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“No problem. Kathy will work with us to help us cover our tracks.”
Jake dialed and was patched through to Kathy, who was out on patrol. “Yeah, Kathy, Jake Ramsey here. Say we’ve got a situation here and need your help. No, Samantha’s okay. It’s something else. Okay, we’ll see you.”
“When’s she coming?” Tad asked.
“She’ll be here in about ten minutes. I’m afraid you’ll have to spend the night in jail to make it convincing.”
Tad nodded grimly. “I’d better pack my things.”
Jake smiled in sympathy. “I’ve heard that the local jail serves fine cuisine. Kathy will spring you tomorrow evening, and you can help her patrol the area. You can point out anyone from Logan Industries. In the meantime, I’ll set a trap for your alleged blackmailer if he shows up. I’m proud of you, kid.”
Samantha leaned forward. “Me, too. Nobody can say my brother isn’t made of strong stuff.” She turned to Jake. “What about me? What can I do to help?”
Jake knew she was feeling left out, but that was too bad. Even though there was little chance of them showing up, he didn’t feel good about letting her be involved. “I want you to go with Tad and Kathy.”
“They don’t need me. I’ll be nothing but a third wheel.” Her nose wrinkled as she frowned at him. “I’d be more useful here. I could be your lookout. I promise to stay out of your way.”
“You promised that last night and then disobeyed.”
“That was then, and this is now. I need to do this, Jake. Please don’t deny me.”
His resolve melted in the face of her determined smile. “Okay. You can act as a lookout, but only from a distance. You can take a post up in the loft and watch through the telescope. We can keep in constant contact by two-way radio.”
Samantha put away the last of the supper dishes. Tad was cooling his heels in jail, and Jake was up in the loft, conferring with his staff at Logan Industries. She knew he was also planning to call her father to call off the posse looking for her.
She felt guilty for causing such a mess. When she’d run away that night, she thought her dad would read her note the next day and let her have some time to lick her wounds. Who knew he’d have the goon squad out looking for her? But, according to Tad, he had. And, all this time, she was here, safe and sound, with the head goon.
The thought of Jake harshly explaining why she’d run off made her cringe. How would her father react to the news of Grayson’s infidelity? A small part of her said he would find a way to blame her. The one time she’d sought to please him in her life had turned into a disaster.
The first thing she’d have to do when she went home next week was try to smooth things over with her father. But he had to let her be herself. If she could grow out of her rebellious teens and become a successful businesswoman, he could also learn to bend a little.
During all the turmoil of the last few days with Jake, she’d almost forgotten the cheating scoundrel who had driven her here into hiding. Thoughts of Grayson melted into insignificance when Jake had kissed her. Now reality had smacked her in the face, and her cheating ex-fiancé was on her mind. The gleam of fury in his eyes before she’d turned to run away from him had been terrifying. She’d make sure they didn’t cross paths again when she went home.
She started to pace, coming down with severe cabin fever. Suddenly, the walls of the cabin were too confining.
She walked onto the porch, hoping the fresh air would help. It did. Her tension slipped away as she watched the setting sun create a rainbow of colors in the evening sky.
She strolled down the path leading to the lake. A walk was just what the doctor ordered to relieve her stress.
Going along, she tried to sort out her emotions. Were her tender feelings for Jake genuine, or was she seeking comfort on the rebound? Having been burned by love once, she wasn’t eager to make a second mistake. But now she knew what she’d felt for Grayson hadn’t been love. Infatuation maybe, but not love. Jake Ramsey was different. He was a sexy, compelling, sometimes maddening man. Her head said she would be a fool to jump into a relationship with him, but her heart said leap.
Stumbling over a root, she regained her footing and turned her mind to less troubling subjects. She crunched through the overgrown path, focusing on her pristine surroundings. Tomorrow, she’d come down here and do some trimming. She smiled when the birds sang and took a deep breath of the cool, refreshing air. This was just what she needed to restore her composure.
Dark clouds started to gather on the horizon, and the wind picked up, making her shiver. A storm front was rolling in.
She stopped in her tracks and looked back. She’d walked farther than she’d intended to, lost in thought. The cabin was far out of sight.
As she stood peering through the darkening pine forest, looking for a familiar landmark, an uneasy prickle of awareness crept up her spine. She told herself it was just nerves, but try as she might, she couldn’t shake off the sensation that someone was watching her. It was palpable.
It was then she noticed how quiet the forest had suddenly become. The birds were silent.
She darted an uneasy glance around the dark forest, but didn’t see a soul. Even so, she couldn’t shake off the sensation of evil eyes on her.
A branch snapped, the sound ricocheting through the forest.
She spun in that direction. A ghostly man’s shape lurked in the shadows.
Had Jake followed her? “Jake, is that you?”
