by Marla Monroe
They drove around for a little while then found a gas station that seemed to have electricity. Wyatt got out and checked the area but found no one. He filled the truck up with gas and they moved on.
“There’s a sporting goods store, Wyatt,” Kent pointed out.
His brother grunted and pulled into the parking lot. There was no sign of wolves, but Kent and Wyatt warned her to stay inside the truck until they checked it out. They climbed out and carried guns inside the building. When they returned, she climbed out of the truck and walked slowly with them back inside.
“Someone has already been here. All the guns and ammunition are gone, and someone has been through the clothes,” Kent told her.
“Well, let’s just see what we can find on our lists and move on.”
She found two pair of boots in her size and a couple of sets of thermals that would fit her. She grabbed several coats that would fit and then went in search of the matches and flint. She found both and loaded them into the bucket she’d also found.
“Here, baby. Let me carry that out to the truck for you.” Kent grabbed her stuff and walked out to the truck to load it with some things Wyatt was already loading up.
She found several magazines on preparing wild meats and added them to a pile of stuff by the front door. A noise in the back of the store startled her. She froze and listened again. Maybe it had been her imagination. Nothing more moved. She walked behind the counter, searching for anything more that might be of use.
By the time the men had finished loading the truck, she’d thought of something. She wasn’t sure what they would think about it, but it was smart to her. They needed to get a truck from one of the car dealerships for trips when they only wanted a few things, and it wouldn’t burn so much gas. Plus, they could use it around the farm. They would be spreading out some as they lived there. She would spring it on them once they were on their way again.
As she walked toward the front door to see how the men were coming, something knocked her down from behind. She screamed and covered her head with her hands expecting any minute for something to bite her. Instead, she felt a tongue lapping at her hands.
“What in the hell?”
“What is it?” Kent’s voice sounded confused.
Jessie just wanted them to get whatever it was off of her. She screamed at them to get it off.
“Whoa, there, baby. It’s a dog of some sort.” Kent pulled her to her feet and was immediately assaulted again by a horse of a dog.
“Where in the hell did it come from?” Wyatt asked.
“I don’t know. It just attacked me from behind.”
“It must have been in the back of the store somewhere and we just didn’t see it.”
“How could you have missed something this big?” she wanted to know.
“What do we do with it?” Kent asked.
“Wyatt, we can’t leave it here.”
“It’s too big to ride up front with us, and I don’t think it would survive in the back of the truck all that way.”
“I think we need to get a truck from one of the car dealerships, anyway. It can ride in the back of the bed.” She filled them in on what she thought about getting a truck to use around the farm.
“What do you think?” Wyatt asked Kent.
“Sounds like a good idea to me. We can get one on the way out of town and gas it up. For now, the dog will do okay in the back of the truck for the short rides we are taking,” Kent said.
Jessie eyed the massive hound and shook her head. He would be a mess to deal with, but since they had wolves around, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have something around to help guard the house. He was sort of cute, in an ugly kind of way.
They loaded up and headed to another store. This time, they found a Kmart near a car dealership and pulled around behind it to the loading docks. When they opened the back of the truck, the dog bounded out and up to the door as if knowing they would be going inside.
“You know, he’s too young for someone to have owned him before all hell broke loose. Why is he so damn well behaved and not wild?” Kent pointed out.
“I don’t know. Do you think there’s someone who lives around here, and we’re taking their dog?” Jessie asked.
“Naw.”
Wyatt finally got the door opened, and they all filed inside with the dog running off ahead of them.
“I guess if there are any wolves in here, he’ll flush them out,” Wyatt said.
“That’s not a warm and fuzzy thought,” she complained.
When nothing growled, howled, or attacked, they split up with their lists and carts and agreed to meet back in an hour. Jessie loaded her cart with all the canning supplies she could find then piled on some other things from her lists. She parked her cart at the back of the store and grabbed another. She searched the grocery aisles for cheesecloth and finally found it hanging on one of the canned good aisles. She took it all.
Then she raced to finish her lists and meet the men back at the back with her second cart. She noticed the dog was sitting there as if waiting on them. She shook her head. Then Wyatt showed up with a cart piled high with mechanical stuff. Kent wasn’t far behind him with what appeared to be even more mechanical stuff.
“Don’t you guys have enough of that stuff to play with out in your shop?”
“Nope,” they both said in union.
“Well, since you didn’t get any clothes, I’m going to have to go back and shop some more. You can go ahead and load all this up while I grab winter gear for you two numskulls.
“Great idea,” Kent said, and ducked when she threw a roll of paper towels at him.
Growling, she grabbed an empty cart and went in search of men’s winter wear. The dog followed her around as she added to the cart.
“They can be such babies sometimes. I have to follow behind them, and pick up after them, and remind them to wipe their feet.” She looked over at the dog. “Why am I talking to you, anyway?”
The dog whined.
“Jessie?” Kent’s voice called through the store.
“I’m over in the sporting goods,” she called back.
“What are you doing over here?” he asked when he walked up.
