“I agree, but let Steve or Kevin do it,” Rick said flatly. “Since that horse ear in the mail incident, I don’t like the idea of leaving Cassie alone.”
“She won’t be alone,” Martin soothed. “Move her to the safe house. I’ll stay there with her and no one will let her out of their sight, you know that.”
“Lori can stay with her too, Rick,” Steve added trying to reassure him.
“I said no!” Rick barked.
“No, what?” Cassie’s voice traveled across the room. She and Lori stood in the doorway.
“Cassie, we want to know if Rick can come out and play,” Kevin said.
“Shut up!” Rick snarled and stood up quickly. He flashed an angry look at Kevin and then walked to Cassie. “Ignore him.”
He tried to guide her out of the room, but Cassie resisted.
“What’s going on?” she questioned. “Kevin?”
“Ask Rick, little miss,” Kevin said quietly. “He has all the answers.”
“That isn’t fair, Kevin,” Steve broke in. “Cassie, there’s something we need to check out of town, only Rick doesn’t want to leave you.” He looked at Kevin. “But I don’t think you should fault him for it.”
“How long?” Cassie asked Rick point-blank.
“Drop it,” he answered and turned to Steve. “I don’t need you defending me either. You two go.”
“They need you and you’re not interested because of me?” Cassie asked looking up at Rick. “I think you should go.”
“I said no,” Rick reiterated.
Cassie’s expression changed from concern to anger, but Rick met her angry stare with one of his own. She stood fast for a moment then turned around and stormed out of the room. Not looking at the others, Rick followed.
Behind Rick’s desk, Cassie tried to think of the right thing to say, knowing he was angry with her as well as the others. When he walked in she had an idea. From her purse she pulled out a book of baby names.
“How about Daniel?” she asked flipping through the book. Rick didn’t comment. She continued. “Seth, Mark…Icabod?”
“You seem awfully sure it’s a boy,” Rick finally said, sitting on the couch.
“It has to be,” she said somewhat serious, but smiling. “He’s already making me look fat and giving me grief.”
Rick flashed a glare. “Leave it be.”
Moving from the chair, Cassie sat beside Rick and took his hands into hers, squeezing hard. “Rick, do you remember on our wedding night how you told me you were afraid of becoming so overprotective that it would turn you into someone I wouldn’t love anymore?”
“Have I?” Rick looked surprised.
“No, I don’t mean it that way,” she answered softly. “But I’m the one who’s afraid now. I’m afraid you’re going to start to resent me if you keep thinking you have to…” Cassie took a deep breath, “shadow me all the time.”
“I don’t think of it that way, Sass,” Rick said defensively. “I want you safe, you know that.”
“Yes, I know that,” Cassie soothed, “but you need to see by leaving me alone that I’ll be okay. I need it too.” She let go of Rick’s hands and put hers on his neck. “Rick, Luther’s in jail, he can’t hurt me. You have to believe that I can be alone and safe. You have to let us be free of Luther. Can you understand that?”
Rick thought silently a long time. He hated the idea, but she was right, he had to relax around her, especially with the baby on the way. A small noise escaped his throat and he nodded. “Three days, that’s all. You stay at the safe house and Lori stays with you in the tower room. I’ve seen her in action, she can handle things if necessary.”
“Forget it,” Cassie protested. “I don’t share that room with anyone but you. And you’ve seen me in action.” Leaning forward she purred suggestively, “Just give me your big gun.”
“Not even I am going touch that line,” Rick said, raising a brow. He then smiled and left the room.
Happy for a job well done, Cassie moved back to the chair, picked up the baby name book and smiled. She knew her baby was smiling too.
Finding the others still in Martin’s office, Rick stood silent until he had their attention. “Three days,” he said evenly. “Steve and me. We’ll drive straight there, find out what’s going on and drive straight back. And Kevin, you stay here.”
“Aww, come on Rick,” Kevin groaned.
“I want you to stay here and look after my wife,” Rick stated flatly. “Martin’s supposed to be retired, so you get to watch over her.” He left the room leaving the others smiling and Kevin speechless.
