Full Circle (13 page)

"I wasn't!" Josie exclaimed. "I know what I'm doing, Jack!"

"Apparently not," Jack said crossly. "Because if you deliberately did something I told you not to do, deliberately endangered your life, you know damn well there's a price to pay for that!"

Josie's eyes widened as she backed up. "Oh, no, you're not."

"Oh yes, I am!"

Black Velvet
by Alannah Myles rocked out as a ring tone from Josie's cell phone at the same time as a guitar riff sounded on Jack's phone. The house phone started ringing, and the loud Westminster-chimes doorbell went off.

"What the hell? I'll get the door," Jack growled moodily as he stalked by pulling out his cell phone.

Josie dashed off to grab the house phone while also pulling out her cell.

"Georgina, is this an emergency? Hold on." She grabbed the kitchen phone. "Hello? No, I have no idea. Has anyone seen him today? Call his Aunt and see if she knows anything." She hung up the house phone and went back to her cell. "Georgina, what do you need? No, I just took a call from Mr. Giles on the town council. They haven't heard from him, either. He could be sick and didn't feel up to calling in. Send Tyler over to his house to check on him. No, stop, scratch that. It's not my job to be giving out orders. Contact Sheriff Malone. It's his business if he wants to send someone looking for Aiden."

Jack walked in the kitchen with Sheriff Charles Malone.

"Never mind, Georgina, the Sheriff is here. I'll talk to him, hold on."

Josie turned her attention to the Sheriff. "Mayor Aiden Roland didn't show up for work yesterday and hasn't shown up yet this morning. The town council is bent out of shape because he didn't notify anyone. They have meetings scheduled for today. Georgina wants to know if she should send Tyler over to his house."

"Sounds good," agreed Sheriff Malone.

Josie handed over her cell for the sheriff to handle his business and relay his orders.

"You could have done that," Sheriff Malone said handing her back the phone.

Josie smiled. "It's not my job anymore and I don't want to butt in. Georgina and the guys are used to automatically calling me for advice or orders. It's all yours now. Is there a reason why you're here?"

Jack responded, "Jimmy Richards called to tell me the house is on fire, so I'm heading out there. The Fire Chief called Sheriff Malone."

Sheriff Malone added, "I was driving by and saw Jack's Jeep here so I thought I'd tell him, but Jimmy beat me to it. I'm going back to my office as this is Fire Department business, and I don't want to step on any toes."

"Don't worry about that in this town. Tim Miller will be recruiting you for the volunteer fire department soon enough," Josie warned. "Jack, did you turn off the electric to your house?"

"Mr. Gilders did before the county officially condemned it," Jack said. "He sent me a text message."

Josie and Jack followed the sheriff out of the house. Jack went to his Jeep, and Josie followed and got in the passenger side. She slugged him on the arm.

"What?" he demanded.

"You could text with Mr. Gilders, but you couldn't with me!"

"He sent a message to me. I didn't send one back to him. All outgoing transmissions were in lockdown. I was a little tied up, Josie. It was a mission, give me some slack here."

"Same for me, Bubba," Josie snapped. "You were gone and didn't give me a clue when you were coming back or even if you were coming back!"

"It's not the same thing," Jack said, shaking his head. "I had a duty to perform, the lives of hostages were at stake and I was under orders. You went into that damn house because you're a stubborn hardhead, and besides that, you made a promise not to go back in."

"Ha!" Josie exploded and then in a hushed voice said, "Wow!" as they saw a huge billow of black and brown smoke filling the sky while they were still several miles away. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Why would it bother me?" Jack asked, as he exceeded the speed limit. "It was coming down one way or the other. I'm not attached to the place. After my mother died when I was eleven, nothing good happened in that house. The arguments that took place in there between Dad and Amos will haunt me forever. All it represents to me was a hellish upbringing when I was caught between two hypocrites determined to run my life. Big Cal wanted me to take over the ranch, and Amos wanted me to be his legacy behind a pulpit. From a very young age, I knew I didn't want to do either!"

