His Child

by Delores Fossen

  Jessie almost laughed at the notion of breaking Jake’s heart. He’d have to care about her for that to happen, and he didn’t. Well, he didn’t care beyond trying to get to the bottom of how her predicament might affect him. Heck, he’d even called those kisses in the closet a lapse in judgment. Hardly the words of a man on the verge of a broken heart.

  “Anne’s death nearly destroyed him,” Willa added, obviously not ready to let the subject drop. “She died in childbirth. Did you know that?”

  Jessie felt her composure slip a considerable notch. “No.”

  “Anne didn’t want children. Jake did. So after he was fairly sure he’d won his battle with Hodgkin’s Disease, he talked her into getting pregnant.”

  Jessie started to walk away again, but that stopped her. He’d talked his wife into getting pregnant. And she had died trying to give birth to that child.

  “He blames himself,” Jessie muttered uneasily.

  “You bet he does. And before this campaign, he’d lost the will to live. There are days I actually thank God for Abel Markham. If Jake hadn’t wanted to keep the man out of office, he might never have gotten over Anne’s death.”

  “But now he has, and you’re scared I’ll mess things up.”

  Willa moved even closer, until they were only inches apart. “I’m scared because I don’t want him rushing into anything that could cause him more pain.”

  Jessie started to give Willa another assurance, but then she caught the scent of Willa’s perfume. She didn’t know the name of the expensive scent, but Jessie definitely recognized it. From that night. The night the three people kidnapped her. Jessie was sure someone had worn the same perfume.

  “Are you all right?” Willa asked.

  “Fine,” she managed to say. She couldn’t let her imagination run wild on this. After all, a lot of women probably wore that scent. And as much as she distrusted coincidences, this could easily be one.

  Willa took her by the arm and led her to the chair by the balcony door. “Sit down. Jake will have my head if he finds out I’ve upset you.”

  Jessie pushed her hair away from her face. “I’m not upset.”

  “I don’t believe that. Look, I didn’t mean to insult you. I guess I never learned how to keep my mouth shut.” She sank onto the edge of the bed.

  Jessie almost let that remark pass, but then decided to put it to the test. Just how much would Willa tell her? “I’ve been thinking about Markham’s visit.”

  “Hmm.” Willa certainly didn’t look alarmed by the comment. She reached into one of the bags and began to pull out some of the items. “What about it?”

  Jessie idly looked at the dress and the underwear that Willa laid out on the bed. Her mind definitely wasn’t on clothes. “He said something about a woman’s body found on the property.”

  “Christy Mendoza,” Willa provided. “Markham’s tried to use her death to sling mud at Jake.”

  “Is there any mud to sling?”

  Willa froze and snared Jessie’s gaze. “Please don’t tell me you think Jake had something to do with that.”

  “No. I just wanted to know if Markham can make it seem as if Jake did.”

  “Jake didn’t even know Ms. Mendoza. She came to the barbecue because she worked for the caterer. The only time I saw her was when Douglas was following her around. She brushed him off.”

  Willa must have noticed Jessie’s questioning glance because she added, “More than one person gleefully told me that. When you have a cheating husband, people just love to remind you of it every chance they get.”

  Jessie didn’t doubt it. She didn’t even doubt that Christy had refused Douglas’s advances. Christy might have had no inhibitions about working in a skimpy, show-all outfit, but she wouldn’t have fooled around with a married man. It did make Jessie wonder, though, how Douglas had reacted to Christy’s rejection. For that matter, how had Willa felt about her husband’s behavior that night? It was something to consider.

  From the statements Jessie had read, there were at least two hundred guests at that party. Technically, any one of them could have killed Christy and set it up to look like an accident. After all, Christy was petite, barely five feet tall. She couldn’t have put up much of a fight, especially if she hadn’t perceived the person to be a threat.

