Heartbreak's Reward (Double Dutch Ranch Series: Love at First Sight Book 2)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  ***

  Brenna walked from room to room, patiently waiting for Jase. Peeking at her watch, he was fifteen minutes late, or maybe fifteen minutes wasn’t late for him. When her phone rang, she ran to answer it.

  “Brenna, hey, I’m sorry. I can’t do dinner, or anything tonight. I’m on the road. I have another tip about a possible sighting of my kids. This time it’s Yuma, not far from the last one.”

  “Yuma? How far is that? Don’t they make movies about that place?”

  “Yeah, doll, they do. A little over three hours. A trucker I know was down that way and he said he saw Rebecca in a gas station putting gas in the car. That means she’s still in the state.” Jase paused. “I have to hang around there. When I hear something like this, I need to check it out.”

  “Of course you do. I understand. Well, I’d say check with the board of education, or however many there are. Maybe the kids have been registered for school by now.”

  “Thanks, but… Well, Davy’s still taking a horse out. My brother will stop by later, and one hired hand is there to keep an eye on the ranch.”

  Now her sister was there with three men. She looked around the room for her purse. “Jase…I hope you find them. Be safe.”

  “Thanks, but I just don’t know when I’ll be back, honey.”

  His voice had sadness to its tone. If only she could hold him, bring him comfort. “Please keep in touch if you can. Good luck, baby.”

  “I’ll miss you. I gotta go, girl.” His sigh resonated through the phone. “I’m sorry.”

  Chapter 21

  He might’ve looked like an ass blowing off a date he made, but when it came to finding his kids, he couldn’t ignore any lead he received. If Brenna had been alone, he would’ve asked her to go along, but he knew she’d never leave her sister behind and she shouldn’t. He removed his pistol from his holster and stuck it into the console.

  He swallowed hard, thinking about how much he missed Jaelle and Joey. The last time he saw them for dinner, he said he’d get them back home. They wanted him and Rebecca to go back together. He slammed his palms against the side of the steering wheel. He didn’t know the asshole…or, two assholes had been living with them until he and Tristan found the house. “Sonofabitch.”

  Like he had told his lawyer… He did what he thought was right. Followed the rules in hopes that he’d be bringing them back on the day of the divorce. What can they be thinking now? God, he wanted to hold those kids. He’d done all the praying and crying he could do, but when something like this happened, he started all over again. At least while driving no one heard him pleading to God, or saw him mopping tears from his eyes.

  Driving through downtown Yuma, he did a slow pass through, not expecting, or at least hoping in a way, that he didn’t see Rebecca out. That would mean the kids weren’t safe at home, or that her so-called boyfriend was with them…with his kids. He pulled into a parking lot and sat. How could she do this to me? To our babies? To herself.

  “Here I sit in a come-get-me-red, 4x4 truck.” It wasn’t exactly easy to hide. He should have swapped with Davy, driving his old beater instead. From where he waited, the same gas station she had been spotted in, was in view. The chance of her coming back was possible. He’d have to hang around until Monday before any board of education opened. But, it was a good suggestion from Brenna. Tomorrow he’d get a rental car and be more inconspicuous.

  For fifty minutes, he waited. Before it got any later, he went to a hotel, parked in the shadows, and got a room for the night. After eating a chicken sandwich and salad from a local restaurant, he hit the bed. He lay there with his hands behind his head, staring at the smooth, white ceiling above.

  The TV was on a news channel but the volume was too low to hear—his choice. “Where are you two?” The ache in his body was one he couldn’t find a cure for. A piece of his heart was gone. The only cure were those little arms wrapped around him.

  ***

  Two packets of coffee in the room weren’t enough to shake the fuzz from his brain. A strange bed and thoughts of what he’d do if he did see Rebecca, kept sleep away. It only got worse when he visualized Brenna pressed against him on the back of a horse. Yeah, he could take her that way. He might one day, too.

  Enough of that. He’d find something to eat downstairs. Wetting down his hair a little, and brushing his teeth was mandatory, but he didn’t even care about the scruff on his face.

