Single Dad Baker: A Second Chance Romance Series (Book 1)

by Wood, Lauren

  He looked at me suspiciously, but I didn’t know what to say to make him believe me. He wanted me to want him, he always has, but I don’t know if I was that good of an actress. It didn’t feel like I could pull something off like that. It felt impossible.

  “Now you want to be with me?”

  “Of course, Billy. It’s just hard to do much of anything in this tiny car. I have some money…”

  “You know that it’s never an issue of money.”

  “Then what is it? I would like a nice, soft bed to lay down on. I figured that you would as well.”

  “I would, but I am worried about what you’re going to do when we get around people.”

  I didn’t want to answer that, because I was afraid that my face would give away my emotions. I had a feeling that none of them were going to be all that good about it. I was never a good liar, but I had to try. This was the only way that I wasn’t going to find myself back in California, stuck in a bad situation. I was going to have to get out of his grasps, before we got there.

  It was just easier said than done.

  “You can get the place while I am in the car. I don’t want you to worry about it. I just want somewhere nice and warm to sleep.”

  He smiled at me and then he leaned in. I knew what he was doing, but I was still a bit shocked. Billy knew that I didn’t want to kiss him. He was calling my bluff. As much as he wanted to hear the very words that I was saying, at the same time, he wanted to actually believe it.

  I just had to lean forward and let him kiss me. It was what had to happen, but I was finding it harder than usual to do just that.

  The last thing that I wanted to do, was put my lips anywhere near Billy’s. He had something in his eyes that told me I had to do it. If I wanted to prove to him that I wanted him, I was going to have to show him that I really did need him. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded and the more, I thought about it, the more I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to do it.

  Then his lips were on me and I kissed him back. I didn’t think I would be able to, but I reminded myself that it was probably the only way that I was going to get out of this situation. It certainly wasn’t one that I wanted to be in. I was trying my best to make sure that there wasn’t a reason for him not to believe me.

  Billy pulled back and he had a grin on his face. I was wiping my mouth off in my mind, but I couldn’t do it in real life. Not just yet. I had to convince him, and I made my lips move upwards towards a smile.

  “Come on, let’s get a room for the night. Like you said, we have a very long road ahead of us.”

  He agreed and I wasn’t sure if my plan was going to work, but if I could wait him out and leave, I knew that I would be able to go. The only thing that bothered me now, was what I was going to have to do, to get Billy to sleep. I knew what he needed, and I just couldn’t. I wouldn’t. Not now or ever again.

  We went a while longer, before he finally pulled over for the night and we were able to take a break. I was trying my best not to let the situation get to me, but all I could think about was Jack. I wanted to believe that he was looking for me, even though I didn’t want anything to happen to him. But to think that no one was going to come and help me, was more than I was willing to admit to, even in my own head.

  Something was going to go my way. It just had to. I looked over at Billy and swallowed hard. A little help wouldn’t hurt though. Not right now.

  23

  Jack

  Something was telling me that I was going to have to wait off on the plane trip. I wanted to get to California, but if John was right, there was days in between until they got to their final destination. I wanted to make sure that I got to her as soon as possible. It made sense to wait, even though every bone in my body wanted to go.

  Patience was not something that I was very good at. I knew that it was an acquired skill, but it was one that I had not worked on enough. I was practically pacing most of the afternoon, waiting on John to give me some information. I just needed anything to go off of.

  He called me around seven o'clock and told me that Billy’s credit card had been used at hotel a couple of states over. I did not want to know how he got that information, because I was pretty sure that it was in the illegal way. But I could have kissed him through the phone, if it would have been possible.

  “You know that there is going to be a damn good bonus in this for you John. You never let me down.”

  “Just send it through with the rest of it. Do you want me to keep an eye on them?”

  “Them? So, you're telling me that Bella is with him?”

  I had sent him a picture of her earlier and he confirmed that it was in fact Bella. Reality flashed over me. That's all I really needed to hear.

  “Did she look alright?”

  “She went in with him, but you can tell that she doesn't want to be there.”

  “Is she injured, marked up?”

  I was convinced that the man was going to put his hands on her, and I couldn't stand the idea of it. There was another wave of relief that washed over me, once he told me that she was unharmed.

  I could imagine that she was scared and so many other things at the moment, but it was good to know that he hadn’t put his hands on her. Yet.

  Bella had been through enough. I just wanted to alleviate some of the time that she had to spend with him. Some way or another, I was going to make this all better.

  After I got off the phone with John, I called the pilot and told him to get the plane ready. I wasn’t going to wait any longer. I knew where Bella was and I hated the idea of what was going to happen between the two of them tonight, if I didn’t get there in time.

  I had to get there. Now.

