by Karen Ward
I smile shyly, “Thank you Skye. You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen!”
Laughing Skye says, “It’s all in the makeup, come on, I’ll show you.”
True to her word, a short time later, I wouldn’t even recognize myself if I didn’t know for sure who I am looking at in the mirror. While you can still see my scar, you don’t really notice it because your attention is immediately drawn to my beautiful green eyes. Amazed I gasp, “Oh Skye, thank you! I never realized makeup could make such a difference! Where did you learn so much about makeup?”
“It comes from growing up around movie stars. My father was a movie director and I was always fascinated by the makeup artists and hung out with them every chance I got,” answers Skye.
“Will you show me how to do this myself?”
Smiling, Skye replies, “Certainly, I’ll be happy to,”
Another knock sounds on the bedroom door. Melanie goes to the door and admits three older women. Coming into the bathroom where Skye is helping Jasmine select clothes for tonight’s party, Melanie says, “Jasmine, this is Virginia, my husband’s mother, Patricia, my mother, and Jesse. Jesse is married to Bear, Stump’s father. She’s also a psychiatric nurse and can help you get any counseling you think you need.”
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet all of you. Jesse we really need to have a long talk. I know I’m going to need lots of help.”
Jesse smiles, “Actually, Jasmine, nearly everyone here has needed help of one type or another. Skye is still seeing a counselor every week. She was gang raped as a teenager. You know Melanie’s story, of course. She still goes in to see her counselor about once a month. Even her son, Eric is still seeing a counselor. Dylan and my husband, Clarence still go to their PTSD support groups regularly and Dylan knows a great plastic surgeon in Phoenix that can help with your scar. He had one at least as bad as yours after his last mission in Central America.”
Skye looks approvingly at me and says, “Well, I think you’re ready. You’re going to knock the socks right off Pinky’s feet!”
Nervously I inquire, “Pinky?”
Melanie replies, “Pinky is his code name. All of the guys have one. I think I heard them say Pinky got his because of the beautiful shade of pink he turns in the sun.”
Laughing I nod as I respond, “Oh that makes sense! Well, I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I’m really scared though.”
Melanie says, “I have an idea, why don’t we leave and I’ll send Pinky in here so you guys can get past your initial meeting in private.”
I nod again, “Thank you Melanie. I would appreciate that.”
When the women leave I walk back to the window, pull back the drapes, and look out into the darkening sky. I am scared to death, my heart pounding with dread so I pray, please God, give me strength when he turns away from me.
Pinky’s heart is pounding with apprehension. This will be the first time in fifteen years he’s looked into Jasmine’s eyes. Does she still care about him? Is she happy that they grabbed her off of the side of the road in Montana? Will she forgive him for not looking for her when she first disappeared fifteen years ago? Taking a deep breath, he enters the room, softly closing the door behind him.
I hear the soft click of the door as Keith closes it behind him. He says from across the room, “Jasmine?”
His voice pours over me like warm caramel over ice cream warming my soul. I am standing at the window, my back to him, visibly shaking. My heart is pounding with trepidation.
“Oh Keith, how can I ever thank you for rescuing me from James Bixby? How did you even know I was alive or where to find me? I have so many questions!”
He walks across the room to stand behind me placing his hands on my shoulders and says softly, “Jasmine, please don’t try to hide, turn around and look at me.”
When Keith places his hands on my shoulders, I take a deep breath savoring the feel of his hands against me and imprinting the feel on my mind to relive later when I am alone.
When I hesitate to turn around, Keith gently grasps my arm and slowly turns me to face him. I know he can feel me shaking. I keep my head down looking at the floor in shame, my hair forming a veil around my face. So he puts his fingers under my chin and lifts my face to his. Gazing lovingly into my eyes he sees my shame and my fear.
“Jasmine, don’t you know that I love you, not because of your physical beauty, but because of what is in your heart?”
When I look into his warm green eyes I see the love emanating from their depths. With tears silently sliding from the corners of my eyes, I ask, “You do? You don’t think I’m ugly?”
