by Angela Smith
The men stood with their backs hunched over the counters, studying the display. They didn’t fit in, with their bulky frames and flannel shirts.
Jake looked at them and turned back to her, shrugging. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“I think they’ve been following us.”
Jake chucked the monkey he’d been holding for Amy into Winona’s arms. “I have a sudden urge to go look at engagement rings. Watch Amy a minute?”
“Of course.”
Her pulse skittered when he mentioned engagement rings, but she knew his intention. He marched into the store, his strides long, fists bunched at his side. He stopped at the counter by one of the men. The man glanced up, down, then shot his head up again, flinching. He nudged the other guy. Mr. Buzz-Cut took a stumble back when he saw Jake.
Winona wished she could read lips. She watched Jake’s jaw clench, noticed the deadly look in his eye and the fierceness on his face. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick message to Garret, unsure it was the right thing but wanting to cover her bases in case they needed back-up.
The men spoke, listened, nodded. Mr. Buzz-Cut paled and nestled his hand on the other man’s rear as if they were lovers.
She wouldn’t want to be either of those men right now.
She glanced between Jake talking to the men, and Amy on the carousel. Amy’s face lit up as she went up and down on the carousel horse.
Why would anyone want to harm this child?
Her phone buzzed, and Garret reassured her they’d be right there.
Jake left the store still scowling, but his scowl softened when a young boy stopped him. He smiled and nodded and autographed a picture the boy gave him, then posed with the boy as the mother shot a picture from her phone. Pride swooped in on Winona as she watched him. She was dating a celebrity. Or close enough. She was proud of his influence on younger people. Jake ruffled the boy’s hair before moving on and Winona knew, if she were ever to have children, he’d be the perfect father.
What a stupid, stupid thought. They weren’t that serious.
The carousel stopped, and Amy disembarked as Jake returned.
“That was so much fun,” she exclaimed.
“You wanna go again?”
“Yes!”
Jake paid for another round and Amy boarded the same horse.
“Well?” Winona asked.
“They said they didn’t mean to be suspicious. They claim they’re together, looking at rings. They said they hadn’t completely come out of the closet yet, and they were afraid someone they might know would see them.”
“Do you believe them?”
“No. I told them that had better be the truth, or I’d kill them. They acted shocked. I explained my little girl had been kidnapped so I was a little paranoid.” Jake glanced around, but the two men were long gone. “I should have followed them to make sure. But maybe I am paranoid.”
If Jake was paranoid, so was Winona. The back of her neck prickled in warning.
Garret and Reagan breezed up. “Everything okay?” Garret asked.
Jake eyed Winona, and she shrugged. “I texted him, in case we needed help.”
Jake explained the situation as Amy dismounted the carousel and grabbed Winona’s hand.
They took a picnic lunch to a park. After eating, Amy begged Winona to go down the slide. Amy slid first, waiting at the bottom and waving Winona down. She bounced and laughed as Winona landed.
“Wasn’t that so much fun?” Amy exclaimed, giggling. Winona’s heart swelled. It’d only been a few hours, and already she was falling in love with this little girl.
“It was.”
“Let’s do it again.”
This child never ran out of energy. Winona was glad to have the energy to keep up, but before long she sat at the picnic table under the shade and watched as Amy tempted Jake to slide, then swing her, then swing with her, then chase him with the monkey she’d built at Build-a-Bear.
She watched, too, as Reagan and Garret walked along the park path, hand in hand. She craved a relationship like theirs. True love was written all over both of them. They’d lived through so much together and their relationship, though not without difficulties, remained strong. Yesterday’s little battle had proven that.
The setting sun shot fire out of the mountain, igniting the entire Western Hemisphere in a smoky orange. The perfect day neared its end. Soon it would be time to take Amy home to her mother, and Winona worried how Jake would handle it.
Garret and Reagan returned, and Garret went to sit on the swing next to Jake as Amy played in the sandbox by herself.
