Saved by the Rancher

chapter Thirteen


JACK SETTLED ON the couch to watch a ball game on the big screen TV. Beth left a few hours ago, and evening set in. He tried to get his mind on the game and off the woman upstairs. No good. He couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm despite his team leading three to one in the third inning. Sally ran in and jumped on his lap, whining and pawing at his chest.

“What’s up, girl? I didn’t think you’d ever leave that room. You need to go out? Hungry?”

Sally kept pawing at him and whining. He stood, practically dumping her off his lap, and walked to the front door to let her out, but she ran and stood by the stairs and looked back at him. Her warning registered and he ran upstairs to Jenna’s room and found it empty. Jenna wasn’t in the rumpled bed or the bathroom. Sally scratched at the door to the walk-in closet, whining, determined to get in.

Jenna’s anguished sobbing came through the door.

He knocked and called out, “Jenna, it’s me, Jack. I’m opening the door and coming in. You’re okay. I won’t hurt you.”

His stomach in his throat, Jack opened the door into the dark closet. Sally ran in and lay down by the wall and Jenna. He hit the switch for the light and found Jenna huddled in the corner, wrapped in the sheet, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head on them as she rocked back and forth sobbing. Her hands covered her head. She’d done a good job of pulling most of her hair out of the braid.

Jack slowly walked toward her. Plenty of room in the empty closet for both of them. Jenna sobbed harder the closer he got to her in the back corner. Jack bent down on his knees a couple feet in front of her. She put a hand up to stop him from coming any closer. She never stopped rocking and sobbing.

The past few days had crashed down on her. Inevitably she’d break down and have to let it all out. Every sound of misery tore at his heart and twisted his gut.

“Jenna, I won’t hurt you. You’re okay. Let me help you back to bed.”

She continued to rock, her body shook, and sweat broke out on her arms and what little he could see of the side of her face. She buried the rest in her knees and the arm she wasn’t holding up to him covered her head. He didn’t know what to do.

“Jenna, baby, come to me. I’ll put you in bed. You’re okay.”

“I won’t go back. I won’t go back. I won’t go back,” she sobbed and chanted.

“No, honey. You can stay. Stay with me.” He added the last on a whisper.

Jack moved closer and ran a hand over one of her hands and down to her shoulder. She pulled back and tried to curl up more. No place for her to go, she stuffed herself into the corner.

“Come here, sweetheart. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

He kept stroking her arm. She rocked and sobbed, shaking from the exertion.

“I won’t go back. I won’t go back.”

“Come on, sweetheart. Come to me. Please,” he begged.

Jenna tilted toward him and Jack took the initiative. He grabbed her from around her back, putting his arm around her knees. He picked her up enough to move her between his legs, his back to the wall. He scooted himself into the corner with Jenna between his up-drawn knees. He crossed his ankles, making a circle around her with his long legs, and wrapped his arms around her and held on to her while she cried.

She put both hands under his right arm and held on to his bicep, burying her face in his chest. Jack wrapped himself around her like a cocoon, letting her soak up all his warmth and protection. She cried it all out. Nothing else for her to do, he’d found her with all her defenses down. Too far gone, she didn’t have the strength to put up her walls and push him away.

Summer stood in the doorway. Jack lifted his face from Jenna’s hair and met Summer’s sad eyes. He nodded they were okay and for her to go. Summer silently agreed and left.

Jenna settled down after a while and her exhaustion took her into a deep sleep. He needed to get her back into the bed. Sitting on the floor probably hurt her, and he hoped her stitches were still intact. He rubbed his fingers back and forth over her soft skin on her shoulder. He didn’t want to let her go. Not yet.

He listened for a long time. Her breathing evened out. The wracking breaths from crying subsided. Safe to take her back to the bed. His legs were half asleep, so he stretched them out and accidentally kicked Sally. Jenna didn’t stir. She did have a good hold on his arm and nothing had ever felt better than the feel of Jenna against him. He hated to let her go, but he couldn’t sleep with her on the floor of the closet all night.

He scooped her up close to his chest and, bracing his back to the wall, rose as best he could from the floor without disturbing her. He carried her to the bed and lay her down on her stomach. Even with the sheet wrapped around her, he managed to pull it up her thigh and check the bandage and stitches. Still swollen and red, none of them were torn, making him grateful for that small mercy. Sally jumped up next to her and took up guard. He shut off the lights and crashed in the chair by the window. Tonight took an emotional toll on him. He never wanted to hear anyone cry like that again. He fell asleep watching over her.