Page 66 of Out of the Shadows
“No. Sometimes. But this is my home. My kids were born here. Our friends are here. Logan is here. I can live anywhere and work with animals, but Logan needs resorts to remodel and businesses to save. Even as a kid, he was bored. We lived on a five-hundred-acre ranch an hour outside of San Angelo—and San Angelo isn’t all that big.” She paused, smiled. “There’s one vet in our community, and he’s not going to retire anytime soon. I wouldn’t know what else to do. I miss my family there. We visit several times a year, always go there for Christmas.
“Henry—my younger brother—and his wife built their own house on the property, have three kids and will probably have more. Henry loves it. He was made for ranch work. Susie—well, she had a difficult childhood, there’s a story there I’ll tell you someday, but she came out to San Angelo for work when she was eighteen, Henry was twenty, and it was love at first sight. She’s practical and created her own business—cans and sells jams, jellies, homemade sauces, whatever she thinks of. Everything’s sold online. Logan helped her set up the retail portion and she’s had to hire two people to handle the packaging and shipping.” She paused, thinking about her brother and sister-in-law. “I think that’s another reason why Charlie is so frustrated with his life. Everyone around him came up with ideas that seemed to give them success and satisfaction. He wanted the same thing.”
“We’re going to get through this,” Jack said. “I’m sorry I came down hard on you when you wanted to go out.”
“I understand.”
“I’m hopeful the police will find Aberdeen soon. Every law enforcement officer in the state has his name and photo. San Diego police have been alerted to check his residence. He’s not going to be able to easily disappear.”
“I hate feeling trapped in my own house.”
Jack reached out and touched her, running his fingers down her arm, to her hand, where he rested his palm long enough to make her feel truly alive. That was the only word she could think of. It was like she’d been going through the motions of life—she was happy, content, satisfied with the life she had built with Cody and Sydney. But when Jack walked into her house yesterday, something shifted. It was like he belonged. He fit. She barely knew him... yet felt like she’d known him for years. There was a spark, a desire she hadn’t felt for a long time.
He felt it, too. She saw it in his warm, dark eyes.
“Did you have enough to eat? You just picked at your dinner,” he said.
“I’m not hungry.”
“I am. I’m going to warm up some leftovers, if you don’t mind.”
“I can do that.”
“Sit, enjoy your wine. I got it.”
Logan came into the kitchen and Laura was glad he hadn’t witnessed the somewhat intimate moment between her and Jack. Jack didn’t even have to kiss her for her to feel that draw, and she suspected Logan would pick up on it—though her brother tended to be clueless about anything related to romance.
“I’m going to make some popcorn and we’re going to watch a movie,” her brother said. “You should join us, Laura.”
“Maybe I will. Though I’ll probably fall asleep.”
Logan rummaged through the pantry and pulled out an air popcorn machine and a bottle of kernels.
Jack reheated the pulled pork Laura had made that night and made himself a sandwich. He realized the barbecue sauce had a label he didn’t recognize:Triple Star Ranch.
“Is this your sister-in-law’s creation?”
“It is,” Laura said.
“It’s amazing. I’m going to order all my Christmas presents from her.”
Laura laughed. “I’ll make sure she gives you the family discount.”
Jack’s phone rang. He answered it, listened. “Thanks, Margo... Yeah, Luisa texted me, she’s almost here.”
He ended the call. “Margo found Charlie. He’s at his condo.”
“Thank God,” Laura said, relieved.
Logan finished making the popcorn and grabbed sodas from the door of the fridge. Laura gave him a look, and Logan grinned. “Aw, Mom, let them have sugar and junk once in a while!”
“I buy those Cokes for you, Logan, not the kids. They know better.” Then she smiled. “Don’t let Cody have more than one, otherwise he’ll be up all night.”
Logan kissed his sister on the cheek. “Promise.”
He walked back down the hall.
“When I first met Logan, he was nothing like I expected,” Jack said.
