Ragan's Song (Fairfield Corners #2)

by L. A. Remenicky

  “And now it’s happening again,” Ragan sobbed, wondering how she would find the strength to leave this time. If she did, and took Sky away from his father, she knew he would do whatever it took to find them and bring Sky back.

  “It’s okay, Ragan; we’ll figure this out. Right now, I’m calling Logan. Someone from the sheriff’s office needs to know about this.” Cassie stepped out onto the porch to make the call, leaving the other girl alone with her thoughts.

  Ragan put her head down on her knees for a moment. Crushed to think that Mark could be in danger because of her, she walked over to the stereo to sort through the CD's. She wanted something that matched her mood, but had no luck; music wouldn’t take her mind off this new turn of events. She sat back down on the couch, forcing herself to stay seated instead of fleeing to the bedroom to pack a bag and run away.

  Cassie returned to the room and handed Ragan a fresh mug of coffee. “I doctored that with some of the brandy I found in the cupboard. You look like you could use it.” After she watched her take a sip, she continued, “Logan’s on his way over to take a report. I made him promise that he wouldn’t tell Adam anything you don’t want him to know. But, you know you need to tell Adam the truth about why you left.”

  “I know. I just don’t know how. I’ve lied to him, and now I’m not sure he’ll ever forgive me.”

  “Do you want me to be here when you tell him?”

  “No, I need to muster the strength to do this myself, alone, with no distractions.” Ragan stared into her cup of dark liquid as if it held the answers to all her problems. “I also need to tell you about what happened the night I moved into this house.”

  Cassie sat, speechless, while Ragan explained about Adam showing up that first night and how everything had happened. She followed up by sharing her turmoil over the summons that James had delivered the next morning, including her visit to the pub the because of it. Then, the sound of a car door brought the conversation to an abrupt end, and Ragan turned to hide the fear in her eyes when she saw Logan approaching the front door.

  Cassie stood to let her husband in, playfully calling, “Hey, Dudley, thanks for getting here so fast. Ragan needs our help.”

  “This better be important. I’m still on duty,” he frowned at Ragan. She knew he wasn’t happy about the way she left Adam three years ago, and the custody case hadn’t improved his opinion.

  Ragan’s phone rang and it startled her. “Hi, Adam. Can you keep him for a while longer? Cassie and I have something to take care of… great. I’ll call you when we’re done if that’s okay. Bye.”

  Logan noticed her hands shaking while she spoke into the device. Once she had ended the call, he asked with genuine concern, “Ragan? What’s got you so scared?” That’s all it took. Ragan broke down and sobbed again.

  Eager to help, Cassie took over and told Logan the whole story, starting with the visions Ragan had experienced as a kid, all the way to the note she had received in the mail that day.

  Gauging his reaction, Ragan could see that Logan obviously wanted to believe her. As her friend finished, she started humming the song she’d heard Logan singing in her vision, but his reaction stopped her cold. His head whipped around in her direction, a look of disbelief on his face.

  “Where did you hear that song?” he demanded sharply. He remembered it clearly, even though he had only heard it once before. It had been years ago, when he and Adam were just kids, and he allowed the past to swallow him for a moment.

  The scorching sun had beat down on him as he hurried through his chores on Miss Hattie’s farm, his mind already on jumping into the pond out back to escape the heat. Maybe the cool water would snap him out of the strange mood he’d been in ever since he’d started having that weird dream every night. He found Adam scattering feed to the chickens, a dreamy expression on his face as he hummed.

  “Is that a new song? I’ve never heard it before.”

  Adam looked at him, “What?”

  “That song you were humming, is it new? Doesn’t sound like the one you played for me last night.”

  “Damn, it’s gone again.” He looked around guiltily as if he was afraid his grandmother was going to let him have it for using a swear word. “Whenever things are quiet I can hear that tune in my head, but as soon as I think about it too hard, it’s gone.”

  The memory fading, Logan stared at Ragan intently. How did she know that tune?

