Coming Home to Love

Chapter 23

Jennifer let her eyes adjust to the darkness as she tried to figure out what had woke her up. She squinted at the red numbers on her alarm clock: 2:01. She groaned as she snuggled into the warm covers. Jordan had called her around ten to tell her he wouldn't be able to get out to the ranch that night. He'd had a busy night, with multiple calls around town. She pictured him sitting behind his desk, his mouth a stern line as he filled out paperwork. A sound caught her attention and she sat up and tilted her head towards the window.

At the sound of an engine getting louder, Jennifer jumped from bed. She grabbed a housecoat and rushed into the hall. She ran out the back door and spotted red lights glowing as the ATV hit the driveway. Robert and a ranch hand streaked from the bunkhouse to the front yard. Jennifer hustled after them. She heard gears grind as the engine whined louder. She rounded the porch just as the ATV careened towards the pond. The driver baled off and headed towards the west pasture.

“Jennifer, go call Jordan. Robert, get those horses saddled. We're going after that man.”

She jumped as Pa's voice carried from the porch. She watched in horror as the green four-wheeler sank from sight. Smoke rose from the surface of the water.

“I've already called him Pa. He said he'll be here in five minutes.”

Jennifer glanced at Chloe, relieved that her daughter had been inside. For one sick moment, as she saw the red taillights, she had an image of Chloe riding with Jason.

“Momma, are you okay?”

She nodded as she walked on shaky legs to the porch. “Flashback.”

Chloe looked confused for a moment. “Oh, you thought of the dirt bike.”

Jennifer sat on the wicker chair and leaned forward. She had trouble breathing. “I knew you wouldn't go with him, but my brain didn't pick up on it.”

“It's okay. I get it.” Chloe moved closer and narrowed her eyes. “Mom, are you okay? You look kinda pale.”

Jennifer took a deep breath. “I'm fine. There's just so much happening lately. It's taking it's toll.”

Chloe squeezed her hand. “Don't worry. Jordan will figure it all out.”

Both females looked up as a truck came to a stop in the driveway. Jordan came around the truck, a thunderous look on his face. He stomped onto the porch.

“Where's everyone at?”

Jennifer opened her mouth but she couldn't force out the words needed.

“Pa and Scott took some men to search for the man. They saw what way he ran off.”

Jordan cussed as he hit his leg with his hat. “It's too dangerous for them to go.”

“They had guns.”

He groaned. “That's it. I'm through with this nonsense.”

Jordan pressed a button on the radio clipped to his shoulder. Jennifer heard the deep timber of his voice, but his words eluded her. She felt herself shaking, heard her teeth rattling. She wanted to do something to help, yet she couldn't find the energy to move.

“Jordan!”

Strong arms wrapped around Jennifer. She forced her heavy eyelids open to realize she was staring at the porch. She struggled to free herself from Jordan's arms. She couldn't think when he was this close to her.

“Hold still damn it.”

“What happened?”

Jordan pulled her against his body and pressed her head into his shoulder. Her body molded to him as she took deep breaths. His scent teased her senses. She let her hands roam over his body, admiring the hard muscles under starched fabric.

“You fainted.”

She tossed her head back and forth, mindless of the stings her hair caused against her cheeks. Her skin felt tight. Her heart raced. She couldn't breath. She sucked in deep lungfuls of air, trying to make the sensation pass. As if from a great distance, she heard Chloe's panicked voice.

“Jordan, what's wrong with her? Call an ambulance.”

“I'm fine baby.”

Jordan's firm hands pushed her into the chair. She felt him guide her head between her legs. “No, you're not. Now, take slow deep breaths.” He rubbed her back in soothing, broad strokes. “She's having a panic attack Chloe. She'll be fine. We just need to get her calmed
down.”

Jennifer felt a hysterical laugh bubble up from her chest. She tried to raise up. “How can I calm down when there's some creep out there terrorizing my family?”

“I know baby. I wish I could stop it. Hell, I should be able to. I'm the freaking law around here.”

Chloe's voice boomed over Jordan's, strong with indignation. “You will end it Jordan. I have faith in you. We just have to get the one-up on this man.”