  The trip was agonizingly slow, but I finally got to the east side of Iowa. I don’t think I had ever touched down in the state before. It was one of the fly-over states that no one would choose to go to. They were on a road trip across country and had made good time for the day. It would have been days before they got to California. I didn’t want to wait days.

  When I got off the plane, it was long past dark, but I had an address, which was far more than I had started out with. I knew that I had a good chance of catching them both there. While I wanted to make sure that Bella was safe, I was also worried about taking care of Billy as well. That was a high priority on our mind. He needed to learn that what he did was not okay. I wanted to be the one to personally show him how wrong he was.

  Taking a deep breath, I got in the car and had the driver take me to the address. It was a run-down hotel and not far from the air strip. I was determined to get her and get out. The plane was waiting for us. I was sure that it was only going to be a few minutes, but I really had no idea what I was walking into. All I knew for certain, was that I had to get Bella away from that guy and back in my arms, where she belonged.

  I went to the front desk and asked the man which one Billy was in. The clerk was a pasty-white guy that looked to have never seen the sun. He refused, citing privacy and the like, but after I put a hundred-dollar bill on the counter, he seemed to forget all about his morals. I was given the number for the room and I went to go find my woman.

  This time, I was not going to be left unaware. Bella had warned me what kind of guy that Billy was. Now I knew that he was even worse. He would kidnap a woman, even if they didn’t want to be with him. I don’t know why, but that seemed somehow worse to me.

  When I got to the door, I couldn’t hear anything. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I had a moment of indecision. I wanted to kick in the door, but that would alert him immediately to danger. I thought about going back to the clerk, paying a bit more and just getting a key for the room. That’s what I should have done to begin with.

  As I turned around to go back, I heard something or someone moving around on the other side of the door. The lock clicked and Bella materialized like magic. She made a small sound, but then covered up her mouth. She shut the door behind her, putting her fingers to her li
ps. It was clear that Billy wasn’t aware that she was leaving.

  I hugged her to me and held her tighter than I had to for a moment. I was happy to see her, but at the same time, I was also still wanting to get to the man that had messed with her. She had enough going on; Bella didn’t need to worry about him popping up again. I was sure that I could find a way to push him to the side, so that neither one of us would have to worry about Billy ever again.

  She tugged on my shirt. Bella wanted me to leave, but the indecision was back. How easy would it be, to go in there now and end it, to make sure that he never darkened our doorstep again? It was very tempting, but the pressure on my shirt was doubled. We had to go; she was right.

  We got back to the car before we said anything. I think we both had a lot to say, but only when we were on our way back to the airstrip, did we let anything fly.

  “I am so glad that you came.”

  I kissed her again and let it sink in that we were actually back together. I saw it going so different in my head. This was all just too easy. It made no sense and I wasn’t feeling comfortable about it going off without a hitch. I should have been thrilled, but the nagging was back, and it was hard for me to let her go. I was too afraid that she would be taken from me again.

  “What were you doing?”

  “Leaving. I put some Dramamine in his drink and he finally passed out. I was going to start hitchhiking or flag someone down to use the phone. I am not sure what I was planning to do, but I knew that I was going to get away from him.”

  “You are, right now. You will never have to see him again.”

  She sighed and looked out the window. “I wish I could be as sure as you are about it, because I really don’t know. Billy is far crazier than I thought he was. He really thought that we were going to be together forever. I tried to tell him that there was no way, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know that I can’t go back to Coloma.”

  “Where are you going to go? Coloma is safe.”

  “I just got picked up and thrown in a car in the middle of Main Street. It’s not as safe as I would have liked to think it was, not when a guy like Billy is around. He’s hard to deal with. I know. I’ve been dealing with him for some time.”

  She was still living in fear and now I wanted to know why she had stopped me earlier. This wouldn’t even be an issue if it was handled then. That just seemed easier to me.

  “Then let’s go back and take care of him.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  I didn’t want to spell it out. I was feeling guilty that I was even thinking such a thing, but I couldn’t help myself. All I wanted to do, was make sure that Bella was going to be safe and getting Billy out of the situation, seemed like the only sure-fire way to do it.

  “I don’t know. I just don’t want to worry about Billy anymore. If you really think that something is going to happen, maybe we can go back.”

  “And what, call the police??”

  She was hopeful that’s what I meant, so I went along with it.

  “I know this might sound weird, but I really don't want to go to the police. It is already bad enough that it happened. I don't want to have to relive it while I am telling them. I don't know. Can we just leave and forget about this for a little while?”

  I knew there was a lot that had to be taken care of, but at the same time, I knew that Bella had been through quite an ordeal. It was completely normal that she would need some time to process it all. I had what I came for. She was back on the plane and back where we could both be safe. Billy was just going to have to wait.

  Once we got on the plane again, she had calmed down a little bit and I went to call John. He was still watching the hotel room, even though he had seen me leave with Bella. I think he had worked with me enough, to know that I wasn't quite done with Billy. After all of this, I couldn’t just let it all go. There had to be a way to deal with him, without upsetting Bella.

