Saved by the Rancher

chapter Thirty-Three


CALEB ARRIVED WITH Lily at eight. Jenna and Jack managed to keep their hands off each other long enough to get ready and meet Caleb in the kitchen.

“Where’s Lily?” Jenna asked.

“Outside with Beth. The truck with the plants arrived and they’re unloading. Lily is supervising. Nice ring by the way. You could blind someone, you know.”

“Isn’t it beautiful? Jack asked me to marry him.”

“About time. Congratulations, both of you. When’s the big day?” Caleb hugged her while Jack glared at him. Caleb just smiled and released her, but not before giving her a peck on the cheek to antagonize Jack.

“We haven’t decided, but soon. Very soon.” Definitely soon if she wanted to fit into a dress before the baby started showing.

“Summer will be so excited,” Caleb said. “She’s been waiting for this announcement since the day you arrived.”

Jenna laughed. “I’ll tell her when I see her today. I guess I better go out and help Lily supervise. What time is Summer coming to pick her up?”

“One o’clock. She’s been tired lately, she isn’t working that long today.”

“That’s perfect. We’ll have lunch before Summer arrives. Beth mentioned taking the afternoon off and tomorrow is her day off. I’ll have the house all to myself, while I work.”

“Lily has a checkup, so Summer will probably be in a hurry when she comes to pick her up,” Caleb added.

“No problem. We’ll play in the dirt and have lots of fun. I’ll have her cleaned up and ready.”

“Let’s head out. We have a long drive and the horses are already loaded. You,” Jack grabbed Jenna and kissed her, “be good. It’ll be late when we get back, but I’ll wake you.” He winked and gave her his wicked grin and made her laugh. Something to look forward to.

He kissed her again and again, holding on to her. A chill ran up his spine. A warning he hated to ignore, like he’d never see her again. “Promise me you’ll stay on the ranch.” He leaned his forehead against hers, needing desperately to hear the promise and know it as the truth.

“I will. I promise. Stop trying to spook me.”

Jack’s concern rubbed off on Caleb. “Has something happened? Does he know you’re here?”

“No. Stop worrying. Both of you. Go. I’ll see you tonight.”

Jack kissed her again, unwilling to let her out of his arms until he absolutely had to. “Call me if anything happens. Maybe you should have one of the guards stay in the house with you.”

“Jack, I don’t want, or need, the guards staying in the house with me. If someone is on the property who shouldn’t be, they’ll know about it. Three men are watching us right now from the tree lines to the left and right.”

“The ranch is a lot of ground to cover. They can’t watch everything.”

“They don’t have to watch everything. Just me, which they know to do from a discreet distance.”

“It’s not enough,” he complained.

“What do you want me to do, hire an army to watch the place?” she asked, planting her fists on her hips.

“Smart ass. Fine. Be good. Stay on the property. I want to know if anything happens.”

“Yes, sir.” She saluted him.

He grabbed her and held her tight, his arms banded around her waist. “You are such a smart ass. Kiss me goodbye.”

Their lips met in a soft brush, then settled against each other and went deeper. She poured every ounce of love and assurance into the kiss. Jack responded, his anxiety faded with the heat and love pouring out from her. They broke the kiss and their eyes met. Unspoken, she promised to stay and he promised to relax his protective instincts. Not an easy feat for him when every fiber of his being demanded he protect what he loved, what was his. Her.

She walked him and Caleb out the front door. Lily skipped around the pots and flats of plants grouped on the driveway.

“Looks like we need a search party to find Lily in all these flowers,” Jack said, pretending to look for his niece.

“Uncle Jack. Aren’t they pretty? These are blue.”

“You’re prettier. Give Uncle a kiss goodbye. Daddy and I are leaving now.”

He scooped up his niece into his arms and got a smacking kiss from her. He turned to Jenna with a wide grin. “I want one of these.”

“When you get back, we’ll work on it some more.”

“My favorite part,” he said with a wide grin. “Count on it.”

Caleb kissed and hugged his daughter. “You be a good girl for Jenna. Mommy will be here after lunch.”

“Can’t I come, too? I want to take the horses to their new house.”

“No, Sunshine. I need you to take care of Mommy. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Caleb kissed his daughter on the nose and handed her over to Jenna. He kissed and hugged Jenna too. Jack punched him in the shoulder as they walked to the waiting truck and horse trailer. They both waved at the girls as they drove from the barn down the long driveway.

Jack watched Jenna from the truck mirror as long as he could. As he and Caleb passed through the gates onto the main road, his gut tightened. He wanted to go back, stay with Jenna, protect her. He scolded himself for not trusting her and the guards on the property. He couldn’t stay with her every moment. Still, something ate at him, and he wished he could relax and know everything would be all right. She’d be fine. Nothing happened the dozen other times he left for one errand or another. This time was no different. Right?