Break (Lakefield Book 3)

by Jennifer Vester

  “I don’t care. And technically you did fall in bed with me day one. Because I’m charming, you love me, and you secretly like kinky shit like pictures. You have no idea how kinky I want to get with you.”

  I bit my lip. “Like what?”

  He chuckled. “You tied up, gagged, in some stockings and a red ass from a crop. And I want to film me fucking you. I want it on our home computer.”

  I gasped. “What? You really are talking kinky.”

  “You have no idea. I want you in every way possible. Then I want to watch it. Just like you do Kate. I think we should install a mirror on the ceiling. Just FYI.”

  “I—uhm. Maybe we can talk about it. That still doesn’t mean I’m going to be pregnant for the next few years.”

  He looked at me and smirked. “Right. Oh, I guess you haven’t heard. Julia is pregnant too. Due about the same time you are. She’s having a girl. Holden’s flipping out. Don’t do that to me. Boys Kaitlyn.”

  “I thought he was the one that wanted five kids or something.”

  “He’s rethinking it now that he’s having a girl. They’re all trouble.”

  “You guys are ridiculous.”

  “Maybe. If we have boys it won’t be a problem.”

  My phone started ringing. Peg calling.

  I looked outside and saw that the snow had let up a touch but it was getting darker. I must have slept for a few hours. Perhaps Sam was on his way over to use the plow again.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Oh, thank God!” Peg said. “Kate, it’s Sam, I think he’s having a heart attack. I don’t know what to do. Dr. Fuller isn’t answering and Sam said a doctor was staying with you.”

  “Oh no! Okay we’ll be over in just a minute. Here’s Logan.”

  I handed the phone over to a confused looking Logan who got up and immediately grabbed his shoes.

  He was rapidly giving out instructions to Peg as I pulled on my shoes and ran to the bedroom for my coat.

  When I came back in Logan was pulling on his jacket. “You’re not going Kaitlyn.”

  “The hell I’m not. They’re my friends!”

  “What’s the quickest way there, woman. You’re not going! You’re pregnant and you’re staying here.”

  “I’ll go with you and show you.”

  “No!” he barked. “She’s calling Dr. Fuller and she has her son on the way. I just need to go over and see if I can help. It’s too cold outside and I want you safe.”

  I marched to the front door and tried to pull it open. He grabbed me and set me forcibly down on the couch.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Fine. Down the drive and it’s the next road over. It’s called Rosemary Drive. It’s two minutes away.”

  He put on some gloves and opened the door. “Good. Stay. Eat.”

  I watched him leave. The hell if I was going to stay and eat. Sam was like a father to me at this point.

  The headlights on his Jeep came on and swung around to leave. I looked around for my keys on the pegs by the door and couldn’t find them.

  He probably took them. Stubborn man!

  I put on my gloves and hat anyway and stepped outside. It wasn’t as cold as I was expecting and the snow was very light. I walked around to the shed and got my large flashlight. Sam had given it to me as a present in November. It was incredibly bright with LEDs in it instead of the single lamp variety. I swung it around. It lit up the area incredibly well because I could see things very clearly.

  I started walking toward the path that led to Sam and Peg’s house. It wasn’t terribly far but there was new snow on the ground. I looked back toward the house and saw my tracks leading back.

  If Logan got back in the meantime, he would know where I went.

  I marched down the wooded path fighting a couple of drifts. The air around me was crisp and there didn’t seem to be a living thing besides myself in the woods. It was incredibly quiet. After fifteen minutes of exertion I came to the pond that was now frozen over.

  It was taking me twice as long to get to their house than I expected.

  I eyed the pond. If I went around the edge of it I could get there in less time. I could avoid the snow. Sam said the pond had frozen solid two weeks ago.

  I stomped off my boots and gently took a step onto the frozen water. It held. I took another tentative step and it seemed equally as sturdy.

  My boots scooted and slid a little bit as I took a few more cautious steps out. This was going to be fine.

