by JJ Ellis
Logan put CJ in the crib and sat down to eat his own lunch. “Maybe someone was trying to tell you that leaving was a bad idea.”
“Shut up,” she glared at him. “I’m still leaving. I have to.”
“I wouldn’t count on it, Sleeping Beauty. It seems you’re the captive of the two most handsome men in America for a few days. We’ll convince you to stay." He saw a brief smile cross her face before it was replaced by a frown.
"I wouldn’t hold my breath,” she grumbled, turning away from him.
He chuckled and continued eating.
**********
Jayna and the baby napped together while Logan used the phone to check on the grocery store and his mother. He was sitting on the couch watching TV when Jayna called down to him. “Can you come get the baby so we can spend some time downstairs?”
“Sure. I’m coming.” When he reached the stairs, she was scooting on her butt.
“You know, I can think of better uses for that beautiful backside of yours.”
“Very funny, shithead,” she mumbled.
When she reached the bottom step, he scooped her up and carried her to the couch then went upstairs to get the baby. When he came back, he handed CJ to her then pulled the ottoman in front of her and sat. “Let me check your ankle.”
“And you are a doctor?” she asked haughtily, but went ahead and put her hurt foot in his lap.
“Very funny, you brat.” Unwrapping her foot, he cringed at the look of it. “We need to wrap this tighter and get you some boots. A trip up to Sheridan might be in order.” He looked up at her and saw a faint smile. “When I know I can trust you or you are up to going with me.” Her smile disappeared.
“You’re being a real asshole,” she said through gritted teeth. "You know I can’t stay Logan.”
“We’ll see,” he chuckled. “Okay, you’re wrapped up tight. I’ll be carrying you everywhere until we make it to town. You need to stay off of it.”
“Oh joy!”
“You’re not excited? I thought you said you loved me.”
“And maybe if you loved me, I could find the strength to stay,” she said softly.
“Not fair, Jayna. You know I’m not capable of doing that.” He stood and walked to the front door. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
**********
Joe and Frank were sitting in their hotel room discussing why they were still in Harper’s Rock. Miss McIntyre hadn’t been seen or heard from in days, anywhere in the country. They both had a feeling their boss would be disobeying orders and sneaking into Wyoming soon. He now seemed obsessed with Logan Harper and his involvement with Jayna.
Joe’s phone rang and he snarled looking at the display. “Hi boss.”
“Hey Joe. I’m on a secure line now. We need to talk business, just you and me.”
“Sure Boss.”
“You know that man who has been spoiling my woman?”
“Yes sir,” he said. Reggie must have thought he was stupid.
“I’m willing to pay someone to get rid of that problem permanently.”
“You mean dead, boss?”
“Of course I do, you damned idiot. I’ll be coming to Harperville soon. I’ll pay you and you do it. Understand?”
“Yes Boss. I got ya.”
“Good.”
The phone line went dead and Joe stood up. “Why does he always pick me to unleash his crazy on? That man can rant more than my ex-wife.”
Frank smirked and reached for the remote. “Better you than me.”
“I’m going out for a smoke. You might want to grab a bite to eat soon,” Joe said as he put his jacket on and walked out into the rainy night.
Joe stood under the awning of the closed library wishing like hell he had an umbrella. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed.
“Harper’s Rock Police Department, how may I direct your call?”
“Can I speak to a detective, please?”
Chapter 12
Logan was starting to miss home and his store, but Jayna refused to believe that leaving her son was the wrong thing to do. Did he take the chance that she would change her mind when it came time to say goodbye? Or did he just keep working on her?
As he fixed breakfast for them, his phone rang. When he checked caller ID, his Cousin Jack’s name came up. An idea suddenly hit him.
“Hey Jack,” he answered. “What’s up?”
“I’m just calling to check in. How are Jayna and CJ?”
“They are both fine,” Logan said absently. “Can I talk to Deb for a minute?”
The line went silent for a brief time then Jack answered. “Sure cuz, hold on a minute.”
When his cousin’s wife came on the line, he told her what was going on and asked her to talk to Jayna. A couple of years before, Deborah had left her own kids because she thought they would be better off without her. Without hesitation, she agreed to talk to her best friend.
“Hey Jayna, there's someone on my phone that wants to talk to you,” Logan called out as he ran up the stairs to the loft. “It’s Deb.”
Jayna took the phone. “Hey best friend, how are you?”
“I’m good, but I hear you aren’t so much.”
Jayna looked up at Logan with a frown. “Has someone been telling tales about me?”
“Don’t be mad, Jayna. He’s worried about you.”
“He’s an ass,” she said angrily. "CJ is safer without me so I’m leaving. End of fucking story!”
“Do I have to remind you of what happened with me when I left Mikey and Maddie?”
“Your life wasn’t in danger,” Jayna said softly.
“In a way it was,” Deb told her. “I was losing my grip on sanity. I had suicidal thoughts because of the medication I was on. I was trying to save my kids too Jayna…from me.”
“I need CJ to be safe,” she cried.