  Jessie tried to block out that image. Her friend, a woman she loved, fighting for her life. It was that image, that nightmare, that kept her awake plenty of times. The only trauma to the body had been a blow to the back of the head. It was an injury consistent with someone slipping on a rock, but Jessie had never been able to accept that Christy would be that careless. Besides, Christy wasn’t the sort for a solo walk in the moonlight.

  Now Jessie had to figure out if Christy’s death was connected to the rest of what happened. Was it connected to her? Right from the start, she’d downplayed that idea, but maybe it was time to reconsider it. After all, both Willa and Douglas were connected to Christy, and they were indirectly connected to Jessie.

  “So what do you think of this dress?” she heard Willa ask.

  Jessie was about to say something polite, when she realized that feigned politeness wasn’t necessary. The dress was a simple cut and the color of ripe peaches. It was beautiful. “Thanks. I just hope I can afford it.”

  “You can. Jake’s paying for it.” Willa added a not-so-subtle sigh to that.

  “No, he’s not,” Jessie quickly assured her. “I’ll pay him back every cent.”

  That only seemed to amuse Willa. “By the way, when you tell Jake about our little talk, be kind,” she said, standing. “He won’t appreciate my interference. He never does. That’s why I’ve found these little behind-the-back sessions necessary.”

  The callously offered remark caught Jessie off guard. Hard to do, since she’d braced herself for just about anything. It made her wonder how many more behind-the-back sessions Willa had orchestrated. And just what lengths would she go to to protect her brother?

  Jessie managed to tell her goodbye. Willa did the same and, moving with a graceful stride, left the room.

  She pressed her fingers to her temples to try to soothe away the headache that was just starting to brew. Everything was so mixed up. Jessie could blame herself for that. It was stupid, but she had allowed herself to become involved with a man that she had only days earlier suspected of murder. Some cop she’d turned out to be.

  Doing what she should have done days earlier, she mentally walked herself back through the evidence, adding the bits and pieces she’d learned from Jake, Willa, Douglas and even Markham. It was all still a confusing puzzle. Markham might be the one behind the insemination plot, but he hadn’t killed Christy. He wasn’t even at the party. So maybe the two things weren’t connected.

  Of course, that left one glaring question—who wanted her dead? Markham, maybe, if for some reason he suddenly wanted to put a stop to a plot he’d set into motion. Or maybe the person trying to kill her was Douglas. After all, Douglas had known Jake and she were going to Radelman’s. Douglas also had a motive, if she factored in the trust fund. And if he’d somehow found out about the baby…. That wouldn’t have been so difficult. She’d left the home pregnancy test sitting in her motel room. Douglas could have followed Jake and gone into the room after they left. He could have seen the test results, put two and two together, and figured she was a threat to Willa’s half of the trust fund.

  But then, Willa had the same motive.

  Jessie groaned. The puzzle still had too many pieces, especially with Dr. Radelman, Marion Cameron and the two guards still on the loose.

  Knowing she needed to check in, she went to the phone and dialed Byron’s number. As usual, he picked up right away.

  “I just wanted to make sure the money will be there tomorrow,” she said, after they got past the greetings.

  “Sure, but give me until three o’clock. I want to deliver it to you in person.”

  “You can’t,” she insisted. “You’ve done enough for me a
lready.” Maybe too much. Jessie hated to ask the next question, but she had to know if Byron accidentally leaked the fact that she had gone to Radelman’s house. “Listen, by any chance have you mentioned to anyone that you’ve talked to me?”

  “No, of course not. Why?”

  She ignored that for the time being. “Could anyone have overheard our conversations?”

  “No, I was careful. What’s this all about, Jess?”

  “I’m not sure, but don’t trust anyone, okay?”

  “I won’t if you won’t,” he quickly answered.

  “Don’t worry, I don’t intend to trust anyone until I find out what’s really going on around here.”

  “Does that include McClendon?”

  Did it? It had to, even though her heart whispered differently. “Yes, that includes Jake. Take care, Byron.”

  She hung up, turned around and saw Jake in the doorway. She quickly replayed the conversation in her head and knew there was no good way for him to interpret that last part.

