by JJ Ellis
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Jaimee Jenkins Ellis and Timothy Andrew Ellis
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
First Printing, 2015
Gimme Lots Publications
http://www.writerjjellis.com
[email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is dedicated to parents everywhere – biological, step, stand-in or honorary
We would like to thank our kids Gwen, Bella Livy Trent and Lily
We would like to thank our parents Ann, Chuck, Alberta and John and our many siblings
Thank you KW for all of the advice, constructive criticism and time you have put into this book
Thanks to PIF for all of the encouragement and help. You guys are the best!
Thank you Naomi Scanlon Harris and Jan Davis Meehan for the names you gave us for baby CJ!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
EPILOGUE
Logan’s Leap
A Harper’s Rock Novel
JJ & TA Ellis
Harper’s Rock, Wyoming is a fictional town that we have placed in the northern part of the state. If looking at a map you might think that it is somewhere near the town of Buffalo. Many small towns here in Wyoming are much like Harper’s Rock and we hope you enjoy your visit!
Prologue
The pretty young woman stepped off of the plane in Seattle and literally breathed a sigh of relief even though deep breaths still hurt her tender ribs. She knew she was far from being out of danger, but at least she had a day’s head start on…him.
She needed a car and the cheapest one she could find was for five hundred dollars. It took most of the last of her cash but she had no choice. Next stop, Boulder City , Nevada. Unfortunately that meant she wouldn’t be able to use her debit card because he could trace that. She, and her unborn baby, would have to make it there with only the small amount of food she had packed away. Gas would be bought with her remaining cash.
The days of driving were getting tiring. She was due to give birth in less than a month and could only make it a few hours at a time. The trip was taking much longer than she had hoped. Just before she reached the Nevada border, a call from her best friend Deborah Mannon startled her out of her reverie.
“Hello.”
“Hey sweetie. You might not want to come here. I think he’s already sniffing around. Jackson says you should go to Harper’s Rock, Wyoming, and look up the Harper family. Just ask for the Harper Ranch and anyone can point the way. Jackson's Aunt Evelyn is the matriarch and she also has three sons named Russell, Logan and Dylan. Any of them can help you out until we can think of something else to do to keep you safe.”
Tears formed in the woman’s eyes. “Okay. Thanks Deb. I guess I don’t have any choice but to do that. I’ll talk to you soon.” What the hell would she do for food now? She was almost out and still had many miles to go. She could go without for a while, but what about her little one. He needed the food she provided through her body. She’d been through too much to keep him safe, there was no way she could lose him now.
After a few days of driving in spurts and sleeping in her car, she finally reached the tiny town near the Big Horn Mountains. Harper’s Rock wasn’t much to look at, but she almost felt safe here. She stopped at a local gas station to ask directions to the Harper homestead. The kind, lonely older gentleman went on and on about how she should make sure to go to the main house or to the grocery store that one of the Harper boys owned because one of the other Harper boys was on a wilderness ride with clients and wouldn’t be at the lake house.
Being the type of person who hated being a burden on others, the woman decided to bypass the grocery store and the main ranch house for the lake house. It would be empty and she could get her head on straight and decide what to do from there. As she drove along the lane that the old man had told her about, her vision started to go in and out, and the car started to sputter. Breathing steadily to keep panic at bay, she finally made it to the stand of trees on the hill that the old man had described. The car died and it wouldn’t re-start, but at least she had made it to her destination. As she turned to try to open the door, her world suddenly went black.
Chapter 1
Logan Harper rolled out of bed at five a.m. He was more than ready to face the day. The grocery store he owned would be taken care of by his assistant manager while he was out at the family’s now defunct ranch. Today was his day to ride his frustrations away on Digger, his horse. He dressed quickly, grabbed something to eat on the way, and left the apartment he kept above the store.
The minute he stepped outside he knew something was brewing. It was unseasonably cold for late August. He ran back through the store and up the stairs to his apartment, grabbing a jacket and gloves. Five short minutes later he was in his truck, headed just outside of town to the ranch his family owned and lived on. It hadn’t been a working ranch in quite some time, but his mother, Evelyn Harper, was turning it into quite a homestead.
His younger brother Dylan lived at the lake house. The old bunkhouse had been renovated and turned into a cottage that Evelyn now rented out. And Logan was building a house on the ranch. He wasn’t in any hurry to finish it though. Living above his work place was convenient and since he didn’t have a family and never planned on having one, he was taking his time. His brother Russell had just moved back home to Harper’s Rock, and would probably build his own place on the family land someday or even take over one of the other rental buildings on the property.
