CHAPTER 14
Stone did a quick walk through the house, once they arrived, before giving the all clear. He didn’t know the details; he didn’t need to but knew someone had been in there the week before and that Blake had been watching over Jessie and her house ever since. That was enough for him. He had been back in McKenzie for less than a year after a lifetime being away, but these people were his family, and like the rest of them…he’d fiercely protect each and every one as his own.
“I’m going to grab us some lunch,” he said, as they settled in. “You ladies going to be okay for a spell?”
“Oh, I got Randy here. We’re safe as can be,” Lou said, patting her purse.
Stone chuckled at the reference and kissed Lou’s forehead. “I pity the fool that comes nose to nose with Randy – especially with you in charge, darlin’”
Bewilderment crossed Jessie’s expression at the mention of Randy. She looked out the window, searching for someone before asking, “Who’s Randy
?”
“Randy is my revolver, honey. Where ever I go, Randy goes.”
Jessie’s gaze quickly fixed on Lou’s purse when she added, “A Flask and a gun – makes sense.”
“You know I like to pack both
kinds of heat, honey.” Lou winked before hanging her purse on a nearby coat hook and made herself at home.
Stone wasn’t gone all that long before he returned with a pizza and a few bags of groceries. Though Lou didn’t mention a thing, that man knew her like he knew the back of his hand – and had her standard baking list down pat. Today was the kind of day Lou liked to bake – it took one’s mind off the more serious things looming. Baking was the ultimate therapy, if you asked her. So, bake they did – several dozen of Lou’s famous snickerdoodles, lemon bars, and brownies lined Jessie’s kitchen counters along with plenty of cookie dough for the freezer.
It was good to keep Jessie’s mind off of her troubles and what was going on at the House. Sitting around, wondering if she was responsible for what was happening, wasn’t good for anyone. If they were being honest, the baking was as much for Blake as Jessie, given the number of times he was brought up and that they were making all of his favorites.
Though not the napping type, Lou encouraged Jessie to go lie down and rest while she cleaned up the rest of their day’s mess. She protested at first, insisting that she help clean up, but as much as she insisted, so did Lou. Lou tended to get the last word in and exactly what she wanted or needed without much argument. The day’s emotions had caught up to her and she was exhausted. Following Lou’s orders, she swept up her cat and went down the hall to her room just after placing a kiss on both Stone’s and Lou’s foreheads.
She was grateful for them and their unwavering support. They watched over everyone but seemed to take a little extra care when it came to Jessie. She didn’t have family, not anymore. This was it for her; they were her family. Stone and Lou were a good team. Once young sweethearts, who lost their way when Stone went on the pro-rodeo circuit, they were finally reconciled after a lifetime apart. Stone never knew the son they had together; he was raised by another man. Both had since passed.
You wouldn’t know that they had been apart though; it was as if they had been together their entire lives. True soulmates who shared the family they chose as such, in McKenzie Ridge. Jessie treasured that most – their family of friends. Lou had been right. Something brought them all together in this perfect small mountain town, and they were the family each was meant to have. Family didn’t have much to do with blood and everything to do with love and choice as far as this group was concerned.
Jessie’s wandering thoughts ended with how fiercely she loved them all, despite her desire not to. Unlike those she loved before, this group would never let her down or disappoint her - she was sure of that. Now, she just needed to protect them from whatever madness she brought to McKenzie.
And then, she dozed off to the smell of sugary bliss.
Run – just run
was all that she could think in that moment. Jessie looked down at her tattered clothes and bare feet as they slammed against the forest floor. Confusion consumed her. She was so disoriented and didn’t fully understand what was going on around her.
Her feet were bleeding, her body ached, and her head throbbed, but all she could think to do was run.
So, she did. He
was behind her, chasing her – she could hear him calling her name. He was angry with her. She wasn’t supposed to be able to get away, but she had, and it was her only chance at survival.
With every shout and sound of her name, a chill ran through her. Was he getting closer – or was his voice just carrying through the eerily silent forest? Was he able to follow her path easily – had she left a trail of broken down vegetation and a blood-stained path? Even out of his grip, he was manipulating her mind, and she needed to tune it out – tune him
out – and just keep running.
A large brick wall appeared before her, expanding as far as she could see in either direction. It was too tall to climb. Her body was too weak and broken, even if she could see the top. She scanned the forest behind her, looking for him
. She could hear him, but she couldn’t see him. In a moment of fatigue and desperation, she slid down the cold mossy brick wall, burying her face in her lap as she hugged her knees.
When her name drifted through the air once more, it was a welcome sound. He had come for her – he would protect her. When she turned around, following the sound of his voice, the brick wall was suddenly gone, and Blake was running toward her.
What was happening, she wondered. Where had Blake come from? Why was he here
? He hadn’t been there that day, all of those years ago? A crackling campfire caught her attention, the only thing between her and Blake as he said her name once more. Confused by her surroundings and what was happening, she stood, her clothes now gone.
Rather than embarrassment, confusion coursed through her as her mind tried to make sense of her circumstance when it hit her. She recalled another time she felt such a way – where nothing made sense, and she struggled to determine what was real and what wasn’t. She was reliving her nightmare, those horrific days she was held, drugged, hurt, and barely made it out.
Only, it was different this time. Blake was standing in front of her even though she hadn’t even known him all those years ago. What did it mean…why was he there…what was she supposed to do?
“Blake, run,” she heard herself say, “Run, he’s
coming.”
“You’re safe, Jessie. Come back to me,” he replied.
Come back to him?
She didn’t understand. They weren’t more than a few feet apart.
“I’m not letting anything happen to you,” he added.
“No.” She shook her head. Why didn’t he understand? “He’s
coming, we need to run…”
“Jessie, wake up darlin’,” he pleaded. “You’re okay. You’re safe; I’m here.”
It was as if he couldn’t hear her. Rather than run with her, he tried to reason with her. It wasn’t safe to stay, no matter how much Blake insisted. She pleaded with him, reaching for his hands across the fire, trying to get him to understand and run, when his eyes went wide, and his breath caught as he fell to his knees. He quickly paled, his eyes growing dark, and his body fell forward into the fire, something iron protruding from his back.
She heard a loud tortured scream, though she hadn’t made a sound, or had she? When she reached for Blake, the fire was gone, and his body only lay there, cold and gray. They were no longer alone; she
was no longer alone. Standing over Blake’s body was a man – she knew him, though he was older, his body broader, face fuller…it was still him
. Her attacker stood where Blake’s body had once been, wearing a satisfied grin as evil danced in his menacing stare. Closing the gap between them, she noticed the blade in his hand that carried a hot amber glow. She recognized that, too; it was how he planned to brand her once more.
He asked, “Miss me, Jessica?” just before he lunged at her, striking her with his weapon.
As the sun was setting, Jessie sat up in a cold sweat, waking from her nightmare, gasping for air as she took in her dimly lit room. Just a nightmare
, she thought.
“Jessie?” came a soft voice at her bedside. Though soft and non-threatening, she still startled, scooting away from the edge of her bed. “It’s just me. You’re okay, darlin’.”
“Blake?” her voice quaked in fear. “Oh, my God, Blake.”
After she quickly moved to the edge of her bed, Blake scooped her up into his arms where he held her and let her breakdown. Something she never did but clearly needed to do. He laid them both down, pulling her into his large protective frame. Stroking her hair, he whispered affirmations. Weaving in promises of safety and his protection, he dropped an occasional kiss to the top of her head as reminders that he was there and she wasn’t alone. It wasn’t long before she drifted back to sleep. This time it was more restful and calm, albeit with a tight grip on Blake.