LEAP OF FAITH (19 page)

“Ready, sweetheart?”

She stood up and carried her tea outside. While Jack rested his elbows on the rail and sipped on his beer, Abby struggled to find a way to approach the subject without sounding accusatory. After several minutes of silence, she gave up the futile attempt to find a subtle tactic and simply blurted it out.

“Jack? Did they ever arrest any suspects in the Mountain Man cases?”

He nodded without looking at her. She studied his profile, noting the way his jaw flexed and the tension that settled across his broad shoulders. 

“Being the new cowboy in town earned me that privilege,” his reply was bitter.

“What happened?”

“The Sheriff showed up at my cabin one morning, apologized before cuffing me, and then hauled me down to the police station.”

“How could he do that without any evidence?” 

“Apparently, it was the first time anyone in town had ever come up missing that didn’t
want
to be missing. Less than a year after I moved up here, a very wealthy and prominent woman disappeared from her home and I was brought in for questioning. I wasn’t happy about it, but I understood why I was the most logical suspect.”

“How long did they keep you there?”

Jack took a sip of his beer. “Not long; four or five hours maybe. As soon as they verified I was in up-state New York on a book tour when the woman disappeared, they let me go.”

“But they keep coming back to question you whenever another woman is abducted?”

“Don’t worry so much about it, honey,” he said, offering a reassuring smile. “They wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they didn’t question all the men in the area.”

“I
am
worried, Jack. And I’m scared because you have a motorcycle and they think the killer used one when he kidnapped the Sawyer girl.”

He took the glass from her hand and set it on the rail beside his beer and gathered her in his arms. “That doesn’t even make sense, Abby. How could anyone kidnap another person if they’re riding a motorcycle? It’s a coincidence, the tracks being there, that’s all.”

“Not if she got on the motorcycle willingly. You said the police believe it’s a local man. If she knew him, she wouldn’t be afraid to accept a ride from him.”

“Then why would her backpack be on the side of the road if she went voluntarily? The kids in this area are always riding dirt bikes alongside the highway so they can watch the mud fly from their back tires. I’ve seen it hundreds of times. I just hope they don’t try to lay it on some local boy because his tracks happen to be next to Anya’s backpack.” 

Abby caught the familiar use of the girl’s first name. “You know her?”

“Just in passing. Her father is the postmaster. She works there in the summers.”

She let her head fall against his chest. “I hope they find him this time.”

“Me, too, honey,” he said, stroking her hair. Jack looked out over the forest. “You knew I’d been arrested, didn’t you, Abby?”

“Yes.”

“But not about my alibi?”

“No, I didn’t know that part.”

“And you still asked me about it. Was it a test to see if I would lie about being a suspect?”

Abby pulled away from him. “No!” she cried. “I was just curious about it because of what Sherri said this afternoon so I looked up the newspaper archives. I saw your picture and the headlines.” Her heart ached at the stark pain behind his dark eyes. “I trust you, Jack,” she said softly. “I was worried because of what Sherri said about the tire tracks.”        

“Honey, I told you they’ll probably find out the tracks belong to one of the local boys, who would have been way too young when the disappearances first started.”

“I know that. But how many of those boys recently had the tires changed on their bikes?”

“I don’t…” Jack’s face lost all expression as comprehension set in. “You mean like I did today?”

“It’s going to look very suspicious.”

“I’d better call Walt and tell him not to throw the old tires out. I’ll call the Sheriff too and let him know so he doesn’t hear from Walt that I had them changed today.”

“I think that would be a good idea,” she agreed, and was a little surprised when Jack gave her a big hug and kissed her. “What was that for?”

“Because if you hadn’t mentioned how suspicious changing my tires looked and Walt threw them out before the Sheriff examined them, I can pretty much guarantee I would be wearing those cuffs again.”

***

“What did Walt say?” Abby asked when she emerged from the bathroom and saw Jack sitting on the edge of the bed looking shell shocked.

“All his used tires were hauled to the dump this afternoon. He apologized all over the place, but I don’t think that will help much.”

“What about the Sheriff?”        

“I called him too. I told him what Sherri said about the motorcycle tracks and why I had Walt change the tires. He thanked me for letting him know but didn’t sound convinced that it was all just unfortunate timing.”

“Well, it’s not as if you don’t have an alibi so it doesn’t matter anyway. You’ve been with me day and night for the past two weeks.”

Jack shook his head, looking more despondent than ever. “I went into town twice last week, remember?”

“Oh, Jack.” She sat down beside him. “Don’t tell me one of those days was when the Sawyer girl disappeared?” He didn’t have to say anything; she saw the answer in his eyes. “What are we going to do?”

“My beautiful Abby,” he said as he put his arm around her. “You don’t have any doubts about me, do you?”

“I love you, Jack. I believe in you, I trust you. You’re the kindest man I’ve ever known.”  She looked up at him. “There are no doubts.”

“Why couldn’t I have found you years ago?”

“You have me now, Jack. We have each other.”

***

“Hurry, Jack! It’s going to take forever to get down that wretched road, and if we don’t leave soon we’ll miss our flight.”

Jack glanced back at her in exasperation. After fifteen minutes of trying to cram her bags into the jeep without much success, he was getting pretty frustrated. 

“We’re only going to be gone for three days, Abby, couldn’t you leave the kitchen sink behind?”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, pull the luggage out and let me do it.”

“I can get it,” he said irritably.

“Humor me, Jack. Pull everything out and watch a pro at work.”