“Looking for hats, gloves, and scarves for you guys.”
“You about ready to go?”
“Whenever you are. I could grab stuff all day, though.”
“We’ll be back in a couple of months before the snows hit. Let’s go find a truck. You can pick out the color, but Wyatt and I are picking out the rest.”
“Come on, Dog. We’re going truck hunting. You can take point.” She laughed at the expression on Kent’s face.
In the end, they drove home a shiny new Dodge Ram pickup in a midnight-black color. It got good gas mileage for a truck and had everything in it the men wanted. It even had a DVD player, and they’d gone back to Kmart just to get DVDs to watch on Saturday nights. They would have to watch them in the truck, but the men thought that was fine. She truly felt that the men had lost their minds.
She and Kent drove it to the house while Wyatt drove the U-Haul. They made it back home about five that night and spent the next few hours unloading the truck.
They let the cow and her calf out for a few hours to get some exercise until they finished everything. The dog ran around the farm but was back under their feet after every circle he made.
Jessie watched the men go bring in the cow and calf, but all of them stood back as the dog herded the animals up to the gate, where Wyatt slipped the rope around the cow’s neck and led her to the barn. The calf followed along, but even if it hadn’t, the dog would have nosed it along.
“I think we have a cow dog,” Wyatt said.
“Well, he needs a name,” she said.
“What’s wrong with Dog?” Kent asked.
“Kent.” Jessie popped him on the arm.
“Well, we’ll think of a name soon enough,” Wyatt said. “Let’s lock up the trucks and get something to eat before bed. I’m
exhausted.”
Jessie laughed and headed for the house. She walked inside and screamed.
Chapter Eleven
Kent and Wyatt ran for the house but didn’t see Jessie anywhere. They could hear the dog inside the house growling and barking wildly. Kent opened the door and the dog bounded out and around the side of the house. They heard horses’ hooves around the front of the house as the dog barked and growled.
The men rounded the house in time to see someone on a horse carrying Jessie over their saddle and riding off through the woods. The dog ran after them, close on their heels.
“Fuck! He has her, Wyatt. How in the hell are we going to get her back?” Kent’s voice shook with rage.
The dog ran back and then returned to the woods as if begging them to follow him.
“The dog can lead us to her. Come on.” Kent started to follow the dog, but Wyatt stopped him.
“We need the guns. Hold up, Dog. We’re coming.” The dog whined but waited on them.
They each grabbed guns and set out after the dog in hopes of finding Jessie unharmed. They knew she would have fought like hell and to be lying over the horse, she had to have been unconscious. Kent was about to lose his mind and could tell Wyatt was just as crazy. They had never thought anyone would be in the house waiting on them. Hell, they hadn’t thought of anyone coming out there to take Jessie at all in the last few weeks. They’d become complacent in their belief that they were the only ones in the world out there.
“Wyatt, I can’t live without her.”
“We’ll get her back, brother. We’ll get her back.”
They followed the dog and the obvious trail for over an hour before the dog began to walk around in circles. He whined and started one way, only to go another. Kent studied the ground and finally figured out what had happened. For some reason, the horse had thrown them. The horse went one way, and the man went another. By the depth of the tracks, he was carrying Jessie. This would slow him down.
They followed the footprints, which had the dog on track again. Dog barked and growled periodically but continued to trail Jessie and her captor. Kent and Wyatt called out for Jessie over and over but got no answer. If she were able to, she would be screaming her head off. They were beginning to worry that they might have lost them when they came upon a house. It was almost full dark now. The house was obviously lived in and had electricity by the lights inside.
“Do you think they have her here?” Kent asked, bringing the rifle up.
“I don’t know, Kent. We’ll find out. Dog will know if she’s here.”
They headed up to the back of the house around the garden. Dog wasn’t happy about changing course. They had to encourage him to follow them, and he kept going back to the woods.
“I don’t think she’s here,” Kent said.
“Hold it right there,” a deep voice said behind them in the dark.
Kent and Wyatt stilled.
“Drop your guns and step away from them.”
“We don’t mean any harm. We’re looking for our woman,” Wyatt said.
“With guns?”
“Someone stole her from the house, and we’re following them.” Kent strained to see the man behind the voice, but the night kept him hidden.
“Brandon?” A woman’s voice called out from the direction of the house.
“Stay inside, Heather. Where’s Bolton?”
“I’ve got her.” Another male voice sounded behind where the female voice had come from.
“You understand how we feel if you have a woman. We’re just trying to find her before he hurts her,” Wyatt said in a tight voice.
“Who has her?” the first voice asked.
“We don’t know. She went in the house, and we heard a scream. Then a horse and rider rode by with her. About a mile back, the horse must have thrown them, because he’s on foot now.”
“Bolton, stay here with Heather. I’m going to help these guys. I’ll be back.”
“Be careful, Brandon,” the female named Heather called out.
“Come on. They’re on my land now. I’ll show you how to find them. My name’s Brandon.”