“He’ll be safe if he’s with his mother too. Once you're living a new life, you can both be safe.”
“I don’t…”
“If you give him up, my dear friend, you will never be happy a day in your life and the worry will never end. Please sweetie, don’t do it.”
Jayna broke down in tears and Logan took the phone from her. “Hey Deb, thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome Logan. Keep us updated.”
“Will do.” He hung up the phone and went to sit next to Jayna. He wrapped her in his arms.
“I don’t want to leave my baby,” she sobbed.
“Then don’t, Sleeping Beauty. We’ll figure something out. Somehow. Pick a place and I’ll help you get there. You two can start over together.”
“Okay,” she said, wiping the tears away. “You were right. I can’t leave him.”
Logan grabbed the baby out of the crib and handed him to his mother. She held him and cried.
While mother and son were bonding, Logan went downstairs to give them some alone time. Their breakfast was now ruined but he didn’t want to interrupt them. They could eat later.
He paced the room after cleaning up the charred breakfast. He was getting restless. It had now been five days since he’d come back to the cabin and found Jayna injured. He was getting anxious to get home. It was time to call the Chief of Police and see if there was anything he could do about getting the goons out of town. He hoped his cousin would forgive a few white lies.
“Harper’s Rock Police Department, how may I direct your call?”
“May I speak to the chief, please? This is Logan Harper.”
“Sure. I’ll connect you.”
“Hey cousin, what can I do for you?”
Logan breathed a sigh of relief. “There are a couple of guys hanging around town bothering me and my friends. I even left to get away from them. I’m ready to come home now. Is there anything we can do to hasten their exit from town?”
The chief was silent for a few moments. “Do you mean the two in suits with the fancy black car?”
“Yeah them. They're getting on my damn
nerves.”
“I can’t give details, but you don’t have to worry about those two. Come on home.”
“Last I heard they were staying at the hotel across from the store.”
“They are here in town but they won’t bother you anymore. Get your ass home, your family misses you.”
“Okay, thanks Mark. I’ll see you some time in the next few days.”
Logan hung up and laid down on the couch. He had no clue what was going on with the goons, but if his cousin said they were safe, he believed him. He went up to check on Jayna and found her asleep with CJ on her chest. Tiptoeing back downstairs, he decided to read while they napped. They would have lunch after that.
Two hours later he heard CJ crying and headed to the kitchen to make sandwiches. As he was climbing the stairs with them, his phone rang. Setting the tray on the bed he answered it.
“Hello.”
“Logan this is Marcy from the Police Department. The chief wanted me to let you know that there is something going on at the ranch. You might want to head on out there.”
“Did he say what’s going on?”
“All I know is that it involves law enforcement and emergency services.”
“Okay,” Logan sighed. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“What’s going on?” Jayna asked as she burped CJ.
“It looks like we’re heading back to Harper’s Rock. The goons are no longer a threat and it seems that something is going down on the family ranch.”
“Okay, I’ll pack the last of our stuff,” she said, putting CJ in the crib. “Go try to call your family. You look worried.”
Logan sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh. “After we eat. I’m not walking in on whatever the situation is having not eaten yet today.”
They both hurried through their lunches and individual tasks then met downstairs.
“You’re walking better,” Logan observed,
“The tight wrap and high lace-up boots were a genius idea,” she said with a smile. “Did you get a hold of anyone?”
Logan shook his head. “No, no one at all. I’m getting worried now.”
“Well, let’s get down there then. We’ve got all of the important stuff. We’ll come back later for the rest.”
They both walked out the door, Logan locking up while Jayna got CJ in his car seat. Next stop…The Harper Ranch.
**********
Logan set the last of their stuff on the floor just inside the door of his apartment then walked over to the couch to sit with Jayna and CJ. “What a day, huh?” he exhaled. “That was a close call.”
“I’m just glad your family is okay,” Jayna said, putting a comforting hand on his arm.
“Yeah, me too. I don’t let myself get close to people, but I was kind of born into that situation,” he chuckled, to lighten the mood.
“Before I go to bed can I ask you one question, Logan?”
He looked at her warily. “Sure. I don’t think I have much to hide from you anymore.”
Jayna turned to him. “Would Ben want you to live the way you do? Or would he want you to live life to the fullest despite the possibility of heartbreak?”
Logan sat in stunned silence, looking down at his hands, as Jayna and CJ got up from the couch and disappeared into the bedroom.
It was too much for his psyche. He couldn’t think, or breathe. He needed to get out. Right there in the living room, he opened the suitcase and got out a pair of sweatpants and his hooded sweatshirt. He quickly changed and ran out into the night. Jayna now carried a pistol with her, so he wasn’t worried about her being left alone. He was just worried that her words might take root and he would see a truth that would hurt too much to tolerate.
It was late and the town was pretty much shut down. It was peaceful as Logan jogged down Main Street. He veered off and ran three blocks to the playground near the elementary school. Ben had brought him here a lot when they were younger. Their parents would be busy doing business in town and they would walk to the park to play. Ben was always in charge, always so serious. They hadn’t realized until after he was gone how badly he suffered with depression. If only they had known.
