His Child

by Delores Fossen

  Jessie had to put that thought aside. Quickly aside. The large oak limb she had thought was farther to her left, wasn’t. It smashed into her side window, bringing a deluge of safety glass right into her lap. Rough, finger-like branches snagged her clothes. She didn’t stop. She continued to maneuver the car deeper into the woods.

  The cedars were suddenly so thick, she lost sight of the path. She clipped one of the trees with her right fender, the metallic sound screeching through the night. And the silence. It was that silence that made her ease off the accelerator and bring the car to a stop. Just in time. Directly ahead of her, no more than three feet away, was a massive oak that completely blocked her way. Thank God, she hadn’t hit it.

  Fighting a strong instinct to run and at the same time trying not to make any sudden moves, Jessie released the steering wheel so she could better aim the gun. Dreading what she might see, she glanced around. There was nothing but woods—but then, she couldn’t see very far. The person with that gun could be behind any one of the hundreds of trees.

  Then she heard the sound.

  Her throat clenched. Her chest pounded as if it might shatter. The panic that she’d tried to control was so close to the surface, she could feel it ripple over her skin.

  It was the sound of someone running. This time, Jessie was sure of it. Was it Jake? Had he somehow maneuvered his way through all those shots to get to her? She hated to consider one alternative—that he hadn’t made it through. Or the other alternative—that it wasn’t Jake at all, but the person who wanted her dead.

  She turned slowly in the direction of the sound. It was just as she feared. Someone was out there. Close. So close that she saw a flash of movement before the person darted behind a tree.

  Jessie couldn’t stop the shudder that racked her body and left her trembling. If this had just been about her, she could have faced it better. Her training might have given her the confidence to go on the offensive. But it wasn’t just her. And going on the offensive, stepping out of the car to fire, could get her baby killed. Or Jake. Either way, she couldn’t risk it.

  Gripping the gun with both hands, she sat there. Moments. Long, excruciating moments. Waiting. For what, exactly, she didn’t know. The only sound was her heart pounding in her ears and her breath coming in shreds.

  “Jessie!” the voice called out.

  It was Jake. She twisted in the seat, frantically searching through the thicket to see him. She couldn’t. “I’m here,” she answered, praying the sound of her voice didn’t allow the gunman to pinpoint their positions.

  But she heard only Jake.

  “Jessie, are you all right?”

  “Yes.” At least, she thought she was. Glass was everywhere, even in her lap, but she didn’t think she was wounded.

  “I’m coming closer,” Jake said.

  She hadn’t thought she could be more frightened, but that sent a cold chill through her. She didn’t want him to get hurt. “Be careful! There’s a gunman somewhere out here.”

  That obviously didn’t stop Jake. He came tearing through the darkness, straight toward the driver’s side of the car where she sat. Jessie had never been happier, and more terrified, to see anyone.

  She shoved open the door and caught his arm, pulling him inside with her.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” he demanded, his voice hoarse and rough.

  She nodded, somehow. “What about you?”

  “I’m not hurt.”

  And with that, Jake latched on to her and hauled her against him. In the same motion, his mouth came to hers. Not gentle. Not sweet. The kiss was filled with all the emotion their dangerous situation had created.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” Jake whispered against her mouth. His grip around her tightened.

  Jessie wanted to assure him that he hadn’t lost her, but she couldn’t gather enough breath to speak. She held on to him and let the safety, the rightness, of Jake’s embrace seep through her.

  “Something went wrong,” he explained. He put the car into reverse and pushed her down onto the seat. “Marion drove away, when someone fired a shot.”

  “Who? Did you see the gunman?”

  “No, but at least some of those shots came from inside the property.”

  Yes. She’d known that, but it hadn’t sunk in as to exactly what that meant. The alarms hadn’t gone off. The dogs hadn’t responded.

  Jake began to back out of the narrow path. “Someone must have tampered with the security system.”

  And that someone was likely a person they knew. The thought terrified her, but as bad as that was, it was worse for Jake. If it hadn’t been Markham or one of his people, then it was Douglas or Willa. Jake’s family.

  “Stay down,” he warned, when she started to get up. “We’re not taking any more chances. One way or another, I’m putting an end to this.” There was no anger in his voice. Just sheer determination.

  Jessie desperately wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him. Because the alternative was unthinkable.

  Chapter Thirteen

  He had a plan. Jake wasn’t sure it was a good one, but it was what he finally came up with after sitting up half the night. If he got lucky, really lucky, it just might work. Now all he had to do was convince Jessie to go along with it.

  That would probably take nothing short of a miracle.

  Adjusting the breakfast tray in his hand, he knocked on her door. “It’s me. Can I come in?” Jake asked.

  A pause. A long one. “Sure.”

  Jessie sat up in bed when he walked in. She still wore the clothes she’d had on the night before, meaning she’d probably fallen asleep in them. With reason. It was late by the time they finished giving the police their statements about the most recent shooting and she’d been exhausted.

  Jake was thankful that she looked rested now. And rumpled, with her dark hair fluffed around her face. Her eyes were still ripe with sleep. There was something about it that greatly appealed to him. Of course, most things about Jessie appealed to him.

