Bound to You (37 page)

The cabin was small, probably consisting of only one room, and all gray, as if neglected for decades.

He screeched to a stop just in time to keep from crashing into the tiny front porch, put the truck in park, and jumped out without killing the engine. He ran up the steps while Tad yelled at Foster to go around back.

He tried the loose brass doorknob, found it locked and stepped back and kicked the door open. As he strode inside the room, he quickly took in the scene. Two girls sat on a dirty, tilted orange sofa, both gaping at him with open mouths and wide eyes, one of them frozen holding out a stuffed toy.

And there, as if the heavens had opened up and shined a glowing light down on him, stood Ethan in the middle of the room. Ethan took the toy and with a loud “No!” threw the toy.

Vaguely, Sam was aware of several of his family coming in behind him. The back door burst open and Foster came in. The girls both screamed and huddled, backing up on the couch in fear.

But Sam didn’t care about anything but the sight of his son alive and standing there, safe.

Ethan started gasping at the commotion, as well, backing up toward the far corner as too many people entered the room at once.

Sam slid a vinyl chair aside on his way to his son, forcing himself to keep his tone calm, worried about forever traumatizing his child. He held up a hand warning everyone to stay still and quiet. “Ethan, honey,” he said, approaching slowly, bending at the waist. “It’s okay. You’re okay. It’s just me. It’s just your daddy.”

Ethan looked all around, at all the huge men, then followed Sam’s voice. He blinked his big blue eyes then his face brightened as recognition set in.

“
Daddy!” Ethan yelled and ran to him with his arms outstretched.

Sam scooped up his son and held him tight, rocking him from side to side, his vision blurring as he watched Tad and Foster surround the girls, Tad already on the phone with the police.

“
You’re okay,” Sam told his son, forcing himself not to squeeze to tightly. “You’re safe now. Daddy’s got you. You’re safe.”

He turned and bumped into his own father who was stepping in to give Ethan a rub on the back.

“
Let’s go home,” Sam said, aiming for the doorway.

All he needed was his son in his arms and his dad to drive them home. Tad and Foster could deal with the business end of this nightmare.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The sun was just rising on the horizon, glowing in pinks and oranges through the tree limbs as Sam and Jenna sat on the back porch rocking and watching the sunrise. The birds were up and flittering about, singing as if with joy at Ethan’s return.

Ethan slept peacefully wrapped in a blanket in Jenna’s arms and Sam wondered if she would ever let him go again.

Sam kept his arm around Jenna’s shoulders because she was still shaking, and he wanted to stay as close to her and Ethan as possible.

They’d finally been given a few minutes alone to enjoy a moment to reunite, though his family members still filled the house and a few law enforcement personnel continued to linger, mostly to hold back the press who wanted a story. They’d have to wait.

So would Sam and Jenna. Even though the two girls at the cabin had been arrested, they were still waiting to hear what was happening. And whether Brandon Stewart would be implicated.

But those questions seemed trivial compared to having their son back home with them, unharmed and content. The girls, it seemed, had taken care of him, and had tried to keep him happy, at least. Sam could only hope Ethan would never remember that terrible night.

A lot of work was yet to be done, but one day soon the ordeal would be over and life could return to normal.

He looked down at Jenna’s feet, both heavily wrapped in gauze. “Your poor feet,” he said. “Do they hurt?”

She lifted her feet and shrugged as she looked down at Ethan. “I can’t even feel it.”

“
What say,” Sam said, “we go stay at the ranch for a week or two till things die down around here? I need to pack up my things, anyway.”

Jenna nodded, her eyes still glassy, her cheeks still flaming red. “I like that.” She sighed down at Ethan. “I really like that.”

Sam found himself sighing, too. They both couldn’t seem to stop sighing with relief. “We’ll do that, then. As soon as we can. Mom and Dad’s anniversary party is next Friday. We’ll leave the next day.”

“
Oh, though,” Jenna said, wincing, “I can’t leave Bri alone here. She wants to keep her job and she’ll be scared here by herself.”

“
She can stay with my parents for a while. She’ll like it there. They’ll pamper her. She’ll be safe there.”

Jenna leaned in closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “That’s good. I like that. If they don’t mind.”

He knew they wouldn’t mind. They’d welcome Brianna wholeheartedly. She was a good kid. And the last he’d seen of his mother she’d been snuggled up on the couch with Brianna, almost like mother and daughter.

Jenna straightened suddenly. “How did you do it?” she asked as if the past few hours had finally caught up with her. “How’d you find him?”

He chuckled. “You have my cousins to thank for that. Lara Beth and Mercy. They knew about the cabin.” And he’d have to think of some way to show his own appreciation to them both. Something monumental. Nothing he could think of seemed big enough. They may very well have saved Ethan’s life.

“
Bri’s friends?” Jenna asked as her eyes filled with tears again. “Oh my god, I love them. And I love you so much.”

He gave her a kiss on the temple. “Ditto, kiddo.”

The back screen door opened and Foster knocked on the doorjamb before stepping out. “Dad just called,” he said, keeping his voice down as he smiled at Ethan. Then he put on a serious face for Sam and Jenna. “One of the girls was Brandon Stewart’s sister, Allison. The other girl is named Sierra Watson. Before her lawyer showed up, Allison confessed to taking Ethan during the party. She said Brandon made her do it. Sierra said they paid her ten thousand dollars to help.”

Sam checked Jenna noticing her shaking more violently now, her face even redder. “I knew it,” she said. “What about Brandon? Did they get him?”

Foster blinked rapidly at Jenna, shifting his stance. “Um, yeah, but….” He tilted his head toward the door, now focused on Sam. “Maybe we should speak in private.”