  Gathering fruit, yogurt, a bagel for later, and more coffee, he took a seat at one of the tables in the dining area, and used his tablet to check email while eating breakfast. He found the closest car rental company within walking distance. He’d leave his truck where it was and drive around in the rental for the next couple days. If he had no more leads, he’d leave Monday night or Tuesday morning.

  If he let himself dwell on his reason for being here, his blood pressure would skyrocket and he’d be back to hating the woman. He dumped his trash and went back to his room with an hour to kill before picking up his Dodge Charger. In the meantime, he made a phone call to his ranch hand. “Hey, Max, how’s everything going?”

  “Everything is good, amigo. Silas is helping with the new palomino. She’s a beaut and will be a good horse for ya.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Any important messages?”

  “Nothing to report. Tristan stopped by and brought us breakfast that your mom cooked. A good brother you have there…and Mama.”

  “Thanks. Keep it between us because his head will swell if we tell him.” Jase laughed. “Well, I wanted to check in.”

  “Any news, J.C.?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Jase sauntered to the window and pulled the drape back, sunshine striking his eyes like a sword. His truck sat in plain sight now without the shadows of last evening. “Maybe I’ll have better luck today. Hey, call if you need me. I gotta get going.” Before hanging up, he said, “Oh, first, write down the name of the hotel I’m staying at. If I turn up missing you’ll know where to start.” He gave him the name and what street it was on.

  “Don’t joke like that, chief. Better luck today.”

  “Thanks, Max.” Jase hung up and went to his laptop to reply to a message from his brother, Dane. He wouldn’t mind having his little brother around more often, but he had his own path in life. After hitting send, he checked the clock radio beside the bed. He changed into shorts, his best running shoes, and a sleeveless t-shirt. He pulled on a Diamondbacks ball cap over his mop of hair and headed out.

  Down the elevator and out to the parking lot, he moved his truck to the side of the building where it’d be in the shade and out of sight. Another look at the map and he did a slow jog from the parking lot toward the car rental place.

  ***

  Hitting the accelerator on the way back to change, he slowed it down when he neared the hotel. He pulled in the farthest spot away and walked through the parking lot. He pulled his shirt off in the elevator and wiped away the sweat from his face and chest, ignoring the inspection from the two ladies in the elevator who got on after him.

  Inside the hotel, he found a vending machine and bought a bottle of water, paying more than anyone should pay to quench their thirst. Dropping into a chair in his room, he removed his shoes and stretched his legs. First thing he wanted to do until he stopped sweating was check securities and those of his customers.

  Jase finished his tasks and made a mental note of places to look, or sit and wait. Wait. Waiting has become my way of life. He went to the bathroom for a shower. When finished, he dressed in jeans, a light blue t-shirt, and pulled on his boots. He grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Shaking his head, he hated that he had to be doing this. Not the fact of doing it, but the reason. The bitch. His anger built up again. Deep breath, man.

  Pulling into the park near the same general area of the gas station, he backed in where he had a view of the children’s playground. As long as he didn’t get picked up for being a stalker, he’d make it through another day. He sighed. Every d
ay he got up and asked the same question. Will this be the day? How would he handle it if it was?

  In his research earlier, he mapped out the different school districts, and planned on hitting them on Monday. In reality Jase didn’t think she’d register the kids until closer to the start of school, which was only a few weeks away. He clenched the steering wheel. Hell, for all he knew the kids could be on the other side of the world. But here he sat.

  His little princess would be in kindergarten. He dropped his head back against the headrest. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the way she smelled, all the things he never wanted to forget. The thickness of his son’s hair. Had the golden blond deepened in color, or had the sun lightened it?

  It was too hot for kids today. Three or four was all he saw in an hour’s time. “Shit.” Kids played video games in an air conditioned home, not outside in parks when it was 100 degrees. His included. He glanced at the time and decided on lunch at a dive across from the gas station he noticed yesterday.