As he entered his office again, Rick found Cassie smiling confidently. “You see why I don’t have to look for the good in you? You just gave Kevin something he values very much.” She smiled even more.
“You spied on me?” Rick asked, pretending to be shocked.
“You didn’t see me, and you can’t prove it, but yes I did,” she giggled. “That was a very nice thing you did for him.”
“Besides giving him carte blanche to fool around with my wife, what else did I give Kevin?”
Cassie stopped laughing. “You gave him your trust, Rick. And that means a lot to him knowing you trust him to look after me.” She tilted her head. “That is why you did that, isn’t it?”
“No comment,” he answered taking her hands. “We’ve got a while until I leave, so come with me. We’re going to get your birthday present.”
“My birthday present?” she asked, confused. “My birthday is months away.”
“It doesn’t matter, the present isn’t for you,” he said pulling her off the couch.
“But you just said…”
“Let’s go, Sass, we don’t have all day,” Rick ordered. “I still have to get ready. Steve is doing the preliminaries, but I need to gather a few special things of my own.”
* * * * *
Within ten minutes they were in Rick’s truck heading out of the city. Rick wouldn’t tell Cassie where they were going, but she knew it couldn’t be too far away if he needed to get back in time to leave with Steve. After they’d been driving for a while, they stopped in front of a shabby building resembling a barn.
“Why are we here?” Cassie questioned, but Rick only smiled and pulled her out of the truck.
Once inside he took a flashlight out of his pocket and opened a trapdoor leading down. The smell of damp wood filled the air.
“Rick, I can’t go down there,” Cassie complained. “It smells horrible and I’ll get sick. I don’t want morning sickness in the afternoon, thank you. Can I wait here?”
“Sure, but don’t walk around,” Rick warned. “I don’t want you falling through the floor.”
A few minutes and groans later, Rick returned up the steep staircase with a fairly large wooden crate balanced on his shoulder. It made a loud thump when he dropped it on the floor.
“Are you all right?” Cassie asked. “If you knew you had to carry that heavy thing out of there, why didn’t you bring Steve along?”
“Because,” Rick breathed heavily, “I wanted it to be just us when I show you what’s inside.” He sat on the crate and looked at Cassie. “Now, before I open this, I want you to promise me you won’t cry.”
“Are you kidding, I’m pregnant. I’m crying all the time now,” Cassie laughed. “Open it!”
Rick sighed and began prying off the top of the crate. He finally loosened it enough to look inside. As he did a smile crossed his face and he looked up at Cassie.
The moment she looked inside the box tears formed immediately. Expecting them, Rick shook his head and handed her a tissue. He had figured this would happen.
“Lift it out,” she sniffled.
As ordered, Rick reached in the box and pulled out the object that brought tears to his wife. It was a small wooden cradle.
“This was sent to me years ago after an aunt who had kept it died,” Rick whispered. “I stuck it in storage and all but forgot about it until now. It was mine.”<
br />
Cassie looked up in surprise and then started crying again. Gathering self-control, she reached for her husband and hugged him. He hugged back.
“I want to take it back with us now,” he said touching her stomach. “That way I can have time to clean it up before the baby gets here.”
“That’s a good idea,” Cassie whispered. “Why’d you say this was my birthday gift?”
“I said it wasn’t for you. It is for a birth day though. When the baby’s born, you’ll be there too, won’t you?” Rick asked with a raised eyebrow. “Birth day, Sass. Get it?”
“I get it,” Cassie said quietly. “You really do keep me guessing, don’t you, Mr. Jarrett. This is the sweetest thing you’ve done for me, so far.”
Rick grinned. “Coming from an expert on keeping me guessing, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I love you,” she whispered. Rick didn’t respond with words, instead he wrapped his arms around Cassie while she leaned against him. Together they looked at the cradle—Rick’s cradle, soon to be their baby’s cradle.
* * * * *
Later, as the group assembled in front of the safe house, preparing to leave, Rick took Cassie aside.
“Stay safe, I’ll miss you,” he said, hugging her. “And don’t run Kevin too ragged.”
