THREE

Ball Breaker

“Jack.”

“Christ, you’re wet.”

“Jack.”

My eyes flew wide open. Images of long legs and brown, coffee-colored eyes flashed across my memory. “Shit.” The images seemed real, the memories like they’d just happened. I lay there a moment, trying to slow my breathing. “Jesus,” I muttered. Sitting up and glancing at the clock, I noted the time: 3:15 A.M. My thoughts turned to those brown eyes, and I wondered if she was sleeping or working on that damn article. Long legs that wrapped around my back, while those eyes closed as she moaned my name, passed through my mind’s eye. Shit. I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the image and mumbled, “Jesus, I need a vacation.” Reaching down and swiping my jeans off the floor, I pulled a shirt from my drawer, grabbed my boots, and headed to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. While I waited for it to brew, I thought about this piece of shit killing women. He’s dumping them where we can find them; he’s not burying them; he wants us to find them…but why? “I wonder if he returns to his dumpsites.” Thinking on that, I decided to check out the possibility; it was better than sitting here stewing before heading into the office.

***

She’s curled up like a kitten, the light of the moon shining on her brown curls. She’s so brave moving here alone. I leaned down and whispered, “I’ll keep you safe. Sleep well, little one.”

You know when you’re sleeping but not quite asleep, and you’re not sure if you’re dreaming? I was lying in my bed curled around my pillow, and I swear I heard a whisper. Too afraid to open my eyes and too sluggish with sleep to actually believe I felt a warm breath on my neck, I continued to doze. Then I heard a floorboard creak. I held my breath, listening, and then heard my front door open and then close. Now I was sure I wasn’t dreaming. Heart pounding, but afraid to move, I listened again for movement. Slowly, I rolled over and opened my eyes. I turned my head to the window and screamed when I saw a dark figure staring back at me. Scared shitless, I rolled to my phone on the nightstand, grabbed it, and dialed 911 as I fell to the floor.

“Gunnison County Sheriff’s Department.”

“Someone is outside my window; I think they were in my cabin.” I was crouching on the floor, looking back at the window, but seeing no one there now.

“Ma’am, I need you to remain calm and give me your name and address.”

“Jennifer Stewart, is the sheriff there?” I asked.

“Ma’am, I need your address.”

“204 Old Saw Mill Road, first cabin on the left. Is the sheriff there?”

“Ma’am, I’m sending a deputy to you now. Are your doors and windows locked?” I looked at my front door, afraid to move toward it.

“I don’t know…I…Can you call Jack?”

“Ma’am, the sheriff is off duty for the night, a deputy will be there shortly. I need you to check your doors and windows and make sure they are secure.” Shaking my head at the woman’s voice, not wanting to move, but afraid not to, I stood and started heading toward the door.

“Ok, doors and windows. I can do that.” Suddenly, a loud noise came from the front porch, and I screamed, ran to the bathroom, and locked myself in, sliding down the door to the floor.

“Ma’am, are you still with me?”

“He’s outside,” I whispered. “Please call Jack, please, please, please.”

***

“Gunnison.”

“Sheriff, we’ve got a woman on the emergency line with an unknown intruder still on the premises, at 204 Old Saw Mill Road.”

“Did you send a deputy to investigate?”

“Got Grady heading over, Jack, but she keeps asking for you.”

“What’s this woman’s name?”

“Stewart, Jennifer Stewart. Hold one second, Jack. Amy, is Ms. Stewart secure?”

Before I could ask why she was asking for me, my blood ran cold when I heard Jenn scream, then plead over the dispatch speaker, “He’s outside, please call Jack, please, please, please.” I didn’t hesitate when I heard her scared voice. “Phil, call Grady, tell him I’m in route and ten minutes out from her location.”

“Will do, Jack,” he replied and hung up.

I whipped my truck around and hit the gas, taking turns on the winding road up the mountain faster than was safe. Within seven minutes, I was bearing down on Old Saw Mill and saw headlights from a truck heading towards me. As I passed, I made a note of the color: light tan, silver or gray. Then I pulled a right onto Saw Mill and hit the gas. As I came up to the small cabin, I saw no lights, and no one lurking around. I threw the truck into park and then ran up the steps to the door and pounded.

“Jenn, it's Jack, open up.” Trying the doorknob and finding it locked, I pounded again then heard a noise inside.