Logan made a loop around the playground without stopping and headed back into town. The cool night air felt good on his face and in his lungs, but his body was completely worn out. He wanted to go home and slip into the sweet oblivion of sleep.
Chapter 13
Logan woke up and opened his eyes. Jayna was next to him feeding CJ. She’d been fast asleep when he got home from his run, and after a quick shower, he had crawled into bed next to her and fell asleep. He didn’t even remember hearing the baby wake up for feedings. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” she said with a smile. “I’m tired of being cooped up. How about we go out to breakfast.”
“Are you sure? I have no clue where your wig went. You’ll have to go out as Jayna.”
“I know, but I’m going to disappear soon so I don’t think it really matters.”
Logan got out of bed and stretched. “Okay, we can go to the diner. Just let me make a phone call and get dressed." He walked out to the living room with his phone in hand. He wanted to return a call to the PI and see what Reggie dear was up to.
“Hello.”
“Hey James, it's Logan. Is Reginald staying put and behaving himself?”
“Where the hell have you been?” James asked. "I’ve been trying to call you for almost twenty-four hours.”
A bad feeling came over Logan. “What the hell is going on, man?”
“I think our boy is about to do something stupid. My inside man says his boss has been acting weird and yesterday his daddy showed up via private plane only to take off again a few hours later.”
“What the hell could be going on?” he asked, more to himself than to James.
“I think he’s getting ready to violate his court order. Three company planes left Anchorage yesterday. The first at three p.m., the second at eight and the third around one a.m. According to my man on the inside he can’t get a good handle on where the boss man is. There are a lot of secrets going on at The Heart of Alaska.”
“Okay, this really makes me nervous,” Logan said. “I guess we’ll lay low a while longer. Can you find out where the private planes landed?”
“I’m working on it. Keep your phone volume on high. I’ll call you when I know something.”
Logan went back to the bedroom and filled Jayna in on what was going on. “I think we should stay here for breakfast.”
“No Logan,” Jayna said adamantly. “I’m tired of living like this. I have the gun and he’s not going to do anything in a crowded restaurant. The only reason I didn’t want people to see me before was so no one could tell him where I was. It’s a moot point now, he knows I’m here, I can feel it. Besides, Jayna McIntyre will cease to exist in a few days.”
Logan looked long and hard at her. “Okay,” he finally agreed, standing up and grabbing clothes from his closet. “Get CJ ready while I get dressed." He disappeared into the bathroom.
When he came out, Jayna was putting CJ back in the bassinet. “I’m going to run down and talk to Andrew, grab your gun and meet me down there when you're done getting ready.”
Jayna packed the diaper bag then put her shoes on. Her hand was on the pistol when CJ started screaming bloody murder from the bassinet. She ran over and picked him up. A very loud burp, followed by several small toots escaped his little body. “Oh, my sweet baby had some big bubbles in his tummy,” she soothed. “I don’t think you’ll ever burp again once we leave your da…Uncle Logan. You’ll have a tummy ache forever.”
The baby snuggled into her arms and stared up at her.
“Is my handsome boy ready to go?” When the baby didn’t object, she hooked him into his car seat carrier and grabbed it with her left hand. She picked up the diaper bag with her other hand and put it on her shoulder. They walked out of the room and headed for the door that led to the back rooms of the store.<
br />
**********
“Why would anyone willingly live here?" Reginald Sanders said aloud as he drove into Harper’s Rock. “The more I see of it the more I hate it. It’s as backward as that damn place good old Dad banished me to in Alaska.”
Remembering, at long last, a lesson his uncle had tried to teach. Become one of the crowd. He made himself smile and wave to a young mother with two kids. God, if he stayed there too long, he would go nuts. Luckily the hotel where he was to meet Frank and Joe came into view. Soon he could put this place behind him and concentrate more on finding that bitch Jayna. That piece of shit who had fucked his woman would be gone. Hell, Jayna would probably crawl back to him then.
“Only in Wyoming,” Reggie exclaimed as he had to stop, “would a school bus stop be downtown!” As he waited, he couldn’t help but imagine cattle blocking him next. Laughing at the thought, he proceeded toward the hotel. What the fuck, was this, the Wild West? Everywhere he looked, he saw people wearing pistols openly on their hips. If that little Harper shit thought that would save him, he was sadly mistaken. Finally, he reached the hotel and pulled into an open parking space out front.
Glancing out of his rearview he saw a couple emerge from the grocery store. He would have thought nothing of it except that they had a baby and no groceries. Opening the door, he placed a foot outside then bent over to tie his shoe. The woman was the right height and her hair – it was blonde, but cut short. Jayna always had long hair, she would never cut it. Would she?
Deciding it couldn’t be her, he finished getting out of the car. Looking up he nodded to Frank who was standing on the third floor balcony. When Frank went back inside, Reggie grabbed his briefcase and shut the car door.
“Jayna wait! Don’t step there,” came a loud male voice from across the street. “Your ankle, remember?”