  “A friend?” he questioned, his eyes narrowed almost to straight slits.

  “Yes.” Because she suddenly didn’t know what to do with her hands, she pushed them through her hair. “I thought you were with Douglas.”

  His expression didn’t relax much. “We’re finished, and he and Willa are ready to leave for a meeting. I need to go with them.” He paused. “By the way, I told Douglas everything.”

  She nodded. That made sense. Well, it made sense only because Jake didn’t consider him a suspect. It still didn’t change her opinion of his brother-in-law.

  “Douglas found out something from the police,” Jake added. “And I wanted to tell you before you heard it on the news.”

  That didn’t do anything to steady her rattled nerves. “What?”

  “They found Dr. Radelman’s body earlier.”

  Oh God. Jessie had known they would. There was no way the doctor’s boss would have left him alive so he could go to the police. Still, a chill went through her. It was a brutal reminder of what this person wanted to do to her.

  “He was murdered?”

  Jake shook his head. “Seems he lost control of his car and went off a bridge over in Kendall County.”

  “It was no accident,” she whispered.

  “No.” He didn’t move from the doorway. Jake just stood there and pushed out a long breath. “Listen, I need to go. You’ll be all right?”

  “Sure.” It was a lie, but there was nothing he could do to give her peace of mind.

  For her, peace of mind didn’t exist anymore.

  Chapter Ten

  It was almost dark before Jake arrived back at the ranch. And he’d seethed the whole afternoon. Only one thing had been on his mind—Jessie. The tail end of the conversation he heard was all the proof he needed that she was still lying to him.

  Hell, how had he let himself even begin to trust her? Yet it had happened. Not only had he started to trust her, he’d kissed her, for Christ’s sake! Kissed her and allowed himself to care about her. And in doing so, she had sucked him right into her web of lies.

  He went through the house, searching, until he found her on the balcony outside her bedroom. “We need to talk.” He didn’t wait for her to ask, about what? and he didn’t even try to contain the anger in his voice. “I want to know what you’re keeping from me.”

  She flexed her eyebrows and almost calmly turned her gaze back to the scenery. “For a politician, you don’t beat around the bush.”

  “It wastes time. So who was it on the phone earlier—a boyfriend?”

  Jessie gave him a lopsided smile. “A friend friend.”

  And perhaps a boyfriend. Jake wouldn’t discount it just on her denial. “He knows about the kidnapping?”

  She nodded.

  “The pregnancy?”

  “I told him, yes.”

  He had to hesitate a moment and get control of the punch he had just felt in his gut. “And you trust him?”

  “I’ve known him a long time. He’s like a brother.”

  A brother and a friend. A guy close enough to have Jessie’s complete confidence. He caught her shoulder, turning her so she faced him. “Did you tell him we were going to Radelman’s house?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “No buts,” Jake snapped. “Someone sent that fake cop to find us. It could have been this friend that you trust.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “And it easily could have been your own brother-in-law, since he’s the one who came up with the key. Have you asked Douglas if he told anyone?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did. He said he didn’t tell a soul.”

  “Well, gee, now I feel a whole lot better. He knew about it and he could have told anyone, including his wife.” She shook off his grip and headed back to her room.

  Jake followed her inside, catching up with her before she could shut the balcony door in his face. He wouldn’t let her get away that easily. “Care to explain that.”

  She reeled toward him, some fire slashing through her gray eyes. “I smelled perfume the night they kidnapped me. It’s the same scent your sister wears.”

  Now she was accusing Willa? “And that proves what, exactly? We’d already figured the woman was probably Marion Cameron, the nurse from Cryogen Labs. It’s not much of a stretch for us to assume she could have worn perfume. Unless you’re saying there were two women there—the nurse and my sister.”

  Jessie blew out a long breath, and the fire in her eyes turned to frustration. “No. There was only one woman, but we have no idea who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes, do we?”