  John was going to give me any updates when Billy realized that he was alone. Once Billy stepped foot out of the hotel room,, I would know about it. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with him yet, but I had a little bit of time before I headed to her side.

  One way or another I was going to make sure he was put out of commission. I was not going to let him harass Bella again. She was part of my life and I refused to have her menaced.

  I tried to relax, but I knew that there was a lot to get done once we got back. Once we were back in Coloma, I knew just what to do, to get rid of Billy for good.

  24

  Bella

  I don’t know how, but I must have fell asleep on the plane. One minute, we were taking off and the next, we were touching down and I was groggy. I panicked for a second, just one, before I saw Jack smiling at me, telling me everything was going to be okay. It was hard to believe that as the truth, but it sounded really good, so I was just going to go with it.

  “Where are we?”

  “Home. You’re going to stay with me for a while. I will be able to keep you close and keep you safe.”

  “Is that the only reason you want me close?”

  He grinned. “I can think of other reasons, but I’m trying to be a gentleman, after your ordeal.”

  I sighed out loud and got out of the car. That was the last thing that I wanted to hear. “You already saved the day Jack. I don't need you to be my savior anymore. There is a lot of other things that I would rather you do.”

  “I just thought...”

  I shut him up with a kiss and told him that he needed to stop thinking.

  “You're pretty and all Jack, but maybe you should leave the thinking to me.”

  That got a growl out of him and for a moment I forgot about everything. I let him take me upstairs and lay me down in the bed. I just needed a little bit of familiarity. I needed his arms around me to assure me that everything was going to be okay. I didn't know if that was true or not, but I really wanted to believe it so.

  It took no time at all to get him in the mood and I was thankful that Jack was that way. He always seemed to know when I needed him most and now was certainly one of those times. I just wanted him to hold me and make the rest of the world go away. It was what I had always envisioned when I thought of Jack in the past. He had always been the perfect man for me, and now I was even more convinced.

  After it was all said and done, I was staring up at the ceiling with a smile on my face. It was like the last day had not even happened. It was just like I had woke up next to him like I was supposed to. There was some kind of magic inside of him that made it so that I could forget everything. I was very thankful for that after the ordeal of the day.

  “So, are we going to talk about the obvious?”

  I sighed loudly and tried to make it clear that I did not want to talk about it. I did not want to talk about what happened while I was gone. I just wanted to forget about it.

  “I would not rather Jack. I would just like to forget that any of this happened today.”

  “If you don't want to go to the police, we have to do something about it Bella. I can't stand the idea of him ever getting ahold of you again.”

  I didn't like the sound of it either. It’s the last thing I wanted to do, being around Billy ever again, but I didn't want to put him in jail either. I didn't want to go through all of the rigamarole that came with the court system. I just wanted him to go away. Wasn't that an option? Couldn't he just realize what he had done was wrong and he could finally just leave me alone?

  As soon as I thought it, I knew that I was just being naive. If he was going to leave me alone, Billy would have left me alone a long time ago. He certainly wouldn’t have come over two thousand miles to find me. That was the actions of a man that was never going to let it go.

  “I just want it to be over. You know?”

  “As much as I understand that, you have to understand that I don't think that's an option. Guys like Billy are not just going to walk away. In h
is mind, you’re his. We're either going to have to stop him ourselves or we're going to need to get the police involved. It really is up to you, but we can't just let it lie. He will come back and I don’t want to be caught unaware and without a plan.”

  That was what I was afraid of and I was even more afraid that something was going to happen to somebody that I loved. It wasn't just me and Jack. Jack had a daughter and Dana was the cutest thing ever. I would never want anything to happen to her.

  “What do you want to do Jack? I really don't know how to deal with this. I thought leaving California in the middle of the night and leaving behind everything, was going to be enough. I figured that while he would probably be pissed off, what would it matter because he would be thousands of miles away? After riding with him today, I am starting to think that he does not have all of his wits about him. He didn't used to be that way, something changed.”

  “It probably had to do with the fact that he lost you Bella. I hate to say it, but I might be the same way if I had lost you as well.”

  “Why would you even say something like that? That makes no sense to me.”

  “It doesn't have to make sense. Love very rarely makes any sense. All I know for certain, is you make a man feel a certain kind of way and a man will do almost anything to feel that way. You make me feel like I am invincible. I can tell you now, that I would give almost anything to feel that way. I am no different than he is.”

  I did not like the sound up at all. It was one thing to think that Billy was crazy for how he was acting, but it was another thing altogether to try to find reasoning in it. How was I supposed to take that? He had kidnapped me and was trying to force me to be with him. I didn't want to think that there was any kind of sanity attached to that. How could there be?

  “That is not what I wanted to hear Jack.”