The tightness in her chest eased. Jennifer sighed. “I'm better Jordan. You can let me up now.”

She sat up slow and glanced up at him. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he watched her. She smiled. “Thank you. I'm glad you knew what to do.”

He shrugged. “I saw my mom have them a few times.”

A bobbing light appeared over a hill to their right. Jennifer tensed until she saw the horses.

“The men are back.”

They waited in the driveway as Pa led the group of men back home. He slumped in the saddle, his face a mass of wrinkles and worry. When he reined his horse to a stop by the porch, Jordan hurried to his side.

“Did you find anything?”

Pa's shoulders shook as he sighed. “Tracks, possibly from a dirt bike. We couldn't follow them for long in the dark. I hope they'll still be there in the morning.”

The screen door creaked as Ma and Julie walked outside. Jennifer watched her grandmother, taking in how pale she looked in the weak porch light. “The rest of the ATVs are damaged as well. They won't crank.”

Jordan swore. “Well folks, look's like you're going to be seeing a whole lot of me and my boys. We're going to be patrolling for a while. Hopefully, we can catch this bastard before something else happens.”

Pa snorted. “I just want to know who I've pissed off so bad.”

Jennifer wanted to bring up the fraud realtor, or Allen, but she kept her opinions to herself. Jordan hadn't seemed interested in hearing them. “I'm glad I went to town earlier. It certainly saved us a ton of money.”

Jordan nodded in agreement. Jennifer saw the curious glances from everyone else and tensed. “Um, I took out an insurance policy on the ranch today. I figured it would be a safety net since we're having so many problems. Everything on the property is insured, including the ATVs. I'll just have to pay a small deductible.”

Pa's face parted in a small smile. “That's good to know baby doll. I'm glad you had the sense to do something like that. It'll certainly help a ton.”

Ma stepped to the edge of the porch and pointed towards the barn. “Y'all put those horses up and let's get some rest. We can take care of all of this mess tomorrow.”

“Actually Ma, I'm having my boys come out here now, but there's no need for any of you to stay up. It's all police procedure and things.”

Jennifer stood by the door, waiting until everyone had cleared off. She tried to force a small smile Jordan's way. She knew it had failed. He looks tired. His eyes drooped at the corners and lines of exhaustion bracketed the tight set of his mouth.

“Why don't you let someone else cover the watch tonight? You look like you could use some rest.”

He shook his head. “I'll be fine.”

She wanted to argue but knew it was pointless. This latest episode had to be hard to accept. He would continue to worry about his competency as a police officer until he could put a stop to the problems.

“At least come inside for some coffee.”

“No thanks. I'm going to set up shop in the hayloft. I'll see you later, okay?”

Jennifer frowned as she watched him stride across the porch. His behavior worried her. This was the first time he hadn't found a reason to touch her or take the time to even talk to her.

“Jordan?”

He turned, his hand on the rail. “Yeah?”

She bit her lip. She wanted to say never mind. “Are we okay?”

He came back onto the porch and stalked towards her. She took a hesitant step back. His fingers cupped her face.

“We're fine baby. I'm sorry. I'm just aggravated.”

Jennifer nodded. “Me too. I shouldn't be bothering you with this right now.”

His face inched slower. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips settle over hers. The kiss started out slow, a light brushing of lips. Her hands touched his chest, gripping the fabric to hold him close. Groaning, he deepened the kiss as he pushed her backwards. Her back pressed against the vinyl siding, the ridges digging into her shoulders. She ignored the discomfort as his mouth assaulted hers.

“Come to my room.”

She didn't realize she'd spoken the thought until Jordan pulled his mouth away. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths as he stared down at her. She licked her lips, relishing his lingering taste.

“I need to get out of here before I do. When all of this is over, I'm locking you in my bed for a week.”

Jennifer laughed. “We'll see about that cowboy.”

He tipped his black Stetson. “That's Chief cowboy to you ma'am.” He winked. “Go get some rest. I'll see you in a few hours.”

He walked off the porch and down the walkway. Jennifer loved watching the swagger of his hips when he moved. And his backside in those pants. It should have been against the law; indecent exposure.

“Jennifer, go.”