“That’s a beautiful picture.” Winona jerked her head toward the two men, who sat on swings too small for them and bowed their heads in deep conversation. The western skyline was both beautiful and combative, and it’d be easy to believe they were at war. War raged in Winona’s heart, her mind. “What are they talking about?”
“Discussing their next maneuver.”
“Looks serious. Guess Jake should have hired Garret instead of me. He seems to handle this much better.”
Reagan laughed and sipped her bottled tea. “Jake is good with Amy. And Amy obviously loves him.”
• • •
Lillian had taken care with her hair and makeup and attire. But then, that was one thing she always did best, always trying to look like a million dollars. Jake had decided long ago if that was what a million dollars looked like, he wanted nothing to do with it.
“Come on in.” She opened the door wider and let Garret and Jake enter. Jake wondered if she would have been so accommodating had Reagan and Winona been with them. “Would you like a drink?”
“No,” Jake said.
“No, thank you,” Garret said, his voice light and welcoming. A complete contrast to Jake’s, which was why he was here and planned to do all the talking. Jake was no charmer, especially with a woman he didn’t like. And he couldn’t fake it.
Lillian knelt on the floor to Amy, who seemed to shrink in her mother’s presence. “Amy, baby, how was breakfast?”
“Good.”
Breakfast was hours ago, but Jake figured she’d woken up with just enough time to preen before the men brought Amy home. When they’d picked Amy up this morning, Jake was sure she’d just returned from a night of partying and hadn’t yet gone to sleep.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Lillian continued. “Would you mind going to your room and checking on your stuffed animals? They missed you.” Amy didn’t move. “Your uncle and I need to talk.”
“Jake bought me a new stuffed animal today.” She held the monkey up for her mother’s inspection.
Lillian scrunched her nose. “Wow. Cool. You should introduce him to the other peeps.”
Amy’s brows narrowed. She eyeballed Jake, and he nodded. She glanced down and muttered, “Okay.”
“I’ll be there to see you in a minute,” he told her. He didn’t want Amy to hear what he had to say to her mother.
“Have a seat.” She spread out her arms, indicating the couches in the living room, as Amy dashed to her bedroom down the hall.
“Thank you for letting Amy spend the day with us,” Garret said.
“Oh, I’m sure she enjoyed it.” Lillian ruffled the hem of her skirt as she sat on the chair opposite Garret and curled her feet under her. Jake perched on the arm of a couch in the corner, forming a triangle.
“Two men were following us in the mall,” Jake said.
Lillian widened her eyes. Slapped her hand over her heart. The epitome of innocence. “What? Why?”
“You tell me.”
“Now, Jake,” Garret said. He wasn’t sure if Garret was playing a role or if he really thought Jake was being too harsh.
“Should we be concerned?” she asked, her eyes all dramatic and her lips rolling into a worry-frown.
“Of course we should.”
“There’s no proof they were following Amy,” Garret said. “You only saw them once and they denied it.”
Jake was about to speak when Garret did. “Just be careful,” Garret warned Lillian. “Keep watch. Whoever killed Brandon may think Amy is a witness. Don’t let her out by herself until we get to the bottom of this.”
Her eyes remained wide, she nodded, and Jake noticed her hesitancy. Worry. Was it worry for Amy, or worry that Brandon’s killer would be found?
“We know you and Amy have been through a lot,” Garret said. “With your husband’s passing and Amy’s ordeal.”
“Yes.” Lillian glanced down at her skirt, playing her sympathy card exactly as Garret intended.
Damn, he was good. Anxiety tensed Jake’s gut as he fought to remain patient. Garret’s slow maneuvers were working; no point in Jake wrecking his game by hurling all the insults and accusations he’d like to hurl. Anticipation trilled in his ears as he bit back words.
“Which is why this request is so important,” Garret continued.
She glanced up, her eyes growing wide. Lips narrowing. Her gaze flicked to Jake’s but didn’t remain on him. “What request?”
