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 and 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
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 and 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
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