Forgiveness Creek: The Creek Series (20 page)

Stephan’s pistol.

I went upstairs and found the box containing his gun and ammunition in my bedside table. I made sure it was loaded and turned the safety off. The gun was way too big for me to carry around, so I added another item to my shopping list for the next outing.

I tried to go back to sleep, but my attempts were fruitless. As I laid there on the sofa, I wondered what Mom would think of me now. Would she be excited about a grandbaby? Or would the happenings of my life define who I was?

A stupid hick girl goes to the big city and gets knocked up by the first boy she meets. Girl meets boy, girl loses boy, but unlike the movies, girl doesn’t necessarily get boy back happily-ever-after.

With boards coming in a couple of weeks, I turned on the lamp and pulled the old trunk away from the corner, using it as a coffee table.

Scratch that, I covered it with my notebooks and study guides. It was the perfect study table, leaving me plenty of room for my Yeti coffee cup.

After sunrise, I wasn’t surprised when Justin knocked on the door.

“I saw your light on. You do okay last night?”

“I’m fine. I’m a big girl. Just doin’ some studying for boards.”

“I smell coffee. Mind if I steal a cup, I’m out, but I’ve got it on my grocery list.”

“You can have some of mine. I’ll be going into town just as soon as I make a doctor’s appointment, so give me your list if you want.”

We sat down in the living room, and he picked up a diagram I had laying on the trunk. “So, this is what my heart looks like?”

“Yep.”

He laid the diagram back down on the table. “You draw that?”

“Yes, late one night after three pots of coffee. It was for a test, and Karina and I filled the trash can with failed attempts.” I laughed at the memory. Oh, how I missed her. Would she be disappointed in me too?

“Speaking of coffee, what kind of cup are you drinking out of?”

“Oh gosh, these are phenomenal. It’s called a Yeti, and it will keep stuff hot or cold forever… I mean like a whole day. It was a graduation gift from my advisor. She wrote the cutest note and gave me a funny cartoon. My first thought was that after two years, she gives me a cup. But oh, what a cup it is. I’ll have to get you one.”

While he examined my fancy cup, I fished around in my book bag to find the comic copy of two mosquitos. One was normal and the other really fat like an orange. The caption read:
Pull back, pull back, you’ve hit an artery
. It was a little nursing/medical humor, but when I handed it to Justin, he laughed out loud.

“Some of these damn mosquitos around here are vampires. Very fitting.”

He wasn’t good on small talk, so he used the cows as an excuse to leave. He was a sweet guy and needed companionship of the female kind. But who would want to move to nowhere land and live a boring life?

Me.

Dr. Ainsworth was a young OB/GYN and had just started her practice which made it easy to get in so quickly. Before my appointment, I stopped by Cabela’s gun department.

“Ma’am, can I help you find something?”

“I want a Bodyguard 380 and a thigh holster.”

“Little lady’s done her homework,” he snarked under his breath.

“Yes.”

“I’ve got forms for you to fill out, and I’ll need your fingerprints.”

“Not a problem.”

“Are you familiar with the state gun laws?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.” I just wanted a damn gun to protect me and my baby. A criminal could get one in two seconds, but I was getting the third degree. Geez.

“To carry this on your person, a permit is required.”

“I’m aware. I’m just alone and want protection for my home.”

“The holster?” He lifted his eyes from the paperwork and stared at me.

“My business. But if you must know, I have a very large ranch and don’t want to be a coyote’s dinner. I’m pregnant and around my waist is a bit much at the moment.”

He shut up and performed the sale. The next stop I made was to pick up a supply of skirts and soft pants that had room for my expanding belly, and I wanted them to all have pockets. It wasn’t as easy a task as I thought it would be, but I found a few along with a couple of maxi-dresses that would work as well.

I arrived at Dr. Ainsworth’s office just in time to donate to the vampires.

“So you haven’t had any care during this pregnancy?” the nurse asked suspiciously.

“Yes, I have. But, my boyfriend is a wealthy businessman in Dallas and a threat was made on our lives on Sunday. I’ve returned to my ranch to go into hiding.”

She looked at me and rubbed her brow before she started punching more buttons on her electronic tablet. I was sure she thought I’d been reading too many Harlequins.

“I know it sounds like the makings of a Stephen King novel, but it’s actually true.”

She pulled her glasses down and simply stared at me. “Well, that might explain the rise in your blood pressure. Is there any way we can obtain your records?”

