Mended Hearts: Bad Boy Action-Adventure Romance (Renegade Series Book 2)

by Arabella Steedly

"Beanie, at least until sprouted." She rested her head on his hip. "Have you seen the scissors? I found a few coupons I want to clip."

  "I think they are in the top drawer of my desk."

  Vanessa got up and walked into the family room. He heard her digging through the drawer. "I can't find them," she hollered. By the time he reached his desk, she had opened the side drawer. Instead of scissors, Vanessa pulled out the file on Tiny. Opening it, she flipped through the reports looking puzzled.

  "Jake, what is this? You actually hired a PI to check Tiny out? That was a bit much don't you think? Beth too?"

  No, not under the circumstances. The dude is weird. And I wanted to double check on Beth since she handles your accounts and makes deposits." Jake felt his face flush like a schoolboy caught stealing a pack of gum.

  "I understand about Beth. It never hurts to recheck on employees. But lots of people are weird. I don't like the guy either. And yes, he was shitty to Beth, but Tiny doesn't work for us. This is an invasion of his privacy, Jake. Your paranoia is out of control!" Her brows furrowed in anger. She obviously thought he had overstepped.

  Hell, maybe I have... But how can I protect my family otherwise? He wondered.

  She glared at him, tossing the folder on the desk. A photo fluttered to the floor. Suddenly, her demeanor changed, and the anger melted away. Now, he saw something else in her eyes — the icy stare of fear and disbelief. As she bent down to pick it up, her hand covered her open mouth.

  "Did the investigator give you this? Vanessa whispered.

  "Yes, of course. He is Tiny's father."

  "His father," she gasped, gripping the picture.

  "Jake, this man... he's the one I told you about. This is a picture of Frank Martin... the Texas rancher when he was much younger.” Vanessa moaned as if she was in pain and began to tremble.

  "The one who accused you of malpractice for letting his cattle die? Jake felt confused. "I thought his name was Frank Barton."

  "No, no, no... Martin not Barton.” She paused for a moment, then whispered, “Do you think he sent his son here to get even with me, and you too since I'm your wife?" Vanessa's face was ashen as she gripped the desk chair.

  "Sweetie, you need to sit down." Jake wrapped his arm around Vanessa's waist and led her to the couch.

  "That's it. I'm calling the sheriff's department. I'll tell them to request the records on our case from the Arkansas authorities."

  Vanessa began to sob, covering her face with her hands. "What good will that do now?” She cried hysterically. Jake fetched her a drink of water and a damp wash rag.

  "Sweetie, it will be alright….take a sip." He brushed the hair out of her face and held the glass to her lips.

  "Jake... this is my fault." She managed in-between sobs. "I told the investigator and the Arkansas sheriff all about what happened while I lived in Texas. That was when you were in the hospital..."

  "Hold on a minute, Vanessa." Jake palmed his hair. "You've done nothing wrong. I just thought his name was Barton. I only heard it a time or two."

  “Yes, yes… And that was right after you got shot in the head. You were lucky to remember your own name." She squeezed his hand. “Still, Jake… I should have done more to encourage them to question him. I was just so…” Vanessa sobbed until she shook.

  "Everyone thought it was Kessler back then or someone trying to get revenge on me, sweetie.” He rubbed her arm. “That’s what made more sense at the time. Don't beat yourself up over this, honey. Now, get a hold of yourself.” She nodded and took another drink of water. Her sobs began to turn to sniffles.

  "Are you still calling the sheriff ?" Vanessa got up to grab a tissue.

  "Yes, at least Tiny will be on their radar. He's already been snooping around the bunkhouses and fucking a girl barely of age on our property. There's no telling what else he's done or planning to do. Chembroke's investigation didn't lead him to Texas. So, why would he look there? The report indicates Tiny was born in Illinois.”

  Jake stepped outside to make the call, avoiding upsetting his wife further. When he returned and reported what they told him his blood was boiling. "All we can do is file a complaint since our no-trespassing order is already in place." Jake slammed his fist down on the desk. "There is nothing else the sheriff will do... Until he shows up here again and tries to burn down the place or shoots at us... This time we might not be so lucky."