  “Kaitlyn! STOP RIGHT NOW!”

  I turned back and saw Logan standing at the edge. “I’m fine. I’m going to see Sam.”

  He took a hesitant step toward me. “Damnit, you get back here right now. What are you thinking? This thing could be soft in places.”

  I shook my head. “It’s frozen solid. Sam said it was two weeks ago. I don’t know why you’re freaking out.”

  He put one of his gloved hands over his heart. “Please baby, don’t do this to me. Come back, don’t go out any farther. You’re not safe. Sam is okay and I’ll take you to see him. He was asking for you. Please come back.”

  I sighed and started back toward him. I hit a slick spot and stopped.

  “Kaitlyn?”

  I could hear the worry in Logan’s voice. I was only about five, maybe six steps away. Maybe he was right about some soft spots. I took another step, then another.

  I heard a cracking sound. “Logan?”

  “Fuck.”

  I looked up at Logan. Fear was etched in his eyes.

  If I made it out of this I would never put that fear back in them. He was terrified and it was because of me.

  I took another step that the ice gave under my weight. My lower half went into the water up to my ribs before I hit bottom. The icy water was so shocking that I was barely able to take in a breath at first. My mind went blank and I heard Logan yelling.

  He flattened himself out on the ice as I tried to reach to get out. My entire lower half was numb from the cold and it felt like a thousand stinging needles were piercing my skin. I could barely move.

  Logan reached for my hand and I grabbed it. He slowly backed up and drug me out of the water. My body felt lethargic and non-responsive. I was already violently shivering. My teeth chattered together.

  When we were back on shore, Logan started removing my jacket. It was soaked and pressing cold water against my skin.

  “Ahh gawd Kate. Hold on. I’ll get you back to the cabin. Get this shit off before you get hypothermia.”

  He discarded my jacket then went for my boots. He set those beside the jacket. My hands were shaking when he removed my gloves. Next were my jeans and it hurt when he yanked them down. My skin felt like it was super sensitive. He left my shirt on and took off his coat.

  I saw my feet sitting in the snow but couldn’t feel it.

  Logan was muttering to himself, “I swear to God Kaitlyn if you ever do such a thing ever again in your life I’m going to lock you up and you’re never coming out again. I’m not kidding around.”

  All I could do was stare at him as he wrapped me in his coat.

  He picked me up off the ground and half carried me, half jogged down the trail.

  “Hold on sweetheart.”

  He had trouble with a few spots that slowed us down. I felt my torso heating up slightly but still couldn’t feel my legs.

  When we got to the cabin he carried me inside and set me on the rug in front of the fireplace. He threw a starter log on the grill, with a couple more pieces and lit it. Then he started stripping off his clothes. He grabbed a blanket off the couch and threw it down beside me. He then removed his coat from me and my shirt, bra and panties until I was completely naked. I curled up on my side and shivered.

  He lay down behind me so that my front was toward the building fire in the fireplace. My legs were angled closest to it and I could finally feel something in them. He wrapped his long legs around mine and covered us with a blanket. He kept rubbing his hands over my hips
and belly.

  “Logan, the baby,” I chattered.

  “I know. Everything is going to be fine. Right now, I want you to be okay though. If anything ever happened to you, it would break me. I can’t do this without you.”

  “Do what?” I asked and started rubbing my belly along with Logan. A tear slid down my face. Of all the stupid things to do. I had just endangered our baby because I had been stubborn and hadn’t listened to him. I was a horrible mother already.

  “Life, Kaitlyn. I need you here,” he said and kissed the back of my head.

  I didn’t know what to say to him that I hadn’t already told him but his statement clawed at my heart. It drove deeply within and I was eased by it. He didn’t say the words but they were there, he loved me.

  We lay together for a while, his body heating mine, and after some time I felt much better. My legs were still a little cold so I moved them closer to the fireplace.

  Logan got up and tucked the covers so tightly around me that I wouldn’t be able to move if I tried.