  Dropping it into drive, he took off. “I could get used to having a car like this.” But the blonde’s ‘stang works, too. He parked in the rear and went in the back door, waited to be seated, and set his tablet on the table when he did.

  “What can I get you today?”

  Jase looked up into the blue eyes of a pretty waitress. “Something cold, like iced tea I guess. And I’ll have a club sandwich, too, hon.”

  “Sure thing,” she said with a cute smile. “Can I get you anything else? Dessert’s looking really good today.”

  He picked up his tablet, intending to check email. “Ah, I’ll let you know later.”

  “All right.”

  Jase watched her walk away. The next time he looked up he spotted his old friend Gary. In Yuma? He slid out of the booth and walked over to him. “Hey, Gary, what the hell you doing in these parts? You alone?”

  “Jase, hey, I never expected to see you here. Yeah, I’m…alone,” he said, looking out the front window.

  “Come on, join me.”

  “I can only stay a minute.” Gary followed and took the seat across from him. The waitress came back over and took Gary’s order when she brought Jase’s iced tea.

  “I’ll have iced tea, too,” he said to the waitress and ordered a hamburger and fries. “Why are you in Yuma, Jase? Got a horse auction?”

  Jase removed his ball cap and dropped it to the seat. He used both hands to brush his hair back. “I had another lead on the kids. You know Rebecca took off with them, right?”

  “Yeah, I heard something about that.” He looked away. “Anything turn up?”

  He lowered his eyes to his lap, hating to have to say no. “Not a damn thing.” Jase studied his face. “What do you mean, you heard something about Rebecca? You haven’t seen her, have you?”

  Gary rubbed the back of his neck and looked off at something behind Jase. “Nah. Just heard bullshit around town, you know, about how she left. That’s how people are. They have to gossip about something.”

  “Ya got that right.” Jase scraped his hand through his unruly hair again. “What the hell are you doing all the way over here, anyway?”

  “Huh? Me? I got a new job and moved down here...some months ago.”

  What? “No wonder I haven’t seen ya around.” Jase watched Gary as he bounced a foot on the floor, his whole body shaking. “How’s everything going? You living close to here?”

  “Nah, out near…ah…ah, Fortuna Foothills.” Gary ripped a piece of skin off his fingernail with his teeth. “Well, in that direction…between here and there really.” He shoved his fingers through his hair, scratching his head when finished.

  Jase eyed his movements. Hmm, Gary was acting paranoid, kind of nervous. What’s up with him? “No kidding. I was there last month.”

  “Oh, yeah? Let me know next time you come in.”

  “Yeah.” Jase peered across the table at him. He was sweating, but who wasn’t on this day? Jase held his cold glass between both hands, head down. He glanced back up and made eye contact with Gary. “Hey, come on over to the Double Dutch sometime. Hang out a while. Kind of like old times when I moved into my house. Remember those parties?”

  “Yep, I do, Jase. They were fun.” He peered over his shoulder. “Sure, I’ll drop by next time I’m over there. I’ll give you a call first.”

  The waitress brought their food, but Gary asked her to wrap it to go. “I’m in a hurry. I came in for a carryout.” He glanced out the window again.

  “Yeah, well, keep in touch, huh,” said Jase. “Give me your address. Maybe I’ll stop by on my way out of town.”

  Gary stood. “Hey, I’m moving again real soon, so I can give you my new address later. Sorry I have to rush off.” He turned to walk away, but stopped and glanced back. “Good, ah…good luck.”

  No address, huh? Jase watched him go out the door and stood when Gary ran across the street to his car. That was weird. It was worth checking out what his old friend was really doing in this area. Something didn’t feel right about it. He ate while he checked email on his tablet, but he couldn’t get his mind around seeing an old friend here.

  They’d met when he came to work as a stable hand for a while, but Gary never much liked getting dirty. Jase understood he had different goals in life. Somehow, they just became friends and remained that way up until recently when Gary stopped coming around. How come all that small-town talk never got around to mentioning that Gary moved to Yuma?