  “That’s the song you were singing in my vision. I’ve never heard it before,” Ragan’s lip quivered slightly, and she could see in his solemn stare that he believed her.

  Logan sat down beside her and took her hands in his, his grip growing tighter as he thought about all that Cassie had told him. “Adam was dead in your vision? Is that why you left?”

  She nodded a few times, “I had to keep him safe. I couldn’t let him die because of me.” He pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back as she sobbed, “I didn’t want to leave. I loved him so much…”

  “Shhh, it’s okay. We’ll find the culprit and everyone will be safe.”

  Ragan inhaled deeply, working to pull herself together. After blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, she finished telling Logan the rest. “There’s more. Just before Cassie got here, I had another vision. I saw someone writing another note like this one, only the second line read: I warned you—he will die. You’ve got to keep Mark safe. Now I think he’s the one in danger because of me.”

  “Don’t worry, Ragan, we’ll catch this guy. Where’s the note and envelope you received today?” Logan put on his gloves, snapped pictures of them and put each into a plastic evidence bag. “Maybe he left fingerprints. Sometimes these guys aren’t smart enough to wear gloves. I’ll need you to come down to the sheriff’s office so we can get your prints for elimination purposes. The sooner you can do that, the better.” He placed the bags on the table and returned to Ragan, pulling her into a hug. “You need to tell Adam about this; all of it, Ragan, especially why you left.”

  “It’s too late for us and I don’t want him worrying about me. Promise me you won’t say anything to him. He’s safer if he thinks I’m over him.” She stood tall and glared at him squarely, focused on his deep blue eyes. They were just like Adam’s.

  “I promise. But, if this puts him or the kids in danger, I’ll have to let him know, whether you want me to or not. I need to go and start working on this. Call me if you get any more notes.” He gave Ragan a quick hug and kissed Cassie on the cheek, leaving them both in silence.

  “Don’t worry, he’ll figure this out, Ragan. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do if someone gets hurt because of me. God, I hope they catch this guy fast.”

  Chapter 23

  Ragan walked out of the sheriff’s office, wiping her fingers on the paper towel in her hand and wishing this whole situation would just go away. Logan tried to make her laugh, cracking jokes the whole time, but all she could do was force a smile. Getting fingerprinted made it all too real.

  When James realized why she had come in, he sat her down at his desk and made her tell him the whole story, even the parts about the visions. He believed her about the premonitions, though there was a time when he would have thought she was nuts. After what Cassie and Logan had lived through three years ago, dealing with a demon, believing in the paranormal had become easier for him. He gave her a hug and assured her that they would catch the stalker.

  As soon as Ragan arrived home, she called Adam, letting him know that he could drop Sky off anytime. With supper in the oven, she sat at the kitchen table editing photographs on her laptop when she heard Adam pull up into the driveway. He knocked on the door and then let himself in, setting Skylar down to run to his mom. “Did you get everything done this afternoon? I can take Sky again tomorrow if you need me to.”

  Ragan reached for her baby, swung him around in a circle and gave him a big kiss. “No, that’s okay. We got everything done this afternoon.” She turned h
er head so that Adam would not see the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She took a deep breath, “I made lasagna; would you and Jenna like to stay for dinner?” she asked. “We should try to be friends, for Sky’s sake.”

  He studied her as if he were afraid she would change her mind. “I agree. We should try to put the past behind us. Jenna told me that you’re teaching her photography class. She seems to really enjoy it. Putting her behind a camera seems to have brought her out of her shell. She’s been talking more this week than she has for years. I want to thank you for that.”

  His love for his daughter showed in his eyes, and Ragan felt grateful to help Jenna in any way that she could. Turning back to the stove, she hid the depth of her feelings for him and hoped that he wouldn’t pick up on them as the evening progressed.

  Leaving her to finish the meal, Adam went out to his truck and brought Jenna back to the house, and then sent her to the bathroom with Sky to get washed up for dinner. “Ragan, I want to talk to you before they get back. I want to apologize for what happened two weeks ago. It’s difficult for me to talk about it, because I don’t know what came over me, but I hope you can forgive me so we can move past it.”