“Killjoy,” she laughed, pulling back from the hug. “I’ll be fine, promise. Call me.”
Rick nodded and after he and Cassie shared a long kiss, he walked to Lori. “Keep an eye on her, she’s been restless lately.”
“Whatever you say, Ricky,” Lori replied. “And you take care of Steve for me, okay?”
“She’ll be fine, Rick,” Kevin said, joining them. “What you’re doing is going to benefit you both in more ways than you think right now. I’ll keep her healthy and obnoxious until you get back, okay?” He smiled broadly.
“You’d better, Williams,” Rick said evenly, but he too smiled.
From the truck Rick winked at Cassie. She tried to return the favor, but he knew she was blinking back tears as they drove away.
Martin put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “You better be good for us,” then added quietly, “Sassy Cassie.”
Cassie flashed him a sarcastic look and softly elbowed his ribs. Martin chuckled and walked into the house, but Lori and Kevin remained with Cassie.
“I’m surprised Rick didn’t handcuff us together,” she joked.
Lori gave Cassie a sly look. “You mean he didn’t? I’m supposed to stick to you like glue, you know.”
“But you know better than to try, right?” Cassie asked somewhat playfully. “I think maybe you and I are a lot alike in many ways.”
“Are we in for three days of hell, Sassy-pants?” Lori asked in the same fashion. “Rick wanted me to sleep on your couch. I’m not going to though because I can trust you to stay put, can’t I?”
“As Rick would say, trust is for fools and amateurs.” Cassie put her hands on her lower back and stretched. “But don’t worry, I’m not planning on sneaking out for ice cream and pickles. See you later, wardens.”
“Yes you will, Mrs. Jarrett,” Lori and Kevin said at the same time, then laughed.
This would probably be a long three days, Lori mused. For someone so young, Cassie was very set in her ways. Her insistence of continued independence after she and Rick married had nearly driven him crazy at first, but Lori made Rick a promise and she wasn’t about to let this wife of his turn her hair white. The thought of Kevin’s hair turning white made her smile as she walked past him. He started to follow, but Lori shook her head. “I can do this fine, Kevin. If I need backup, I’ll sing out.”
“If?” Kevin gasped. “When is more like it. You know Cassie as well as the rest of us do.”
“True,” Lori answered evenly. “And that’s all I need to know.”
Cassie also knew it was going to be a long three days. Kevin would be mildly amusing. Lori was another story. Promising Rick that she’d keep Cassie under constant surveillance was the woman’s first mistake. Thinking she actually could would be her second. She loved Lori, but since she no longer considered herself a protected one, she didn’t appreciate being watched as if she were a child no matter how good the intentions were.
Opening her door, Cassie crept down the stairs and out into the hall. She noted Lori’s door was slightly opened. She considered poking her head in to assure Lori that she could go to sleep without worry, but instead just took hold of the doorknob and pulled the door shut. It did not reopen. With a smile, Cassie proceeded back up to the tower room to wait for the call she knew would come.
The sound of the phone finally ringing woke her and she mumbled a faint sound of a greeting. Then she smiled.
“What are you doing up so late?” Rick’s voice came softly.
“Missing you,” Cassie whispered. She knew he was smiling.
“I know the feeling,” he said before his voice changed slightly. “You being good?”
“I always am,” she quipped.
“Sass, I’m serious.”
“I know. Please don’t worry about me, Rick. I’m really okay here. My only problem is I miss you already.”
They spent a long minute in silence and though they didn’t know it, each had their eyes closed.
“You know,” Rick broke the silence. “I never realized how big a bed can be until I got in this one without you. I miss you, Cassie.”
“I know the feeling,” Cassie said, hoping her voice hadn’t cracked. “Hurry home.”
“Count on it,” he breathed. “I love you.”
“And I love you,” she answered without delay. Quietly she hung up, but left her hand on the phone for just a moment.
“Did you kiss the phone?” Lori shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
“No, but I squeezed it real hard,” Cassie shouted back. Smile fading, Cassie crawled into the bed that she had realized was too big to be alone in long before Rick had called with his observation.
