Saved by the Rancher

chapter Fourteen


THE SUN SHINED through Jenna’s eyelids and she opened her eyes to a strange room. She recognized the tall, lean, handsome man asleep in the lounge chair by the window. Jack. Little memory of the last two days, but she remembered him doctoring her back and leg, murmuring in her ear, and holding her while she cried. He’d said comforting things that made her feel warm inside. She would never forget that low, soothing voice, or how she felt safe in his arms. Safe, a feeling she hadn’t had in a long time. She’d be grateful to him the rest of her life for giving her the small respite from reality.

She tried to move, but a paw pressed down on her shoulder. Sally gave out a soft bark. Jenna turned her head and came nose to nose with the golden retriever.

“Good morning, Sally. No barking, you’ll wake up Jack.”

“Jack is awake.”

“Now see what you did.” Jenna turned her head again and stared at Jack.

“How are you?” he asked. He took a measuring look at her. “Your face has a little more color. Your eyes are bright and clear. Fever must be down.”

“I’m a little groggy, and I hurt everywhere. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is lying down by the fire in the cabin. After that, bits and pieces. A stinging pain on my back, something poking my thigh over and over again . . . you talking to me. I don’t really remember what you said, but I heard your voice.” She paused to gather her emotions. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Let’s start at the cabin.” He leaned forward and laid his forearms on his knees, his big feet planted firmly on the floor. “My sister pounded on the door, but you wouldn’t wake up. She came to cut your hair, which at first seemed kind of strange considering your condition. But then, when she took the towel off your head and revealed the mess someone made of your hair, well, it became clear.” Eyes boring into hers, fear flashed and turned to fury in an instant. Not sure she’d seen the first, she didn’t miss the second. “You scared her half to death, so she called me.”

Anger laced his voice and every word. Tightly controlled, but underneath his icy gaze and matter-of-fact tone, he was livid. Familiar alarms went off in her head and the recognizable tingling feeling crept up her spine.

“I used my key to get in. That’s when we saw the blood down your back and leg, not to mention the fact you were unresponsive and unconscious.”

“I hadn’t slept much over the past four days.”

“Yeah, I got that. How you sat in a car and drove for four days in your condition is another matter entirely. Anyway, the short version is, I called Ben. He said not to take you to a hospital, that it would just make matters worse. So I brought you here and fixed you up.” His tight control slipped.

“You’re angry. I’ll go. I promise. As soon as I can, I’ll go.”

He couldn’t stand to hear her pleading with him. Her voice changed to that of a child begging. He got up and stood over her. He spoke before he could control the tone of his voice and it sounded harsh even to him. “You’re not going anywhere. Do you hear me?”

It happened so fast; he couldn’t believe she could move that fast in her condition. She rolled onto her left side and pulled her knees up to her chest into the fetal position. She threw both arms over and around her head to protect herself the only way she could. A bright red bloom of blood spread across the sheet where she tore the stitches in her thigh.

Everything inside him shattered, crushed under the weight of his guilt. He never meant to sound so harsh. He just wanted her to know she didn’t have to go. Now he’d scared her half to death and made her tear the stitches. He caused this. He didn’t know if he could live with himself at that moment.

Sally came around to Jack’s side and blocked him from Jenna, growling low and menacing.

He spoke softly, hoping to reassure Jenna and gain back what little trust he managed to forge over the last two days. “Jenna, please listen to me. You’re bleeding again.”

“I’ll go. I promise. You won’t ever see me again. I’ll go.”

Slowly, he managed to move Sally from between them and kneeled next to the bed. “Listen to me, Jenna. I don’t want you to go. I’m sorry I yelled. I’m not angry with you. I’m not. I’m angry this happened to you. I’m angry with the scum who did this to you. Not with you, never with you. Stay here with me, I’ll keep you safe.”

Jenna peeked out from between her arms. “Do you mean that? It’s okay for me to stay?” She hadn’t known how much she wanted him to ask her to stay until he asked. Overwhelming hope bloomed inside her. The kind of hope she hadn’t felt in a long time. The kind of hope that was dangerous, because it left her open to more disappointment and hurt. She didn’t know if she could take any more.

“I want you to stay.”

She stared into those eyes, staring back at her and filled with so much warmth. She remembered the way he enveloped her and held her while she cried. Something unspoken passed between them. A bond, a promise, a connection shared.

Tired of being alone, here was a handsome, rugged man offering her a lifeline. Scared to reach out for it, even more afraid not to and give up a chance to have something good and decent in her life.

She laid her hand on Jack’s soft, lightly waved blond hair. When was the last time she touched someone? She stroked her hand down his head to his scratchy cheek and rested her hand against his warm skin.

“I’ll stay.”

Tears sprang to her eyes and Jack lovingly held her hand and kissed her palm, her fingertips, and her knuckles. She ran her hand back through his hair. He had great hair. She could bury her fingers in it. He closed his eyes and put his brow to hers.

“Jack?”

“Yeah,” he said without moving away from her. Her breath feathered across his face, so close he could kiss her.

“Something’s wrong with my leg. It’s killing me.”

He pulled back and spread his hand over her hip above the cut on her thigh. “I’m sorry I made you do that.”

“It’s not your fault. Most women don’t react like I do when someone snaps at them. It’s just that my sensitivity is heightened after it happens. Takes me a few weeks to find some inner calm and readjust to being around people. Please understand, it’s not you. It’s not anyone here. It’s just me.”

A soft knock at the door made Jenna jump. Jack put his hand over hers.

“It’s okay. It’s probably my sister coming to check on you.”

