Before they could ride out Josey got out of the truck and hollered. “I forgot to tell you, Lisa’s in on this. I think they are drug dealers, I overheard some of their conversation. She owes them money and she told them, you would pay it. I hate her! She never cared about me at all she was after your money that’s all. She never wanted to get to know me.” She started to sob. Samuel held out his arms for her and she went into them. “I’ll take care of her J.W. look after my boy, will you?” J.W. nodded and turned his horse and spurred him into a run. Hilary’s brothers jumped up, ran to their horses and mounted up following them.
They caught up with him about a mile out. “What are you three doing here?” He asked. “You don’t think we’re going to let you look for our sister without us, do you?” Reid said. The sheriff came over the walkie talkie. “J.W. don’t you go riding in there without my men do you hear me?” “Sheriff you have my word that I will report to you if I find something, over and out.” J.W., Heath, and Hilary’s three brothers rode on until they came to the creek. Heath showed them the place where he found Josey sleeping and J.W. sent him back to camp. Bubba sniffed around while J.W. and the others looked for tracks.
Bubba barked and headed north, stopping and smelling the ground ever so often and letting out another bark. They followed him until they came to a wooded area that was overgrown. J.W. told the men that they weren’t far from the gully where the fence had recently been cut and cattle had been stolen. They continued following the dog that was definitely on the trail of something. When the ground got softer, they could see the boot prints his daughter had left. They passed the gully and the fence where it had recently been cut. There were new tracks, J.W. noted. These tracks didn’t belong to an eighteen-wheeler they belonged to a 4x4 pickup. They followed the tire tracks until they ended hidden amongst the trees, you could not see it from the road.
J.W. reported back to Sheriff James and he sent men out to find them. They ran the license plate and the VIN number. “Registered to a Frankie Sinclair out of California,” the sheriff’s deputy informed them. Sheriff James got back on his horse and told his men to do the same. He told J.W. to wait but he refused, as did Hilary’s brothers. “Alright fine, but I don’t want you getting in the way of my deputies, you got that?” he pointed his finger at J.W. “I got it Sheriff, but just so you know. Ain’t nobody gone stop me from getting to Hilary.”
Chapter Fifteen
Hilary watched and listened as Frankie and Lisa tried to figure out what to do now that they’d lost Josey. Frankie was worried that he wouldn’t get his money. Hilary decided to use that to her advantage. “Why don’t you just let me go? J.W. doesn’t care anything about me. I’m just his horse trainer. My family is poor, so you have no use for me. I won’t tell anyone about you. I promise, although, I can’t really say the same for Lisa.” She said glaring at Lisa. “How selfish can you be to put your only child through something like this? Are you out of your mind?” She spat at her.
Frankie laughed. He found it funny that Lisa was such a terrible mother. He made her mad when he laughed at her, which made him laugh harder. Hilary had hit the nail on the head. Lisa was selfish and nuts. Still he wanted his money. “How do you suggest I get my money now?” he said glaring at Lisa. “Hmm?” he jerked her up and through her back down. “Do you have to keep doing that?” Lisa screamed at him. “I told you, you will get your money. She’s more than just a trainer to him. I’ve followed them, they are always sneaking around kissing and holding hands when people aren’t around. I’m telling you she means something to him.”
Frankie turned his glare on Hilary whom he had tied to a tree. “Well, now, I guess someone was trying to pull one over on poor old Frankie,” he sneered. Hilary chose to ignore him. He grabbed her around the throat cutting off her air. He let go expecting her to answer but she spit on him instead. He wiped the spit from his face and punched her. “You should not have done that.” He growled at her, then, hit her again. “I may just let my men have you for that.” He spat on her. “Then we’ll see if your rancher still wants you.”
“You will never get a dime you piece of worm shit.” She spoke through gritted teeth. She set her jaw and readied herself for the next blow. He hit her several times until she couldn’t see out her eyes from the swelling, but still she didn’t let him have the last word. She continued to taunt him, one word after another.