Morning brought Rick and Steve to the front door of the sheriff’s office. Once inside they were taken to a small back room and told to wait. They didn’t wait long. A large man identifying himself as Sheriff Bishop entered the room almost immediately.
“Gentlemen,” he said, shaking their hands. “I know you’re curious so I’ll get right to the point.” He removed a folded paper from a plastic bag and looked at Rick. “Mr. Jarrett, where’s your wife?”
Rick’s hand subtly went to the gun under his jacket. Sheriff or not, bigger man than he or not, that remark required precaution. “Who said I have a wife? And what’s that you’re holding?”
“Maybe I should start from the beginning,” the sheriff said. He gestured toward a couch. “Please sit down.”
Rick and Steve looked at each other then took a seat. Sheriff Bishop sat in a chair across from them.
“Get on with it,” Rick snapped. The mention of his wife set his suspicions into overdrive. He glanced sideways at Steve then back at the sheriff in a way that said, Talk more or I’ll tear your heart out.
Sheriff Bishop got Rick’s message right away. “Yesterday a body was discovered under some brush.” He unfolded the paper as he spoke. “I found this in the victim’s jacket.” He held up a photo of Cassie.
Before Steve or the sheriff realized what was happening, Rick had the sheriff against the wall. Steve jumped up and grabbed Rick’s arm, pulling him away from the sheriff.
“Stop it!” Steve shouted, then pushed Rick back onto the couch.
Rick was instantly up again. “Where did you get that?” he shouted, voice cracking. “Answer me!” He started back toward the sheriff, but Steve ran interference.
“Stop it, Rick!” Steve hissed. “You can’t kill him.” He then turned toward Sheriff Bishop. “Not yet anyway.” Rick regained some composure and sat down. Turning to the sheriff, Steve said slowly, “You better explain yourself very well and very, very carefully, my friend.”
Coughing to catch his breath Sheriff
Bishop spoke. “May I remind you, Mr. Jarrett, that it was I who sent for you. If I had the slightest interest in harming your wife I never would have called you.”
“How do you know she’s my wife?” Rick demanded.
“I didn’t until now,” he answered quietly and coughed some more.
“That’s not an explanation,” Rick jumped up again.
Steve pushed Rick back on the couch and turned around. “Maybe you better start with the body. Who is it? And who found it?”
Sheriff Bishop answered Steve, but looked at Rick. “Two kids found it in the woods.” He picked the photo up from the floor. “I got to the body first and I’m the only one who knows about this picture. I’m waiting on lab results to see if the body is who I think it is.”
“And who would that be?” Steve asked cautiously.
“The jockey, Eddie James,” Sheriff Bishop said. He still stared at Rick.
Rick and Steve looked at each other, then to the sheriff.
This time when Rick stood, Steve didn’t stop him. Rick walked so close to Sheriff Bishop that the man could feel his breath as he spoke.
“From the beginning,” Rick said. “Slow and convincing or I can promise you, they’ll find another body under the brush. You can start by explaining how you even knew to call me.”
“You mind if I sit down first?” the sheriff asked. Once seated, he rubbed the side of his neck and removed another paper from his pocket. “I recognized the girl because she used to come in to the diner every now and then with a man I swear was Clint Eastwood.”
In spite of the situation, Rick felt a small movement in his lips. Blake Dahlgren strikes again. “So how’d you find me?” he demanded.
“Good police work, Mr. Jarrett. When I recognized the girl, I researched her. We get television even way up here. I remembered seeing her on the news a few months back, so I went to the library and found this.” He held up a newspaper clipping of Rick standing next to Cassie outside the courthouse. “After learning your name, I simply called your office. I made the assumption she was special to you by the way you’re standing so close to her. Almost like her shadow.”
“Never mind that,” Rick said softly, yet with enough tone to keep the sheriff’s full attention. “Here’s what I want you to do. Keep your mouth shut and when the lab results come in, you report them to me. Only me. And one more thing, if you see or hear anything you think is unusual, report that to me.”
My ShadowMy Love Page 9