Logan parked his truck and entered the horse barn. There were only six horses left and the old building felt so empty. In its heyday it had been packed full of work horses. Their one ranch hand had already been there that morning so all Logan had to do was get Digger ready. He would be riding free in no time at all.
“Hey there buddy! Sorry I didn’t get out here last week, but back to school is rough at the store.” The horse neighed and rocked its head up and down as if he understood Logan’s words. “That’s my boy,” he chuckled, patting the horse.
Logan hopped on Digger’s back and headed north. The chill seemed even more prominent on the open range so he pulled his collar up around his chin. There were a few dark clouds off in the horizon. He would bet anyone a million dollars that by dinner time the snow would be falling. He almost felt bad because other native Harper’s Rock residents, who could read the weather, would be bombarding the store with their business to get ready for an early season snow storm. Usually if the snow fell this early it would either be a trace or a big storm with at least a foot of snow. With the wind howling as it was, Logan’s bet was on the latter.
This part of the ranch was his favorite. It was totally empty land with nothing as far as you could see. It was his thinking spot, the place where he came to keep his head on straight. The last of his friends had just gotten married the week before and Logan knew exactly why
it bothered him so much. He didn’t do love and family other than his mom and brothers, and always felt angry when people he cared about fell into the fools’ trap. Both of his older brothers had been affected in one way or another by loving someone else. It had cost one of them their life.
Ben Harper was always on Logan’s mind. At the age of sixteen he had fallen in love for the first time, with James Croft. His first love, rather than come out of the closet and face the potential danger of being gay in Harper’s Rock, Wyoming, or even hiding deeper in with Ben at his side, had decided he couldn’t handle the life he would have to live and started dating a girl. Ben, who they all thought was never afraid of anything in his life, decided he was afraid to live in a world where he couldn’t be himself, a world without love and soon his chronic depression took over his life. In his mind, he’d lost his best friend, his lover, and his confidant. From that moment on, life just wasn’t worth it. He’d pulled the trigger on his shotgun and died instantly on the porch of the family hunting lodge. Logan truly believed that if Benjamin had been able to have love in his life, he could have fought the depression and made it through school to then be able to move on to somewhere where he would have been accepted.
His brother Russell on the other hand had plenty of opportunities to find happiness but had given it all up for prestige. In the end he had married a crazy woman, was deserted with a troubled child by that woman and then had divorced her. His life was a mess.
His only younger brother, Dylan, was pretty messed up too, all because of the love of one girl. His views of love had turned him into the town playboy, much to the chagrin of his best friend, Nicoletta, who was also the only girl he’d ever loved. When she rejected him, there was nothing holding him back and his life with the ladies had nearly gone out of control.
Logan just had to chuckle. He thought he might be the only sane one in the family. He had his job, his apartment, his house and his horse. He was happy and would stay that way because women and children, which were synonymous with love, weren’t allowed in his life on a permanent basis.
**********
The sun was rising over the horizon as Logan rode along the shore of the lake. The clouds were slowly taking over the sky, but at this moment, the light shined through making a beautiful, calm sunrise. He knew they were in for it when the storm hit though. Unless the wind shifted direction soon, they would get at least a foot. Since he was so close, he would check on the lake cabin that Dylan lived in. His brother wasn’t due to get back from the trip he was guiding until the next morning, and if the storm delayed them, he needed to make sure everything was set for the weather.
He slowed the horse and enjoyed the last stretch to the cabin. Thinking about his brothers and his friend, who in his mind, had just ruined his life, seemed to calm him some. It served to remind him that he was on the right track with his own life. And that was something to be grateful for.
All seemed well as he approached the cabin. Every window looked closed and it seemed the lights were off inside. He got down off of Digger and tied him to the post by the back door. Taking his keys out of his pocket, he opened the door. Inside it was chilly but everything was in order. Dylan had left a note on the counter. “Hey brother! Help yourself to anything in the fridge if you are out riding at lunch time. I’ll call you on Sunday.”
Now that he had made a stop, he would definitely be out and about at lunch time so he walked to the refrigerator to see what his brother had on hand. A far off sound caught his attention. The lake house was secluded and the only ways to get there were through the ranch, which led to a parking area behind some trees at the back of the property, or by the access road which was sometimes washed out. He swore the sound was that of a car engine. After a few minutes he didn’t hear anything else so he went about making himself a sandwich and bagging up some chips and cookies to round out his lunch. As he was about to head out the front door, he heard something at the back of the cabin – a mix of scratching and knocking. He went back through the main room to the back door and unlocked it. When he pulled it open, a dark haired woman stood blinking at him. She took a step forward and started to fall. He reached out and grabbed her.
“Help me,” she whispered before passing out in his arms.