  Ragan saw the relief in his face when she replied, “It’s in the past. Let’s start fresh, from this moment and move forward.” She felt the urge to settle close to him for a kiss, but the kids chose that moment to run back into the kitchen. She gave herself a mental shake, knowing she couldn’t start anything with Adam; it was really too late for them. Instead, she lifted Sky and put him in his booster seat as Adam brought the lasagna over to the table. They ate dinner as Jenna chattered about her day at school. That time together seemed like real family time, and Ragan pretended for a moment that they were a normal, happy family enjoying a meal together. Too bad it couldn’t happen.

  Chapter 24

  The next day Ragan sat on the front porch steps as she waited for Mark to arrive. She had put Skylar down for his nap, hoping he would sleep long enough that she could talk to the handsome doctor about her stalker without interruption. Her fingers drummed nervously on the smooth board of the step as she wondered how much to tell him.

  Her heart sped up at the sight of Mark’s Jeep approaching in the driveway. Could her feelings be dread about keeping the stalker situation a secret? Or perhaps simply a reaction to how handsome he looked in jeans and a t-shirt; her mind distracted, it was hard to decide which.

  Mark’s eyes narrowed as he sauntered down the walk, his gaze fixed on her twisted features, “You’re dumping me already?”

  “What? No, I just have some things on my mind.”

  “What’s wrong? Is it Skylar?”

  She pulled him down to sit beside her on the steps, “No, Skylar’s fine; it’s a situation that I thought was resolved… but it’s not.”

  “Is it something I can help with?”

  “No, but thanks for offering to help. It should be resolved soon.” She leaned closer and kissed him, cutting it short when she heard Skylar waking from his nap. Relief flooding through her, she would have to explain everything to him later; today she could concentrate on having a fun day with two of her favorite guys.

  An hour later, the three of them were standing in line at the front gate of the zoo, laughing as Skylar mimicked a few animal sounds. Ragan pulled Skylar’s hat out of his backpack and put it on his head. “What do you want to see first, Sky boy?” she asked as they walked, holding hands side-by-side into the zoo.

  “Graffs, Mama,” Skylar shouted. Ragan and Mark laughed out loud.

  “I guess that means we head to the African Veldt,” Ragan agreed. “I think I remember where that is.” She turned and realized that some things hadn’t changed. The joke-telling frog was up ahead on the right, with Monkey Island to the left.

  “They revamped the veldt a couple of years ago,” Mark explained, “It’s now the African Adventure. I hope you brought your camera; Sky can feed the giraffes, so he’s going to love it.”

  “Well, of course I did. Can’t have a day of memory-building without photos to validate it.” The thought brought a broad grin to her face as she pictured her son feeding his favorite animals before the smile slowly faded. Feeling as if someone were watching her, she glanced around, but didn’t see anyone who stood out. They walked through the tunnel underneath Sherman Boulevard that took them to the African Adventure, and Sky giggled with delight at the echo. Once he discovered it, he chatted away, grinning when the sound came back each time.

  As they walked up to the giraffe feeding platform, Ragan pulled her camera out of the knapsack and started snapping pictures. She captured Mark holding Sky up so he could feed the giraffes, smiling at the look of wonder on her son’s face. Again, the creepy-crawly sensation of someone staring at her back darkened her mood for a moment.

  Anxiously turning for a quick glance over her shoulder, she found herself face-to face with a familiar pair of deep blue eyes. Adam, Krista, and Jenna were at the back of the platform, and Krista looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but there. Ragan concentrated on the three of them and failed to notice the other set of eyes that had followed her every move since they entered the zoo.

  She was surprised by the look on Adam’s face as he stared at Skylar in Mark’s arms; it wasn’t quite anger. Could he be jealous? Of course he is, he’s watching his son laugh and hug someone else. It should be him.

  Wanting to avoid a heated discussion out in public, Ragan reached for Sky, easing him out of Mark’s arms before she handed him the camera. “Will you take a photo of us together, please?” After showing him how to work the high-tech camera, she turned her attention to Sky, laughing again at the expressions on his face as he fed the giraffes. Pulling him closer, she smiled as Mark snapped some pictures, both him and Skylar unaware of Adam’s presence.