“Jack, oh, God, hold on.”

I heard the lock turn, and the door flew open. Jenn didn’t think twice: she threw herself at me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and then she started to cry. I took a step back as her head buried in my neck, and I’ll be damned if that didn’t wash right over me and settle warm in my gut, as the word “Mine” rang in my head. I didn’t hesitate; I wrapped my arms around her and buried my face to her ear and whispered:

“I got you, baby.”

“Jack, he was in the cabin. He whispered in my ear.”

As natural as if I’d been doing it all my life, I picked Jenn up in my arms, walked into the cabin, and slammed the door with my boot. I moved to her couch and sat down, Jenn never breaking her hold on me.

“Talk to me, Jenn.” She pulled back and dried her eyes with the cuff of her shirt, then breathed in and let it out. In the low light, with messed up hair, red eyes and nose from crying, I realized I’d never seen anyone more beautiful, and I instantly wanted to find this asshole who’d scared her to tears.

“I was sleeping, or I think I was sleeping; anyway, I felt a warm breath on my neck which is what woke me, or not, I’m still not clear on the whole sleeping thing. Then I thought I heard someone whisper, but I’m not sure what he said. So I lay there for a moment, listening, and I heard a floorboard creak. I lay there some more, and I heard my front door open and close, then of course I lay there a little longer, listening again, and heard nothing. I waited a bit longer, listening for more noise, and then rolled to the window. He was there, looking down at me, and that’s when I called the station; then something loud hit the wall on the outside and then you came.” If the situation hadn’t been so serious, I would have laughed at that explanation. I’m not entirely sure she took a breath during that whole speech. Holding my smile back, I questioned her some more.

“Did you get a good look at this person?”

“It was a man.”

“Then you got a look at him.”

“No.”

“Then how do you know it was a man?”

“It looked like a man”

“How do you know, if you didn’t get a look at him?”

“It just looked like a man. He was tall, bulky; head hit the top of the window. He was dressed in a dark jacket and jeans, a man.” I looked to the ceiling, wondering what she considered a good look. She saw everything but the face.

“Ok, Jenn, I’m gonna go outside and look around, you lock the door behind me.”

Jenn moved from my lap and followed me to the door. I heard the lock engage and pulled out my flashlight. The ground was too hard for footprints, but when I moved to the window, I found a plant in a ceramic pot, smashed on the porch. It looked like it had been thrown, not tipped over. Something slithered down my spine. If this were a random break-in, why throw something in anger? I looked around the porch and noticed hanging pots from the roof trusses. It was possible, when she caught them peeking at her, they knocked it off in their haste to get away, and it shattered. A sexy woman alone might attract a Peeping Tom. As for the whispering in her ear? She could have dreamt that. The intruder could have entered the cabin looking for something to steal; when she stirred they left the cabin, and then looked through the window to see if she woke up. When she saw them, they turned and ran, knocking the pot off, causing the loud noise. This seemed the likeliest scenario, but I’d make a note for the boys to keep an eye on this area.

***

Pacing the floor while I waited for Jack to return, I thought about the man at my window. Did I know him? Was there anything familiar about him? I heard Jack knock and opened the door. Watching Jack enter, I noticed what a large man he was, how he filled the room with his presence. Tall and bulky instead of lanky, with large muscled arms and a broad chest, he just exuded strength. No wonder Naomi didn’t want to let him go; all that and brains to boot!

He broke me from my daydreaming when he started talking. “Found a broken flower pot on the porch. The intruder probably knocked it off after you caught him looking in the window.”

“Ok, that makes sense.”

“I think he entered the cabin to steal something, and when you stirred, he left out the front door and then peeked in the window to double check you were still asleep.”

“How did he get in?”

“You sure you locked your door before bed?”

“Yes, no…I’m not sure of anything. I was tired and trying to decide whether to pack and move to Breckenridge when I went to bed.”

“Move to Breckenridge?”

“Um, yeah, I was sure you were going to lynch me after that phone call from Ben.” Jack’s face broke into a smile, and he chuckled. He was a rugged, sexy man, but when he smiled, he was dazzling.

“I’m glad to see you’re taking me seriously about investigating this killer.”

