Montana Wild

by Hall, Roni

  “Derrick, I’m happy for you and the club opening. I really am, and I’m sure it will be a success, but I can’t be a part of that. You and I are over, we can’t go back.” Looking at him, she offered a kind smile. “I do wish you well, I do.”

  “What do you mean we can’t go back? I never quit on you, and I’m not about to now. Sure, it got a little rough the last year, but we can fix that.” She pulled her hand away from his and shook her head in disbelief.

  “Things were not good with us for the last two years! It was hell. We’re not good together. Start over with someone new. Let’s end this on a friendly note.” She wanted him to come to his senses.

  “True, it seemed a bit troublesome at the end but we can fix that. We can start over.” He didn’t get it.

  “No. We cannot fix it. We cannot start over. It’s done. Any good feelings I had for you are long gone and they’re not coming back. It’s over. I can’t say it any simpler than that.” Jamie grabbed her purse, getting ready to leave.

  His facial muscles turned to stone and his eyes went black. The kind Derrick had vanished, and the evil one was resurfacing. “You don’t get it, do you? You don’t have a choice in this. You’re coming back to New York with me.” He put his hand on her arm firmly this time.

  “What do you mean I don’t have a choice? Last time I looked, this was America and yes, I do have a choice.” His craziness was starting to scare her. She shook off his touch and started to get up from her seat.

  “The only choice you have is whether or not you want your cowboy to get hurt.” He looked at her dead serious across the table, then leaned back and watched her.

  Her legs gave way and she fell back into her seat, not sure she’d heard him correctly. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me.”

  Jamie went silent as her throat closed, cutting off her breath. She knew Derrick had a crazed, evil side that had developed over the past couple of years, and now reared its ugly head once again. “What are you talking about?” she asked, trying to hide her fear.

  “You come back with me, or your boyfriend could have an accident.” He leered as the words oozed out of his mouth.

  She couldn’t believe what she heard. This was evil talk even for Derrick, but it made sense. He knew she wouldn’t even consider his request if it were threats against her, but if he threatened someone she cared for . . . that was a different story.

  At a loss for words, she needed to process what he’d said. Was he serious about this? Physically striking her in the heat of an argument was bad enough, but would he actually plan and carry out harm against Kevin? She needed to think. He’d caught her off guard and he knew it. Oh how she wished she could wipe that foul grin off his face with a sledgehammer. Never had she felt such hatred for another living creature in her life as she did for him at this moment. Without a second thought he would harm another human being so he could have his way; he was pure evil.

  Derrick watched her as her mind raced. “I feel kind today. I’m going to give you some time to think about this, but don’t take too long. I would hate for something to happen to your handsome cowboy. And don’t even think of talking to anyone about this. I’m watching you. One wrong move and cowboy Kev could get hurt. He sure does have a nice big cabin, doesn’t he?”

  Jamie glared at him. If looks could kill, she would gladly do it now and never mind the consequences. Grabbing her purse, she stood up and left without a word. She could not speak; she did not know what to say or think.

  “I’ll be in touch.” He spoke in a playful tone as she left.

  Jamie stormed out of the restaurant to her car and drove off, but within a block she had to pull over. The road disappeared as her eyes filled, but these were not tears for Derrick, her eyes welled with hot anger at herself and her sense of helplessness. What was she going to do? She had to think this out by herself. Was he serious? Was he capable of carrying this out and hurting someone? Her gut told her yes. Jamie opened the car door and vomited into the street.

  Back at the ranch, Jamie returned the car keys to Consuelo. “You sure you’re okay?” she asked as Jamie turned to go.

  The obvious concern in her voice caused Jamie to bite her lip. How she wished she could fall into Consuelo’s arms, pour out her troubles and have her solve everything with her magic wand but this wasn’t a fairy tale. It was a nightmare, Jamie’s nightmare, and she was so fearful of the ending. She needed a clear head to think, think of a solution, some way out of this mess.

  Faking a smile, she nodded, left Consuelo and went directly to her cabin. As she opened the door, she froze. Her CD player was on, playing Sting’s song again, Every Breath You Take. Had Derrick been here? She didn’t think so; he was a striking figure and would not have gone unnoticed. He had someone put the CD on in her room, he had someone on the inside. She was being watched . . . she felt like an actor in a bad movie. Who knows who, or how many, were on his payroll. He could buy anyone if they were weak. He really had gone to the dark side. If Derrick wanted something, there was no stopping him, and he did not play by the rules or the law. He had mentioned this more than once.

  Jamie stood motionless in her cabin, unnerved by the words of the song. Suddenly a booming voice outside jolted her from her thoughts.

  “FIRE! FIRE!”

  Jamie flew outside and saw ranch hands running toward the barn. Black smoke was billowing out of the rear of the building from the direction of Jack’s stall. Jamie’s heart stopped and she ran toward the barn. Kevin, Hector, Ben, and Rick were already there with a hose and fire extinguishers. Luckily the flames were quickly doused but there was still plenty of smoke. They were wetting all surfaces with water to make sure there were no hidden embers. Jamie ran up to Hector.

  “Where’s Jack?”