“I’d rather you didn’t request them. If the doctor thinks it’s urgent, I can contact a friend and have her pick them up.”

She left the room without answering. Either she didn’t believe me or found that I was going to be a difficult patient unworthy of her extra time.

A petite, young blonde woman entered the room by herself. “Hi, I’m Sarah Ainsworth. Tana, my nurse, has filled me in on your situation. I’m worried about you. Your blood pressure is very high, and to be honest, I really should put you in the hospital, unless you can give me a reason not to.”

“I just finished nursing school at TWU and take boards in a couple of weeks. I promise to monitor myself at home. This nightmare that is my life has all happened two days ago, and to be really honest, I’m doing my best to keep my grip on things.”

“My nurse said something about death threats.”

“Yes, and some type of corporate espionage.”

“Since you’re pregnant, I can’t give you anything for the anxiety. But, why don’t we do something calming and take a look at your baby? While we do that, I’ll watch your blood pressure.” Dr. Ainsworth dropped warm jelly on my tummy and turned the screen, so I could see too. She took measurements and busied herself with her routine.

“Everything is looking good here. Heart is strong, and the baby’s development is right in order for your weeks. Do you want to know the sex or have they told you already?”

“At first I didn’t think I wanted to know, but now, I do. I need the mental diversion.”

“You’re having a little boy. Congratulations. He looks healthy, and we’ll do our best to keep him that way.” She looked over her shoulder at the blood pressure monitor. “I see your blood pressure has dropped considerably, but I’m making a note that you should be on fifty percent bed rest. That means fifty percent of your day should be spent reclining and resting. In addition, there shall be no heavy lifting and very light housework. Studying is perfect.”

“Thank you, Dr. Ainsworth, for believing me and for your understanding.”

As she opened the door to leave, she turned back to me. “You’re very welcome. Please take good care of yourself. I want to see you again in two weeks, and if there is anything I can do to help you in any way, please call me.” Then she left closing the door softly behind her.

A little boy.
Asher had got his wish.

My drive home was uneventful other than my imagination filled with thoughts of my little peanut…my little man. I knew I had to do everything possible to keep him safe.

I stopped at the pharmacy and picked up a blood pressure monitor and made him a promise to take the best care of him I could.

I drove my car over to Stephan’s and put it in his barn. The hills, plus the rock road down to the barn, weren’t good for a low-riding car such as a Beetle, but I crept slowly and made it work.

I took my new purchase from Cabela’s out of the case and loaded the clip. It had been a long while since I’d fired a gun. I walked down to the pasture and lined my selection of cans on the rocks and fence posts. I practiced taking aim and fired until I had memorized the feel of the gun and felt comfortable with my target. A sniper, I was not, but I wasn’t a wimp either.

Justin came to give me a lift back home as promised.

“Do you really think they’re coming after you?”

“Yes, for some reason, I do. Why? I haven’t the foggiest idea, but I’m going to be ready for them.”

Later that night, I cut the seam from all the pockets on my right side. I put the gun in the thigh holster and double checked all the skirts, dresses, and pants to make certain that in the event I needed to reach the gun, all I had to do was slip my hand in the opened pocket and down to my thigh.

I practiced the move over and over, until I was comfortable moving the safety and pulling the gun out of the holster. I knew I would have to fire through my clothing or risk shooting my own leg or foot.

From that moment on, I was never going to be unarmed. While the situation at hand pushed all of my boundaries, I was never going to let it define me.

Dane

The hurt in her eyes spoke the volumes of words she hid from me. I had just won her love only to lose her again. But I had to let her go. I had to keep her safe. I knew she would return to the one place that made her comfortable, and I prayed it would be enough.

The flight to China was anything less than routine. I wasn’t certain who was behind the corporate issues or the threats against my family, but I had my suspicions.

“What do you mean she didn’t take the truck?” I asked Grandfather as soon as I had landed.

“Her roommate says the truck is sitting out front. The keys were left on the table along with a note saying she’d gone deep into hiding.”

“Fucking great. I had a tracker on that truck, so I’d know where she was, Grandfather.”

“There’s more, son. She left the burner phones as well.”

“Well, that would explain why she’s not answering. This just gets better and better.”

Grandfather and I had discussed all day which employees we felt could be trusted and which ones would be terminated. We agreed on every person, except for two. I let him have the final call. Stella was one we definitely agreed on, and if our hunch was right, we would see her show her true colors.

After I spoke with Grandfather, I called an emergency staff meeting and woke my team in the early hours of the morning.