  "Jake, don't do anything stupid," Vanessa warned blowing her nose again. "We've got Apollo," she tried to joke glancing over at him laying on the hearth in front of the fireplace — asleep.

  "People like Saul Winchester Martin are always plotting, waiting and watching. I'm not going to wait." Jake grabbed the file and located Tiny's current address. After picking up the picture of Frank, he lifted his Stetson from the hall tree before storming out the door, ignoring Vanessa's pleas for him to stop. Furious, Jake planned to take no chances with this guy. When he entered the address into the truck's GPS and noted Tiny's address he frowned.

  The motherfucker only lives twenty minutes away...

  Tiny's neighborhood was more than a little rough. The roads were gravel, and his driveway was no more than a grassy path snaking through the brush. As Jake drove around a bend, a dilapidated double-wide mobile home came into view. It was his guess the place was a temporary hideaway while he tended to whatever business he had in mind.

  Jake's knock thundered against the metal door. Tiny unlocked it and pulled it open. The slender guy with disheveled hair stood in his briefs staring him down as if he had nothing to hide. Behind him, a porn video played on the TV.

  "You come to apologize?" he quipped.

  It was almost impossible, but Jake held his fury in check and overcame his desire to throttle Tiny, then and there. Instead, he held out the photo of Frank. "You want to tell me you're not looking for revenge?"

  "Why would I do that?" Tiny squinted and studied the photo. "Where did you get that picture of Dad?"

  "I had you checked out...private eye."

  "Oh, really..."

  "As it turns out, your father isn't my wife's biggest fan. Then you turn up on our doorstep poking around... dating Vanessa's receptionist to pump her for information... probably did the same with Emma, didn't you?"

  "This is just a coincidence. You need to lay off the steroids and consult with your spiritual leader about the paranoia." Tiny gazed at the exposed tribal tattoo on his bicep.

  Jake chuckled, overlooking the inaccurate accusation that his level of fitness was something other than the result of hard work. What he didn't appreciate, though, was the barb directed at his heritage.

  "I am going to say this to you once, and only once. Stay away from my wife and off my property."

  "Or what, big man?" You still think you can take me?" Tiny jeered at him.

  "Cross that line, and you'll find out exactly what I'm capable of."

  Tiny laughed and closed the door. Jake considered knocking it down and kicking his ass. It wouldn't be the first time he had done so. But without provocation, he would be on the wrong side of the law. Not to mention, Florida was a 'stand your ground' state, meaning it was within Tiny’s legal rights to shoot him if he felt his life was in danger. Of course that worked both ways. Jake stormed back to his truck and drove away fuming.

  I need to pick up some buckshot before I get back to Renegade Ridge...

  Chapter 18

  Vanessa gathered her purse and thanked the doctor for the goodie bag full of sample items for baby Morrow's nursery. At the receptionist's desk, she paused to draw in a deep breath. "Those flowers are so refreshing. Do you have them delivered every day?"

  Maria tucked a lock of grayish hair behind her ear and stood from her workstation smiling. "Those come from my husband's greenhouse." She glanced down at the monitor and adjusted her glasses reading over Vanessa's information. "That is what I thought." Turning to face her she said, "We live on the same road, about a half-mile away from each other. Does Alverez Farms ring a bell?"r />
  Vanessa's face flushed. "I'm sorry. Have we met... I mean outside of here? Are you related to Jose Alverez?"

  "Yes, he's my brother-in-law. He and my husband are co-owners." Maria looked away for a moment and rubbed her arm. "We were invited to your New Year's Eve party, but Carlos and I couldn't come. Please forgive me, we didn't reply to your RSVP. But Jose said the party was lively and he enjoyed himself."

  "No problem... always nice to meet my neighbors... officially." Vanessa laughed and squeezed Maria's hand.

  "I'm so embarrassed... Anyway, let's go ahead and schedule your next visits." Maria explained after her May appointment she would start seeing the doctor every two weeks.

  Vanessa nodded pulling the phone from her purse and opened her calendar. "Okay, let's set them up through the end of May, but I want to check with Jake first before we plan beyond that. His training schedule is getting busier, and I'm sure he won't want to miss those appointments as the big day gets closer."