When he began to ignore her, she started on Lisa. “How’s it feel Lisa, are you proud of being a worthless piece of shit that no one wants around?” Lisa cut her eyes toward her and then rolled them back in her head, but Hilary didn’t stop. She continued spitting hateful words at her. No daughter deserved to be put through all the crap Josey had been put through because of her mother’s selfishness.
After she had said all she could and been slapped by Lisa, she finally gave it a rest. She knew that Frankie was about to be at his breaking point and she didn’t want what he promised her. She got quiet watched and waited for her next attempt at escape. She lost her knife and had no way of cutting the ropes but she was hoping that she could wiggle her hands free of the ropes and untie her feet. She had been working at the knots for about an hour and still was having no luck. She was giving up hope that she would ever get out of here. She leaned back and closed her eyes and thought of J.W. He was the first thought that came to her mind. She dreamed she was in his arms and they were a family. It was a dream but somehow it gave her hope that somehow she would make it through this and see him again.
She looked up at the night sky and found a bright star, closed her eyes and said a little prayer to God to give her strength. She prayed that Josey made it home safely and that she would get out of this alive. She prayed for those she loved and asked God to forgive her for her sins. Then she finished by asking God to forgive the men and Lisa who now held her captive. She asked God to show them the light.
She finished her prayer opened her eyes and saw him. J.W. was hiding in the bushes out of sight but he was there. She started to cry because surely God had sent her an angel. She quickly wiped her tears away and covered her mouth careful not to draw any attention. She didn’t want them to find J.W. who was sneaking toward her. Lisa and the men sat around a fire in a circle eating their supper. They never noticed J.W. or the other men sneaking around the circle surrounding them.
J.W. was behind her after a few seconds that seemed like forever he cut the ropes and snuck her out of the camp with him. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He inspected the bruises and the swelling on her face and he felt his temper rising. He kissed her cheeks careful not to hurt her. “Who did this?” he whispered in her ear. “Frankie, the black headed one sitting with Lisa.” She whispered back to him.
His temper exploded and he charged into the camp hitting Frankie with the butt of his gun. Frankie’s men jumped up in an attempt to stop him but quickly halted when they heard the sounds of guns being cocked, and a voice that belonged to the local sheriff. “I wouldn’t if I were you. Sit down!” He spoke in a low deep growl. J.W. had Frankie on his knees. He threw punch after punch. Frankie had lost consciousness. J.W. didn’t stop with that, he left Frankie just as black and blue and swollen as Hilary.
He hit him so hard in the head that he busted it open and blood was now gushing. Hilary, was there to pull him off and calm him down. Lisa started speaking fast. “Oh thank God, you came when you did I thought he was going to kill us.” Hilary shut her up with one punch that knocked out a couple of teeth and left her fist black and blue so that it now matched her face. Then the pain hit and she started throwing up. She realized that she had just broken her hand. The pain was horrible. She felt weak. She hadn’t eaten in two days and she just threw up everything she had left in her. J.W. swept her up in his arms and carried her to his horse.
He put her on it, climbed up behind her and rode back to the ranch. Samuel had already taken Josey to the hospital to be treated for dehydration and they were there now. He held Hilary in his arms. He kissed the b
ack of her neck and whispered his love to her but she didn’t hear him because she was unconscious.
Chapter Sixteen
Hilary woke up in the hospital with an I.V. drip in her arm and bandages, everywhere. J.W. was sitting in a chair beside the bed with his head lying on his arms on the edge of the bed. He was fast asleep and she didn’t want to wake him. She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled.
The door to her hospital room opened and a nurse with curly black hair and caramel colored skin walked into the room smiling, with ruby red lips. “How’s our patient feeling?” she asked. Hilary moved her hand from J.W.s head and answered. “Better, what time is it?” The nurse pursed her pretty, red lips and said, “Oh honey, you’ve been unconscious for the better part of two days now, it’s around 7:30. That handsome fellow of yours has been sitting there this whole time. Only time he left was to check on his daughter. He won’t even go down and get himself a bite to eat.”