  “Daddy and Jenna are here!” Skylar cried when he noticed them. “See me feed the graffs, Daddy?”

  “I sure did. How about you show your sister how to feed them? I bet she’d like it, too.” Adam moved closer to the trio.

  With her son’s attention on the giraffes and his sister, Ragan breathed a sigh of relief. Adam seemed happier after Skylar’s enthusiastic greeting. How should I introduce him? Boyfriend? “Adam, this is Mark Fairfield. He’s an old friend and…”

  As if sensing her discomfort, Adam interrupted her, “I know who he is, I saw you together at the pub.”

  Mark stuck his hand out abruptly; “Pleased to meet you,” he said as they shook vigorously. “Look, I’m sorry the situation is what it is, but we should all get along for Sky’s sake. He’s a great kid.”

  Adam looked over at his children, “Yeah, he is.”

  Ragan smiled lovingly at Sky, hoping her longing for Adam wasn’t showing on her face. Locked inside her own thoughts, she didn’t notice Mark offering to take a picture of Adam and the kids. Adam caught Ragan’s attention and pulled her into the shot as Mark brought the camera up to his face to take another shot, motioning for them to stand closer together.

  A pair of eyes filled with longing watched the group; an outsider who kept to the edges of the crowd as he spied on them “I should have known she couldn’t stay away from the rock star,” he whispered to himself. “I’ll have to take care of that situation…”

  Feeding the giraffes only kept Skylar’s attention so long. Soon they all headed for the pony-ride area of the park. Putting her skills to work, Ragan captured some great shots of Skylar and Jenna as they stopped to look at the animals along the way. She watched them as Jenna patiently read the scientific names off the plaques to Skylar and marveled at how Jenna had welcomed him into her life as her little brother, loving him without question. It could have easily been a struggle for her to accept him.

  When they arrived at the corral, Adam walked beside Skylar’s pony, making sure he didn’t fall. Seeing Adam’s love for his son through the lens of her camera caught Ragan off guard again, and she needed a few minutes to herself to get her emotions under contro
l.

  “Hey, you okay?” Mark inquired, his eyes showing his worry when she handed the camera back to him.

  “Yeah, I just need a couple of minutes alone. Today has been more stressful than I had planned.”

  “We can head home now if you want,” he offered.

  “No, I’m fine, and Sky is having such a good time.” She squeezed his hand and kissed him lightly on the lips to reassure him before she strolled down the path. She sank down onto the first empty bench she found. Preoccupied with thoughts of the men in her life, she didn’t see the one in the shadows following her. She pulled a bottle of water out of her bag and took a swig, enjoying the quiet. A few minutes later, Skylar’s voice brought her out of her daydream, and she returned on the walkway to the ponies.

  “Ride horsey, Daddy,” the toddler grinned at Adam.

  “You sure did. Are you going to be a cowboy when you grow up?” Adam responded jovially.

  The silent observer faded back into the crowd of patrons, walking away from the happy gathering unnoticed.

  When they stopped for ice cream, Ragan had to snap a picture of Mark handing the treat to Skylar; the smiles on both of their faces made her glad she decided to continue dating him. They wandered towards the rain forest exhibit to ride the carousel. His ice cream melting over his hands, Sky handed the mess to Ragan, “Done, Mama.”

  Practically jumping from Mark’s arms as she tried to remove the remnants of the snack from his face and hands, her turned her efforts into a game. Breaking free, he ran to Krista, giggling as he put his hands on her white pants, smearing melted chocolate ice cream down her leg.

  “Skylar, no!” Krista screamed as she seized his arm and marched him back to his mother. “Keep him and his mess away from me,” she bit angrily.

  Skylar burst into tears as Ragan scooped him up, glaring at the other woman. She snatched his bag from the stroller and stomped towards the restrooms to clean him up properly, and to escape before she said anything she might regret.