  “He is in the back corral. He was outside the whole time.” Jamie exhaled with relief.

  “Are you okay, Hector?” Jamie asked as she put her hand on his arm.

  “Sí, sí.” He looked at her appreciatively.

  “What happened?”

  Hector shrugged his shoulders, saying nothing. Trying to be useful, Jamie helped evacuate the rest of the horses then stopped to visit Jack, making sure he was okay. When she finished she went back into the barn where Kevin and a few of the hands were still raking through the ashes. Kevin looked deep in thought and Jamie didn’t want to interrupt them.

  He looked up and Jamie caught his eye. “Is there anything I can do? Anything?”

  “No, but thanks.” He was quick and to the point.

  “Okay, but if you think of anything, please call me.” Kevin gave her a thankful nod as she walked away. It hit her how awful the fire could have been had it not been caught quickly. Thank God Jack was not in his stall!

  Jamie checked on each displaced horse, making sure they were all right. They would not be returned to the barn tonight. Once she made sure they were all settled, she checked on Jack again. He seemed very receptive to her visit, nuzzling her more than usual.

  Though she was not hungry she made her way to the mess hall to be around others after what had happened. Their little world had been rocked and there was a sense of community, of family here.

  Jamie made a plate but ate little. Kevin, Ben, and Rick were no shows in the mess hall, busy with all the details of the fire. Jamie sat and chatted for a while longer, then headed back to her cabin. With all the excitement, she had forgotten about her situation with Derrick and it really needed all her attention. The fire had been bad but Derrick was capable of far worse.

  Jamie let herself into her cabin and sat on the bed, clueless as to what she should do. She fell back on her bed, her legs dangling over the side, and stared up at the ceiling. Next thing she knew, the room was dark. She had fallen asleep and hadn’t moved in hours. Now fully awake, she opened her cabin door and walked out onto th
e small porch, taking in the night air. A faint odor of smoky debris still lingered in the air. Looking toward Kevin’s cabin, she thought she saw a light on and walked in his direction. As she neared she saw him sitting on his porch in the dark.

  “Kevin?” she whispered.

  “Yes. I’m here. Come on up.” He motioned to a bent twig chair beside him.

  “What are you doing up at this hour? Are you okay?” She took the seat and looked at him with concern.

  “I guess I could ask you the same questions.”

  Jamie paused. “Anything I can do?”

  “No, but thank you. Just trying to figure out how the fire started . . . and organizing my thoughts for repairing the damage. It could have been far worse, so in some ways we were lucky.” Kevin spoke out loud but looked deep in thought.

  She reached out and took his hand in hers and he held on tightly. Their world was getting complicated by factors outside of their control. Gazing up at the stars, feeling the soft breeze on her face and hearing the pines whispering in the wind was all so idyllic, but troubled waters were beneath it all. Jamie felt the weight of the world on her shoulders but couldn’t dare mention her Derrick issues . . . she had to protect Kevin from him.

  She looked at him in the darkness. “I should go.” As she got up to leave, Kevin stood up too and she stepped closer to hold him close. They held each other for a moment then Jamie loosened her grip reluctantly.

  “Get some sleep.”

  “Good night.” He sighed as she walked away.

  Kevin was in a pensive mood as he drove to town the next morning, the fire still on his mind. He was grateful, it could have been a disaster. Returning his full attention back to his driving, he routinely applied the brake to slow down for the decline toward the stop sign at Lee Road. Stepping on the brake, his booted foot slid the pedal all the way to the floor. By instinct, he pumped the brake with no resistance or deceleration of his speed. “What the hell!” The gravel pinging the underside of his truck increased in frequency and intensity as the old truck picked up speed on the downhill. Shit! Kevin kept uselessly pumping his brakes as he saw the intersection with a two lane blacktop approaching. Gathering his wits, Kevin downshifted to lower gear while he continued to pump the brakes. As the intersection neared, his peripheral vision sighted vehicles on the blacktop coming from both directions. Pulling the parking brake, he steered the truck off the road, attempting to sideswipe trees in the hopes of slowing him down.

  “Jesus!” Kevin prayed out loud.

  Jamie woke from a fitful sleep, her mind going a mile a minute. She had not figured out her Derrick dilemma yet, but knew she had to do something soon. He would not wait long for an answer. Working in the barn, she went through the motions without emotion. The morning passed in a daze and lunch was skipped as her appetite had vanished.

  The weight of her troubles visibly slumped her shoulders as she sat at the drink station, eyes blank and staring. Needing to talk to someone about her troubles, she was leaning toward confiding in Kevin, but she had to be sure she was making the right decision. If she was wrong, Kevin could get hurt.

  Needing some Jack time to soothe her soul, she headed back to the barn.

  “Hector, ¿cómo estás?” She paused to listen to his reply. The fire had upset him. He had voiced guilt because it occurred on his watch.

  “I’m okay. Gracias.” He looked sad as he returned to his work, but Jamie had to concentrate on her own troubles, as selfish as that sounded. She saddled Jack up and took off. Immediately she began to come alive as she left all her troubles behind.