  I could hear him shuffling around behind me and getting dressed then he moved to the kitchen.

  “I’m making dinner. Any requests?”

  I smiled. “Strawberries and whipped cream? In front of the mirror?”

  He chuckled darkly. “Maybe for dessert. I think I’ve created a monster.”

  “Hmm,” I said. “So how is Sam?”

  I could hear him opening cabinets.

  “He’ll be fine. We’ll go see him sometime tomorrow. I checked him out and to be honest I think he was just having some bad heartburn but I recommended seeing a doctor anyway.”

  I giggled.

  “What?”

  “Peg and her cooking. To be honest I was wondering which one of you would get food poisoning if you decided to go over for dinner. She’s a terrible cook.”

  “Well, thanks for letting me know. Glad I didn’t have to endure that. I’ll make sure to take some antacids.”

  I rubbed my belly again, wondering if everything was going to be okay.

  “Logan, should we go see a doctor?”

  I heard him come out of the kitchen and the next minute he was crouched beside me, brushing my hair away from my neck.

  “Are you hurting? Any cramps?”

  The fear in his eyes was back again.

  I shook my head. “No Logan, I just want to make sure.”

  He let out a long breath. “Yeah, I think we should anyway. I’m really not terribly worried about it, but better to be sure. There are a couple of hospitals not too far away according to Dr. Fuller. When you get close to having the baby I was thinking of renting a condo for about a month so we could be closer.”

  “Ahh geez. That sounds good but that would be expensive. I think we would be okay here.”

  His eyes wandered around my face and he smiled.

  “No, we’ll rent the condo. It won’t be that expensive. Well, nothing that I can’t afford anyway.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t worry about it. I mean it. I’ve got plenty of money and I’ve spent a lot of it on things that don’t matter thus far. You matter to me, so let me take care of you.”

  I nodded. “You don’t have to, you know.”

  He frowned at me. “What do you mean?”

  I hesitated. “I mean, I may seem like I’m not capable sometimes but I’ve been on my own for a long time. With my grandmother most of my life, but you know, she was sick for a long time.”

  “I meant to ask you about that. I’m going to be taking care of you whether you’re capable or not though so get used to it.”

  “You’ve gotten bossy.”

  “I’ve always been bossy. So, tell me about your grandmother.”

  “Well, when my parents died I was in a couple of homes before my grandmother could take full custody. It was a mess. So, I learned to make it on my own pretty quick. Then, then it was just me and my grandmother and she got sick. Then I was on my own again. So, I learned to survive again.”

  “Sounds lonely.”

  I shrugged. “Life has been good to me Logan, in a lot of ways.”

  “I guess I don’t understand, it seems like life has been terrible for you. All the things you’ve had happen to you. I wish I could make it go away.”

  I smiled at him. “I had parents that loved me. My grandmother loved me. I went to bed happy and I’m grateful things happened the way that they did. It’s made me appreciate the small things and the people in my life. It wasn’t half as hard or difficult than some people’s lives. It’s a matter of perspective in some ways.”

  He gave me a tight grin.

  “You’re a good man. You always have been. I’ve seen the kindness you have in you. I think in some ways, the things that come close to breaking us, make us incredibly strong. It’s called character development.”

  I laughed when he gave me a disbelieving look.

  “Kate, I think you’ve put a great twist on a lot of unlucky events in your life. You’re adorable, but I think you’re reaching.”

  “It’s true. We can’t control the things that happen to us. The only things we can control are how we live life afterward if things do go badly.”

  He smirked. “Then I suck at it and I killed your plants.”

  I looked at him and scrunched my nose up. “What?”

  “Yeah, so I hope that life is still good between you and I after you see the dried husks that they turned into. I know you love plants. Who knew those things needed water?”

  “You’re just avoiding my point Logan.”

  “Maybe. So, strawberries and cream for dinner?”

  I grabbed his arm. “I mean it. You might not think much of yourself during the last few months but I know you’re going to be a better person for it.”

