Saved by the Rancher

chapter Four


JENNA HARDLY NOTICED the dense woods, the pungent smell of pines, the green grass, or brilliantly blue sky. She concentrated on the two-lane highway and the silver truck in front of her. Whenever her eyes drooped, Sally barked.

“What a smart dog you are, keeping me awake.” She gave Sally a nice pat on the head and rubbed behind her ears. Sally wagged her tail and kept an eye on her as she drove.

They turned off the main highway onto a deserted road that wound up through the hills and down into the next valley. A huge ranch with green pastures filled with horses spread out before her. The main house sat off to the right of the property with several cabins tucked behind the huge white barn. The barn looked new, and from what she could see, well maintained. Jack, obviously, ran a tight operation.

Across a large pasture and off to the left, tucked into the trees, another cabin stood, its pointed peak reaching to the high limbs. Beautiful, all wood with large windows, rustic, but not run down. Near the cabin, a creek ran along the back side and through the far end of the pasture where it met the trees again. She imagined hearing the rushing water while she slept. She couldn’t wait to explore.

Jack headed toward the cabin, Jenna followed. The cabin’s gravel driveway split off from the main road just after the gates to the main ranch.

Jack exited his truck and headed over to Jenna’s SUV. He opened the door for her and stepped back a good two feet, allowing her to exit on her own. Barely able to move, when she stood up, she wavered. He made a grab for her arm, but she braced herself with a hand on the door and the other held palm up to stop him before he touched her.

“I’m fine. Just tired.” Sally jumped out and ran up the steps to the cabin door, waiting patiently for them to let her in.

“I’ll get your bags,” Jack offered, giving her the space she needed, but keeping an eye on her just the same.

“You don’t have to do that. I can manage.”

“I’ll be surprised if you can get up those five steps to the door,” he offered with a smile to soften the frustration in his voice. He grew more disturbed with every tired movement and sigh she made.

Too tired to argue with him, he was only trying to help, and she was being stubborn.

He isn’t a threat. She repeated that to herself again. And again.

Jenna walked toward the cabin at a snail’s pace, her body rebelling against her brain’s commands. Her leg was getting worse, her back and shoulders stiff. Every move made her muscles ache. Feverish sweat broke out on her forehead and between her breasts.

Jack passed her, went up the steps and into the cabin before she made it to the first step. By the time she made it up to the third, he passed her on the way back to the car and brought up the rest of her bags and groceries. He never said a word about her slow progress, but his warm eyes remained watchful. She had no doubt if he thought she was really in trouble, he’d come to her rescue. Not such a bad feeling, she thought.

She finally made it in the door. Jack stood in the kitchen, putting her groceries in the cupboards.

“You only bought fruit and dry goods? Nothing for the refrigerator?”

“I’ll go back to town in a few days for more. I didn’t know how long it would take to get here, so I only bought essentials.”

“What’s with all the bandages? Are you hurt?” Ridiculous question. The bruises, her exhaustion, her inability to move normally proved she hurt. He needed to know how bad. All the bandages and medicine made him nervous. He didn’t think she’d give him a straight answer, but she surprised him again.

“I have a cut on my thigh. I’ll put a fresh bandage on it. It’ll be fine. No problem.”

Yeah, right, no problem. He should put her up over his shoulder and drag her to a hospital. Let a doctor get those clothes off her and see what they were hiding, find out what was hiding under that pale skin. He hoped she didn’t have any internal injuries.

Jenna ignored his penetrating scrutiny and focused on the beautiful and spacious cabin. The kitchen was off to the back of the living space. Everywhere her gaze fell on wood: wood walls, cabinets, floors, and furniture. She loved it. A large loft with a queen-sized bed framed by massive windows sat at the top of a steep set of stairs. A brown leather sofa faced the fireplace with a cream and navy blue rug under the pine coffee table. A gorgeous river-rock fireplace invited her to set a blaze and curl up in front of it for the next week. That’s just what she needed, someplace soft and warm to lie down and sleep.

Her gaze fell to the wood floor. Flashes of memories poured over her: her lying helpless, bleeding in the cottage, all the pain and destruction. She inhaled sharply. Jack stared at her with blue-gray eyes that saw far more than she wanted him to see.

She tried to cover her behavior. “The cabin is wonderful. I love it. Thanks for renting it to me.”

He frowned, not buying her false exuberance. “I’m glad you like it. It gets cold at night this time of year. I’ll build you a fire and let you get some rest. There’s plenty of wood here and more on the back porch. If you run low, just let me know.”