But before Sam could move, Jenna sat forward. “What’s happening? I have to know.”

Foster backed up and leaned against the railing, still seeming uncomfortable. “He, um, I mean…. His grandfather, and their lawyers, had him protected at the Stewart estate. They were waiting on a warrant, but apparently, Brandon locked himself in a room. He had a gun.”

Both Sam and Jenna sat back in surprise. “He killed himself?” Jenna asked. “He’s dead?”

Foster only nodded.

Jenna stared off, breathing heavily. Sam rubbed her back, wondering if he needed to take Ethan inside. But their son was exhausted and slept on peacefully. “I can’t believe it,” she said.

“
I guess he knew he was going to jail,” Foster said. “He probably couldn’t face it.”

Sam knew that was probably true, but he also knew Brandon’s problems dated far back to his own childhood. Problems he’d tried to blame on Jenna. “None of this was your fault,” he told her, sternly, before she tried to blame herself.

But she didn’t even glance his way. “I know,” she said. “He stole my son. I don’t care what happened to him.” But she didn’t sound very convincing.

Maybe sensing his mother’s agitation, Ethan woke up and stretched his arms free from the blanket. He tried to sit up but Jenna didn’t seem to notice.

Taking that as his cue, Sam lifted Ethan from her arms, wanting to hold his son for a while, anyway. “You awake yet, buddy?”

Ethan sat on his knee, blinking and looking around.

Jenna leaned over and gave Ethan a kiss on the cheek. “I love you more than anything in this world, my sweet, sweet baby,” she whispered in Ethan’s ear.

Foster fled and Jenna stood, dropped the blanket to her chair, and walked down the porch. She kept going toward the pond and stopped at the end of the pier.

Ethan leaned against Sam’s chest, still half asleep, and Sam rocked him, knowing Jenna needed a little time to absorb all that had happened recently. But finally, he couldn’t stand seeing her standing there all alone, hugging herself.

He got up, propped Ethan on his hip, and went to check on her.

She smiled palely at them as Sam stepped up beside her. “I just realized something,” she said, staring out over the water. “Almost everything my father told me about you and your family was really true of our family. Of him. Of us. Of people like Brandon Stewart. What does that mean?”

Sam wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Holding a grudge only holds you back?”

She moaned softly. “Probably.”

“
Duckies, Daddy,” Ethan said, pointing as the ducks noticed them on the pier and came swimming up.

Sam couldn’t help but laugh. He knew he’d never get tired of hearing his son say that word.

Jenna smiled tenderly at him.
“That night really was beautiful, Sam. The best night of my life. And I don’t regret a moment of it. It led us here. You, me and Ethan, together.”

He nodded in agreement and gave her a heated kiss. “I’m glad you finally remembered it right.”

Jenna pointed across the pond where some deer had come up for a drink. “Look at that,” she whispered. “An albino fawn.”

Sam followed her direction and saw the brown mother and snowy white baby. He pointed out the deer to Ethan. “See that, bud? Look over there.”

“
Horsey!” Ethan yelled and the deer all lifted their heads.

Fascinated, they watched the beautiful wild animals as they trotted and hopped into the woods.

“
That’s a good luck sign,” Sam told Jenna, smiling with wonder. “In all my years, I’ve never seen an albino deer.”

Jenna rested her head on Sam’s shoulder and reached over to hold Ethan’s ankle. “I can feel it now. Everything will be all right. I never want this moment to end,” she said with such longing Sam tightened his arm protectively around her.

“
Then we won’t let it, honey. We’ll make it last for the rest of our lives.”

EPILOGUE

Sam’s parents’ house was filled to bursting with family and friends for the anniversary party. The house had been professionally decorated with banners and flowers. Uniformed waiters strolled around offering hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Jack and Angie had arrived for the event, as well as Munday relatives from Texas.

People lingered around the living room and spilled out onto the back patio around the lighted pool. The new band Mike was managing was playing lively music off to the side, away from the splashing of the waterfall his mother had had added on to the pool.

Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Toasts had been made, cake and champagne had been served, and now everyone was mingling and enjoying the evening. He’d lost Jenna somewhere as she’d traveled off with Crystal to meet new people.

Sam made the rounds, chatting with family and friends and catching up with those he hadn’t seen in a while. Spotting Boone, he stopped to hand his brother a folded sheet of paper. The results of the DNA test.

“
Check that out,” Sam said. “Ninety-nine percent match.”

Boone chuckled, but checked the results for himself. “Never had a doubt, bud.”

Sam gave his brother a jab in the arm and moved on. He checked in on the kids in the playroom where Ethan was having a good time. He spotted Frankie sitting on the sofa there holding her newborn boy, Braden, named after their grandfather. She was surrounded by family all anxious to fawn over their newest member. The baby was round and pink with a thin layer of blond hair, reminding Sam of pictures of Ethan as a newborn.

Maybe one day he’d be holding a new baby of his own. He didn’t know anything, he had no news to share, but he and Jenna had been reckless the night in his childhood bedroom. He wouldn’t be disappointed if one day soon Jenna did have news for him. She was right when she’d said it was impossible to have too much family. He left Frankie and the baby to their admirers and went to find Jenna.

He spotted her outside by the pool listening to the band and moved up behind her to wrap his arms around her. She turned and grinned at him, taking a sip of champagne, and then wrapped her arms around his neck. He backed her up, wanting to get her away from the crowd. He nodded toward the waterfall at the far side of the pool. He took her glass away from her and set it on a nearby table. “Let’s go over there.”

She turned and went with him, holding tight to his hand.

“
I’ve decided on a date,” she said. “August seventh.”