LEAP OF FAITH (17 page)

“I love you, Jack Burton. I know how hard this is for you and it means more to me than you’ll ever know.” 

There was a child-like exuberance to Abby’s laugh as she planted a kiss full on his lips and then promptly ran off to explore the cabin. Everything was in perfect order, the cabin spotlessly clean; Jack had made sure of that. She started in the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and all the cabinets and stopping for a few minutes to admire the beautiful oak wood table. His taste was simple, but like hers, the furniture was expensive and sturdy. 

She peeked into the bathroom medicine cabinet, opened a bottle of his cologne and took a deep breath while Jack watched her from the doorway with an amused smile. Abby let out a happy giggle as she slipped past him to wander down the hall. Jack’s study was just as neat and tidy as the rest of the cabin; something she must have expected because she didn’t seem the least bit surprised. He watched as she ran her hand across the rich wood of his desk and then picked up a picture that was sitting in one corner.

“You have a dog?” She asked without turning around when Jack came to stand behind her.

“Had. Digger passed away three months ago.”

“I’m sorry, Jack.” She touched the image of Jack sporting a full beard and mustache, his arm lopped around the shoulders of a massive German Shepherd. “How did he die?”

“Just old age, I guess. I’d gone to the dog pound to look for a puppy, but when I spotted Digger, I knew he was the one I wanted. I think he was about five years old when I got him and he lived here with me for almost ten years. He used to lay by my feet while I worked, patiently waiting for me take a break. The night before he died, he did something he had never done before; he hopped up on the sofa next to me and put his head on my lap.”

Remembering his old friend lent a wistful tone to Jack’s voice. “I knew something was wrong so I stayed with him and petted him until he closed his eyes. I guess I must have fallen asleep too and didn’t wake up until it was almost morning. By then, he was gone.”

“Why did you name him Digger?”

Jack laughed softly. “Because that damn dog spent half the day digging holes all over the forest. You don’t know how many holes I had to fill in your backyard. I tried everything to get him to stop but he wasn’t happy if he wasn’t digging so I finally just resigned myself to a lifetime of damage control and prayed your dad didn’t decide to pop in while he was doing it.”

“Dad never pops in anywhere. He’s not really the type to pull surprises.” Abby set the picture down. “It must have been lonely here without Digger.”

“It was. But then you arrived to shake my life up.”

“It needed some shaking up. Show me your room.” He led the way further down the hall and stepped aside so she could enter. 

“Wow, that’s quite a bed,” Abby exclaimed as she touched one of the massive posters, admiring the feel of the smooth wood beneath her fingertips.  

Jack couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried. Stepping behind her, his hands glided from her slender hips to her waist and then to her perfect breasts. “I want to make love to you, Abby,” he whispered in her ear.

A helpless whimper escaped her lips as heat surged through her body. He turned her around and held her face in his hands and kissed her, his tongue parting her lips and penetrating her mouth with such tenderness, it left her shaking and dangerously weak in the knees. Despite the raw desire she saw burning in his eyes, Jack made love to her in a slow, easy manner, taking time to kiss every inch of her body before bringing her to an explosive climax. For a long time afterwards, she lay on her back enjoying the warm afterglow and the feel of his hand softly stroking her belly. 

“You’re hips are so narrow,” he said absently, “do you think you’ll have problems with childbirth?”

For a moment, Abby was so shocked by his comment she couldn’t even speak. “You don’t have to worry about me getting pregnant, Jack. I told you I was on the pill.”

He continued to run his hand over the flatness of her belly and her hips. “I’m not worried.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss. “I was just wondering how you would look carrying my baby.”

“Jack…” was all she managed to say before emotion choked off her words.

He rose up on one elbow. “I know this isn’t the most romantic way to do this, but… Marry me, Abby,” he said in a rush. “I realized today that I want to share everything with you, not just my work, but my entire life. I love you, honey. I love you so much the thought of being without you terrifies me. Will you?”   

“Jack, I…”

“Don’t, Abby, please,” he said hoarsely, “don’t give me all the reasons you shouldn’t. I know you were married before and how horrible it turned out for you. I know we’ve only known each other for just over a month. I know I’m stubborn and hardheaded and I say stupid things sometimes…”

“Jack,” she covered his lips with her fingers. “I was going to say yes.”

“You were?” he mumbled behind her fingers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes, Jack Burton, I’ll marry you.”

He pulled her into his arms, hugging her with the same fierceness that was reflected in his voice. “I’ll take care of you, Abby. I’ll make you happy, I promise, and I’ll give you anything you want…anything.”

Abby nuzzled her nose in his neck. “I just want you to love me, Jack. That’s all I ever wanted.”

***

“How would you like to take a ride into town with me today to pick up the mail?”

Abby had refused his invitation the last two times because she always felt battered and bruised after the ride. She eyed him doubtfully and Jack laughed.

“Look, sweetheart, I’m only going for the mail so I don’t need to take the jeep.”   

“Have you lost your mind? Maybe you can walk that far but I wouldn’t make it to the bottom of the mountain.”

Jack took her hand and pulled her off the sofa. “Come with me, Miss Travis. I have a surprise.” 

He led her through the kitchen to a door that opened into the garage, grinning with pride when Abby gasped as he pulled the leather cover off of his prized possessions.

“A motorcycle? Jack, you have a motorcycle and didn’t tell me?” She stepped closer, reaching out to touch it as though it was made of glass. “It’s beautiful.” She turned to him, eyes wide with excitement. “Can we really ride it down the mountain?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d ever ridden one before, but the trip down is a lot smoother when you have the ability to dodge potholes.”