Jack stood from the side of the bed and walked to the door. Summer carried a tray with bacon and eggs, fresh juice, and coffee and stepped past him into the room.

“You are the best sister ever. I’m starving,” Jack said with as much of a smile as he could muster.

“Kiss the chef.”

Jack gave his sister a peck on the cheek and took the tray from her. They both came into the room as Jenna tried to get into a sitting position.

Jack yelled, “Stop!”

Jenna froze, her eyes wide.

He hated to put that look on her face again. “You’ll open up the cuts on your backside,” he said more gently. “Lie on your stomach, or your left side. Damn, your leg needs to be stitched again.”

“It can wait until after you have your breakfast,” Jenna said.

“That’s your breakfast. Hi, I’m Summer. How are you feeling today?”

“Sore,” Jenna said wearily.

“I’ll take care of the leg first.” Jack hated to stick a needle in her again. He’d take her place in a second. “Then you get another shot of antibiotics.”

Summer set the tray on the end of the bed. “You look better today.”

“I guess you’ve been helping Jack take care of me. Thank you for being so nice.” She had a hard time meeting Summer’s eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. We all need help sometimes.”

“The coffee and food smell wonderful.” Her stomach rumbled. Starving, he’d barely gotten more than water and soup down her over the last two days.

Difficulty moving, Jack noted the wince of pain that crossed her face when she shifted and pulled the sheet up to keep her breasts covered.

“Where are my clothes?”

Jack smiled with a wicked grin. He wondered how long it would take her to realize she was naked and he’d seen her. Several times. “You weren’t wearing any.”

“I was wearing my robe. Where is it?”

“In the trash. It was covered in blood.”

Jack moved closer to the bed carrying the needle for the antibiotics and the supplies to stitch up her leg.

“What are you doing with that?”

“Giving you a shot, then I’ll fix those stitches.”

“Are you a doctor or something?”

He wondered why she looked so upset. “No. But I have medical training, and I stitched up your leg the first time.”

“I don’t like shots,” she said emphatically.

She had a comical look on her face, absolutely serious about not wanting a shot. “Too bad. You’ve had lots of them over the last two days, and I’m not stopping now. The antibiotics have kicked in, and your fever is down, but it’s not gone.”

“I don’t like shots, Jack.”

“Sit still, or I’ll have Summer hold you down. Either way, you’re getting this shot.”

Outnumbered, Jenna sat still with her eyes squeezed shut and let Jack give her the shot. He peeled off the bandage and touched her cut. She screamed out a protest.

“Stop. Don’t touch it.” She did her best to push his hands away, but he wouldn’t be deterred.

He ignored her protests. He had to. He needed to fix her leg. “You’re lucky. You tore only four of the stitches. I’ll fix them, then you can eat.”

“Stop touching it, you’re hurting me.”

Jack took her hand when she tried to swat him away again. He leaned in close and kept her hand between both of his. Their eyes locked. Both of them aware of the heat shimmering between them. “It’s okay.” He didn’t know if he meant her leg, or this strange connection between them. “I’ll fix it fast. I’d never hurt you on purpose.”

With no choice left to her, she gave in with a hesitant nod. Instead of obsessing about the needle, she concentrated on how warm Jack’s hands had felt around hers and the deep, penetrating way he looked at her.

“All done,” Jack announced, his hand on her thigh. She glanced down and got the shock of her life when she saw how many other stitches he put in all together.

“Oh, God. Look at that. Look what he did,” Jenna cried. Summer held her hand and stroked her hair. Jack brushed his hand down her leg in a long soft stroke.

“I got the glass out of it, cleaned it really well, and closed it up. The antibiotics are helping with the infection. It looks much better today.”

“He wouldn’t stop,” she sobbed. “He found the belt on the floor, and he wouldn’t stop. He wouldn’t get off of me. He took a shard of mirror and sliced it down my leg. He hacked at my hair and pulled it so hard I saw stars. He threw me down and hit me in the head with a silver candlestick holder. I woke up on the floor and I ran.”

Summer and Jack stared as the horrible words spilled from her mouth. Summer stroked her hair, and Jack laid his hand on her calf. Funny, she was getting used to that simple gesture.

Jenna pulled the sheet closer around her and wiped at her eyes. She took a deep breath and felt better for getting it out. Finally, telling someone what happened.

“Sorry, I’m fine now.”

Jack didn’t speak. Touched, Jenna understood they knew someone had done this to her, but hearing her tell them how it happened turned Jack quiet and introspective.

Jenna continued to stare at Jack’s face, trying to figure out why he cared so much. In her experience, people were usually reluctant to get involved in other people’s business. Not Jack. He’d come to her rescue, brought her into his home, fixed her injuries, and appeared to genuinely care about her well-being and safety. Leary, she’d thought good things about her ex. Boy, had she read him wrong. But Jack . . . He seemed different. Genuine.

“You should get it out. You’ll feel better for it,” Summer reassured her. “Have some food. You must be starved. Jack, Beth is keeping yours warm in the kitchen. Go down. I’ll help Jenna get cleaned up after she eats.”

Sorry she’d put that sad look on Jack’s face, she tried to smile when he stood to leave. He hesitated, opened his mouth to say something before he thought better of it. When he did speak, his words were matter-of-fact, but his voice held a trace of something she wished she could place. It made her heart reach out as if it had arms that wanted to hold on to him and never let go.

“I’ll bandage up your thigh after you eat something. Eat slowly. You’ve had a shock and you don’t want to make yourself sick.” Without looking back, he headed out the door, Sally at his heels. Even though Summer remained, Jenna felt the familiar loneliness she’d lived with for years. When Jack was with her, she didn’t feel it at all.