Page 30 of Cowboy Stalker
It’s not until we’re in bed together that I admit what’s worrying me. We’re lying on our sides, facing each other. The bedside lamp is still on, and in the low light, I can see the streaks of silver starting in his beard. “Luke said there’s going to be a trial.”
I imagine that this is going to stretch out for months or even years. I know the kind of men that Roulette and Jagger work for. They won’t let this go. What should have been a victory today may only be the beginning of the nightmare, and that’s what scares me the most.
He takes my hand, threading our fingers together underneath the blankets. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I will keep you safe.”
“I don’t want to leave town and you. This place is wonderful.” I start crying again, putting my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound so I don’t wake Daisy.
“Oh, honey,” he thumbs away my tears gently, “I’m never letting you go. That’s something you can count on.”
“I feel like Daisy and I have a family now, and it’s the best feeling in the world,” I tell him between hiccups.
“We are your family, and here in Courage, we stand behind family. Whatever happens in the future, you won’t face it alone.”
His words soothe the former foster kid in me that was worried about having to leave. Maybe after years of searching, I finally found my forever home. With that thought, I drift into a peaceful sleep. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m not on my own anymore.
Chapter 13
Missy
It’s been three days since Roulette and Jagger tried to kidnap me in the barn. I’m relieved that they’re in jail now, and I don’t have to be afraid anymore. But I’m still worried about the upcoming trial.
Audrey has called me several times, and Sheriff Luke has stopped by every day to check on me. Ernie and Lorna gave me several paid days off. They said I could take the whole week, but I plan to go back to work tomorrow.
If I have to keep sitting around the house while Griffin refuses to let me lift a finger, I’m probably going to climb the walls. You’d think I was in traction by the way he wants to wait on me hand and foot.
When I complained to Lorna about it, she told me to get used to it. She said it’s just the way of the men in our town. They believe in spoiling their women day and night. Then she sighed like she was thinking about Ernie.
“A walk around the farm is perfectly safe for both of us,” I tell Griffin who is scowling down at me.
I have Daisy on my hip with her little floppy hat and sunscreen on. She looks ready to have some fun in the sun. We’re both getting cranky from spending so much time indoors.
“I’ll come with you,” he says as if he doesn’t have a million chores around the farm that need doing.
“We’ll go with Aunt Dorothy,” I offer as a compromise. I know he’s scared of losing the two of us. That’s the only reason he’s acting like this. He’s so protective, and that instinct isn’t going to switch off because the men who were after us are in jail.
“And you’ll call me when you get home,” he says, as though he won’t be two miles away fixing fences and tractors.
I chuckle. “Yes, bossy. I will call you.”
He narrows his gaze and opens his mouth, but before he can respond, his phone vibrates. I see Luke’s name on the display before he answers. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. Thanks for letting me know.”
He hangs up. “Do you remember I said Roulette and Jagger were transferred to another county the day after they were arrested?”
I nod. There’s a whole list of crimes that Roulette and Jagger will be charged with soon, and that’s not to even touching on all the warrants that were out for their arrest. The two of them have a long criminal history.
“They both passed away in jail,” he says without a hint of emotion.
I blink, certain I misheard him. That’s not what I expected him to say. “There was supposed to be a trial. How did this happen?”
He shrugs. “The people they work for were cleaning up loose ends. There will be no trial, and the investigation will stall unless someone in the jail comes forward.”
I’m relieved there won’t be a trial, but these were still human beings. They probably had loved ones and friends, people that cared about them. They were once babies on their moms’ hips just like Daisy is on mine right now. “And that makes it OK?”
“No, it doesn’t. But they tried to kidnap you, and they would have killed you without a second thought. Ask me if I care that they’re dead. Frankly, I hope they suffered. I hope they were terrified in their final moments. That’s what they deserve for all they put you through.”
“So, this means it’s really over?” I ask, my heart beating fast at the possibility.
“It’s over,” he says as Daisy lunges for him. He catches her easily, smiling down at her for a moment before he turns his attention back to me. “You and Daisy are free forever.”
