Most Eligible Baby Daddy(27)

But since then, her faith had been shaken and tested, over and over.  Nothing was easy. Nothing went according to plan. She worked her butt  off, she gave everything to the man she thought she loved, and all she'd  gotten in return was abuse.

And then Forrester came along, her knight in shining armor, and for just  a brief moment she thought things were going to change. Things were  going to be different.

And then he was gone, taken away from her as quickly as he'd come.

She slipped into a dreamless sleep and when she woke in the morning she  felt exhausted. It was like she hadn't slept at all. In fact, she had to  check her watch to make sure it was really morning because it was still  dark out.

She got ready as quickly as possible and the only good thing that  happened was that the shower water was hot. Dennis had been good to his  word and gotten the heat and hot water running. She tried to feel  positive about it. She might be alone, but at least her life in Stone  Peak was comfortable. Her apartment was cozy. She had good friends in  Kelly and Grace.

I can do this, she told herself.

She grabbed her coat and made her way through a light snow to the diner.

"Elle," Kelly said when she saw her. "Are you all right?"

Elle shrugged. "What choice do I have? Life goes on."

"That's the spirit," Gracie said from back in the kitchen. "Now let me  make you some pancakes before you start your shift. I'll bet you could  use a meal."

There were no customers and Kelly, Elle and Gracie all sat at the  counter together and enjoyed a stack of pancakes with bacon and real  maple syrup.

"Thank you," Elle said, to both of them at the same time.

They looked at her and smiled. "We're in this together, Elle," Kelly  said. "Whatever happens, we'll all help each other through it."

"You better believe it," Grace chimed in. "You'll get through all of  this, Elle. And don't worry about that creep ex boyfriend of yours  either. We've got your back."

Elle hugged both of them and struggled to hold back yet more tears.

"You two will think I'm a real crybaby if I cry again."

They hugged her so tightly she felt for the first time in her life that  she might be a part of something. She had friends. She had support. She  was only just beginning to realize how much that meant to her.

She allowed herself to think of Forrester just for a moment. She  pictured his face, his beautiful eyes, his lips, his strong hands, and  the way she felt when he plunged himself into her, and then she forced  herself to stop. She was okay. She could get through this.





Chapter 31

Forrester

FORRESTER ACHED ALL OVER. The prison mattress couldn't have been more  than two or three inches thick. He pulled up his shirt and examined his  ribs. They were purple with bruises. He tried to sit up and winced.

He called out.

"Guard? Sheriff?"

The door leading out to the police station opened and the sheriff  appeared. He looked like he'd a good night's sleep in his own bed. He  was showered and shaved. In his hand was a mug of fresh coffee.

"What is it, Snow?"

Forrester looked at the man. His uniform was crisp. He took his job  seriously. Forrester could respect that, even if he hated the fact that  he was being locked up without due cause.

"What are you guys doing with me?"

The sheriff shrugged.

"This can't all be because I caused trouble with your son and his buddies. You know they're the ones who started that."

The sheriff looked Forrester in the eye, and then nodded.

"I know the kind of kid my son is," the sheriff said.

"I'm sure he'll grow out of it," Forrester said.

"I hope so, for his own sake."

"You can't just lock me up in here for defending myself. You at least  have to charge me with something. Let me see a lawyer. Let me make a  phone call."                       
       
           



       

The sheriff looked behind him back toward his desk. There was a phone right on the table.

"And who would you call?" he said.

"My girl. Elle."

The sheriff nodded. "I thought you'd say that."

"I've got to call her. She's going to be going through hell thinking I skipped town on her."

"I know it, son," the sheriff said, and Forrester could hear the sympathy in his voice.

"So are you going to let me call her?"

The sheriff sat on the seat facing Forrester.

"You know," he said, "you sure don't seem much like your old man."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Forrester said.

"Good. That's how I mean it. You remind me more of your mother."

Forrester eyed him. "What happened between you and her?"

The sheriff sighed. He pointed to a wedding ring on his finger. "I'm long married, son. That's all ancient history."

"But what was it? What was the story there?"

"What do you think? We were in love. Both of us. Not just me."

"So how did she end up with my daddy and not you?"

"Good question," the sheriff said, the regret in his voice palpable. "I  guess I let him get the better of me. I knew your mother wanted to be  with me. I knew I could have given her a good life. We'd have been  happy, her and me."

"But my father."

"Your father put an end to all of it. I never found out what exactly he  did, but he blackmailed your mother and her parents. Basically forced  them to make her marry him. She didn't want to do it, and for good  reason. Everyone knew your daddy was going to put her through hell."

"But they let it happen?"

"That they did."

"They should have stopped it. You should have stopped it."

"Don't think I don't think about that every day that goes by, son."

"There are men in the world who try to take women against their will," Forrester said.

"Like the men who took Elle when she was a baby?"

Forrester looked up. "How do you know about that?"

"Her friend, Gris, he told us the whole story."

"And what else did he say?"

"He said you were working for them. He said you're the last living member of Los Lobo."

"Oh, shit," Forrester said. "And you believed him?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Los Lobo is history. Everyone knows that. They're all dead."

"Gris said you slipped through."

"I didn't slip through shit. I know for a fact Los Lobo is dead. Gris is lying."

"Well, Gris can be pretty persuasive," the sheriff said.

"I bet he can. You know he's the one who's going to take Elle against her will, don't you?"

"And what if I did? What could I do about it?"

"You could let me out of this cage. I'll stop him. I swear to God you'd  be doing the right thing. I love Elle, and she loves me. Gris is going  to take her against her will, just like my father took my mother. I know  it."

"Son, even if I believed you, I couldn't let you out of that cell. Gris would string me up like a pig."

"Don't make the same mistake with Elle that you made with my mother,"  Forrester said. "Stand up for a woman for once in your life."

"I'm afraid," the sheriff said helplessly.

"You're the sheriff of this town. You can't let Gris tell you what to do. Can you?"

As if to answer the question, some men came into the police station.  They came down the short corridor toward Forrester's cell. It was Gris,  with the sheriff's son and his friends.

Gris did the talking.

"What have we got here, sheriff?"

"Nothing, Gris. I was just talking to the prisoner."

"I thought I told you to stay away from him."

"Yes, sir," the sheriff said, uncertainly.

Forrester looked at each man in turn. He read the situation perfectly.  Gris had come into town and intimidated the sheriff into doing what he  wanted. Forrester wasn't sure why Phil and his buddies were helping, but  he guessed it wasn't because they were too loyal to him. No. Either  Gris had paid them, or he'd threatened them, and either way, they'd be  easy to turn against him if the tables were turned.                       
       
           



       

"Sheriff," Forrester said. "You don't have to be afraid of this guy. I'll take care of him for you."

The sheriff looked terrified at the sound of Forrester's words. The last thing he had in mind was standing up to Gris.

"You'll take care of me?" Gris said. "I don't think so, fucko."

"Everyone knows the kind of creep you are, Gris. I know it, the sheriff knows it, and your friends here know it too."

"They don't know shit," Gris said.

Forrester watched all the men at once. He couldn't tell if the younger  guys would turn on Gris now that he was standing up to him. He had to  find out.

"Hey, Gris," he said, trying to provoke him. "When I get out of here, I'm going to make you wish you'd never been born."