  A few minutes later, Vanessa squeezed behind the wheel of her bug. She smiled to herself when she had to adjust her seat further back. Her belly was definitely growing. On her way home, she drove past the hospital. The building reminded her that she and Jake were scheduled in July to tour the maternity ward and nursery.

  I can't wait to see Jake's face when the reality of the birthing hits him, she mused.

  When the stoplight turned red in front of the medical center, Vanessa was also reminded of that dreadful day Jake had saved her during the hurricane. And how she was so worried about Beth, she placed herself in a dangerous position without thinking things through. Perhaps it was meant to be. Since then, she and Jake made progress coping with his PTSD. And she was working on a minor issue of her own.

  Jake calls it bullheadedness…whatever…

  Vanessa was pleased too that Bethany was developing with no adverse effects from being premature. And that Beth had adjusted to her job. She seemed to be balancing her work with the responsibility of parenting under the watchful eye and nurturing efforts of her mother.

  Motoring on, Vanessa drove by the spa where she and Beth had enjoyed that relaxing afternoon in the fall. She cringed, though, recalling the day she phoned Beth to give her the bad news about Tiny. Vanessa was shocked and relieved when Beth told her, "I'm kinda glad. All he ever wanted to do was talk about you and Mr. Jake, or try to get me to have sex." She assured Vanessa that never happened. "Once, when I turned him down, he unzipped his pants and made me watch while he... well...you know."

  Steering down the lane at Renegade Ridge Ridge, Vanessa was thankful nothing more had happened with Tiny, or Frank for that matter. She wondered what Jake said to him, or possibly the visit from the sheriff had kept him away. Perhaps, the no-trespassing order worked. Whatever the reason, she never wanted to hear Tiny or Frank’s name again.

  Up ahead, a blue jeep was parked next to the barn, and Jake stood talking with their new ranch foreman, Caxton Moss, known as Mossy, to most. Sebastian still worked part-time and lived in the bunkhouse, but John had resigned. When the spring semester started, the demands from their coursework increased leaving Jake with no choice but to hire additional help. Mossy provided the break he needed to focus on their expanding business and prepare for the birth of their child.

  So, earlier that morning Jake told Vanessa he planned to paint the baby's room and finish putting together the furniture while she was gone. Now, he was waving as she pulled into the garage. Before she had a chance to put her purse down, the back door opened. "How's the bean?" he asked planting a kiss on her cheek.

  "Growing... I’ve gained ten pounds. You need to cut back on my rations."

  “Since the morning sickness went away, you made up for lost time."

  "It’s all your fault. If you weren't such an excellent cook..." She swatted his arm and made an ugly face.

  “You're all set to do your thing." Jake gestured toward what once was the guest room. Grabbing the gift bag from the doctor, she headed off to inspect his work.

  "The room looks great. Just..." Vanessa crinkled her nose.

  "Just what?"

  "Nothing." She bit her lip trying not to laugh.

  "No, no, don't try to pull my leg. There's something you don't like. Tell me... Otherwise, you'll do it yourself."

  "So?” Vanessa shrugged.

  "So... it is probably something you shouldn't be doing with that beach ball under your shirt."

  "Can we move a few things?" she asked in a soft voice.

  "Sure, of course," Jake picked up the paint can and put it in the hall. "What do you want moved?"

  "Everything..."

  Jake looked at her with his hand on his hip as if she was kidding. "Jake, I really appreciate all your hard work, but it is still a mess in here... don't you think?" When he frowned, she realized his feelings were hurt and took his hand. "The good news is that we can easily fix this."

  "Okay. What do you want me to do? Repaint?”

  Vanessa giggled. "No honey, I love the paint. We decided on yellow together. So you're good there." She took a deep breath, "My new rocker... goes right there,” she pointed to the far corner, “and the crib needs to be away from the windows. We don't want the afternoon sun in the baby's eyes while trying to take a nap."

  "No, of course not." Jake chuckled feeling better now knowing she didn't expect him to paint again.