  Jase tried to justify it by logic—that maybe he was out of town at an auction, and Gary had stopped by. But there had not been a phone call. He finished lunch and skipped dessert.

  He paid his bill, got in the Charger and drove around town, stopping at places families might hang out, like local ice cream shops. He ended up buying himself an ice cream cone before heading back to the parking lot he waited at last night.

  ***

  Late Sunday night Jase stretched out on the bed after a long and boring day. He stared at the TV. It wasn’t on. Another failed trip. For the hell of it, he dialed Gary’s number. “Disconnected?” Even more odd. Maybe he’d take another drive through Fortuna Hills before leaving the area.

  It was hard to bounce back after something like this. His mom called earlier for an update, and also said she had a phone call from Dane, but he couldn’t say where he was. To Jase, this meant he was being sent out on another covert assignment.

  He couldn’t sleep so he got out of bed and pulled the drapes open a little. The room was humid, and the lights were too bright outside and too dim in the room. Everything bothered him.

  Reflecting on what his trucker friend said, it was the middle of the day when he spotted Rebecca in that gas station. Did she live in Yuma or was she passing through? It bugged the hell out of him. His friend couldn’t tell if the kids were in the car, but he had said she looked different. Thinner or something.

  Jase lay on his stomach and thought of Brenna. If only she was under me right now. Thinking of her was the only calm he could find to help him relax. The last email from her said her furniture had arrived and after having it set up like she wanted, she could finally call the townhouse home. Chloe was satisfied, too. Davy helped them move furniture around. And I’m going home empty hearted.

  ***

  Monday morning, Jase returned the rental car and jogged back to the hotel. After a shower, he gathered his things from the bathroom and stuffed everything into his bag. Today, his mood was as dark as the cloud that hung low over him. His plan was to hit the school board offices in Yuma. He checked out and drove slowly through town one more time. Glancing upward, he said, “Can you give me some luck, today?”

  Dammit. After the third failure in Yuma, he had stopped at Subway for lunch. He made notes, mentioning who he spoke with at each place. Glancing over what he wrote, he shook his head. At least they were willing to help. Jase turned his tablet off and made a last minute decision to go ahead through Fortuna Hills—check there, and then head home.

  A
n hour later in Fortuna Hills, he walked out into the parking lot, arms hanging at his sides, and he gave a long, low sigh. He looked back at the building, refusing to accept defeat. When he got in his truck, he stuffed his divorce papers back into a folder. He sighed again. “Bullshit.” I don’t want to hate that woman, but she’s made me crazy.

  He got the same thing at this board of education office. The kids hadn’t been registered. All the districts took his business card and agreed to call if they were registered. He felt like he made progress that way, at least. No one at any of the board offices questioned his reasons for checking on his kids when he showed his divorce papers, proving he had custody. They actually looked like they cared.

  He lowered his head to the steering wheel and closed his eyes. Blue eyes formed in his mind. Brenna, I miss you, girl. After a couple deep breaths, he sat up straight and hooked his seatbelt. Dropping it into gear, he turned out of the parking lot and headed east. He’d be home before dark. Without my children.

  Chapter 22

  The sign to Canyon Junction gave him a sense of relief, in a way, but in another way, saddened him because he returned without his kids. Without the satisfaction of seeing the look on Rebecca’s face when he left with them. He pulled into the townhouse parking lot, hit the brakes, and hurried to her door. Jase used the heel of his hand to pound. She opened the door, her hair wet and her eyes sparkling. Oh, man. “Do you know I’m in love with you, girl?” He grabbed Brenna into his arms. “Where’s your sister, baby?”

  “Davy took her out to your ranch to get—”

  Jase crushed his lips against hers. He closed the door and took her by the hand, leading her to her bedroom. “Wow, a real bed.” Jase dropped onto it and pulled her down with him, immediately removing her top. He nuzzled his face into her cleavage and squeezed her breasts. “I missed you. Don’t make me wait forever.”