  With Jack’s powerful spirit beneath her, she was flying above all her worries and feeling free. When they reached the turnaround point, Jamie dismounted and let Jack drink. As usual, she poured out her heart to him as he stared back and nuzzled her. Hugging his neck she felt his strength, physical and spiritual. She mounted the stallion for her ride back, which she took slowly, not wanting to re-enter the real world.

  They entered the barn where Jamie unsaddled and brushed down Jack. She made sure he had his water and feed, then headed out toward her cabin. On her way she noticed Kevin, Ben, and Rick standing around Kevin’s truck which now had substantial damage.

  Initially alarmed, Jamie put this in check since Kevin stood there unhurt. She ran over to the threesome.

  “Kevin! What happened?”

  “Everything’s okay. Just a little mishap.” He tried to downplay it but the damage was considerable.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, looking him up and down for a quick assessment.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. But my truck isn’t.” Kevin loved that truck and voiced anger about her damage rather than any injury to him.

  “Seriously, have you been checked out? There aren’t any airbags in that old truck. You may need x-rays of your neck and back.”

  “No, Jamie, I’m fine,” he said sternly, then softened the blow with, “but thank you for your concern.” He squeezed her hand.

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure. I was on my way to town and when I put on the brakes, they failed. I had to steer off the road so I didn’t run into oncoming traffic. Unfortunately it took a couple of trees to stop me. Rick towed me back here but I’ll have to get her into the shop.”

  Was the cup half full or half empty? The accident was bad news, like the fire; but also like the fire, it could have been much worse. Kevin could have been seriously hurt. It was an old truck and even though he loved it, things were going to go out on it sooner or later.

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” Jamie caressed his arm and looked at him. She left the boys to mourn the injury to their beloved truck and make plans for her cosmetic recovery and mechanical repair.

  Life sure hasn’t been dull around here lately. Feeling some hunger pains, Jamie headed toward the mess hall although her appetite was not back to normal. She wanted to retire early; she had some serious thinking to do.

  Once in her cabin, she decided a long hot bath would be good for problem solving. Lost in her weary thoughts, she dunked her head under the soapy water to help clear her head. She held her head under for a minute, not sure if she ever wanted to surface. Above the water, troubles were waiting; it was silent and peaceful here. Jamie popped up quickly . . . my god, she was sounding suicidal . . . reminding her of how her mother had ended her own emotional anguish. Jamie knew she would never let Derrick drive her to that. By the end of the bath, she decided she could not let Derrick run her life. She would not let him win. If the tables were turned, she would hope that Kevin would trust her enough to confide in her so she would tell him about the ultimatum Derrick had given her. They would have to involve the authorities if they thought Derrick’s threat was real.

  Scrubbing herself, she imagined she was ridding herself completely of anything to do with Derrick. I will survive this and be stronger because of it. She would talk to Kevin tomorrow, she didn’t want to wait any longer.

  Jamie put some soothing music on her CD player and changed into her pajamas. Sitting on her bed, her phone’s flashing voicemail alert caught her eye and she gasped out loud. She recognized the number and the last thing she wanted was to hear his voice, but she had to know what Derrick was up to.

  Reluctantly she forced herself to listen to the voicemail. “Hello, sweetie.” His menacing voice stung like shards of glass in her gut. “Sounds like cowboy Kev had a run of bad luck lately. First, your favorite horse Jack narrowly misses being barbecue meat, and next, poor Kev’s brakes go out on his beloved truck. Good thing the steering didn’t go out too. That really could have been ugly. I hope his string of bad luck stops. Gosh, I’m so glad nobody got hurt . . . especially little Tommy . . . how cute is he? Or Ben, Consuelo, so many nice people there. Yep, so glad no one got hurt. Keep in touch sweetheart.”

  For a second, the room went
dark and the air was sucked from her lungs. As her body went limp she fell back onto the bed. Lying motionless, it all sunk in . . . Derrick had set the fire and sabotaged Kevin’s truck! Now it seemed so obvious. Stupid! How could I be so stupid? Oh my God! Jack and Kevin could have been killed so easily, and all because of me. And now he’s threatening Tommy? Derrick was insane. There would be no compromising with him, and he obviously had people on the inside here. He had to have hired out the work in both incidents. His evil tentacles were far reaching. He would know if she informed Kevin of his intentions and would hurt or kill him or someone else, and quickly. He was impatient.

  Jamie’s long thought process and resulting decision while soaking in the tub had all been for naught. She knew what she had to do. She made the call.

  “Okay, Derrick. You win. It’s over. No more accidents.”

  “So good to hear your voice, sweetie, and even better to hear you’re coming back to me.”

  “You have to give me a day or so to tie things up and make my excuses here so it doesn’t look so suspicious.”

  “Of course Jamie, whatever you want.” His sickly sweet tone nauseated her.

  “But no more accidents! Do you hear me?” She screamed into the phone.

  “Yes, I hear you.”

  “Promise? Promise me, Derrick, and I’ll go back to New York with you.”

  “That’s music to my ears. Yes, I promise. I’ll call off the dogs.” He promised, but could she trust him? She had no choice.