“We’d like Amy to come stay with us for a few weeks before school starts.”
“Who is ‘us’?”
“My wife. Me. Jake.”
She tapered her brows. They drew together in a frown.
“Jake would like this time to spend with Amy, and we’ve offered our home to him. We all thought it would be fun for Amy to spend a few weeks with us in Montana before school starts. We could take her to Glacier National Park.”
“Oh.”
“It’d free your time. Allow you to finish details of mourning your husband and the things you need to do. Plus, it’d give Amy a chance to get away for the summer and forget about her kidnapping.”
Jake detected Lillian slipping. Garret should never have admitted he had a wife. Now that she knew, she wouldn’t be so accommodating. Like his wedding ring wasn’t enough for her. The fact he said it gave the wife importance, and it had changed Lillian’s attitude.
“Well.” Lillian flicked a piece of invisible lint from her breast, probably to avert their attention to her cleavage. Jake ignored the temptation to roll his eyes. Lillian might think she was good at her act, but Garret was an expert. Jake wished he could take lessons, but he had a feeling he’d pummel the woman to death if Garret wasn’t around. Yes, his mother had taught him better than that, but Lillian was no lady.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go play with Amy.” Jake stood, thinking it’d be better if he weren’t a part of this conversation. “Let you both discuss the details.”
• • •
Amy was stacking animals and dolls on her bed when Jake stopped in the doorway. He watched her a moment as she straightened the animals and placed a notebook and pen on the bed. She muttered to them as she rearranged them, positioning them to her liking.
The smile that spread across her face when she saw him swelled his heart.
“Hey, Uncle Jake. Wanna see what I’m doing?”
He nodded and stepped into her room, closing the door.
Grabbing a bear from her dresser, she set him amongst the other animals then opened the notebook on her bed.
“We’re having school right now. It isn’t over yet. Did you come for your son?”
Jake grinned. “Uh, yes. I’m a little early.”
“Well, he’s sick. Did your wife tell you?” She picked up a bear and handed to him. “He just got back from the nurse’s station. He has a fever.”
Jake took the bear and touched his forehead. “He sure does. I’ll make a doctor’s appointment for him.”
“Hope he gets better. Oh, don’t forget your daughter.” Amy picked up a doll with pigtails and handed her over. “We’ll excuse her for the day, but she isn’t sick. You might want to keep them spep-a-rate.”
Jake chuckled at the way she pronounced ‘separate’ with an added ‘p’ and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.”
Jake walked over to the corner, studying Amy as she spoke to the animals and wrote out ABCs in the notebook.
“We’re studying our alphabet right now,” she called over her shoulder. “Your daughter knows them pretty well.”
“She does?”
“Yes. She’s pretty smart. Her name is Jordanna.”
“Oh. Pretty nice name.”
Amy penned letters on the notebook and a few minutes later, grabbed her new monkey and sat on the floor.
“School is over for the day.”
“Okay.” Jake walked over to the bed and planted the bear and doll amongst the others before sitting on the edge.
“Hercules and I had fun today,” she said as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged the monkey.
“Hercules. Is that your monkey’s name?”
“Yes. He likes Winona and Reagan, too.”
“They like you and Hercules, too.”
Amy lowered her eyes, blinking furiously as she fingered her monkey’s ears. “I miss my daddy,” she murmured, her voice cracking.
“I do, too, baby girl. Come here.”
He lifted her onto his lap and she wrapped her arms around him, weeping into his shoulders. He rocked her, biting back his own tears.
Amy pulled away and looked at him. “Mommy says he’s in heaven.”
Jake bottled his reaction as surprise flashed through him. For Lillian to say something so comforting to her child amazed him. He would have expected Lillian to be harsh and uncaring.
He smiled and nodded. “Yes.”
“Will I ever see him again?”
“One day. But right now, he lives on in our hearts and our memories.”
“Mommy says he’s still with us in spirit and watching over us.”
