted to shut them before it started to rain. I’m sure she succeeded in this feat considering it just started to rain a few minutes ago.

  Here’s the problem, she promised to text me when she got home, and hasn’t done so yet. I keep getting her voice mail when
I try to call her. So I’m staring out the window, biting my nails, worried.

  Logan hasn’t come back yet either. I’m giving it ten more minutes and then I will have to do something. What I am going to do, I have no idea…I haven’t planned that far ahead, but something…because I am in serious freak out mode here.

  **********

  Logan

  I look at Jonsie and we circle the old barn in the woods where the tracks led them. We don’t know what lies inside, so we both have our hands on our guns, ready for anything.

  Working together for so many years enables us to be able to communicate without words, just a look and a hand signal. Darren has the back of the barn covered.

  Quietly we approach the door that is barely hanging on to the hinges. With the strength of the wind it’s a wonder it hasn’t fallen off yet. Gabe’s voice can be heard faintly telling Peter that he’s hungry and wants to go home. Peter tells him, “Soon Gabe, I want to go home too. But we have to wait a few more minutes.”

  The wind blows hard enough to open the door slightly so Logan can catch a glimpse inside. It seems to only be the two boys.

  Motioning for Jonsie to cover him Logan pushes the door in and enters the barn.

  Peter and Gabe turn around from their position in the corner looking frightened. “Peter, what the hell are you doing?”

  Jonsie joins Logan as does Darren. Peter’s face pales, as he keeps swallowing hard staring at Logan. “I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want to do it.”

  When Gabe sees Darren he runs over to him and throws his arms around his legs. Darren scoops him up in his arms. “Hey Gabe, how you doing buddy?”

  “I wanna go home. I hungry.” Gabe places his head down on Darren’s shoulder. Gabe looks like a little doll in Darren’s arms. He’s so tiny and it just flares my anger towards Peter for putting him in harm’s way.

  Darren has always had a soft spot for kids, and they know it. Darren has been by Joe’s farm too many times to count to help Joe out. Gabe thankfully feels comfortable with Darren.