Chapter 10: The Next MorningThe following morning, by the time the rooster crowed in the barnyard just as the sun was peeking over the eastern horizon, Cole was already up. He pulled on a faded pair of jeans and a flannel-lined chambray shirt against the chill of the March morning. Passing Jenny's door, he peered in to see her in much the same position in which she'd been the night before. Hooking his head to the right, he indicated for Blue to follow him, which the dog did, albeit reluctantly.A hot mug of coffee in hand, he stepped out onto the wide covered porch and watched as Blue performed his morning constitutional. Cole had a busy day ahead of him, having lost time the day before traveling to and from Carmel. He needed to work all the horses, for a little while, at least, and he wanted to see what kind of headway he could make with Dahlia.And he needed to go to town to pick up feed for the horses. He thought of Jenny, asleep upstairs. As long as he'd be in town, he was
Chapter 11: Shopping Trip Into TownCole looked down at his shopping cart. Maybe he'd overdone it. Probably he had. But for cripes sake, the girl had nothing. He frowned to himself. Girl. Woman. He realized he still had no idea how old she was.He made a mental note to find out when he got home. It would not do to be harboring a minor, despite her refusal to call the authorities.Making his way to the first open check-out lane, he began placing items on the black conveyor. A few pairs of jeans, a handful of t-shirts, including a couple in shades of purple, and some nicer tops, too. He smiled at the shoes he'd chosen, a pair of purple sneakers along with a pretty pair of jeweled sandals in her size that he hadn't been able to resist. He'd found a simple dress with purple flowers on it, and he'd immediately thought of her. Jenny. More than anything, he wanted to make her happy, to see her smile in a relaxed, unguarded way. No matter what had happened to her before, he w
Chapter 12: A Temporary SituationBack at the farmhouse, Jenny made sure the kitchen was spick and span. She also straightened up the room she'd slept in. It wasn't her room, and it wouldn't do to even begin thinking of it as such. Cole had said it belonged to his sister. Jenny wanted to make sure to leave it in exactly the way she found it. Adjusting the throw pillows for the tenth time, she thought about her room at home, the one that she'd grown up in, the one she'd assumed she'd always have, even after she moved out on her own. She could picture the purple velvet duvet cover she'd picked out, the one her mother had said was a little too expensive, but her father had purchased anyway. It looked just right on the antique white sleigh bed, which matched the large dresser on top of which were scattered her favorite photos and keepsakes. She sighed sadly, wondering where all her things were. All her family's things. She rarely indulged in these kinds of thoughts, because inev
Chapter 13: GiftsShe opened the front door, and tail wagging wildly, the dog bounded out to greet his favorite person in the world. Cole grinned as he climbed out of the truck. "Hey there, Blue. Did you miss me?" From the porch, Jenny watched as he bent down to ruffle the dog's ears. When he straightened up, he saw her and beamed. "Hey, Jenny."Stomach fluttering, she smiled and waved."I have a ton of stuff in here," he said, opening the truck's back door. He picked up several large grey plastic shopping bags in each hand and headed toward her. "Beneath all this is the feed I picked up. I'd like to get that unloaded at the barn, and then," he thrust the bags into Jenny's hands, "I brought home dinner."Jenny looked down at the heavy mass of bags. "Don't worry, there's lots more." Cole's voice sounded muffled as he withdrew another armload of bags."I'll help you take all this upstairs," he said, moving past her into the house.Bewildered, she followed him to the room wh
Chapter 14: Skittish"I need to go see about the horses," Cole announced. "Would you like to come with me?"Instantly, Jenny felt a stab of fear. Outside felt dangerous. Anyone could see her outside. Including Victor and his goons. Cautiously, she peered out the window."It's dark now," Cole said. "Besides, like I said before, my nearest neighbor is miles away. And I keep the gate locked. Nobody's coming on the property." Jenny deliberated, weighing her fear against the desire to please Cole. Finally, she nodded and was awarded with his glowing grin."All right! Let's go. You can say hello to Dahlia."Jenny shivered in the cool night air as they walked side by side toward the barn. Blue snuffled happily along the ground, running ahead, then circling back around to them. About halfway between the house and the barn, Jenny paused, gazing up into the sky. High overhead, millions of stars twinkled like diamonds as on the eastern horizon, the full moon had just begun its clim
Chapter 15: Where Did You Come From, Jenny?In his study, Cole poured himself a bourbon and took a sip, savoring the burn as the liquid rolled down the inside of his chest. Jenny had gone to bed shortly after they'd returned from the barn. He had a few things to take care of, but he also felt restless. He sipped again and exhaled with relief. Thank God, she's not a minor. The worry had been swirling through his mind since he'd considered the fact that if she were under the age of eighteen, he would be guilty of concealing a minor. The idea of calling Beth nagged at him anyway. She'd know how to handle the issue of someone chasing after Jenny. Then there was the brand, which he couldn't un-see. Maybe he could ask Jenny about it. Quickly, he discarded the idea. Over the last twenty-four hours or so, he'd gained a bit of trust, but that was a huge leap. She didn't realize he'd seen it, either. He sighed deeply. That was a topic for another day.She'd seemed happy to help
Chapter 16: Getting Their Story StraightBehind the wheel of the big black SUV as it barreled down I-5, Slater slid a sidelong glance at Wilcox who was seated in the passenger seat. The other man was eyeing him cautiously."What?!" Slater growled."What what?""You're looking at me like I stepped in dog shit or something." Irritation painted his already ruddy face a deeper shade of red.Wilcox shrugged. "I'm just wondering what you're going to tell Sorkin about this clusterfuck you created."Slater glared out the windshield and gripped the steering wheel tightly, his jaw shifting in annoyance. The truth was, he had no idea what he would tell their boss beyond what he'd already told him.When they'd arrived in San Francisco, they'd been missing one red-haired freak. Before heading to the Four Seasons, they'd made a little detour, with Slater calling ahead as Wilcox navigated the congested city streets."Why didn't Mr. Sorkin tell me himself?" the voice on the other end of the line
Chapter 17: Terrifying MemoriesThe Rolling Stones blare from Chelsea's MG. It's like the classic car's radio dial is perpetually stuck in the sixties. Jenny is too excited about the upcoming party to be annoyed.In her driveway, she grabs her purple JanSport and hops out, slamming the car door. "I'll call you tonight," she promises, as Chelsea launches backward and waves goodbye.She swears the house feels different when she walks inside. But how could that be? She doesn't know anything yet.Her father is tied to the chair in the middle of the family room. How is it she didn't notice that on the actual day? In her dreams, she sees little details she missed the first time around.Then he's there. Victor. Only she doesn't know his name yet. That comes later. He tells the men with him to hurt her and her mother. One of them is Slater, also something she'll learn later. The one who smells like salami. All she can think is that it was supposed to be Greg Morgan. Not some bal