A Reason To Breathe (3 page)

And before I could even open my mouth to object to anything they’d just said, and most definitely object to them calling Jack since he’d just told me to keep my nose out of his business, Ben was on the phone barking out, “Jack, Ben here.”

Oh, please someone shoot me now.

“We need to meet tomorrow at three to discuss these killings. Gonna have the locals here at four tomorrow so you can get us up to speed.”

I was contemplating moving to Breckenridge the minute I heard the call. Surely they needed a friendly journalist to write their event calendar?

“Jenny told us.”

I wonder how long it takes to pack a one-room cabin? I could be on the road by nightfall, maybe seven?

“Jenny, Jennifer Stewart, pretty thing with a cute butt, surely you’ve met her?”

I heard Jack’s voice grow louder the longer he was on the phone. Now I was determined more than ever to give notice at the paper on my way out of

town. So, I picked up my notes and started stuffing them in my bag, when a phone was shoved into my face.

“Jack wants to talk with you.” Ben chuckled.

“Umm, I’m pretty sure he does, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want to talk to him, so I’ll just be going now, night all.”

It’s moments like this I’m not ashamed to admit… I’m a chicken. As I turned to run out the door, forgetting I’d ordered a meal to go, I was pretty sure I heard Jack laugh on the other end of the phone.
Maybe I’ll forget packing and leave from here!!!

Chapter Three

Ball Breaker

    “Jack.”

    “Christ you’re wet.”

    “Jack.”

       My eyes flew open; images of long legs and brown, coffee colored eyes, flashed across my memory. “Fuck.” The images seemed real, the memories like they’d just happened. I lay there a moment, trying to slow my breathing, “Jesus.” Sitting up and glancing at the clock, I noted the time, 3:15am. My thoughts turned to those brown eyes, and 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 minds-eye.
Shit.
I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the image, “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. 

*
                            *                            *

Jenn

        “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 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 Jack there?”

“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 towards 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 too, I stood and started heading towards 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.”

*
                            *                            *

Jack

       “Gunnison.”

“Sheriff, we’ve got a woman on the emergency line with an unknown intruder still on 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 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 en 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 hanging a right onto Saw Mill, I hit the gas. As I came up on 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, its 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 threw open. Jenn didn’t think twice; she threw herself at me, and wrapped her arms around my neck, then 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 in 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, and Jenn never broke her hold.

“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 fucker 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 laid there for a moment listening, and I heard a floorboard creak. So, I laid there some more, and I heard my front door open and close,
then
of course I laid there a little longer listening and heard nothing. Then I rolled to the window, and he was there looking down at me, so 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 I 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 in their haste to leave when she caught them peeking at her, they knocked it off, 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.

*
                            *                            *

Jenn

       Pacing the floor while I waited for Jack to return, I thought about the man in my window. Did I know him? Was there anything familiar about him? I heard Jack knock, and I opened the door. Watching Jack enter, I noticed what a large man he was, how he fills the room with his presence. Tall and bulky, instead of lanky, large muscled arms and broad chest, he just exuded strength. No wonder Naomi doesn’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 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, 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 into 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, Babe.”

“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 on, I don’t like women who try and change who I am. I’m not 9-5 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. I promise not to call again in the middle of the night if I can help it.” Jack grinned a sexy grin, and I felt my knees get 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 gonna 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 then 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 an inhaled 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.