“Oh, I know how much you don’t want me to investigate, Jack, believe me; I got that message loud and clear. I’m just poking around, getting facts, so when this guy is caught I’m already ahead of the game. I’m not stupid; I don’t want to get in the crosshairs of a killer.” Jack studied me for a moment, and something settled in his eyes, something like acceptance.

“Ok, Jenn, you do your research, but no going to press with anything unless I give the OK.”

“I can do that, I promise; I can dig for information, and write my story as it unfolds, then turn it in to Bob once you’ve caught this guy.”

“I can live with that as long as you stay out of my way and don’t put yourself in danger. You hear what I’m saying? Research only, Jenn.”

“Got it, Sheriff.”

“Just Jack, remember?” I smiled at that; he’d remembered this afternoon.

“So how’d it go with Naomi? You guys back on again?” He grinned slowly, and then shook his head.

“No, Jenn, we aren’t back together. I don’t like women who try to change who I am. I’m not nine-to-five suit material. I wear jeans, I hunt bad guys, and I rescue damsels in distress.”

“Well, this damsel is mighty glad you came so quickly, just so you know.” Oh, my God, I’m flirting. Where in the hell did that come from? I looked away, embarrassed, and heard Jack chuckle.

“Duly noted. Glad I could be of service.”

“Me too, Jack, and I promise, not to call in the middle of the night again if I can help it.” Jack grinned a sexy grin, and I felt my knees go weak.

“You know, for a reporter, you’re kinda sweet. Not at all what I expected after this morning. Gotta say, babe, it’s nice to see.” Wait, I’m not sure that was a compliment. I wanted to be seen as a serious reporter, not sweet.

“I can be a bitch. I can eat up balls, spit them out, and then trample them with my boots.” Jack’s eyebrows shot to his forehead.

“Eat up balls and spit them out. Jesus, I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you. Men will be falling all over themselves to get to your brand of ball-breaking.”

“Keep an eye on me? Why would you have to keep an eye on me?”

Jack’s hand came up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. Watching his hand as he did this, he then curled it behind my neck and slowly drew me to him. I watched his eye come to mine, and on a deep breath, he kissed me. Sweet and slow, with liberal amounts of tongue, it was a tentative first kiss, meant to test the waters, but inform you of his intentions, and it definitely left me wanting more.

“That’s what that means,” he breathed against my mouth. Wow, good to know.

“Now, lock up behind me as soon as I leave and if you need me again, don’t hesitate to call.” I was still in a trance from his kiss and just nodded my head as he walked to my door. Jack opened it, then turned back grinning at me.

“See ya, Ball Breaker.”

“See ya, Just Jack,” I replied as he walked out the door and down my steps to his truck. I got a chin lift as he climbed in, then he waited for me to close my door. I turned the lock and watched from my front window as he turned out of my drive and headed back down the mountain. It was after he was gone and I was thinking about his strong hands and soft lips on mine when I realized I’d forgotten I’d been broken into. Shit, I’d been dazzled...That man was lethal to more than one part of my body.

Moving toward my bed, I saw a business card lying on my table. I picked it up and read the fine print. Jack Gunnison, Sheriff, Gunnison County. I bet there’s a fascinating story behind that name. I grabbed my phone where I’d left it on the table and punched in the number of his cell. When the cursor flashed for the name, I started to type in “Jack” but stopped, smiling. Then I typed in “Bossy” instead. For some reason, that just fit him, since the moment I’d met him, he’d been bossing me around.

I decided to send him a text so he’d have my number, but why? I had no idea; I needed to keep my distance. Anyone who could kiss me dizzy could not be good for my state of mind. And after Barry told me women don’t last with Jack, I didn’t need to be added to the long list of women he’d dumped. But good manners pushed me to do it, so I hit the fabulous little microphone on my message screen, and spoke into it.

< Thanks for rescuing me. In case you rescue more than one damsel in a night, this is Jennifer. >

I put my phone down and headed to the bathroom, not expecting a text back or at all since he was busy, so I was surprised when he texted back quickly.

< You lock your doors? >

< Of course. >

< Windows? >

< Yes, Jack. >

< Then get to sleep, babe. No thanks necessary. The pleasure was all mine. >

< Anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?>

< Nope. >

< Interesting. >

< Sleep. >

< Fine. >

No more texts came, so I went to the bathroom and then climbed in bed and curled around my pillow. I thought about the last two hours and decided Jack might be a good guy, but he was very, very dangerous to my heart.