Saved by the Rancher

chapter Eleven


JACK WOKE THE next morning sprawled on the chaise with a sore neck and a pounding headache. Water splashed in the sink in the bathroom. Summer came out with a bowl of water and a fresh washcloth. Jenna lay asleep in the bed, her hair and the sheet soaked with sweat. Her fever kicked into high gear. She lay perfectly still, except for the slow rise and fall of her back as she breathed. Sally hadn’t left her side.

Jack rose and followed Summer over to Jenna’s side. She pushed the quilt on the end of the bed to the floor. Sally refused to leave willingly, so Summer grabbed her collar and yanked her off the bed. Sally took off out the door and down the stairs.

Summer pulled the sheet off Jenna and tossed it on the floor by the doorway. She used the warm water and washcloth to gently wash Jenna’s face, arms, and legs, wiping away the salty sweat.

Jack grabbed a needle and the antibiotics and stuck Jenna again. Each time he had to jab a needle into her, it made him cringe.

Jack stood by watching as his sister silently took care of Jenna. She brushed Jenna’s hair away from her face and into her own hand. Then she separated it into three pieces and braided it down the length. She tied if off with a rubber band she pulled from her wrist. Then she twisted the braid into a circle on the back of Jenna’s head and used a pin to secure it. Good idea. That would keep the tail of the braid from rubbing on Jenna’s sore back.

She glanced at Jack and smiled. Jack couldn’t smile, but he nodded with approval. They very carefully changed the sheet Jenna lay on. They rolled her as little as possible to get the sheet out from under her and replaced it with a fresh one. Jack grabbed the clean sheet to go over her and gently placed it over her legs and up to her waist. Her arms, bent at the elbow, lay by her head. He kissed Jenna’s shoulder and left the room quietly with his sister, disturbed by how quiet and still Jenna remained.

Beth waited for them in the kitchen at the large island chopping celery, carrots, and onions, probably to make a pot of soup for Jenna. She had the coffee on and breakfast ready for him and Summer. The smell of bacon made his stomach rumble to life.

“Want some coffee, you guys?”

“Thanks, Beth, I’ll pour.” Jack reached for a couple of mugs and filled them, inhaling the rich scent. He handed over Summer’s and she sat on a stool at the island by Beth. Sally scratched at the back door to come in. Beth must have let her out. Jack let her in and filled her bowl with food. She ate greedily. Neither he nor Sally ate dinner last night.

“How is she this morning?” Beth asked and continued chopping. She watched Jack with her dark brown eyes, inherited from her Mexican mother.

“Her fever hasn’t broken. She’s passed out cold. She’ll probably sleep the day away.”

“I’ll check on her throughout the day. If you want, I’ll sit in the room and watch her while you go to work.”

“No. Just check on her. Like I said, she’ll probably sleep through the day. I’ll eat and go down to the barn, catch up on paperwork, and check on the horses and the crew. I’m sticking close to the house today. I’ll send Caleb to check the pastures and herds.”

He scooped scrambled eggs and bacon onto two plates and handed one over to his sister. After she set her plate down, she grabbed him around the waist and hugged him hard, squeezing the air out of his lungs. He almost dropped his plate. He put his own plate next to hers and wrapped his arms around her head, resting on his chest.

“Honey, it’s all right. She’ll be okay. What you did for her this morning, it was sweet.”

“It’s the least I can do. I feel bad for her.”

“I do, too.” He let his sister go and sat on the stool beside her.

“How did she do last night?”

“She had a few bad moments. She woke up and panicked at one point when she thought I’d taken her to the hospital to get those stitches. I calmed her down, and she slept well after that. She talked a little in her sleep. Stuff about how she’d never go back, she wouldn’t give up. She’s strong. She’ll get through this.” He took a bite of eggs, not tasting them, but knowing his body needed the food.

Sally finished eating and burst out of the kitchen heading for the stairs. Jack knew exactly where he’d find her later. He checked the impulse to follow.

Summer and he finished their breakfast in silence, watching Beth put together her soup in a huge pot on the stove. She got the fixings out to make bread. By the afternoon, the scent of fresh baked bread would fill the house. Jack’s mouth watered thinking about a slice with hot melted butter.

Jack gulped down another cup of coffee before he stood to go upstairs and shower and walk down to the barn.

Before he left the kitchen, he asked his sister, “Where’s Lily?”

“I sent her down to the barn with her daddy to see her pony. I’ll pick her up and take her to preschool on my way to work.”

“Okay. Don’t let her upstairs. I don’t want her to see Jenna.”

“She’s curious about the ‘lady upstairs’ and wants to meet her.”

“Not now. When Jenna’s better.”

“I agree. I’ll come by after work and check on you guys before I head home. I’ll see you later.”

“Tell Caleb I’ll be down shortly.”

“I will.”

“Beth, come get me if Jenna stirs.”

“Count on it. Get cleaned up. Go to work. I won’t let you down.”

“You never do.” Beth’s eyes glassed over at his praise and confidence in her. Jenna had made a big impact on his life. He’d been a hard, cold man for too long. Jenna was bringing him back to his true nature and it showed this morning. It took her arrival and knowing she’d spent the last couple of years isolating herself from everything and everyone around her to make him see he’d done much the same in his own life.

Sure enough Sally lay on the bed next to Jenna, watching the door. Jenna hadn’t moved. He passed her door and went down the hall to his own room. He pulled his shirt over his head and made his way to the bathroom. He sat on the toilet and worked off his boots and socks. He got up and turned on the water in the big marble shower. Steam filled the large bathroom. Jack stripped off his jeans and boxers and stepped into the shower washing away his hard night. He wished it could wash away the images of Jenna’s beaten body from his mind.