Abby glanced around the garage and found it as neatly ordered as his cabin. “You have a sidecar too?” She spotted it in the corner under a clear plastic tarp and went to take a peek.

“Digger used to come to town with me,” he explained. “I don’t have an extra helmet so you’ll have to wear mine for now. We’ll stop at the auto shop in town and see what they have in stock. With any luck, they’ll have something small enough to fit you.”

“Let’s go!” she said without hesitation. 

After pushing the motorcycle outside, Jack retrieved his helmet and placed it on Abby’s head. “Tuck your hair inside or it’ll look like you went through a tornado to get there.” He helped her adjust the strap and couldn’t help laughing because the helmet was too big and kept dropping down over her eyes.

Abby smiled up at him. “Did I ever tell you how sexy it is to see a man straddling a motorcycle?”

“Maybe I’ll pose on it for you when we get back home,” Jack replied with a broad grin.

He mounted the bike and fired it up, biting back a groan when Abby climbed on and curled her arms around his waist, pressing herself snuggly against his back.   

“Hang on,” he called back to her as he eased the motorcycle onto the dirt road. Jack couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken the bike out and had almost forgotten the feeling of freedom it gave him. Granted, it was much more difficult to concentrate on maneuvering around the bumps and dips on the road when he was so acutely aware of Abby’s delectable body rubbing up against him when he did so, but it was a price he was more than willing to pay.

Abby was having the time of her life; angling right or left in sync with Jack whenever he dodged a pothole, feeling the strength of his muscular thighs as she nestled closer, and garnering the most exquisite pleasure from the heat of his body. His shoulders were so broad she couldn’t see the road ahead of them, and several times she had to push the helmet up when it tilted over her eyes, but it didn’t matter. She was just so happy to be with Jack and too thrilled with the ride to let it bother her. 

Once they reached the ten mile stretch of highway and Jack was able to speed up, the scenery sailed by so fast it made her dizzy. Abby closed her eyes with contented smile. Nearly three weeks had passed since Jack came to her rescue and they’d had such a wonderful time together she was afraid she would wake up and discover it was all just a dream. 

She’d spoken with Gage a few times and let him in on her secret. Normally, Gage would have cautioned her to take it slow, which really meant he wanted to check Jack out before supporting her decision to get married. Perhaps it was the way she talked about Jack or the sheer joy in her voice when she told Gage she was madly in love; whatever the reason, her brother seemed genuinely happy for her. Of course, Abby swore him to secrecy. After what happened with Shane, her family was fiercely protective of her so she wanted to wait until they had the opportunity to get to know Jack first.

Her mother had made a few hesitant inquiries about her
date
but it was important for her parents to accept and love Jack as she did before letting them know how serious the relationship was, so Abby simply told her it was still going strong. She was blissfully happy. Her novel was going well, she was in love with a wonderful man, and every day just seemed that much sweeter with Jack by her side.

Abby opened her eyes when the motorcycle slowed as they turned into the small town.  Their first stop was the town’s gas station and auto repair shop. Jack helped her remove the helmet and then wrapped a possessive arm around her waist as they walked into the shop. They were greeted by an elderly man who Jack introduced as Walter Grant, the owner of Grant’s Auto.

“I don’t keep a lot of helmets in stock,” Walt said as he led them to the back of the shop and pointed to the display rack, “but with all the kids riding dirt bikes these days, I generally make sure there’s a few smaller ones.” 

Jack’s helmet was jet black to match his bike so Abby chose a black helmet with two racy red stripes down the center. It wasn’t a perfect fit, but it was snug enough to keep from slipping down over her eyes. 

“Do me a favor, Walt,” Jack said, pulling several bills from his wallet and handing them to the older man. “Put new tires on the bike for me. I noticed she was a little rough on the road. It was time for new ones anyway and now is as good a time as any. We’ll be in town for a few hours, does that give you enough time?” 

With Walter’s assurance that the job would be done before they returned, Jack took Abby’s hand as they strolled across the street to the post office.

Abby hadn’t bothered to collect her mail for quite some time because she really wasn’t expecting anything important. Communication with her family and friends was done through e-mail, and any bills she had were sent electronically and paid online. Her editor rarely sent correspondence unless it was a contract, and since she hadn’t decided to renew the one being offered until she heard from Julia, she’d been in no hurry to make a trip to the post office. Expecting to find junk mail and not much else, she was surprised to discover several pieces of mail in her box. 

While Jack was busy at the counter, Abby stopped in front of the
Wanted
posters that hung on the wall. Her eyes wandered to the bulletin board of missing people and was shocked by the number of young women who had disappeared from around the area. The oldest one dated back nine years, the newest one less than six months ago.  At least one or two women had gone missing each year for nearly a decade. 

Statistically, it was a relatively small number.
For a big city
, Abby thought. But when she considered the size of Parkersville, and that included the scattered ranches for several miles in either direction, it cast a sinister shadow over the entire community. She couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through her and was thankful Jack was always close by. As secluded as her cabin was, she would have been terrified to be alone after seeing all the posters.

“Ready, sweetheart?” His eyes followed Abby’s to the photos. “It’s been going on for years,” he said solemnly. “Not one of them has been found and no one has a clue who is responsible for the abductions.” He glanced down and caught the worried look on her face. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Abby. I would kill
anyone
that tried to hurt you!”

Shaken by the fierceness of his tone and the steely coldness in his eyes, Abby exclaimed, “My God, you really would, wouldn’t you?”

“I can’t imagine what those poor women went through,” Jack said, taking another sweeping glance at the photos before looking at Abby. “And yes, I really would.” 

He took her hand as they left the post office and veered right, and though it occurred to Abby that he might have known some of the victims, she didn’t want to spoil the day by asking questions.