  “Breakfast,” he announced. “Scrambled eggs, toast, decaf coffee and orange juice.” Jake placed the tray on her lap and sat on the bed next to her.

  She studied each item. “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll be able to eat much.”

  “Just a few bites, then.” He pointed to the bottle of prenatal vitamins that Dr. Lisette had prescribed. “I sent someone into San Antonio this morning to get these for you. By the way, how are you feeling?”

  “All right, I guess. No light-headedness—but then, I haven’t tried to stand up yet.”

  “No morning sickness?”

  “Not so far.” She took a sip of the coffee, made a face and quickly put it aside. “But I don’t want to push it. Funny, I used to love coffee, but I don’t think I’ll be drinking much of it anytime soon.”

  Jake took the cup off the tray and set it on the nightstand. “Anne had morning sickness.” He hadn’t intended to say that. In fact, he hadn’t intended to bring up his late wife at all.

  “Willa talked about her,” Jessie said hesitantly. “She said Anne and the baby died in childbirth.”

  “They did. Toxemia.” Not the best subject to discuss with a pregnant woman. “It’s rare, and Anne had other complications that made the toxemia fatal. For both her and the baby.”

  “Willa seemed to think you blame yourself.”

  Jake didn’t care much for the fact that his sister had apparently been a chatterbox when it came to his personal life. He’d have to discuss that with Willa later. “I did.” And he still did. There was no use bringing that up, either. Besides, this wasn’t what he wanted to talk about. His plan—

  “Why would you blame yourself?” Jessie asked. “What happened was a tragic accident.”

  “Still, if I hadn’t wanted a child…” There was no reason to finish that. Here, he’d just accused Willa of talking too much and he was doing the same thing. Jessie didn’t need to hear any of this.

  She picked up her fork and
poked at the scrambled eggs. “I used to do that, you know.”

  Jake tried to lighten the mood. “What, play with your food?”

  The corner of her mouth hitched into a short-lived smile. “I used to blame myself for my father’s behavior. He’d come home drunk and beat my mother senseless, yell at me, call me names that I didn’t even understand. I thought it was my fault. If I had just cleaned my room better. Or if I smiled when he walked in, instead of trying to hide somewhere until the storm passed.”

  A slow ache worked its way through his heart. Jake wished he had ten minutes alone with the man who’d caused her so much pain. “There was nothing you could have done. You were a child.”

  “I was never a child. He took that away from me.” She took a deep breath. “Anyway, I’m getting off track. What happened with my father wasn’t my fault any more than Anne’s death was yours. Those things gave us scars. And they made us stronger. They made us the people we are today. Heck, if it weren’t for my father, I’d probably never have become a—”

  Jake stared at her when she stopped abruptly. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. “A what?” he asked.

  “Uh, a better person. Besides, I’ve got a one-hundred-percent chance of being a better parent than my father was.”

  Jake waited another moment to see if she intended to feed him more bull. She apparently didn’t. Jessie had nearly let something slip, but what? As much as he wanted to know, he knew he had bigger fish to fry.

  “You’re not eating,” he pointed out.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “But you’ll eat. For the baby.”

  “Yes, I suppose I will.” She took a small bite of the scrambled eggs and made a sound to indicate they were good.

  “What else would you be willing to do to make sure the baby is safe?” he asked.

  Obviously surprised, she stared at him a moment. “Is this a hypothetical question or do you have something specific in mind?”

  He shrugged. “Both.”

  “Well.” She drank some of her orange juice. “I guess I’d do whatever’s necessary.”

  “But you have to keep yourself safe in order to do that.”

  She nodded eventually, but her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “If you’ve got something to say, Jake, spit it out. It’s not like you to beat around the bush.”

  True. It seemed odd that she would know that about him. Jessie had known him for less than a week and yet she had him pegged. Unfortunately, he had her pegged, too. She wouldn’t like what he had to say.

  “I have a proposal I’d like to make.”

  She picked up a piece of toast and idly peeled off the crust before she took a bite. “What kind of proposal?”

  “A proposal.” He studied her face and watched her expression turn from suspicion to confusion.

  Jessie shook her head. “Sweet heaven, this must be something incredibly bad if you’re acting like this. What do I have to do—run naked down Commerce Street or something?”

  “Not quite.” Even though he wouldn’t mind seeing her run naked down the hallway to his bedroom. He took the toast from her hand and had a bite, too. “It’s a proposal and you’d have to do what women generally do after they’ve received one.” He paused, wondering if he should move that knife and fork a little farther away.

  “And that would be what?”

  “Accept.”

  “Accept,” she repeated, obviously puzzled. The second time she repeated it, she didn’t seem so puzzled. Her eyebrows drew together. The third time the word left her mouth, she shoved the tray off her lap and got to her feet. “Are you…” But she shook her head again. “No, you aren’t.”

  “I am,” he quickly assured. “I’m asking you to marry me.” Jake held up his hand to stop her from interrupting him. “Well, actually, I have to insist that you agree to marry me.”

  Her mouth opened, but for several moments nothing came out. “Is this a joke?”

  “It’s the easiest way for us to keep you safe.”