Jack pulled over to the side of the lane, and they walked toward the house. Pick-up trucks, SUVs and other vehicles lined the grassy shoulders parked on each side. The Rawlings Fire Department was ninety-five percent volunteer so when calls went out, all available volunteers showed up. A barricade of yellow tape stopped them, but all the members of the fire department and the rescue squads knew Josie and didn't hesitate to let her through with Jack following.

Jimmy Richards, decked out in his fire gear, made his way to them as they stood watching the flames and smoke being beaten back by water hoses. "I sent Benny Martin to board up those windows and doors, not an hour after I talked to you, but when we got here now, the plywood was off one of the windows and a door again."

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Probably so they could get in and set a torch to it," Jimmy said. "Maybe someone's been living here and didn't like it that you were boarding the place up again."

"All the more reason you shouldn't have been out here alone," Jack said irritably, casting an angry look toward Josie.

A loud explosion ripped through the structure and everyone ducked and backed away from the inferno. A few minutes later, there was another explosion causing the front of the house to cave in and the heavy slate roof crashed through to the second floor sending flames, sparks and burning fragments of debris flying in every direction. The volunteers scrambled to put out the mini fires.

"Mr. Rawlings?" a man with a red Fireman's hat approached Jack. "Tim Miller, Fire Chief. Do you have any idea what's causing these explosions? Any gas cans or cleaning materials left in the house?"

Jack shook his head, and so did Josie. "I never saw any gas cans or flammables when we were in there, but that was several months ago. Back everybody away and let it burn. Jimmy was going to bulldoze it next week, so there's no need to try and save it, and no need to put anyone in danger."

"Good to know. We'll soak down the yard to prevent spreading," the Fire Chief said, barking orders into a walkie-talkie. "We'll let it burn and douse down the ashes until the water in that little pond gives out. We'll wet down the barns, but they should be far enough away to be safe."

"Only that one needs to be saved," Jack said. "Wait! My parents heated the house with fuel oil when I was a kid. There was an old fuel-oil tank in the basement, a big thing. I don't know if it was still in there or not since I only went down into the basement one time to scout for anything salvageable. I don't remember seeing it, but I wasn't looking for it either. If that thing has fumes or vapors still left in it, it could go off like a bomb."

Tim Miller moved, off barking out orders in a walkie-talkie and the firefighters backed off further.

Jack and Josie watched from a safe distance as the house continued to burn and collapse. Jack put an arm around Josie and steered her back toward his Jeep. "There's no sense in us watching. There's nothing we can do."

"It's a shame," Josie said. "At least we got everything that can be salvaged out of it first."

"Yeah," Jack growled as he gave her an intense look.

Josie swallowed. "You're not really serious. You can't be."

"You walked into this relationship with your eyes wide open. I laid everything out, and I'm not changing the rules now."

"I never got the rules," Josie argued.

"They're simple. Don't lie, don't disobey and don't cross me. Don't put yourself in any danger, which runs the gamut from driving too fast to doing something stupid! It's my job to protect you and I will do it."

"That's outdated, chauvinistic, and stupid!" Josie protested. "I'm a grown woman and have been making decisions for a long time!"

"And your point is?" Jack demanded. "I've been firing up your ass since you were eight years old, and nothing's changed, Josie. I took on setting you straight when you were a kid, and I'm taking it back on now. Did it happen to cross your mind at all that I might be pissed when you went back in that house after I told you to stay out—after I had your promise that you would not go back in?"

Josie nervously chewed on her lower lip. "Yes, but you weren't here! I didn't know if you planned to come back or not, and I didn't want all those good pieces to be destroyed."