Jake blinked back tears, his throat burning. He didn’t know what he believed, but he appreciated that Lillian had uplifted Amy’s grief.
Using his thumb, he swiped away at a tear on Amy’s cheek.
She smiled and nestled her head on his shoulder. “She doesn’t like me to talk about him, though.”
“Why not?” Jake asked.
“Because it makes her sad. And she knows it makes me sad.”
Air hissed from his teeth, but he swallowed his pain. He waited a beat then asked, “Do you remember the last time you saw your daddy?”
Amy nodded. “We played all day and had lunch. I was tired and fell asleep. When I woke up, he wasn’t there anymore.”
“Where were you when you woke up?”
Amy shrugged. “I don’t ’member.”
“You don’t remember?”
Amy’s head shook furiously. He pulled away and grasped her chin to study her. He wasn’t sure how much to press and didn’t want to traumatize her, but he felt this was important information. His gut twisted. She was a smart girl, but he wondered how much she understood.
“Do you remember who you were with?”
“A man. He told me he was Daddy’s friend and he was going to take care of me until Daddy could come get me. But then I couldn’t find him or my daddy, and the cops came and said he kidnapped me and my daddy was dead.”
Amy broke down and sobbed. Jake gathered her in his arms, regret filling him. He’d wondered if Amy knew her father was dead, and now he knew.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby girl.” He held Amy while she cried, tears burning a hole in his own chest, but hers quickly dried. She jumped from his lap and grabbed her monkey.
Lillian burst into the room, eyes wide. “Amy? I heard you crying.”
Amy cuddled her monkey into her chest as she danced back and forth and peered at her mom.
“What’s wrong?” Lillian asked, her eyes flashing accusations at Jake.
“Nothing. I just don’t want Jake to go. He can stay with us, right?”
“No, baby, he can’t stay here. But he’ll be back in three weeks.”
Three weeks?
&
nbsp; Jake arched his brow and glanced at Garret, who stood behind Lillian. Garret nodded. So they weren’t taking Amy today. But the news didn’t seem all bad.
“He will?” Amy asked.
“Yes. Do you want to go visit him in Montana for a couple of weeks?”
“Yes!” she shrieked as she jumped up and down.
Three weeks. Jake would see Amy in three weeks and Lillian had given them two weeks together.
Jake stood, relief rushing through him. He nodded his thanks to Garret and kneeled to Amy. “Come here and give me a hug. I’ll be back to get you for a visit soon, okay?”
She flew into his arms. “Okay.”
Lillian took her hand. “We’ll get a calendar and mark off the days. Come on, it’s time for them to go now.”
Amy’s lips trembled, eyes watered as she gave Jake and Garret one last hug. Lillian stood with her outside, watching and waving as Jake drove away.
Once they were alone, Garret explained that Lillian claimed to have plans for the next three weeks but had promised the boys they could get her afterward.
What her plans might be worried Jake. She’d said she had school clothes shopping to do, and a child’s birthday party to attend, but Lillian had never been motherly in that way. He couldn’t think of one time Brandon hadn’t done the school clothes shopping, and usually he and Jake had made a trip of it, treating Amy to just about everything she wanted.
Exhaling loudly, he tried to remind himself that Amy wasn’t miserable. Lillian hadn’t treated her too badly, at least not in front of the men. Amy was going through a terrible thing having lost her dad, and he felt she needed to grieve. Was Lillian allowing her to grieve properly? He hoped Amy would rise strong but couldn’t believe that Lillian had changed, that she was no longer full of selfishness. It was hard—damn right impossible—not to fret over Amy’s future.
Over his future.
Chapter Eleven
Reagan and Garret returned home with Nick and his wife, but Jake decided to stay in the hotel another night and leave in the morning.
He appreciated Winona staying with him. When she told him she was going to the police station and to Brandon’s neighborhood, he grabbed his keys.
“Let’s go,” he said.
