Danny rubbed his eyes, then scrubbed a hand across his face. "Yeah, I came in and opened up when the sheriff called. I knew folks would need to gas up so they could keep looking for your little girl. Since I'm a ways out of town, I figured I should stay open for the people scouring the back roads. Jeff Owens has his station open in town, too."
Megan smiled at him over her Styrofoam cup. "That was a nice thing to do."
"It's what we do out here, ma'am. When folks need help, other folks pitch in. It's always been that way, as long as I can remember." Danny settled into a cracked vinyl chair and invited them to sit for a few minutes. "How's your dad, Logan?"
They talked about Charlie for a bit, then about Danny's parents, who were getting on in years, too. Danny told them he'd taken over a lot of the chores for his dad, with his three boys helping out.
Logan listened politely, aware of the occasional squawk of the scanner in the corner. "Have you heard any news in the last half-hour? I need to check in again."
"Not anything other than some chatter between the deputies. Don't worry, though. They'll find her. The sheriff is taking this personally, that some stranger came in and took one of our own right out from under our noses. He won't rest until she's safe."
There it was again. One of their own. All these years he'd felt like an outsider, but it seemed he'd been the only one who thought so. Maybe if he'd tried harder, or maybe if he hadn't tried so hard, he could have fit in after all.
***
Katie was squirming in her seat by the time Jerry pulled into a motel parking lot in Slaton. Her hopes went up when she thought maybe she could alert the desk clerk to her predicament, then were dashed again when Jerry ordered her to lay down and covered her with a blanket.
"You stay in this car. If you even think about trying to make a run for it, I can guarantee you'll regret it. Something bad might happen to your mother." He climbed out of the car and locked the door behind him.
Katie wanted to run, but she wasn't sure if he'd really hurt her mother. He might. There was something weird about Jerry. He was one of the reasons she'd run away. She didn't like it when he came to the house. She didn't like the looks he gave her.
He came back to the car and opened the door, then slid inside. "Stay down. I got us a room around back." We'll hide out here for a few hours until they stop looking for you."
Katie shivered in spite of the suffocating heat of the blanket. She didn't want to be alone with him in a motel room. But the room would have a phone. Maybe she could figure out how to make a call to 911.
The engine coughed before it caught with a roar. She felt the car move, felt it turn a corner and then stop. Jerry ordered her to stay put again and she heard him open the door and close it again.
He came back a minute later and opened her door. "Keep the blanket around you and walk straight in the room as fast as you can. I'll be right behind you."
Katie eased herself to a sitting position and saw Jerry walk around to the trunk. If she ran, she might make it inside in time to lock him out. She slid quietly out of the car, leaving the door open, and was poised to run when a truck came screaming towards them.
***
Logan took a drink of his coffee, then set the cup on the desk. He looked at Megan. "Are you ready to hit the road again?" She nodded.
The scanner rumbled to life with a report of a fight at the Starlight Motel in Slaton. Logan shook his head. "Some things never change, do they? I take it the Starlight still charges by the hour?"
Danny grinned. "Now why would I know about that?" He insisted on refilling their cups so they could take their coffee with them. Logan was anxious to get going, but he sat quietly while Danny took their cups to the coffee pot and refilled them. He set the cups on the desk in front of them and handed them plastic lids to put on top.
Before Logan could put the lid on his cup, the scanner squawked again and he heard the dispatcher calling for the sheriff. "They got her, boss, they got her. Do you copy?"
Logan knocked his coffee cup over when he jerked to his feet.
Megan threw herself into his arms and squeezed the breath right out of him. He was almost afraid to breathe until he heard the dispatcher answer the sheriff's gruff question about Katie's condition. "She's mad as hell, boss, but she's okay. Tommy's bringing her in. The perp's on his way to the hospital."
The hospital? Good Lord, had there been a shoot out?
Logan dialed 911 and spoke with the dispatcher, while Megan mopped up the coffee he'd spilled. He hung up and paid Danny for the gas, thanked him for the coffee, then tugged Megan out the door.