Hilary’s eyes widened and the nurse could see the worry, staring her in the face. “He’s afraid you’ll wake up and he won’t be here. Don’t worry I sent for him some food.” She smiled and replaced the now empty drip bag with a new one. “I’ll just bet you’re ready for some food. We can send some up to you. You’re lucky lady to be alive right now. If you hadn’t had this handsome man of, yours find you when he did. You might not be here today. A man who risks his life to save the woman he loves like that and good looking to boot, yes ma’am lucky lady.” Hilary was giving her an odd look that the nurse must have misunderstood. “I’m sorry I read it in the paper. It was all in there. Do you want me to bring you a copy?” Even though, Hilary wasn’t wondering how the nurse knew what happened but rather why she said, J.W. loved her, she nodded her head anyway.
The nurse left the room and left Hilary wondering if the nurse saw something, she couldn’t. Did J.W. love her and why would he not leave her room? She also wondered about Josey.
J.W. began to stir and Hilary was careful to move her hand from his head. His eyes popped open and he stared wide eyed at her. He grabbed for her hand and kissed her, carefully on the forehead. “Thank God, you’re awake. I’ve been worried sick. Promise me, nothing like this will ever happen again. I thought I was going to lose you.” He rushed his sentences and Hilary struggled to keep up. “I don’t think I can live without you, I need you in my life and I love you, Hilary. I love you and I want to marry you if you’ll have me as soon as you’re better.”
Hilary gasped, what was he was saying? The nurse was right. He just said he loved her and wanted to marry her and she was damn sure going to say yes. “I love you, too. And yes I’ll marry you but only if you kiss me in the next 3 seconds.” She said smiling. J.W. obliged and kissed her gently on the lips. He took every caution not to hurt her badly bruised up, banged up body.
The door to the hospital room flew open and J.W. stood up. He smiled when recognition set in and his daughter came walking in carrying a Subway bag and a coke. “Hospital food is so nasty but luckily they had a Subway down stairs. Yay, me!” she said before she flopped down on the sofa. “What?” she asked when she noticed both of them staring at her with awkward smiles on both their faces.
“Josey, how would you feel about making Hilary your new mom?” He intentionally left out the word step because of what Lisa had done to her. “Are you kidding me, I think it rocks! Oh my God, when did you ask her?” she exclaimed jumping up and down giddy as she could be.
Josey hugged her dad and then she hugged Hilary. “Careful.” J.W. insisted, but Josey just rolled her eyes and hugged her anyway, and Hilary laughed at what a funny sight it was. Hilary’s brothers came strolling in the room each with an armload of food, in their hands. They had all been to Subway. “What did you leave us for girl? We were right behind you.” Reid looked at Josey, and his eyebrows lifted, wrinkling his forehead.” She laughed because he looked somewhat funny and burst out with the news that she was going to be their new niece.
The surprise on all of their faces brought both Hilary and Josey to tears with laughter, but Hilary didn’t laugh long. Pain shot through her head and she had to stop and close her eyes. “Ouch, can someone get me a Tylenol from the nurse?” J.W. reached for the buzzer to the nurse’s station and told them to hurry.
A nurse’s aide brought two trays of food and the Tylenol. They all started to eat when Reid yelled. “I’m too young to have a fifteen year old niece. God, now I feel old.” Hilary informed her brother that Josey was not fifteen but fourteen. Josey, who was ready to be fifteen because then she would be old enough to date quickly jumped in the conversation. “I’ll be fifteen next week! Daddy says I can date when I turn fifteen. I can’t wait.” J.W. groaned at the thought of his little girl dating, even though he had made the rules.
“Well then,” Willy said, “I think we’ll just have to see what we can do to send every guy within a hundred miles running, seeing as how we’re your new uncles and all.” J.W. smiled his crooked little grin, but hid it when Josey looked at him to back her up. He threw his arms up shrugged and said, “Privileges of an uncle, nothing I can do.”