  “Safe? What does that have to do with keeping me safe?” But she didn’t wait for an answer. Jessie glanced at the bathroom door. “Could you excuse me a minute?” She bolted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. A moment later, Jake heard her retching.

  Well, it wasn’t exactly the response he’d hoped for. It certainly wasn’t a thank you, even though he hadn’t thought she would do that, either. Still, it did sting his pride a little. He’d offered her marriage. And she’d thrown up. He obviously had some kinks to work out of his plan.

  Jake patted his pocket to make sure the ring he’d taken from his safe was there. It was. A ring that had belonged to his mother. Hopefully, Willa wouldn’t pitch a fit when she saw it on Jessie’s finger. And hopefully Jessie would actually let him put it on her finger.

  Somehow, some way, he would make it work. Jake was afraid it was the only way he could keep Jessie and his child alive.

  JESSIE LEANED OVER THE SINK and splashed some water on her face, intentionally dodging her reflection in the mirror. No use making matters worse. She no doubt looked exactly the way she felt. Sick. Stunned. And bewildered.

  “Are you all right?” Jake called out from the other side of the door.

  “Fine,” she answered. But she wasn’t. And the sudden bout of morning sickness was just a small part of it. This ridiculous notion that Jake had about marrying her was the main reason she’d lost her breakfast. Once she pulled herself together she would set him straight.

  She sat on the edge of the bathtub and leaned her head against the smooth, cool tiles. It helped some but not nearly enough. Her head was light. Her skin still clammy. Maybe the crazy symptoms had caused her to misunderstand what Jake had said. Maybe he’d meant something other than marriage.

  Or maybe not.

  “Would you like me to come in there?” he asked. “I might be able to help. I could hold your head or something.”

  Jessie preferred clarification to head holding. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t get it in the bathroom. That had to come from Jake. She dried her face and cautiously opened the door. He was right there leaning against the jamb, and there was obvious concern in his expression.

  “I’m fine, really,” she assured him.

  He looked her over, paying careful attention to her eyes. “Would you like to lie down for a while?”

  “We have to talk. I think we left off at the part where I was telling you that you’ve lost your mind.” Jessie stepped around him and went back into the bedroom. She didn’t want to get near the food, so she sat in the wicker chair near the balcony doors.

  “I haven’t lost anything. This makes sense. Besides, I didn’t mean married exactly. More like engaged.”

  “Engaged,” she repeated. Well, that was slightly better, but not much. Engaged was only a step away from the altar. “It wouldn’t work.”

  “It’s the perfect solution. The person who had you kidnapped wants to kill you and set me up for a murder charge.”

  “I know, Jake. I heard what Marion Cameron said, too.” And just hearing it again made her stomach churn even more.

  “Well, the only way that could work is for the police to believe I had a motive to kill you. They would have to believe I wanted to silence you because I got you pregnant.”

  Not just because he got her pregnant. But because he got a cocktail waitress pregnant.

  “But if we’re engaged,” Jake continued, “then I have no motive. And if I don’t have a motive, there’s no reason for them to kill you.”

  Jessie looked for flaws in his logic. There had to be some part of it that didn’t make sense. Wasn’t there? Of course. But it took a while before she came up with it. “You have no proof that Ms. Cameron told us the truth.”

  “Why would she lie? What would she have to gain by calling me to let me know she’d had a part in your kidnapping?”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t want to put my trust in a criminal.”

  “We don’t have to trust
her. If we’re engaged it eliminates their inducement to kill you.” He walked closer and stood directly in front of her. “You and the baby will be safe.”

  Would they? Jessie didn’t want to jump on this without thinking it through. Would an engagement actually prevent the killer from coming after her? Perhaps. Maybe more than perhaps. And it wasn’t as if the engagement would be real. Certainly, Jake wasn’t proposing that.

  She cleared her throat. “So what you’re really suggesting is a pretend engagement?”

  “It would only be pretend to us. Everyone else would have to believe it was true.”

  “Everyone, including the press and the voters?”

  “Especially the press.”

  So here was the flaw Jessie had been looking for. “But what about your campaign? This would destroy your chances of winning the election. Maybe that’s why Marion called you. She must have figured you’d come to this conclusion and this is her way of still ruining you. Markham would still win.”

  It didn’t make much sense when Jessie heard her own words. There was no way Marion could have known Jake would come up with a pretend engagement.

  Jake shoved his hands in his pockets. “It wouldn’t ruin the campaign, but we would have to go public right away. No mention of kidnapping or insemination, either. We’ll just announce that we’re engaged.”

  Apparently there would be no mention of falling in love, either. With reason, of course. He hadn’t fallen in love. “You’ll still lose votes.”

  “Some, but we won’t have to worry about someone trying to kill us.”

  If he’d said you instead of us, Jessie would have had an argument. But he’d attached his safety to her decision.

  “There has to be another way,” she said under her breath.

  “Believe me, I’ve thought about this, and we can’t waste any more time. Someone drugged the dogs last night. And tampered with the security system. They walked right onto the property and took at least a dozen shots at us.”

  More reminders that she didn’t need. And ones that sent her heart right back into her throat.