  He winked at me. “Tell me that for a few years and I might believe it. I’m still an asshole but I’m working on it.”

  I let go of him and yawned as I curled my arms up beside my chest.

  “Hmm, you’ll figure it out eventually. My point I guess, is that I can take care of myself, and you too. Until you figure it out.”

  “Okay baby, we can pretend you’re taking care of me.”

  I yawned again.

  “Go to sleep. I’ll fix something to eat.”

  “Logan?”

  He ran his hand over my arm and it tingled.

  “Yes, love?”

  “What’s a pearl necklace?”

  He growled and picked me up off the floor suddenly. I curled my arm around him as he carried me to the bedroom.

  He kicked the door shut and tossed me on the bed.

  “You’re about to find out. Mirror Kate.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  I woke up in the morning to an empty bed again and heard Logan talking in the other room. I stretched and it occurred to me that Bells wasn’t trying to wake me up for once. She had probably woken Logan up earlier.

  Looking over at the mirror beside the bed I smirked. Last night had been an eye opener. Logan had showed me a few things that were both dirty and completely hot. I couldn’t remember how many orgasms he had given me. I felt like a well satisfied sex kitten this morning.

  I rubbed my face and sat up in bed. My stomach did a flip and I ran for the bathroom.

  Retching, I heard Logan outside the door on the phone.

  “Yeah, I’ll stop by. We’re headed that way this morning anyway. I have to go, Kate’s a little sick this morning.”

  I heard the door creak as he came in. This was incredibly embarrassing.

  His hand rubbed my back and held my hair as I dry heaved a couple more times, then I flushed the toilet.

  “I’ll make you some toast,” he said, and handed me a wet washcloth.

  I nodded and he left me to my morning routine.

  Ugh. The fact that he found me even remotely attractive was a miracle.

  I took a shower, brushed my teeth and did my thing.

  When I emerged, he had some toast and tea wai
ting for me at the kitchen table. He had a bowl of what looked like oatmeal in front of him.

  I shuffled in and sat down to eat.

  He was thumbing through his phone and looked up to smile at me.

  “Spoke with Mick this morning. He wants me to take a look at a few things for him. Luckily we’re headed to the same complex that your OB/GYN is at.”

  “I have one of those?”

  He nodded. “Dr. Fuller made an appointment for you. She’s located in a building right across from the hospital I need to go to.”

  “You need to go to the hospital?”

  “Yeah, I need to talk with Mick, his partner, and the county medical examiner.”

  I sipped on my tea and took a small bite of toast. Apricot flavor hit my tongue and I smiled. My tea was perfect as well. Ginger with a little milk and honey.

  I chewed and said, “I meant to ask you something. How do you know Mick? It seemed like you two have known each other for a while.”

  Logan set his phone down on the table. “Not much to know really. All of us met Mick when he was working a homicide in Lakefield. He went to Aiden for some help with the local city board members. He’s a nice guy, didn’t want to do that flashy badge thing and honestly got more information by utilizing Aiden’s connections than he would have if he had tried to strong arm someone. It’s the FBI, but that doesn’t mean people are willing to talk to them just because they have that title.”

  “So, what happened?”

  Logan’s hand reached across the table and he started to rub at the back of my fingers lightly.

  “He solved his case and got to know us. I gave him my opinion on cause of death which directly opposed the ME’s assessment. Which just happened to be correct when everything was said and done. The ME wasn’t happy about it. We’ve kept in touch and he sends me some things to look over occasionally.”

  “Sounds like he wasn’t happy with Brock.”

  Logan laughed. “I think they’re just wary of Brock. I have no idea how that man doesn’t get in trouble with authorities but it’s not because he’s protected by Aiden. Aiden’s reach doesn’t go that high.”

  I yawned. “Hmm. Are we headed out soon?”

  He looked over my sleepy face and grinned. “Yes, we are. You can take a nap in the Jeep on the way there. I’m tempted to take you back to bed and have my way with you but I think I’ll wait until later.”