Jack gave a sigh. "I couldn't call once I'd gone on a mission. You went into deep cover missions with the CIA. You know the damn rules and that our lives depend on not breaking them. You also knew I was coming back because I said I was coming back. I don't make promises I don't intend to keep. You went into that house knowing it could collapse at any time. It was stupid and dangerous, and you can't do things like that anymore. One false move and that house could have come down on you. You have Alex to think of now, and you have me. Alex looks to you for support and stability, something he's never had in his life. I'm looking to you for a solid relationship—something I've never had in my life. I don't think you've had one either." He pulled into her driveway.

"What's it going to be, Josie?" Jack demanded. "Do I come in and fire up your ass or do I drive off."

"Why does it have to be your way?" Josie demanded.

"We set that pattern a long time ago," Jack answered. "I'm coming in and you are getting a spanking. If I drive off into the sunset after that, I'll keep going. You are the only thing that brought me back to Rawlings and the only thing keeping me here. What's your answer—yes or no?"

"You knew I was back in Rawlings?" Josie asked.

"You're listed on the town website as the sheriff. It wasn't hard to find," Jack said impatiently as he waited for her decision.

Josie had made many hard decisions in her life, and this was one of the hardest. Could she accept Jack and his strong alpha-male characteristics? He was a dominant man who believed in domestic discipline. He was also a man who made her feel wanted, safe and complete. He cared. They got along; they liked the same things and shared most of the same principles and views on most subjects. She'd dreamed for years of finding a man with those qualities? She had worked hard for independence and self-pride for years, but most of the men she knew took her strengths and turned them against her. Because she was strong, they became weak and dependent on her. She didn't like weak men. She had never been able to trust and depend on anyone except herself.

"Josie?" Jack said giving her a look of concern.

"What?"

"You zoned out on me. Are you going to answer or not?" he demanded gruffly.

Josie swallowed. "I'm not sure I can submit to that sort of relationship, Jack. I have a problem with people second-guessing my decisions. You spanked me several times as a child, and I survived them, but what if this escalates?"

"I don't have any need for it to escalate, Josie," Jack said seriously. "It delivers the message. If you're in a relationship with me, it's for keeps. Lying, getting into trouble and disobeying, they were your trademarks as a kid, but you're not a kid anymore. You're still stubborn and obstinate, and always want to do things your way even if that way is wrong or dangerous. I'm here to stop that and pissing me off is not the way to go. Even if you toss me out tonight, I'm still firing up your ass before I leave because you've earned it for putting your life in danger."

"I don't have any real choice." Josie gave a big sigh. She opened the Jeep door and slid out. "I'll fight you tooth and nail over this crap, Jack, but I'm not going to throw you out because you're defective in one area."

Jack got out and walked around to meet her in front of the Jeep. He threw his arm around her shoulder and guided her toward the back door. He grinned down at her. "Defective? You always were a scrapper, but you're still getting your ass spanked."

Once inside the house, Josie checked for messages, but there weren't any. She looked a bit confused as if she couldn't decide what to do next. Jack took that decision off the plate. He spun her around, crouched, hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs.

"Jack!" Josie protested. "Put me down!"

All that got her was a hard spank across her butt.

"Jack!" Josie squealed, squirming and giving him a punch to his ribs.

He ignored her and carried her directly to the bedroom where he dropped her into a chair. He stood in front of it, blocking her from getting up. He pulled her to her feet and unbuttoned her jeans.

"No," Josie said, realizing what he intended.

"Yes, it's going to be bare," he said firmly and before she had time to make a move, he was sitting in the chair and she was across his knees—facedown—bottom up.

A hard slap of his large hand landed on her ass, and Josie sucked in her breath at the sharp pain. Smack! Another blow landed, followed in quick succession by many more.

God, this was so humiliating! She tried to wiggle and fight her way off his lap, but it was not happening. She must have been out of her mind to agree to this! It was mortifying and painful.

Tears came next as the pain intensified and the smoldering burn on her bottom worsened.

Josie screamed, beating at his thighs and legs as they were the only parts she could reach. She tried to cover her backside with her hands, but he captured them and held her firmly in place. She bucked and kicked, but that only caused harder spanks.