"Where are we going?"
"The police station. That's where they're taking Katie."
***
The station was a madhouse. People filled every empty space, talking, laughing, slapping each other on the back. The room fell silent for a moment as Megan and Logan stepped inside, then the group parted to make way for them to get to the counter.
"Logan, she's back here."
The portly dispatcher with bleached blonde hair looked vaguely familiar. His eyes widened when he read her name tag. "Mary Lee Sims? I almost didn't recognize you."
She laughed, seemingly unoffended. "Yeah, I've put on a few pounds since my cheerleading days. But four kids will do that to you. Come on. There's a little girl back here who wants her daddy."
They followed Mary Lee through the heavy metal door and down a long hall. She opened a door near the end and stepped back, giving Logan his first glimpse of Katie since the ordeal had begun.
"Daddy!" Katie jumped out of Carol's lap and ran headlong into Logan, wrapping her arms around his waist.
He buried his face against her hair and held her tightly. He didn't ever want to let her go again. Now that she was safe, he didn't think he could bear to let her out of his sight.
Without letting go of his daughter, he looked across the room at Jake, who sat next to Carol. Both of his fists were bloody and bruised, and a spot on his jaw was swollen and purple. "I take it you were the fight at the Starlight motel?"
Carol put a hand on Jake's shoulder. "Jake saw a car with Louisiana plates parked at the motel and went in to talk to the manager. When he came out, he drove around back and we saw a guy in front of one of the rooms with Katie. Jake nearly ran him down, then jumped out of the truck and tackled him, just like he did in the big State game our senior year. I put Katie in the truck while Jake beat the hell out of him. Took two deputies to pull Jake off the guy."
She smiled proudly at Jake and squeezed his shoulder.
Logan looked at Jake with new respect. "Thank you doesn't seem adequate. But thank you."
Jake grinned, his smile lopsided from the swelling. "You're welcome. You may have to bail me out of here, though, if that jerk decides to file assault charges."
"Consider it done." Logan turned to the Sheriff. "Who is he? Has he said why he took Katie?"
"He can't say much of anything right now. He's at the hospital being put back together. Jake didn't leave us much to interrogate. The man's a mess. But your daughter knows him."
Logan looked down at Katie. "Who was it, Katie?"
She looked down, then back up. "You're gonna be so mad…"
"Katie…"
"It was Mom's boyfriend. She was mad at him for helping me run away, so he came out here to take me back. He'd followed us to the mall in Lubbock, but Megan never let me out of her sight, so he couldn't get me then. He watched the house until he thought it was safe, then came in through my window. He might have made it, too, if it hadn't been for Blue."
She turned to Megan, her eyes pleading. "Blue's going to be okay, isn't he? He was bleeding awful bad. He chased Jerry when he carried me to the car. Then he bit his ankle. Jerry yelled and kicked Blue really hard." Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "If he hadn't already been halfway in the car when Blue caught up with us, I think Blue would have killed him."
Megan reached out and smoothed Katie's tangled hair away from her face an
d handed her a tissue. "Blue's going to be just fine. We can bring him home in the morning."
Katie's smile was wobbly, but she leaned her head into Megan's palm in a gesture so trusting, a lump formed in Logan's throat as he watched. He looked up at the Sheriff. "Can I take my daughter home now?"
"Sure. I'll need you to bring her in tomorrow for a statement, but this Jerry character isn't going anywhere tonight. Or any time soon. Somebody needs to take Jake to the hospital and get his hands x-rayed, though."
Carol stood and helped Jake up. "I'll do that. You get Katie home so Dad can see she's okay."
Logan watched as Carol led Jake out, one hand under his elbow and the other around his waist. When Megan gave him a warning glance, he shrugged. "I didn't say a word."
***
Logan tucked Katie into Megan's bed so she wouldn't have to sleep alone, then he and Megan went to check on his dad. As he stepped into Charlie's room, he turned to Megan with a finger on his lips. Nancy was asleep across the end of the king-sized bed, with Jean sleeping on top of the covers on the other side of his dad.
