Page 88 of Wyoming True

“Good drivers are hard to find, Fred,” Jake murmured, smiling.

Fred averted his face to hide his very bright eyes. “Thanks,” he choked. “I’ll be the best driver you ever had, and I’ll never let anything happen to Mrs. McGuire. I swear it!”

“I’d better get back,” Garrison said. He’d driven his own car to the Rimrocks to meet the plane. “We’ll be in touch with Fred after the bail hearing, or at least the district attorney will be. And we’ll make sure that bail is set high enough that Mr. Trent won’t be getting out anytime soon.”

“Thanks, Mr. Garrison,” Ida said, shaking hands.

“That goes double for me,” Jake added, doing the same.

“All in a day’s work.” Garrison patted Fred on the shoulder. “You should call your mom. She’s got her cell phone. She was worried about you.”

Fred chuckled. “Yeah. I was worried about her, too. Thanks.”

The other man shrugged, waved and went toward the parking lot.

“Fred, you’ll have to drive the car back to Catelow,” Jake said. “I’m taking Ida on the jet.”

“No problem, Mr. McGuire.” He pursed his lips. “Want to bet on who gets there first?”

Jake gave him a cold stare.

Fred held up both hands. “Just kidding. Honest.”

Jake burst out laughing.

JAKEHADIDAin his lap all the way back, kissing her softly from time to time as they discussed a lot of things, mostly her almost-kidnapping and Fred’s surprising turnaround.

“Were you scared?” he asked.

“Only at first. Poor Fred. He loves his mother. He loves animals, too. He was furious about what Bailey had done to my horses and Butler, but he was afraid for his mother’s life. I still don’t know how Mr. Garrison managed to find her and rescue her.”

“I believe he had a little help.”

Ida’s arms contracted around his neck. “What sort of help?”

“Mina called her guys,” he said, and his eyes were soft on her face.

“Oh.” Mina again. She sighed without realizing it.

He tilted her face back up to his. “I was infatuated with Mina. You know that.” His silver eyes narrowed. “But I love you.”

Her whole face went red. She couldn’t manage a single word. It was like having every sweet dream of her life come true, all at once.

“Not bad news, I expect?” he teased gently.

She buried her face in his throat. “I love you, too,” she whispered brokenly. “But I thought you just wanted us to be friends.”

He laughed softly and kissed her hair. “I want us to be everything to each other, all the time. My God, I didn’t even realize how I felt, until I knew what danger you were in.” His arms tightened. “I went crazy.”

She smiled at his throat. “I’m sorry you worried. But I’m glad that it’s not Mina anymore, if you see what I mean.”

He bent and kissed her tenderly. “It was you from the day you had the flat tire,” he said simply. “It just took me a while to realize it.”

“Me, too.” She nuzzled her face against his broad chest. “It was when we were getting married. I looked up at you in the church and I knew, right then. It was like...like...”

“Like a bolt of electricity,” he finished for her. “Yes.”

She leaned back in his arms and studied his lean, handsome face. “I hope we have a son who looks like you.”

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