Pinky smiles warmly, “I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world.” He lowers his head and gently brushes his lips against mine. Then he says, “Here, let’s dry your eyes before you mess up your gorgeous face and that fantastic makeup.” He gently pats my face dry with a clean handkerchief from his pocket. When he finishes, he gazes deeply into my eyes, brushes his lips against mine again and says, “Jasmine, I have never for one second stopped loving you. I will love you forever.”
Gazing into his warm green eyes, I whisper, “Oh Keith, I love you too.”
Pinky wraps me in his arms and pulls me close against his body, breathing in my unique scent, savoring the moment. The warm glow of happiness flows through him. He is happier at this moment than he has been in over fifteen years.
I savor the feel of Keith’s arms as he wraps them around me and pulls me close. I feel so safe, a feeling I haven’t felt in fifteen years.
He allows himself to soak in the pleasure of the moment then squeezing me gently he says, “Come on, it’s time for you to meet my friends.” He takes my hand in his and leads me from the bedroom to the great room where the Rock Springs Ranch extended family is waiting.
CHAPTER 6
When we enter the great room I am amazed at the large number of people standing in groups around the huge room. My heart is beating a staccato rhythm and I cling tightly to Keith’s hand seeking his strength. Pinky stops just inside the door and says, “If I can get your attention please, I want to present to you, Miss Jasmine Leblanc, the love of my life.” He smiles lovingly down at me and says, “Jasmine these are my friends.” Then he takes me from person to person introducing me.
He approaches the first group and says, “You know Melanie, of course. This guy with the bedroom eyes is Barry Farrady, Academy Award winning movie star, Melanie’s husband and our host.”
I look at Barry, shake his hand, and then smile, “Melanie told me you were handsome but that word doesn’t do you justice. My goodness, Melanie, he’s a hunk!”
Laughing Melanie says, “So says you and fifty million other women. He’s mine and don’t you ever forget it!”
Pinky struggles to tap down the jealousy that rages through him at her words. Then he continues, “The cute little guy is their son Jonathan and I’m sure you remember Melanie’s older son, Eric. I will always be indebted to him. He is the reason I found out you were still alive. He saw our prom picture on my computer and recognized you immediately. After Melanie convinced me Eric was right and you were still alive I started searching for you.
I pull Eric into a warm embrace, “Of course I remember Eric. He’s grown at least a foot since I last saw him.” Whispering in his ear I say, “Thank you Eric. You are truly my hero.” Eric turns a bright red and smiles a huge smile.
Moving down the line Pinky says, “You’ve already met Skye, this is her husband Dylan, also known as Scoot, and my boss. He owns Drake Security.”
I look as closely as I can at Dylan’s handsome face but I don’t see any scar. They must have been pulling my leg. Skye realizing what I am looking for says, “Here, Jasmine.” She traces her finger down a tiny crease that looks like a normal sign of aging.
“Wow, I never would have known. Do you think the plastic surgeon can help me like that?”
Dylan smiles and says, “My scar was worse than yours when he started so I’m sure
you will be pleased with the results.”
Pinky continues, “This young fellow is Damian, Dylan’s son from a previous marriage, a computer genius in the making. I’m sure you noticed they are expecting a new addition to the family soon. You met Jesse earlier, she is Stump’s mother, and this big guy next to her is known as Bear, Clarence Kincaid Sr. He’s Stump’s father and a legend in his own right. He’s revered by all of the Marine Corp for his bravery in Vietnam and we are honored to call him a friend. I’m sure you can tell where he got his name. When he first came to the ranch he had a full beard and hair down to his waist. Jesse has done a fine job of cleaning him up.”
I say, “It’s nice to meet you Bear. Stump looks just like you. I’ll always be grateful to him for scooping me up from beside that Montana highway.”
Pinky continues, “Next in line are Goose, Reginald Willingham and his wife Evelyn. Evelyn is Dylan’s sister and these two are her children, Jeff and Janie. The twins in the stroller are their sons Ron and Randall.”
I say, “It’s nice to meet you. The twins are adorable!”