“We’re good at sending guys running.” Justin said. “Just ask Hilary.” “Didn’t work on the big fellow though did it.” Reid said nodding his head in J.W.s direction. “Poor fellow don’t know what he’s getting himself into.” J.W. cleared his throat and they all looked at him. His arms were crossed and his left eyebrow raised up. Hilary smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.
“I think we should all eat something, I know I’m starving so stuff it boys.” Hilary said giving her brothers a look of warning. They all dove into their food, and it got quiet for a while. The doc came in and checked her out told her he would be releasing her in the morning and told them visiting hours were over. Willy, Justin and Reid shook J.W.s hand and left with Josey in tow.
“I’m cold, come warm me up.” Hilary said scooting over and patting the edge of the bed. J.W. crawled under the covers with her and kissed her lips softly. He held her until she went to sleep then he eased out of the bed and found an extra blanket to cover her with and lay down on the sofa to get some sleep.
It wasn’t long until a nurse came in and woke her. They continued to pop in every other hour, checking her vitals, changing her bandages. She was exhausted and grouchy. J.W tried to make her feel better.
At nine the next morning it was visiting hours. A pile of people, were waiting outside her door. All the guys from the ranch were here to see her. Heath and Samuel were the first through the door. It was great to see them.
Samuel teased her, shamelessly. He’d become like a favorite uncle. Heath was quiet for the most part, only laughing every now and them at his father’s jokes. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. They stayed for a while and then they let the others visit a while.
Hilary was ready to go home. She was tired of this hospital room. She wanted to get back to the horses, and the ranch.
Chapter Seventeen
Two weeks had passed since the kidnapping. Josey was getting ready to go on her first date with none other than Heath. Hilary thought it couldn’t be more, perfect. Heath was a good guy, he respected Josey, and she knew he wouldn’t try anything other boys might.
Hilary lay on the couch with her feet in J.W.s lap. He was rubbing the balls of her feet and playing with her toes when Heath came to the door. Justin met him at the door, playing the part of the crazy uncle even though there was no need. He told him all the things he’d do to him if Josey came back with one hair on her head touched, and Hilary had to laugh because it was practically the same speech he’d used on all her boyfriends.
Josey came out of her room in a pair of new jeans, dressy high heel boots and a baby blue blouse. It was cold outside so she had thrown on a frilly blue and burgundy scarf. Her hair was pulled back at the top and loose at the back. She had curls framing each side of her face and she looked beautiful.
Heaths heart stopped as did J.W.s but in a very different way. J.W. realized that his lit
tle girl was becoming a woman and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. Heath was looking at her with something else all together. His eyes lit up the moment he saw her. Hilary studied him. He never took his eyes off her. It was like the whole world had stopped and no one else was in the room. He had strong feelings for her and Hilary noticed it for the first time. This was a boy staring at his first love.
Josey never stopped smiling. She came bouncing in the room smiling at every one with her big beautiful dimples. She hugged J.W. then, kissed Hilary on the head and led the way out with Heath on her heels. Justin left too mumbling something about meeting Willy and Reid.
For the first time, they had the house to their self. J.W. eased his hand up her leg and Hilary moved it putting it behind him as he turned and got up on his knee, leaning over her and kissing her on the lips. She nipped his lower lip and he groaned.
He trailed kisses from her mouth down her jaw to her neck and nuzzled just below her ear. He whispered, “I love you” in her ear and kissed her again. He unbuttoned her shirt and eased it off her shoulders kissing one shoulder at a time and then he eased one of her bra straps down freeing the breast from its shelter. The cold air hit its peak and her nipple grew hard. J.W. licked it with his tongue then suckled it. He ran his hand over it and continued down to the top of her jeans eased the snap free and tugged the zipper downward. He could feel Hilary’s hands on his chest. They were cold even with her light touch.
The shirt he was wearing hit the floor, where Hilary tossed it. She played with the dark hair on his chest and leaned in for another kiss. He obliged her, slipped his hand under her panties, and caressed her. When he thought she couldn’t stand anymore, he moved his hand and picked her up carrying her to the bedroom.
The Rancher Meets His Match Page 8