“I’m Wyatt, and this is my brother Kent.” Wyatt held out his hand and they shook.
“Let’s get your woman back.”
Kent and Wyatt followed Brandon through the woods with dog leading the way. After a few minutes of following the dog, the man stopped.
“He’s heading for the west road. He probably has a truck parked there and plans to reach it. We’ll get there faster if we go back and take my truck, but you have to trust me on this.”
Kent looked at Wyatt to see what he thought. Together, they nodded at Brandon. They’d trust him. They ran back to the house and jumped in Brandon’s truck. Dog and Kent got in the back while Wyatt climbed up front with Brandon. The man pulled out of the drive like a bat out of hell.
They made it to the road just as a man emerged with Jessie over his shoulder. He saw them and threw her in the back of the truck before jumping in the front. Brandon pulled up beside him just as he pulled out and slammed into the side of the other truck, knocking it back to the side of the road.
Kent jumped over into the truck bed and grabbed for Jessie, cradling her head in his lap to keep her from banging around on the truck. She had a nasty gash on her head and a busted lip. The bastard had hit her. He would kill him for that alone.
Kent risked a glance over at Brandon’s truck and saw that they were swerving over to hit them again. He braced himself and held Jessie tight in his arms. When the other man managed to outmaneuver them, he got up and rested Jessie’s head against his side. He reached through the rear window where it was open and grabbed the man by the head, trying to keep him from being able to drive.
His plan worked in that the man lost control of the truck, but it backfired when they hit a tree. He ended up halfway through the back window and was scared to death of where Jessie had landed. He pulled himself back through and found her crumpled next to the cab. She was moaning. God, had he made it worse by losing his temper?
“Jessie, baby.” Wyatt was suddenly there in the back of the truck, holding her. “Baby, please say something.”
“Kent, make her say something.”
Wyatt was about out of it, he was so upset. Kent wrapped his arm around his brother and his woman and felt the tears falling as they rocked her together.
“Let me have a look at her. I’ve had some first aid. Let me see. I’ll be careful with her. I promise.” Brandon carefully eased between them. They let him.
Kent watched as the stranger checked Jessie over. Wyatt’s face was covered in tears, and he wouldn’t let go of her hand. The other man backed off then.
“She’s got a concussion, but I don’t feel anything broken. It’ll all depend on how bad the head injury is. Let’s get her back to my house. My wife can sew her head up, and we’ll take care of her.”
“Where’s the bastard that did this to her?” Wyatt stood up to jump out of the truck.
“He’s dead. Broken neck. Wasn’t wearing his seat belt,” the other man said.
“Good riddance.” Kent picked Jessie up and eased to the end of the truck.
Wyatt lowered the tailgate and took Jessie from Kent while he jumped down.
“Sorry about your truck, Brandon,” Wyatt said as he brushed the hair from Jessie’s face.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get another one when I go to Skyline.”
Dog kept nosing at Wyatt’s hands where he held Jessie. Kent rubbed the dog’s head, then opened the front cab door to climb in the truck so he could take Jessie from Wyatt. His brother hesitated in letting her go. He knew how he felt. He didn’t want her out of his sight now, either.
They drove slowly back to the house. When they arrived the front door opened and Bolton and Heather walked out to greet them.
“Is she okay?” Heather asked.
“She’s going to need stitches. She has a head injury.” Brandon wrapped his arm aroun
d the woman.
“Come on in and we’ll take care of her for you.” Bolton stood to the side of the door and held it open.
* * * *
Jessie hurt all over but was afraid to open her eyes. She didn’t know where she was, but it wasn’t at home. The bed felt different, and the house smelled different. She heard a noise next to her and nearly jumped when someone touched her. She couldn’t stop the groan when she moved her head.
“Easy, baby. Don’t move.”
That was Wyatt’s voice. She opened her eyes and looked around without moving her head. She wasn’t at home, but it was Wyatt holding her hand with tears in his eyes.
“Wyatt?”
“Hey, baby. I’ve been so worried. Kent and I’ve been taking turns seeing about you for the last few days.”
“Days? Where am I?”
“You’re at Brandon, Bolton, and Heather’s house. They live a few miles from our place. We met them when we were looking for you. They helped us get you back, and then helped take care of you because you were hurt.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“You had a head injury, baby. We think the horse threw you, and then with the truck hitting the tree, you hit it again. We’ve been worried sick.”
Jessie closed her eyes then opened them again. “You said for days. How many days have I been unconscious?”
“Three.”
“Kent’s okay?”
“He’s fine. He was here earlier. We keep trading out to take care of the farm and see about you.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble.” Jessie felt the tears falling even before they fell.
Wyatt had a cloth at her eyes as they rolled down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, baby. It’s all going to be fine.” Wyatt caressed her cheek. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“Oh, Wyatt. I’m going to be okay. I just have a headache.”
“I love you, Jessie. I honestly do. Can you ever forgive me for doubting my feelings?”
Jessie looked at him, unable to believe what she’d heard. “You said you love me?”