She jumped as she realized he'd turned and caught her staring. She felt her face flame as she snatched open the screen door and scrambled inside. She headed to her room, planning to go back to sleep. As she lay in the empty bed, her mind kept returning to Jordan. The way he kissed her, how he made her feel sexy, wanted, loved. Groaning, she punched her pillow and rolled over. The red digits on her alarm clock taunted her. She'd been fantasizing for over an hour, still no closer to sleep than when she'd come in. Needing to do something to expend her energy, she tiptoed into the kitchen and found one of Pa's large coffee thermoses. She fixed a pot of coffee and poured it into the insulated container.

After preparing two sandwiches, she snuck out the back door. She let her eyes adjust to the dark before she navigated her way to the barn. She noticed the crack in the hayloft door, just enough to allow Jordan to see out of, but not enough to arouse attention. She glanced up and winked, just in case Jordan was watching her. The smell of hay and horse manure greeted her as she stepped inside the barn. Even though all the fire damage had been replaced, she could still detect the lingering essence of charred wood. So much had happened in the two weeks since they'd gotten here.

And it's not over yet.

Jennifer climbed the ladder, the bag containing Jordan's snack draped over her shoulder. She peeked her head around as she cleared the opening. The room was too dark to make out more than the shadow of the hay bales stored. She didn't see Jordan anywhere.

Maybe he's patrolling the ground somewhere.

She hesitated, wondering if she should try and track him down. Although sneaking up on him while he was looking for trouble might scare him. Before she had time to finish climbing the steps, hands gripped her arms and hauled her up. A large body pressed her to the ground, while a firm hand covered her mouth.

“I caught you son of a bitch. You won't be causing anymore problems around here.”

Jennifer felt her eyes widen. She squirmed under Jordan's heavy weight. His hand moved a bit as she twisted her head.

“Jordan, it's me.”

His fingers dug into her mouth a bit harder, mashing her lips against her teeth. She tried to breath against the terror trying to rise inside her. Jordan relaxed. His hand ripped from her face.

“Jennifer? What the hell are you doing up here? Don't you realize I could have injured you?
Oh God, did I?”

His hands began roaming over her body, looking for an invisible injury. As his slender fingers brushed the sides of her breasts, she moaned. She heard Jordan's breath hiss.

“Did that hurt?”

She shook her head, then said no when she realized he couldn’t see her in the dark.

“Then what's wrong?”

She laughed. “Not a thing.”

Jennifer sensed Jordan's confusion. His hands continued to stroke her body, this time in slower movements. He seemed unaware that his touch had turned sensual. She moaned as she arched against his hands.

“Touch me Jordan.”

His breath hissed. “Jennifer, I'm on watch.”

“Then we'll be fast. Please Jordan. I need you. I've never felt like this before. If I don't have you inside me soon, I think I'll die.”

Jordan moaned as he pressed his face against her neck. “You're trying to kill me woman.”

Jennifer laughed. “Never. You wouldn't be any good to me then. Hurry Jordan.”

She pushed him off of her and tossed the purse aside. Her hands fumbled with the button on her jeans. She used her legs to shove them down before helping Jordan get his pants off. His shaft touched her inner thigh and she shivered. With one smooth thrust, he filled her to the hilt. Jennifer dug her nails into his back as spasms of pleasure shook her. Jordan kept his thrusts even and deep. Waves of pleasure washed through Jennifer, erasing everything in her mind except the intense pleasure. His name escaped her mouth on a cry of release.

Jordan's body went tense as his cock throbbed against Jennifer's womb. She held him tight to her, not ready to break the connection. She felt Jordan shift his weight to his arms as he pressed a kiss to her nose.

“Well that helped wake me up.”

Jennifer laughed. “I guess you don't need the coffee huh?”

“It's good to have a backup.”

He sat up and started to pull his pants back on. Jennifer sighed as she followed suit. “I brought you some food too.”

Jordan hauled her to her feet and she fell against his chest. His arms circled her as he kissed her. The banked fires of desire started to rekindle. With a deep groan Jennifer felt rumbling in Jordan's chest, he stepped back.

“I had to stop before I lost control.”

Jennifer smiled up at him, hoping it looked seductive. Not that it mattered in the dark. “I don't mind.”