  “Okay, I’ll bite,” Jake said, giving that some thought. “What would my sister’s motive be?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe money?”

  “Just how would that connect to you? To your kidnapping? If Willa’s motivation is money, then she wouldn’t take shots at me. In my will, I’ve left everything to my late wife’s memorial fund. If I’m dead, my sister doesn’t collect a cent.”

  Jessie quickly came up with something else. “Then, maybe the trust fund. Douglas mentioned that.”

  He stepped closer. “Not that, either. If Willa was after the trust fund, then the last thing she’d want is you carrying my baby.”

  Jessie grumbled under her breath. “You’re right. Because then neither of you would inherit it. The child would.”

  “And even the child’s mother couldn’t get her hands on it,” Jake calmly added. “But maybe you didn’t know that.”

  There was nothing calm about the emotion that swept through Jessie’s voice. “So you’re back to accusing me. Sweet heaven, if you really think I’m capable of that, then why not just kick me out?” Her gaze darted around the room and landed on her purse. She quickly snatched it up. “On second thought, I’ll kick myself out. I’ve had enough of this so-called protection of yours. I’ve never felt more unsafe in my life.”

  She nearly made it to the door, before he latched on to her arm. It didn’t stop her. Jessie tried to sling him off, first by twisting her body and then by shoving her elbow into his stomach. It wasn’t a gentle shove, either. Jake sputtered out a cough, but somehow managed to hold on to her arm.

  “Let go of me!” She jerked toward the door, but her fingers only glanced off the knob.

  “Not until you listen.”

  “I have listened and I’m tired of hearing what you have to say.”

  Jake managed to catch her other arm before she could wallop him with her purse. He pinned her hands to the back of the door. It wasn’t the best position. His body was now squashed against hers. He’d fantasized about getting her into his arms, but certainly not like this.

  “I’m sorry,” he managed to say, just before she elbowed him again in the stomach. Jake rattled out another cough. Jesus. The woman fought like a wildcat.

  She either didn’t hear what he said or she didn’t believe him. They both grappled for position and his body pressed into hers to keep her from getting away again.
Somehow their gazes met, coming together to a screeching halt. Her gray eyes were wide. Startled. And her breath raced wild and hot.

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

  She stilled immediately, blinked, and he felt her muscles go limp. Jake had to catch her in his arms to keep her from sagging to the floor. A sob tore from her mouth. Then another, before Jessie buried her face against his shoulder.

  “I can’t cry,” she mumbled. “I hate to cry.”

  He didn’t doubt it. And Jake felt like a jackass. He’d actually wrestled with a pregnant woman, pinned her to the door, and then made her cry.

  “It’s all right,” he whispered. He didn’t know what else to say to her. Or to do. There weren’t many things that could make him feel as miserable as hearing Jessie cry.

  “No. It’s not. Crying won’t make it better. It never makes anything better.”

  But the sobs continued. Jake scooped her up in his arms and sat on the bed. She didn’t resist when he started to stroke her hair.

  “I don’t want your damn money,” she mumbled. “Or that trust fund. I don’t want anything from you.”

  “I know.” And he did know that, deep in his heart. This was a woman who wouldn’t let him buy her a cheeseburger. She had even paid for the physical that he’d arranged.

  Without releasing his grip on her, he leaned back to rest against the headboard. Jake glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. And his gaze soon fell on the short white skirt she wore. And her legs. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the little journey that his gaze made. He gave her a thorough once-over before he got to her face. At that point, he realized that if he had any sense, he’d get up right now and take a cold shower.

  He apparently didn’t have any sense.

  He stayed put.

  She ran her finger over her eyebrow. The gesture seemed oddly provocative to him. Of course, with the way he was feeling, anything would have seemed provocative.

  “Boy, I just made a fool of myself, didn’t I,” she said softly.

  “No. You just cried, that’s all.”

  “Sheesh.” She sniffed and wiped the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. “This hormone stuff is worse than PMS.”