Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(74)

She knew it was over. More than the sorrow of losing him was one fact that broke her heart. He was hurting as much as she was. Part of her wanted to run back to the café and hold him close and say she was sorry, so sorry, that she wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong, or what he’d done.

As she turned a bend where the trees shaded the road, a man yelled for help. “Mayor, can you give me a hand? I ran over a stray dog and I’m afraid he’s dying.”

Piper jumped from the van and pushed through the bushes, listening for the whine. This was a blind corner. A driver couldn’t see ten feet in front of the car until he was almost to the turn.

The silence told her the dog was probably already dead.

“I don’t see the dog,” she said a second before something hit her hard in the back of her head.

She felt herself floating down. Her last thought was that her heel was stuck in the mud one step away from the sidewalk.

Then nothing. All went black as if someone turned off the sun.





Chapter 47


Leon


Leon lifted the mayor and threw her over his shoulder. In less than a minute, he was driving away with the mayor stowed in the trunk of his car. Not a car or a person on the road. He’d made a clean getaway.

He hadn’t had much time to plan. It was pure luck that he saw the mayor walking into the café. All he had to do was wait and think up a hook to catch her with. He was good at thinking on his feet. That’s why he never got caught.

In a few hours he’d have Marcie. She’d come to save her friend. She’d do anything he asked if he promised to let the mayor go. He’d have her just where he wanted and this time she’d have nowhere to run.

He was finally fishing with the right bait.





Chapter 48


Marcie


It was too late for breakfast, but Marcie was starving. She wanted to cook for Brand. They could eat it in bed, then make love again. They’d gotten up twice before dawn and ended up boomeranging back to bed. This time she’d dressed before she started cooking. When bacon, eggs, and biscuits were on the table, she went back to the bedroom.

Brand was standing beside his closet wearing only his Levi’s, and they weren’t buttoned all the way. When he turned, his smile made her warm all over. The thought occurred to her that this quiet man said a lot with his hands and his brown eyes.

Right now he looked like he wanted to push her back on the bed and make love again. She didn’t mind one bit, but at the rate they were going they’d starve to death.

A slow smile made him irresistible. “You coming back to bed, honey? I’m ready. I’m half undressed.”

“You are half dressed, and breakfast is on the table. We have to eat. I’m starving.” She couldn’t stop herself from brushing his bare chest.

“I’m not that hungry for food. Cold breakfast is fine with me.”

She moved closer. “Brand, you don’t have to make up for lost time all in one day. I’m right here and I don’t plan on going anywhere. You look at me like I’m your Christmas present and you know I’m going to be broken or lost by the end of the day. I promise, I’m going to stay around.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as you want me.”

He stood staring at her. “Then it’s settled. If I get to choose, it’s forever.”

He pulled her up into his bear hug and kissed her as he carried her to the kitchen. “We’ll eat fast. I want to make love to you until we lose count and have to start all over again, and again, and again.”

She smiled when the meal caught his attention. He was eating before he sat down.

“I didn’t think it would be that easy,” he said after a few bites. “I thought we’d have to talk about it for a while.”

“Talk about what?”

“About you being mine. You said I get to choose. You’re my girl. I’m keeping you.”

She brushed his hair. “No, cowboy, you’re my guy and I’m keeping you.”

He took another bite and seemed to swallow without even chewing. “You need to understand something. I’ve been yours for a long time. I was just waiting for you to notice.”

She stood and straddled his lap. “I’m noticing now, Brand.”

He forgot about food as his hands slid beneath her shirt and found her breasts.

She was laughing when her phone rang.

When Marcie saw that it was Piper she pointed to the front door and mouthed, “Piper.”

Brand nodded and went back to devouring everything on the table.

She closed the door, not wanting Brand to hear their conversation. Marcie didn’t want him to know she’d been threatened.

“What’s up, Piper?” Marcie smiled, thinking about Brand waiting for her.

There was no answer to her question.

“Piper, are you there?”

A low voice whispered, “Oh, she’s here. The question is where are you, tramp? We’re going to have a little race, and no matter what happens you’re going to come out the loser. The only question is, do you save the mayor, or do you die with her screams in your ears?”

Marcie couldn’t breathe. She knew the voice well, it haunted her. “What have you done with the mayor? If you hurt her I swear . . .”