Page 13 of Bridles and Bribery

“I am,” Jan Jacobson assured quickly. “Still on the line and still begging the Lord to change your mind. I know I’m asking for a tremendous sacrifice on your part, but I wouldn’t ask it of you if I had anyone else to turn to.”

“Well, it looks like your prayers have been answered.” One of them, anyway. He still couldn’t bring her husband back. And despite how cool Jillian was being about everything, Dave deeply regretted the necessity of postponing their honeymoon. “I’ve decided to take the case.”

Gil was right. If there was even the slightest chance thatthe Jacobsons were being hounded by the same person threatening Jillian, this was their best chance of tracking the thug down before he did any more harm.

Jan Jacobson was tearfully thanking him in the background, laughing and sobbing at the same time. It might be a while before they got around to purchasing his plane ticket.

Chapter 3: Unreachable

Helping her husband pack to leave town was far from how Jillian had imagined spending their wedding night. His black suitcase was lying open on their king-sized, cherry wood sleigh bed.

Tonight would be the first night she slept in it, and she would be doing it alone. Dave would be hundreds of miles away. It was one doozy of a welcome to married life.

Though Dave hadn’t gotten around to hanging anything on the walls of their master bedroom, she fully approved of the comforter tucked smoothly over the thick set of double mattresses. It definitely wasn’t a bargain find. A forest of evergreens was embroidered across the sage tapestry fabric. It was a simple and classy nod to the holidays they’d recently celebrated.

“I’m sorry about this, Jills.” It was at least the fiftieth time Dave had apologized to her. She’d lost count. He was clearly stuck in apology mode.

“I’m not,” she declared, boldly pulling open his top dresser drawer to grab a few extra undershirts. Though his desk at work was often a hodgepodge of papers and folders,every item of clothing inside his dresser was neatly folded. His undershirts were resting in perfect trifold stacks. This was the part of their marriage where they would start to uncover each other’s deepest, darkest secrets. So far, though, she hadn’t stumbled across a single skeleton in Dave’s closet. She was the luckiest woman alive to have coaxed someone as incredible as him out of bachelorhood.

Though he hadn’t yet left for the airport, she was already missing him like crazy. From the worry lines etched into his forehead, he wasn’t any more thrilled about leaving her than she was about seeing him go. She scrambled for something to say that would ease the strain in his features.

“Not sorry to see the last of me, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows playfully at her. “Married all of a few hours, and you’re already anxious to give me the boot.”

“Hardly.” She carefully laid the stack of undershirts in his suitcase and smoothed a hand over them. “All I meant was the sooner you leave, the sooner you can hurry back to me.” She placed her hands on her blooming belly as she faced him, trying to hold back her tears. “We both know you wouldn’t be about to board a flight on our wedding night if you loved me any less. If you lovedusany less.” There was no gift he could’ve given her that would top the sacrifice he was about to make.

“No, I would not.” Running a hand wearily over his shaved head, he reached for her.

She stepped eagerly into his embrace, resting her cheek against one of his broad shoulders, just breathing him in. He’d changed into jeans and a white dress shirt, rolled up the sleeves, and left it untucked. She could’ve easily stood there the rest of the night in his arms. For the rest of eternity, for that matter. There was no feeling in the world half as wonderful as being held by Dave Phillips.

“This is the part I’m going to miss the most while you’re away,” she whispered, burrowing closer to his warmth and strength. Like him, she’d changed clothes. Remaining in her wedding dress wouldn’t have made their parting any easier. She was in maternity jeans now with a soft, baby blue sweater hugging her curvy hips. She’d pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail and fluffed her bangs over her forehead.

“Yeah. Me, too.” Dave clasped his hands loosely around her, resting his cheek against hers. “Believe me, if there was any better way to protect you, babe…”

“Hey!” She leaned back a little in his arms. “You didn’t ask for this, and neither did I. But you’re doing the right thing, and we’re going to get through it. Together.” It was impossible to hold back her tears any longer. “Believe me, the last thing I ever wanted to say to you this evening was goodbye.”

“Well, this is a first.” His eyes grew damp as he gazed adoringly down at her. “I’ve never had anyone cry at the thought of seeing me go.”

“Fair warning.” Her lips trembled as she tried to muster a smile. “I’m probably going to shed even more tears when you return. Happier ones.”Gotta love those pregnancy hormones.

His gaze darkened with emotion. “I love you, Jills. So much.” Using his thumbs, he gently brushed the tears from beneath her eyes. Then he palmed the back of her head and fused their mouths together in a lingering kiss. It was so full of longing and unspoken promises that it made her heart ache. He didn’t yet have a ticket in hand for his return flight, so she had no idea when their next kiss would takeplace.

When he raised his head, she murmured, “I love you, too, so hurry back!”

“That’s the plan.” He winked at her as he dropped his arms.

She immediately missed being held. Outside his arms was a much colder, lonelier place to be. She hoped he wouldn’t have to be out of town for long.

“I, um…” She watched him zip his suitcase and swing it to the floor to set it on its wheels. “I asked your mom to stay in Heart Lake a few extra days so we can do that furniture shopping you and I talked about.”

His expression lit up, just like she’d hoped it would. “And she said?”

“Yes!” His mom was a bit of a character, but her presence meant Jillian wouldn’t have to be alone in their enormous, sparsely furnished townhome while he was away. Not for the first few days, at least.

“Well, I’ll be!” He shook his head, grinning. “This past Christmas, she warned me she’d be all over me like a family of ticks on a dog if I gave her a grandchild. Guess she wasn’t kidding.”

“You don’t mind her being here during your absence, do you?” It hadn’t occurred to Jillian to ask him first. His trip to Dallas had come up so suddenly.

“Nope. She might gripe your ears off about everything that’s wrong in the world, but she’s otherwise good company. Mostly,” he added with a snicker.

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