UNEXPECTED ✰ COLIFER

Chapter 36 ✰ Saddled Up With A Cowboy

Jen's pov

From that moment on everything went very quickly. What was supposed to be a beautiful trip, ended in a nightmare. John tried to reassure me and told me several times that it would be okay and that he was probably just walking a bit to explore the area. I knew better. Colin was the type of man who always told me where he was going and how long he thought it was going to last. If it didn't work out then he sent me a message and if he was done earlier he surprised me. Just going out for a walk without leaving a note or message? That was nothing like Colin. Especially after all that happened lately, he knew better than anyone that he had to let me know where he was. His clothes and other things were still in the tent and I began to wonder what was going on. John proposed to explore the area with his horse and advised me to stay in case Colin would come back. I realized it was the best option for now, but I didn't like to wait. I kept hoping that it was all a nightmare and that I could wake up within a few minutes in his warm arms, but it didn't matter how often I squeezed myself... I didn't wake up. It was all real. Again.

I collected our stuff and stuffed it back in our bags. Deep inside I really hoped to see a note from him but I didn't. Nothing. I sat down on the mattress, sighing, and buried my face in my hands.

The hours slowly passed by and with the hour I became more and more concerned. When I saw a horse coming closer in the distance my heart made a leap, but John's face was already showing that he hadn't found Colin. I had kept myself together until then, but I couldn't stand it anymore and began to sob. He jumped off his horse and gently wrapped his arm around me.

'Have you noticed anything last night?' he asked in a soft voice.

My eyes widened and I looked at him in disbelief. 'Do you really think I didn't think about that?' I snapped.

He lowered his eyes to the ground. 'I'm sorry, I thought maybe... I'm sorry' he stammered.

'Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I... I'm just worried. This isn't the first time something like this happens.'

This time it were his eyes that had gone wide. 'Not the first time?'

I shook my head. 'A couple of months ago he disappeared from the set and they miraculously found him a few weeks later. Until now, nobody knows what happened there and Colin himself has no idea either.'

'Could it be... Is it possible...' he tried to find the right words.

'That the same thing is happening, do you mean?' I added.

He nodded in agreement and I shrugged my shoulders. 'They never found a perpetrator, so I don't know. It's possible.'

John let out a deep sigh and stared straight ahead in the distance. I did the same and together we enjoyed the pleasant silence. The silence was so pleasant that none of us wanted to break it. Eventually, he got up and held out his hand to me. 'Let's go back to the ranch. Then you can wait in the hotel and I explore the area with several riders again.' he suggested.

I nodded as I grabbed his hand with which he pulled me up. He saddled the horses and helped me to get up. Then he fastened Colin's horse to his own saddle with a long rope and sat down on his beautifully dotted Appaloosa. We started our way back to the ranch and the hotel at a slow pace. It was a long ride and I didn't look forward to it. During the first ride, there was great fun and we chat a lot about the work we did and how the trip would look like. The mood was dark and gloomy now. When we were on the road for a while, he came to ride next to me.

'It will be fine' he said. I heard the sincerity in his voice, but he could never know for sure if it would be alright.

I smiled and stared into the distance at the horizon where the sun was already starting to set. He stared with me and together we drove over the hilly landscape. Despite the increasing stress, the beautiful environment was calming me down a bit. I looked to the right and stared into his beautiful eyes. 'Thanks John' I stammered.

He doubtfully quirked his eyebrow. 'For what?'

I didn't really know either. I wanted to thank him for his presence, but that would be very inappropriate. 'For today. For helping me.' That answer wasn't a lie, but simply not the complete truth.

'I can't leave a lady in distress all by herself' he replied. 'I just hoped that this weekend would bring peace and that these things wouldn't happen.'

'Is it happening more often?' I asked.

He shook his head. 'We have to deal with horses that are running wild or people who unfortunately fall off of them, but a disappearance?' He thought for a moment. 'No, never.'

'What is the weirdest thing you have ever experienced during your work as an actress? I can imagine that you're going through some crazy things sometimes' he asked to keep our conversation going on.

I shrugged my shoulders. 'In general, it isn't that bad. Colleagues are all very professional, but the fans... They like to propose to me.'

He grinned. 'I can imagine with such a beautiful woman like you.'

I felt my cheeks flushing red. Receiving compliments wasn't my strongest quality and it was even worse when such a handsome man complimented me. I looked at him with a smile on my face. 'Thank you... I guess...' I stammered.

We chatted a bit further about our work and our lives. I told him about Ivy and Mason and that they are such great children. How Mason tries to discover the world with its bright blue eyes and small hands and how Ivy asks you all the time why certain things are like that. I realized more and more how much I really missed them. 'Do you have children?' I finally asked.

He shook his head. 'No, I think kids are great, but I haven't met the right person yet.'

I couldn't imagine that such a man could be single. 'I'm sure she will cross your path soon.'

'Let's hope for the best.'