Page 84 of Soldier Cowboy
She watched his retreating back as he disappeared into the place that reminded her of an old-time saloon. Everything in this little town was quaint and retro in the best of ways. Tonight, when they went home, she’d make love to him and then, if she got up her nerve, she’d tell him the God’s honest truth. She’d never felt this way before. Never hung on a guy’s every word like a lovesick city girl, never wanted anyone so much that her heart split open to make even more room. It was possible, entirely likely, she’d fallen in love with him.
Which might be a bad idea if he didn’t feel the same way. But tonight, he’d searched her gaze with such a soft tenderness that she began to wonder…and hope. This was more than sex. More than two people who were wildly attracted to each other. This sudden rush of deep affection could only be called love. A love sudden and unexpected. Unplanned. And far sweeter than she could have ever imagined.
Maybe they could find a way to be together. Long distance worked for some people, right?
“That didn’t take you very long.”
She’d fully expected Colton to be held up again by one of the many adoring residents tonight who’d wanted to welcome him home and thank him for his service.
But when she turned, it wasn’t Colton who’d just opened the driver’s side door.
It was Dan.
CHAPTER21
“Get out of the truck, Jennifer, nice and easy.”
He had agun.Dan had a gun,and he was pointing the thing at Jennifer. All she could see in that moment, all she couldhear, was the long barrel. The cylindrical shape of the cold gray metal. The click it made when Dan cocked it. But he was supposed to be somewhere on the East Coast starting a new life and leaving her alone. How had he evenfoundher? They’d been so careful. For one long moment, she couldn’t speak. She wasn’t even breathing.
“Hurry, we need to move.” Not waiting for her, he pulled her by the elbow across the seat and out the driver’s side. “Before your Neanderthal boyfriend gets back.”
She slid across without meaning to, pulled along by his strong-arming. “I don’t…I don’t want to go with you.”
“Too bad. I have a gun and you’re going to listen. Besides, do you wanthimto get hurt?” He threw a look in the direction of the Shady Grind. “If he comes out before we leave, I’ll have no choice but to shoothim.Is that what you want?”
“N-no, no.Pleasedon’t hurt him.”
She could picture Colton, lying in a pool of blood after coming home from a war overseas. Not even able to survive more than a couple of weeks back home.
All because of her.
Dan grabbed her by the hair and tugged. “You’re coming with me and we’re going to talk this out. Breakups happen. I get it. But we haven’t had a chance to discuss what went wrong with us.”
Dear God. What wentwrong? The delusions were still intact, apparently.
Pulling her along, he opened a sedan driver’s side door and shoved her inside, still pointing the gun.
“Don’t even try to get out. You’re going to drive us.”
“Where? Wh-where are we going?”
“Eventually to Mexico. You’re coming with me, of course. No hard feelings, we’ll just start over.”
He got in the back seat of the car, directly behind her, pointing the gun to her head.
“Go. Now!”
As she drove off, Jennifer cast a longing look at possibly the last place she’d ever see Colton. Funny how she wasn’t thinking of whether she’d survive this. She was only thinking about him.
She spied the figure of a man in her rear view coming around the corner, wearing a dark cowboy hat. Not Colton, butBeau.She could only hope he’d seen her and recognize the back of her head leaving in a strange vehicle. Colton would be able to figure things out when he saw her missing from his truck. When he’d notice her purse, left behind. He’d know that she’d never purposely just take off on him. He’d know Dan was involved. Colton would feel so guilty. He’d blame himself when all he’d done was leave her alone for a few seconds.
As Dan ordered, she drove to the outskirts of town but not in the direction they usually took for the H Grange. They were going in theoppositedirection. Her mind relentlessly spun its wheels, thinking of something, anything, she could do to leave clues behind to where they were going. But it wasn’t anything like the movies. If she rolled down the window and casually threw an earring outside, Dan would notice. He’d get angrier than he already was and right now she had to talk him down. She had to make him believe she was on his side.
Yes, establish rapport. Cooperate.
“I wish you hadn’t made such a big production out of this. You scared me but I’d have been happy to go with you. It’s just the gun was…upsetting.”
“Do you really think I like weapons? The gun wasnecessary. Your boyfriend is a soldier. He wasn’t going to let you go that easy. Surely you realize that?”