  At least a half hour later, after the baby furniture was moved more than once, she was satisfied. Vanessa opened her goodie bag and stacked the diaper samples on the shelf under the changing table. Digging deeper, she pulled out the powder and baby lotion. Unable to resist, she flipped open the top of the lotion and squirted some in her hand.

  "Oooh, this smells so good... like a baby."

  "I'm glad it doesn't smell... well something un-baby like."

  "Now, the room is beautiful. You did an excellent job." She nodded and glanced around the space grinning. Grabbing Jake's hand, she pressed it to her belly. "Feel that? The baby likes your work too.” Vanessa laid her head on his chest when he pulled her close.

  "Our baby will be as beautiful as you." He kissed her on the head. “Listen, when you get ready to hang stuff on the wall, you better let me know.”

  "You don't think I can manage a few small nails by myself?" Vanessa wiggled free from his arms and gazed into his eyes.

  "Not with that bubble in your way, I don't.?"

  "You're overprotective." She poked a finger at his chest.

  "So?"

  "Just an observation. I know pointing it out won't change anything." She giggled.

  "I'm happy we can come to an agreement on this matter," Jake said in his most formal tone. Then he smiled and hesitated for a moment. Vanessa searched his face. His eyes told her he was lost in thought, maybe worried.

  "Are you scared?"

  "Scared? No. Why would I be?"

  "This baby. What if we do everything all wrong? That thought scares me a bit."

  "Ah. Well, we'll have to try not to fuck up. I think about it too."

  “Sometimes trying isn’t enough, Jake?"

  He took her hand and walked toward the window. They both peered out over the green pastures with the stable in the distance. Jake nodded with confidence. “We won’t, Vanessa. Our baby has a wonderful mother and a father that is at least, mostly sane. We'll love our child. We already do. And that is the most important thing of all, right?"

  "Yes, Jake it is."

  "You still adamant about not knowing if we're having a girl or a boy? You could be better prepared if we did."

  "No. That's why we went with neutral colors in here. Are you changing your mind? Do you want to find out?"

  "Nope. As long as our baby has all the parts in reasonable order, I'll be a happy papa." Jake grinned and stepped back. “Got work to do outside. I'll leave you to study your canvas."

  As soon as Jake's footfalls down the hall were quiet, Vanessa heard pounding. Rushing toward the living room, she caught her breath when Jak
e opened the front door.

  "Mr. Morrow?"

  "Yes, Deputy Shaw. What can I do for you?"

  "I've been sent by the sheriff out of courtesy." He stood peering through the screen.

  "Well, then, come in." When Jake noticed Vanessa standing nearby he gestured toward her. “My wife Vanessa."

  "Pleased to meet you, ma'am.'

  "The sheriff sent me to inform you the person who you had a complaint about a few months ago. Uh..." He glanced down at his clipboard. "Saul Winchester Martin nicknamed Tiny... Well, yesterday I delivered some bad news to the guy. I guess he doesn't have a phone. He was holed up out there in that crappy place in the woods. His family couldn't reach him so they called our office."

  "What does that have to do with us?" Vanessa asked.

  "The sheriff wanted to give you a heads up since you had trouble with Martin in the past —“

  "A heads up about what?" Jake scowled. "What has he done?"

  "His father, Frank Martin, committed suicide."

  "Are you serious?" Vanessa gasped.

  "Afraid so, Dr. Morrow. The problem is Tiny went on a crazy rampage when I told him... threaten to kill himself. I had to call for assistance..."

  "Is he on the loose?" Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

  "No. He was Baker Acted... locked up at the psych ward for emergency care since he threatened to harm himself."

  "That's good. At least maybe he'll get some help," Vanessa said trying to sound encouraging while her pulse swished in her ears.

  "Yes, and no... We can hope for that. But the reality is, the judge will keep him there for only a few days... while he calms down. And the doctor starts him on medication. Then what usually happens in cases such as this... The guy will be released to attend the funeral."

  "So what you're saying... within a few days Tiny will be out on the street again..."

  "You are correct, Mr. Morrow." The deputy pursed his lips and shook his head. "The system is set up that way."

  Jake squinted his eyes and stepped closer. "So, you came out here to cover your ass in case Tiny comes out fucked up more than ever... And shows up here again to take his vengeance out on us."