"Shouldn't we wake them up so they can go to their own room?" Megan whispered.
He shook his head and pulled her quietly from the room. "What's the point? It's already morning. Let them get whatever sleep they can."
Megan led the way to the kitchen and put a pan of milk on the stove to warm. "I hate to see them try to drive home today on so little sleep."
Logan rubbed his face with one hand. He knew he'd sound like an ass if he insisted they leave. But he really wanted to circle the wagons, with as few females inside as he could get away with. With a weary sigh, he gave in. "They can stay another day so they can rest up. But could you please make sure they go home tomorrow, before something else happens?"
Megan smiled, a slow, easy grin that lit her face in spite of her exhaustion. "It's a deal." She poured the milk into heavy mugs, added chocolate mix, and brought them to the table. She handed one to Logan, then stirred hers thoughtfully. "What are you going to do now? About the boyfriend, I mean?"
Logan's brows drew together and his jaw clenched. "I'm going to let the sheriff throw the book at him. And I'm calling my lawyer again. I'll get a restraining order against Sue Ann until I find out if she had anything to do with this. Then I'm going to push for the custody hearing to happen as soon as possible."
"Do you think Jake will get in trouble for beating him up?"
"I don't know. But if he does, I'll hire the best lawyer I can find to get him off. He saved me from killing the man."
Megan stared at him, shocked. "You think you could have killed him?"
Logan shrugged. "I don't know. If he had hurt Katie, I'm sure I could have. Since he didn't, I probably would have done exactly what Jake did if I'd gotten there first."
Megan changed the subject. "I was amazed at how many people came out to help in the middle of the night."
A warm glow spread through him as he thought about the reception they'd received at the Sheriff's office. "Yeah, that was something I didn't expect. But Morris Springs has always had a pretty good grapevine. If one person heard the call, they'd call someone else, who would call two more, and so on. In a town this size, it doesn't take long for word to get around." He grinned and shook his head. "I always hated that as a kid. You couldn't get away with anything."
Megan laughed and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "I grew up in Dallas, in a high rise apartment. Except for the summers I spent with my aunt and uncle, I could do just about anything I wanted to and no one knew or cared." Her expression sobered and her eyes reflected her sadness at the memory. "There were a lot of times I wished someone cared enough to catch me."
Logan wondered if Katie felt the same way. Maybe this trip, bus and all, had been a desperate bid for his attention, to let him know something was wrong at home. He needed to find out more about what her life had been like the last few months. Regardless, he wasn't letting her go again.
Megan drained her cup and stood. "We should try to catch a couple of hours' sleep. It's going to be a long, emotional day for all of us." She rinsed the cup and set it in the sink, then turned to go.
Logan stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Thank you, Megan."
"What for? I didn't do anything."
He stood and gripped her arms, pulling her against him. "Yes, you did. You were here." He lowered his head and took her mouth with his. He knew he should keep his distance. He should send her to bed to get some sleep. He should send her back to Dallas.
He didn't care. He reveled in the taste, in the feel of her as he deepened the kiss. She tasted of hot chocolate and a spicy tang that was hers alone. He ran his tongue along her lips, teasing them open.
His body was hard, and hurting. He needed her, needed to sink into her and release the tension that had built up over the last few days. Even with four other people in the house, he wanted to lay her back across the table and bury himself inside her, to forget the terror he'd been through over the past few hours.
Megan wrapped her arms around Logan's neck and held on for dear life. She'd never been kissed so thoroughly, with so much heat and passion. She reveled in the sensation of being devoured, possessed, entranced.
His body was rock hard against hers. She could feel his muscles flexing as he ground his pelvis against her stomach. She could feel the rigid line of his arousal firing her blood. She knew that if she and Logan ever made love, there would be no holding back. It would be hot, wild, and wonderful.
When it was over, her heart might shatter, but the rest of her would be whole.
Logan broke the kiss and stepped back long before Megan was ready. His hands dropped from her arms and he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Go get some sleep, Megan. Before the others wake up." Then he left the kitchen, leaving Megan with one hand against her mouth, trying to keep the warmth of his lips from fading away.