“I know. But I have work to do. I can't push aside my job to give in to my urges. No matter how irresistible you are. How about that food?”

***

Jordan kept his eyes on the ground below as he ate the two sandwiches Jennifer had brought him. His heart still pounded with fear. Realizing she was the one he'd pinned to the ground soured his stomach. He couldn't help but think of how much damage he could have done to her. Then he'd gone all caveman and taken her on the rough floor. She deserved so much better. He couldn't keep his head when she was around. Even now, with her soft body pressed against him, he had trouble remembering that he was supposed to be watching for trouble.

The sound of snoring caused his mouth to twitch. He glanced to his left. Jennifer slouched against the wall, her head resting on her chest. Her arms lay limp in her lap. Shaking his head, he repositioned her so that she slept with her head on his legs. A bad position if trouble broke out but he'd cross that bridge if the time came. The coffee helped keep him awake past the sunrise. Around seven thirty, Craig's patrol car pulled up. He shook Jennifer's shoulder.

“Wake up sleepy head.”

Her lashed fluttered against her cheeks as she looked up at him with dazed eyes. His heart lurched. It was a sight he wanted to see every day for the rest of his life.

“Did I fall asleep?”

He nodded, unable to form words past the knot in his throat.

“You should have woke me up. I could have kept you company so you wouldn't be alone.”

“Having you in my arms was plenty. You needed to rest.”

Jennifer pushed her tangled hair away from her face and sat up. She grimaced.

“Stiff?”

“Yeah.”

Jordan stood up and stretched. She wasn't the only one. “How about a walk around? It'll loosen you up.”

Jordan wanted to go to the pond to check on the progress of the crime scene. They held hands as they walked across the driveway. Craig turned towards them as they reached the yellow tape.

“Morning Chief. Things stay uneventful last night?”

Jordan shot a quick look at Jennifer. He felt his face grow warm. He redirected his thoughts. That kind of activity wasn't what Craig had meant.

“Yeah, other than this fiasco. I want to get Bernie and Steve up here to check out those tracks in the pasture. Make sure they take photos and a mold. See if they can find out where they lead.”

Craig wrote the orders down. “Do we know what sort of vehicle it was?”

“Probably a dirt bike.”

“I'll check to see if any have been reported stolen. Have we gotten any closer to finding out who might have a grudge against Pa?”

Jennifer cleared her throat. Her fingers tightened on Jordan's. He glanced at her, waiting.

“I've been suspicious of Allen. He never seems bothered by the problems and he refuses to help with the repairs. I know he's been looking for another job. And, his son has a dirt bike.”
Craig scratched his head. “No one would think anything of him being on the ranch at odd hours, or if he was alone.”

“Get his alibi for last night.”

Craig nodded to Jordan. “Gotcha. How long before someone gets here to pull the ATV out?”

Jordan checked his watch. “Still another half hour or so. The lab's sending a transport. They'll process the machine for any possible evidence. I doubt we'll get fingerprints since it's been submerged, but maybe there'll be a piece of DNA or something left behind.”

“I'll call you when they head out. Go home and get some rest boss. You look like crap.”

Jordan's smile made his face feel like it would crack. His eyes felt gritty and his skin too tight. He needed to lock himself in his room for three days of uninterrupted sleep. As Jennifer pressed against him, he altered that plan. A week locked in his room, with lots of sex and some rest.

“Want to walk me to my car? I need to go into town.”

They walked towards Jennifer's truck in silence. After she'd opened her door, she turned towards him. “You going to be okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I'm just tired and worried. I hope it'll be over soon. What do you need to do in town?”

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “I've got to stop by the newspaper and turn in my article for the party. If I don't get it to him soon, Mason will run with his own story. We don't need that right now. And I think I'm going to have to buy a new cell phone. I still can't find mine.”


Jordan reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a black phone case. “Take mine.”

Jennifer refused to accept it. “No. You need it for work.”

He pressed the item into her hand and closed her fingers over it. “I have the radio if anyone needs me. I don't like you not having a way to contact someone, if something goes wrong.”
He knew he'd worried her, but he didn't feel bad. She needed to be alert. Until he figured out who was sabotaging the ranch, everyone there would be at risk.