He yanked the suitcases out and stood back with his arms crossed, certain she would fail as miserably as he had. Abby eye the luggage, circled around it a few times, checked the space in the back of the jeep, and then picked up the first case. In less than two minutes she had everything snugly in place and was closing the back hatch.

She turned to him with a triumphant smile. “When you have as many kids in the family as we did, you learn to make your allotted space count.”

“If you knew you could do that, why did you let me struggle with it for so long?”

Abby shrugged with a grin. “It wouldn’t have looked as impressive if you hadn’t failed at it first.”

Jack grabbed her and pulled her roughly to him. “I ought to tan your hide for that.”

“Sounds like fun, but we don’t have time right now.”

He growled softly. “How much time
do
we have?”

Abby’s eyes widened. “Not enough time for what you want to do!”

“When we get back, I’m going to demand retribution.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said with a sexy smile.  

“What about your gown?” Jack asked, eager to change the subject before he gave into the temptation to take her back inside the cabin.

She climbed into the jeep and waited for him to get in. “Mom said she would get one for me.”

“What if you don’t like what she picks out?” he asked as he fired up the engine and headed down the bumpy road.

“Mom always buys at least three gowns so I have a choice.” Abby grimaced when they hit the first pot hole. “She’ll return the others or let Jenna pick from the ones I don’t want.”

“You really are spoiled rotten, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she said in a stately manner, “and I fully expect you to continue that tradition.”

“I think I’ve done a good job so far.”

“You’ve done a wonderful job and I thoroughly enjoy being pampered by you. I just hope you don’t change when we get married.”

“When are you going to tell your family?”

“I want them to get to know you first. My family is very close and we’re all extremely protective of each other. I want to give them the chance to accept you and love you like I do.”  

“And if they don’t?”

She shrugged indifferently. “Then I guess we can’t get married.” 

“What?”
Jack glanced sharply at her, his expression relaxing when he realized she was teasing. “Ah, hell, Abby, don’t do that to me!”

“I’m sorry,” she giggled, “I couldn’t help it. They
will
accept you, Jack. Even if they don’t at first, in time they will, because they’ll see how much I love you and how happy you make me. That’s all they’ll be concerned about.”

“I wish I had a family like yours,” he said wistfully. He’d been an only child and his parents died shortly after graduating from college.

“Believe me, I didn’t always think it was so wonderful. The boys picked on me mercilessly, except Gage of course. Jenna stole every potential boyfriend I ever had and there was never a time when the bathroom was free.”

“You and Gage are pretty close, aren’t you?”

“He’s my best friend, I tell him everything.”

“Everything?”

“Well…maybe not
everything
, but I did tell him about us.”

“And he hasn’t come to check me out?”

“Gage is different from the others. Maybe it’s because we’re twins but it’s always been that way. It’s like he knows what I’m thinking and feeling. He tried to talk me out of marrying Shane. He told me if I was so sure about it, I wouldn’t feel as if I was going to throw up every time I discussed the wedding.”

“Did you?”   

“Feel like throwing up? Yes, constantly. I should have listened to him.”    

“And what does Gage say about me?”

“He was very supportive and said he was glad I found someone who makes me happy.”

“Well then, I guess I have at least one champion in my corner.”

“Two. Mom knows we’re involved, she just doesn’t know you asked me to marry you.”

“So I only have to pass inspection with five more family members and I’m in?”

“Six. Don’t forget Maggie.

Jack groaned. “Tell me again why I agreed to come along?”

***

“Jenna is meeting us at the airport,” Abby told Jack as their plane lifted off. “I think I should warn you that my sister is used to men panting after her and has been a shameless flirt ever since she discovered the effect that batting her eyelashes had on the opposite sex.”

“I’m sure she’s an attractive young lady,” Jack said, “but I can’t imagine any woman more beautiful than you.”

“God, I love you,” she beamed. “Jenna really is drop dead gorgeous, but it’s more than that. You’ll see what I mean when you meet her. She’s always been particular about her appearance; never a hair out of place, flawless make-up, and perfectly manicured nails. A wrinkle wouldn’t dare come near her clothing, which are tailor made, of course.”

“Then she can’t be as beautiful as you because you don’t need all those things.” Jack took her hand. “You aren’t seriously worried about her flirting with me, are you?”

“I wish I could say that I wasn’t,” she replied with a grimace. “I wasn’t kidding about her stealing every boyfriend I ever had. I don’t think she really
means
to, it’s just that Jenna sees all men as a conquest. I doubt she even liked the boys she went after, it was more like a compulsive need to know she could have them if she wanted them.”

“What about Shane?”

“I…I’m not sure. I never asked. I don’t think I want to know.”

Jack was appalled by the possibility Jenna may have slept with the man Abby had planned to marry. “Would she tell you if she had an affair with him?”

“Yes. That’s why I won’t ask.”

“I promise you have nothing to worry about as far as we’re concerned. I love you, honey, and there’s not a woman in this world that could tear me away from you.”

She turned her head toward the window, but not before he saw doubt flicker across her face. “We’ll be landing in a few minutes,” she said.

“Abby, look at me.” Jack cupped her chin, gently forcing her to face him. “I’m going to marry you, Abby Travis, and I am not about to do
anything
to jeopardize making you my wife, got it?”

“Got it,” she said with a wobbly smile.

As the plane began to descend, Jack felt confident Abby’s insecurities would fade into oblivion once she realized her sister didn’t have the power to come between them. It was her father and brothers that had him a little concerned.
I can handle one flirtatious woman
, Jack thought with a complacent smile. It was a complacency he would later regret because it turned out that Jenna Travis was a greater threat to his relationship with Abby than her father and brothers could ever be.