Pinky continues, “The old guy on the end is Bob Kenner and you’ve met his wife, Virginia. Virginia is Barry’s mother. Bob is the foreman on the ranch next door, the Rocking J. They raise and train very expensive cutting horses. The Rocking J is owned by the next two guys in line. This is Jacob Murray, former famous criminal defense attorney, and his wife Jana, their daughter Dani and twin boys, Zachary and Mason. Next to him is his twin brother, Jason Murray, rancher and investment counselor, and his wife Jenny and their son, Neal.
Again I say, “It’s nice to meet all of you.”
“Over here is Mark Brentwood and I think you also met Patricia earlier. They are Melanie’s parents.”
Smiling I say, “Oh, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Melanie has told me so much about you.”
Pinky continues, “You met Stump earlier. His real name is Clarence Kincaid Jr. but Jesse calls him Rance.”
I place my arms around Stump and hug him warmly. “Thank you so much. I would be dead if not for you.” Then I place a warm kiss on his cheek.
Stump turns bright red and says, “It was my pleasure ma’am. I was happy to assist Pinky in his endeavor to rescue you.”
Pinky continues, “And last but not least is the ranch foreman, Bud Wilkes and his wife, Mary. Bud is also a former Marine and assisted us on several operations before he retired to work twice as hard on this ranch.”
I smile and turn back toward the whole group, “It’s really nice to meet all of you.”
After Pinky has introduced me to everyone we all head to the huge dining room for a sumptuous meal prepared by the women. I can’t believe the house. The dining room looks to me to be more the size of a ballroom. It is gigantic. And on the way to the dining room I saw an indoor pool and two more bedrooms besides mine and that is just on the first floor. Everything is so opulent I am amazed that someone actually lives here. It’s the kind of house I often read about in magazines but I never believed people really lived in something so nice. Barry Farrady must be very wealthy.
Over dinner, each of the residents of the Rock Springs Ranch tells me how they ended up living here. I am fascinated by the various stories and also comforted to know that I am not the only one here who has had a less than normal life.
After dinner everyone heads to the indoor pool area for coffee and conversation while all of the children swim. I am amazed at the warm welcome I feel from everyone present. Finally everyone goes to their various homes leaving Keith alone with me. We return to the great room where sitting on the sofa next to me, his arm across the back, he asks, “Well, how do you like it here so far?”
“Everyone is so nice! They have certainly made me feel welcome and it is nice to know I am not the only one here with a less than normal background. You’re going to have to tell me the details of everyone’s story sometime.”
Smiling Keith says, “They’re all very special. I’ve been really blessed to have such good friends.” Keith reaches with his hand to straighten the collar on my blouse and I jump away from him raising my arms to deflect the anticipated blow. Appalled he says, “I’m so sorry, Jasmine, I didn’t mean to frighten you!”
Tears springing to my eyes when I realize what happened. “Oh Keith, I am so sorry! It was just a reflex. I ... I ... oh God!” Horrified, the tears run down my face and I bury my face in my hands sobbing.
He places his arms around me pulling me across his lap and then gently pulls my head to his chest and says, “It’s all right Jasmine. I understand. Really, I do. You know I would never hit you, don’t you?”
Sniffling I reply, “I know and I am so sorry! Please forgive me. I need help Keith. I will never get past this without help.”
“I know Sweetheart, I know. I’ll talk to Jesse and we’ll work it out. I promise,” answers Keith. He continues to hold me close while I cry. When I am finally quiet he places his hand under my chin and raises my face to his. Lowering his head he gently brushes his lips against mine. Raising his head and gazing warmly into my eyes he asks, “Would you mind if I kiss you Jasmine?”
In answer I raise my arms around his neck and pull his head down to mine opening my lips for his invasion. As he plunges his tongue into depths of my mouth, I hear him moan with pleasure and he pulls me closer.
He is drowning in her unique flavor gently stroking his tongue against hers. It has been so long, so very long. His heart is pounding heavily and he moves his hand up her side and cups her luscious breast squeezing gently. Moving his lips from her mouth down the graceful curve of her neck he can feel the tight bud of her nipple pressing against his palm and he longs to take it in his mouth. He feels his control slipping so he removes his hand from her breast and cups her hip squeezing gently. He dives back into the sweet recesses of her mouth.