“I’d love a fire. Thanks.”

He took another long look at her and at the stairs leading to the bed. She wanted to sleep. He wanted her off her feet. He didn’t even want to acknowledge the little daydream he had going of undressing her and laying her out on the cool sheets upstairs and them making a fire of their own.

“Can you make it up those stairs?”

She frowned, the longing for the bed clear in her eyes. “I’ll crash on the couch for a while. Once I’ve had some sleep, I’ll be better.”

“Right. Better is probably relative in your world,” he said under his breath. Her eyes narrowed when she didn’t hear him, and he said, “I’ll help you up to the bed.”

“No,” she protested and took two steps back and put up both hands this time, despite the fact he stood five feet away and never made a move toward her. “I’m sorry, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s what you keep saying, but you don’t look fine, sweetheart.” He shoved down his instincts to take care of her, carry her up to bed, tend her wounds, and tuck her in for a good long sleep. He mentally kicked the shit out of his insane thoughts of wrapping her in his arms and holding her. Instead, he gave his hands something better to do and kneeled in front of the cold fireplace and stacked heavy logs and kindling, sparking a match, and setting them to blaze.

That’s one way to keep her warm and give her some comfort. His imagination mocked him with several more.

Jack put a heavy log into the fireplace, and Jenna watched the play of muscles in his arms with fascination. His shirt stretched across the wide expanse of his back and shoulders, making her catch her breath at the sight of his handsome features. It had been a long time since a man piqued her interest and made her think about how his skin would feel against her palms, or how all that strength turned to gentleness. She averted her eyes and pet Sally to distract herself from this man.

He stared into the fire, poking and shifting the logs to catch and flare. He turned back toward her, studying her like some kind of experiment under a microscope.

“Thank you for everything. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone.” He stared, a touch of pity replacing the male interest she caught earlier. Everyone always pitied her. She just didn’t have anything left inside her to care, to offer up explanations, or false excuses for what that bastard did to her. “Please, Jack, just go. Let me rest.”

Nothing else to do, she wasn’t any of his business. Shocking himself, he thought, I want to make you my business. Time to do some serious thinking about how he’d gone to town for a burger and ended up mixed up with a woman like Jenna.

“Okay, but if you need anything, my number’s by the phone in the kitchen along with the keys to the cabin.” He hated to leave her alone. “Do you want me to call someone to come and look after you? I’ve got a sister. She can come by later and check on you.”

“I’ll be fine. You can go.”

Tears clogged her throat, making her words stilted. She valiantly held on to her bravery, doing her best to get him out of there, so he wouldn’t see her break down. He’d give her that courtesy and reluctantly head for the door. The last thing he wanted was to see her cry.

“Um, Jack. Do you know where I can get a haircut?”

A haircut? About to keel over, and she wanted to know where to get a haircut. He shook his head, bewildered by her request.

“Just so happens my sister works at the local beauty salon. I’ll send her by later tonight, around eight. You can have the nap you desperately need, she can check on you and cut your hair here. That way you don’t have to go back to town until you’re feeling better.” With a resigned sigh, he added, “I’ll feel better knowing someone made sure you’re still alive.”

Jenna ignored his last comment, frowned and looked away to let him know she didn’t appreciate his harping on her about her condition. Too bad. If he could help himself, he would.

“I don’t want to inconvenience her by asking her to come all the way out here.”

“She lives in a house just over a hill behind the main house. She won’t mind.”

“I really don’t want to be any trouble. If you’re sure she won’t mind, then thanks.”

“No thanks necessary. It’s my pleasure. Come on, Sally, let’s leave Jenna alone.”

Sally didn’t move. She stayed in between him and Jenna. Guarding. Jack opened the cabin door and waited. “Come on, girl. Let’s go.”

Again, Sally didn’t move. “Let her stay. I’ll send her home later.”

Jack shook his head again, looked at his dog guarding his new tenant, deserting him, and walked out the door before he did something stupid. Jenna left the car door open. He went to shut it and noticed the blood on the driver’s seat. The cut she mentioned must be bleeding. He hoped she cleaned and bandaged it before she fell asleep. He thought about going back in and getting a look at the cut himself. He took a couple steps toward the cabin, then thought better of it. Not his responsibility. She said she’s fine and wanted to rest. He’d let her and hope when Summer came to give her the haircut, she’d be feeling better.

She’s not my business, he scolded himself again. And again. And again. So, why did the band around his chest get tighter and tighter the more he tried not to think about her?