“Well hell!” Logan exclaimed. He carried the woman into the cabin and laid her on his brother’s couch. She was breathing steadily and her belly was swollen with pregnancy. What in the hell was he supposed to do now?
Sitting down next to her, he checked her over for injuries and put his hand on her forehead. He didn’t see anything obvious and she didn’t have a fever. He needed to get her to a doctor, but he couldn’t do that on his horse. After tucking her in under the afghan draped over a nearby chair, and leaving the food he’d made on the coffee table, he ran out to his horse and headed back to his truck.
Within fifteen minutes he was on the way back to the cabin. Instead of heading around the lake to pick up the access road, he headed straight out to the parking area. A red sedan was parked there, obviously the woman’s car. He loaded her things into the back of his pickup and trekked down the path and over the small hill to the cabin. Once inside, he picked up the still unconscious woman and carried her back to his truck. Thank goodness she was a tiny little thing, even with being probably seven or eight months pregnant.
He settled her into the passenger side and propped her up with an old blanket, then he buckled her seat belt.
“Mmmm, where am I,” he heard her say softly.
“In Harper’s Rock, at my brother’s cabin,” he answered.
Her eyes shot open and she struggled against the seat belt. “Who…who are you?”
“I’m Logan Harper and I’m taking you to the hospital. You passed out and that can’t be good for your baby.”
Her hand went quickly to her stomach and she sighed. “He’s still moving,” she murmured. Looking back up at Logan, panic colored her expression. “Please don’t take me to the hospital! He’ll find me there.”
“Who will find you?” The hair on the back of Logan’s neck stood on end. This woman was bad news. When she didn’t answer he lifted her face to look at him. “I asked you a question.”
“Just take me some place where no one will see me. Please. I just need to eat and then I’ll be fine. I haven’t eaten in almost two days.”
Logan sighed and ran his hand through his dark red hair. “Okay, I’ll take you to my place and feed you, but then you need to leave. I’ll give you some cash, drive you back to your car and then you can head on to the next town.”
“The car is dead,” she whispered, tears starting to fall. "I’m supposed to look someone up here in Harper’s…I don’t feel well.”
“Breathe,” he commanded a bit harshly. “Don’t pass out on me again.” But he was too late. Her head lolled against the seat. After checking her pulse and breathing, he ran around and got into the driver’s seat. Since a restaurant was out of the picture because she didn’t want to be seen, he had no choice but to take her back to his apartment. His day sure had turned south quickly.
Chapter 2
Logan was glad that he had his own outside entrance to the apartment. He didn’t want to carry an unconscious woman through the busy grocery store. However, getting her up the stairs would be fun. He left her in the truck long enough to unlock the door then carried her inside and put her in his bedroom. The temperature was dropping rapidly so he covered her up and turned the heater on. Food would be first on the agenda and then he would get some information from her.
Luckily his mother had made a casserole for him the night before so all he had to do was heat it up. He put it in the oven then poured a glass of cold water from the pitcher in his refrigerator. It was time to try to wake up sleeping beauty.
“Hey,” he said softly, shaking her shoulder. “Miss!” he said louder. “It’s time to wake up.
The woman stirred and opened her eyes. This time the sight of him didn’t startle her. “Where am I?”
“At my apartment,” he said, helping her to sit up. “I didn’t know where else to take you.” He held her upper body while helping her to take a sip of the water. She tried to grab the glass from him but he pulled it away. “No, you need to take it slow so you don’t get sick.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled. "I’m just so thirsty.”
Logan set the drink on the nightstand and reached out to take her hand. “Can you walk or do you want me to carry you to the dining room?”
“Just help me walk,” she said, standing up.
Her body swayed to the side and Logan wrapped an arm around her. “Steady now.”
Just as they reached the table the timer on the oven went off so he sat her in a chair and instructed her to hold onto the table until he returned. The casserole was steaming hot and when he pulled it out of the oven they both heard her stomach growl.
“This is my mother’s famous chicken and rice casserole,” he said. “I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s perfect,” she said with a small smile. “Even if I didn’t like it I wouldn’t complain. I haven’t had ‘real’ food in over two weeks.”
Logan brought a plate over to her and set it down. “Take it slow,” he warned as he returned to the counter to get his plate and two glasses of water. When he sat down, he paused, looking at her. “Are you ready to tell me what the hell is going on?”
“What do you want to know?” she asked softly before taking a bite of her food.
“Well for starters, what's your name?”
She took a quick drink and looked at him. “I’m scared to tell anyone.”
“I have to call you something,” he said with a smile.
“Did you say your last name is Harper?” she asked suddenly.
Taken aback, Logan just stared at her for a moment. “Uh, yeah. Logan Harper.”
