First light brought Heather out of a deep and pleasant night's sleep. Her mind filled as a flurry of thoughts crowded each other, seeking to be the first thing for her to consider. She settled on thinking about her parents, especially her father. The only place she could remember him not wearing a dark jacket and a burgundy tie was when he went sailing. No, that wasn’t right. She'd seen photos of him when he was an undergrad at Harvard, standing by his polo pony, dressed like all the other team members. He'd lost that smile in the forty-plus years of high stakes business.
Last night he rediscovered it and she saw a side of him she didn't know existed. He laughed at Steve's corny jokes and made pleasant conversation with both of them. He heeded her mother’s command to remove his tie, and his coat followed. She’d never seen him so relaxed.
"Jack," she spoke his name out loud. He'd arrive today. She spoke to the air and giggled. "How will he respond when I introduce him to my parents?"
Throwing back the sheet and duvet, she pointed her toes and reached toward the ceiling with wiggling fingers. Her stretch reminded her of her cat, Max, and the way he reached with his front paws after a nap. He'd be aloof when she came home, but it wouldn't take long before he made figure eights between her legs.
"Get up," she said to herself. "To the fitness center with you."
While brushing her teeth, she considered checking in with Steve but decided against it. His sleeping patterns were haphazard. A world without light made it difficult for him to get on a schedule.
Her thoughts then went to Sue Ann and the promise to develop a financial investment plan for her and her children. She'd work on that this morning and travel to Sue Ann's home around noon for signatures. With luck, she'd score another piece of rhubarb pie and a glass of real milk.
Coming full circle, she thought again about her father and their improved relationship. She'd meet him for breakfast and ask his advice on strategies for Sue Ann. It would be just the two of them. Mother preferred to start her days slow and ordered breakfast from room service when she traveled.
The cell phone came alive. "Good morning, Steve. You're up early."
"I wanted to let you know that nothing happened at Anna and Angelina's house last night."
Heather's thoughts shifted again to the room three doors down. "Is that good or bad?"
"Neither, unless you're Marvin Goodnight or the deputies he had staked out watching the home. All it means is they’ll continue surveillance all day and tonight."
"I'm going to see Sue Ann around noon. Do you want to go with me?"
The pause didn't last long. "I'll pass. Didn't sleep very well last night. I've been thinking about what could go wrong. This may be unnecessary, but why don't you trade rooms with Anna and Angelina this morning?"
"Good idea." She stepped to the mirror and put her hair in a ponytail while she continued the conversation. "I'll wait until I get back from the fitness center. It's still too early to be bothering them. Anything else?"
Steve issued a yawn before he could put words to his reply. "That's what kept me from sleeping last night. It makes me nervous when things are going the way I think they should."
"Get some sleep." She disconnected the call, grabbed her room key and stepped to the door. There was so much good going on in her life, she determined Steve's hyper-vigilance wouldn't spoil her day.
The trip through the fast-expanding city of Marble Falls gave Heather the opportunity to consider what she'd wear when Jack arrived. He called when she and her father were putting the finishing touches on an investment portfolio for Sue Ann. It had been another great visit with her father, and she counted it a blessing to have longstanding friction out of her life. She and Steve helped her father through a financial storm. He accepted her as a competent businesswoman and a grown daughter he wanted to spend time with. Life was good.
Still, it seemed strange not having to live up to an unspoken expectation of excellence. She put the thought aside, turned on the radio to an oldies station and sang along with tunes popular when her mother was in finishing school. Lost in pleasant thoughts, she pulled through the open gate of Sue Ann's mini-farm. The tires of the rental crunched over the gravel drive when she pulled up in front of the house. She was grateful she didn’t have to worry about Grant being here.
The eldest girl met Heather with the screen door opened wide. "Hello, Ms. McBlythe. Mama's in the kitchen. Is it true we're going to be movin’ and livin’ with Uncle Rance?"
"That's the plan. Your grandpa left your mother and Uncle Rance well provided for."
The girl's gap-tooth smile spoke louder than words. She walked Heather through the living room and into the kitchen. The youngest girl brought her dishes to the sink. Whatever she'd eaten, there wasn't a crumb or smudge left on the plate. "That was good ham and cheese, Mama. What’d you call that fancy bread?"
"A croissant," said Sue Ann. "Rinse your plate and glass before you go play. You girls can wash and dry later. Miss Heather and I have business to tend to."
"We'll be with the boys by the river."
The back screen door slammed as the sisters ran with abandon. "They're full of energy today," said Heather.
"It's the move that's got 'em so excited. I told ’em they could have their pick of animals to raise. They all chose something different: chickens, horses, a steer for beef and the little one wants to raise a show lamb."
"You're doing a wonderful job raising them."
"It’ll be easier without their father around."
Heather noticed Sue Ann had distanced herself from Grant by referring to him as the children's father. She placed her satchel on the table. "I have documents for you to sign, and I'll go over an investment portfolio with you. I need to tell you up front that all investments come with risk, but I consulted a true expert and this plan should get you off to a solid start. It's diversified into four asset classes and—"
A quick glance up from the papers connected with Sue Ann’s blank stare. "You can keep talkin’ if you want to, but I don't understand what you're saying. Tell me where to sign. I trust you."
Heather intended to go into detail, but closed the business by handing Sue Ann a pen and pointing to the signature line on a contract. There are times when you trust others and move on.
Heather straightened the pages and shoved them back in her satchel. She then looked at the pie safe. "Any more rhubarb?"