***
"We're not taking no for an answer." Nancy stood with her hands on her hips, her expression clearly stating she would brook no argument from anyone. "Jean and I will stay with Charlie, and the rest of you will go out to eat. Megan has to cook every meal for the next week, and she should get a night out first."
Jean nodded and added her two cents. "Carol deserves a break, too. And you all need to get away from the house for a while, do something pleasant for a change."
Katie looked doubtful. "But we can't leave Blue. He's still not feeling good."
Nancy glanced over at the dog, asleep on a soft blanket near the back door. "He's still so groggy he won't even know you're gone. We'll watch him carefully until you get back. If there's a problem, we'll call your dad's cell phone. How's that?"
Katie thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. But if he's hungry when he wakes up, you have to feed him something soft, like scrambled eggs. The vet said not to give him dog food until he's up on his feet."
Nancy smoothed a hand over Katie's hair, then gave her a hug. "I know, sweetie. We'll take good care of him, I promise."
Megan watched Logan's expressive face and knew the instant he gave in. He moved his gaze from Carol's quick smile to Katie's wide grin. "I take it you guys want to go out. Megan?"
"I think it sounds like a great idea. But what about Jake? We should invite him, too, shouldn't we? If we're going out to celebrate, we can't leave him out."
A blush bloomed across Carol's face, but she moved quickly toward the telephone. A questioning glance at Logan earned her a quick nod and she picked up the receiver and dialed.
"Where do you want to eat?" Logan asked Katie.
"The Prairie Dog Café." She looked at Megan. "They have the biggest chicken-fried steaks you've ever seen."
Half an hour later they settled into a booth at the Prairie Dog, Megan and Logan on one side of the table, Carol and Jake on the other, and Katie in a chair at the end. While Megan studied the menu, Logan and Carol chatted with the locals who stopped by to offer congratulations on Katie's safe return. Jake joined in the
conversation and introduced the people Logan and Carol didn't know.
One burly man in overalls and a plaid shirt shook Logan's hand, then clapped him on the shoulder. "It sure is good to see you back home where you belong, Logan. I know your daddy must be about to bust with happiness. He's waited years for you to take over the farm."
"But, I'm not…"
"Yes sir, it's good to see a family keep the traditions going, helping each other out. Almost all of the kids who left looking for greener pastures have come back home. There's a whole new generation growing up here, working the home places just like their parents did."
"Jim, I'm only here for a little while, until we can convince Dad to sell the farm."
The big man laughed and cuffed Logan on the arm. "Yeah, that's what they all say. Then they realize this is where they belong, where they have a home. That city stuff gets old after a while, always worrying about getting mugged or robbed, worrying how to pay those credit card bills. You'll see. Once home, always home, that's what I always say." He ruffled Katie's hair and moved away, leaving Logan with a pensive expression on his face.
When the waitress stopped to take their order, Carol looked up. "Jenny! Oh my goodness, I haven't seen you in years." The two exchanged a hug, then chatted about old times for a minute before she took their orders.
Megan felt a pang of loneliness in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen any of her old high school friends, and couldn't think of a single one who would be so glad to see her.
Most of the mealtime conversation centered around old friends and childhood memories. Megan concentrated on her food, trying not to let on how left out she felt. She caught Jake's sympathetic glances from time to time, but she ignored him and let the conversation flow around her.
The more Logan and Carol talked about the past, the more Megan realized she had nothing in common with him. He deserved someone who shared those memories, someone who belonged in this town, who'd grown up here. He might think he belonged in Dallas, but he didn't. He was a part of this community, like it or not. Just like she wasn't.
But she really loved it here and she knew it was perfect for her. If Logan couldn't appreciate it, that didn't mean she couldn't. From the looks being exchanged between Carol and Jake, there seemed to be a distinct possibility that Carol might settle down here eventually, so Megan would have one friend, at least. And she'd get to know the others in time, to be accepted into the community.