I am overwhelmed with feelings I am no longer familiar with. James Bixby’s kisses never affected me this way. My heart is pounding so hard and fast I wonder if I am having a heart attack and my nerve endings are tingling with remembrance of a long ago time. When Keith touches my breast I feel it all the way to my core and long forgotten feelings of longing spring to life. James never touched me so tenderly or made me long for more. I can feel moisture pooling between my legs and wonder why. I have the strangest urge to get closer to Keith, to crawl right inside of him. I feel so safe in his arms.
The sound of a door closing down the hall jerks Keith back to reality and he pulls away pressing my head gently to his chest. Breathing raggedly, he says, “Oh Jasmine, I have missed you so much! It is a dream come true to hold you in my arms again. I keep expecting to wake up to find it is all a dream.”
After a few long minutes of just holding me close breathing in my unique essence he says, “I thought I was going to die the day Leaf told me the gator got you. I wanted to die that day. I killed him you know, that gator. He had your beautiful hair stringing out of his mouth and I blew his brains out. I joined the Marines the next day thinking that would be a good way to die, in service to my country. But then I met the guys and I found a reason to go on. I’m thankful now that I didn’t step in front of a bullet like I originally planned.”
“Oh Keith, I am so sorry you had to go through that. I knew that was the reason James cut off my hair. He stuffed it and my shredded clothes into a paper bag with a big hunk of smelly meat then he left the cabin. I knew he wanted you to believe I was dead.”
“I’m sorry for what you have been forced to endure Jasmine. I feel so guilty for not looking for you that day, but I really believed that gator had eaten you. I’m so sorry Jasmine, please forgive me,” pleads Keith.
“I have nothing to forgive Keith. We weren’t at his cabin for more than an hour or so. I’m sure we were probably already gone before Leaf even came to look for me. You wouldn’t have found me if you had looked.”
Lowering his head, Keith once again kisses me deeply. When he finally pulls away he says, “I guess I better go back to my quarte
rs. I certainly don’t want to frighten you and I’m not sure my control is up to the challenge.” Brushing his lips against mine one last time he gently moves me from his lap to the sofa. He says “Sleep well, Sweetheart. I love you.” He rises and leaves through the front door.
I feel bereft. I felt so safe and loved in Keith’s arms. I slowly make my way back to my bedroom a dreamy smile on my lips. I can hardly make myself believe that Keith still loves me. I never dared dream that after fifteen long years he would still be single and longing to hold me in his arms, to love me once again just like he had the night of his Senior Prom. Could it be true? Will he still love me after he knows the truth about the horror I have been living? Will he ever forgive me for the things I have done? Will he wait while I find my way back to him?
Pinky is floating on air. Holding Jasmine in his arms is heavenly, a dream he never thought would come true. After all, the curse had taken her from him and he still has trouble believing that she is really alive and safe here on Rock Springs Ranch. He keeps thinking he is living a dream and is going to wake up devastated. He knows that Bixby is still out there somewhere and he vows to never let him get his hands on her again.
CHAPTER 7
Pinky notified his contact at the ATF of the rescue of Jasmine Leblanc from James Bixby early the following day. He also confirmed to him that Jasmine was kidnapped by James Bixby fifteen years ago. The contact agreed to notify the FBI and send an agent to the ranch to interview Jasmine.
A FBI agent by the name of Richard Dean arrives at the ranch within hours. After speaking with Jasmine about the kidnapping he speaks with Stump and Pinky about the rescue. When Stump confirms that Bixby shot at them as the helicopter flew them away he agrees to put out an all points bulletin for James Bixby for kidnapping and attempted murder.
Jesse makes arrangements for me to be admitted to a specialized psychiatric unit at the same hospital in Phoenix where Bear and Scoot went for help with their PTSD. Pinky flies me to the hospital the day after my interview with the FBI agent. When he leaves me in my room he pulls me into his arms, gazes deeply into my beautiful green eyes and says, “I love you Jasmine. I will wait as long as it takes for you to recover.” Then he tenderly brushes his lips against mine and walks out of the room.