Sue Ann was already moving in that direction when Heather's gaze locked on the safe. "How does a slice of peach pie sound? They're fresh from the tree this morning. I hope it’s cooled enough to set up."
Heather heard a floorboard squeak in the living room. Sue Ann's gaze changed from a smile to abject fear. "You're supposed to be in jail." She took steps backward until she could go no further.
"Well, I ain't," said Grant. His next words came out with a sneer. "No thanks to you."
Heather tried to rise, but Grant's meaty hand on her shoulder pushed her down.
She spun in her chair, intending to grab his finger and wrench it back if he tried to push her down again. She never got the chance. As soon as she spun, he cuffed her on the mouth with the back of his fist. Her head snapped back and her body followed all the way to the floor.
"Leave her alone!" shouted Sue Ann.
Heather saw pinpoints of light, like she was looking into a night sky. Through blurry vision she saw Grant move toward Sue Ann. "Why didn't you get me out of jail?"
Heather shook her head and wiped blood from her mouth. She tried to get up, but the force of the blow left her mind in a fog and her legs entangled in the chair.
Through the mist of semi-consciousness, she saw Grant ball a fist and bury it in Sue Ann's belly. He then grabbed her by the wrist and pulled. She stumbled but didn't fall. He let go of her wrist and grabbed a fist full of her hair.
Her breath coming in quick gasps, Sue Ann took stumbling steps as he dragged her toward the living room. He stopped in the doorway and lifted her head by yanking upward. The sound of a fist striking flesh came next.
Heather kicked the chair out of the way and rolled over on her hands and knees. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Grant rush toward her. She knew what was coming, but impaired reflexes wouldn't allow her to block the kick. It struck the lower part of her ribs and lifted her off the ground. The world went black.
The sensation of something cool on her forehead brought her back from wherever she'd been and into a world filled with pain. Looking down on her were all four children. She struggled to rise, but the room and the faces spun so fast she had to close her eyes. It sounded like someone else's voice when she heard herself say, "Call the police."
"We can't," said the oldest boy. “Dad pulled the phone cord out of the wall.”
"Back pocket of my jeans," said Heather. "Cell phone."
He nodded.
Pain raced through her when he moved her hip to get at the phone. It subsided some when she went back to the original position. She fought to keep the world from going black again and said, "Call 911. Give them the address. Where's your mother?"
"She's gone."
"Tell them."
"I know what to do. This ain’t the first time."
Heather watched the young man as he gave information in clear, crisp sentences. The eldest daughter returned with something wrapped in dish towels.
"This is going to hurt, but I'm going to put an ice pack on your mouth and one on your ribs. He kicked you hard so you might have a busted rib or two."
The eldest boy looked down on her. "Help is on the way."
The ice packs must have numbed the pain enough for the haze to lift from Heather's brain. "Hand me my phone."
While laying on her back, she pushed Steve's name.
It rang several times. "You're spoiling my nap."
"Listen," she whispered. "I'm hurt. Grant's out of jail. He took Sue Ann."
Steve's voice took on the tone of a seasoned police officer. "Location?"
"Sue Ann's. The cops are coming. The children are taking care of me."
Steve kept his words to a minimum. "Put the oldest one on."
The conversation became one sided.
"A busted lip and maybe a broken rib or two... Her purse? Hold on." He hollered into the living room. "Anyone seen Miss Heather's purse?"
Negative answers rang from different voices.
"Her satchel is here with papers in it, but we can't find her purse... No, sir. Her car is gone... Yes, Sir. I'll tell her."
The boy placed her phone on the table. "He said he'll take care of everything and meet you at the hospital."
The first officer to arrive was a Burnet County deputy sheriff. He called the children by name as he entered. It must not have been his first time to make a house call to this residence. He came to where Heather lay and gave the standard instructions she'd given people when she was wearing a uniform, badge and gun. "Lay still, help is on the way."
"He has my purse and weapon. 9mm Sig Sauer. Two extra clips."
"The BOLO's out on your rental. They won't get far."
"Sue Ann's hurt too. She's a hostage."
The deputy depressed a microphone on his uniform's epaulet and gave his call sign. After dispatch responded, he said, "It’s confirmed. Suspect abducted his wife. She’s believed to be injured. Suspect armed with 9mm Sig with two extra clips."
A tiny voice came from the youngest girl. "They went on the road that goes to the adventure park."
The deputy asked, "Are you sure?"
"I couldn't keep up with the rest. We ran to the house fast as we could when we heard Mama scream. I saw the car turn right at the main road."
"Thanks, sugar." He depressed his microphone again and went through the normal process. "Witness states suspect vehicle last seen heading east on 1431."
EMS and a sergeant from the sheriff's department arrived at almost the same time. Heather knew the procedure and didn't fight it. First the neck immobilizer, then the backboard, followed by removal from the house on a stretcher and into an ambulance. Vitals, personal data, and the insertion of an IV came next. Questions and more questions. Radio communication by the lead paramedic with the hospital. Siren and lights activated and a hurried ride to and through Marble Falls. It was all familiar, yet different at the same time. She'd never inspected the ceiling of an ambulance and didn't want to repeat the experience.
Every bounce caused her to grimace. Her lip felt like someone injected a hot dog into it. A random thought crossed her mind and her anger rose with each bump. I haven't hugged or kissed Jack in weeks. Grant Blankenship will pay for this.