Saved by the Rancher

chapter Six


“I’VE NEVER SEEN anything like this, Jack.”

Jenna lay moaning in pain, never actually waking up, her body wracked with fever. Summer kept whispering to her and smoothed her hair like she did with her daughter. “This poor woman, someone beat her.”

Jack placed a hand on Summer’s shoulder to reassure her. He needed the touch as much as she did. “I’ll take care of her.”

“No, we’ll take care of her. No one should end up like this.” Summer shook her open hands at Jenna. “How can we live in a world where someone gets away with beating someone, cutting them?”

Summer, the baby of the family, grew up loved and protected. She couldn’t fathom being in Jenna’s condition and ending up in a new place alone. She couldn’t conceive of lying down hurt, knowing no one was coming to take care of her, because she had Jack, their brother and parents, and a husband who loved her.

“Doesn’t she have someone to care for her?” Summer ran a shaking hand through the side of her hair and the shine of tears filling her eyes spilled over her lashes. She swiped them away and sighed.

Jack ran his hand over his sister’s hair. “Ben says she’s been on the run for a couple of years. This isn’t the first time she’s been hurt. And no, I don’t think she has anyone. More likely, she won’t allow anyone close to her for fear they may be hurt, too.”

Jack’s voice calmed and went soft. He didn’t even notice he kept stroking Jenna’s calf, holding on to his sister’s shoulder.

“What are we going to do?” Summer asked, unsure where to begin.

“Go out to the truck and open the passenger door. I’ll carry her out and we’ll take her to the house. I can take care of her there. Call Beth and tell her to get the guest room ready.”

“Do you think we should move her? How will you pick her up without hurting her back?” Summer bit her lip, unable to really look at the welts and cuts.

“I don’t have a choice. Hopefully, she’s so out of it, she won’t know or feel any pain. God help me if she wakes up.” He narrowed his eyes and frowned down at Jenna. “Go. Hurry. Call Beth. Get the truck open. We need to get that cut on her leg cleaned and her fever down.”

Summer ran out the front door with his phone to her ear. Jack went up to the loft and grabbed a fleece blanket from the bed to protect Jenna from the cold outside. She didn’t have any clothes on, nor could she with her body in that condition. Desperate to get her to the house and his medical supplies, he hadn’t felt fear like this since before he returned from the military. He didn’t think he could feel anything anymore. Not until he laid eyes on Jenna.

Sally never left Jenna’s side. Jack softly put the blanket over her and Sally nudged Jack’s arm with her nose.

“Don’t worry, girl, I won’t hurt her.”

Jack gently tugged Jenna’s arms to try to turn her over. Jenna stirred and murmured something over and over. Jack put his head down close to her lips.

“No. No more. Stop. I won’t go with you. I’ll run. I’ll run. Please stop.” She tried to protect herself from her imagined attacker, raising her arms to cover her face.

Jack pressed his forehead to hers, lightly restraining her arms so she wouldn’t hurt herself any more. He whispered to her. “Don’t worry, Jenna. No one will ever hurt you again. I’m taking you home now.”

“No home. No safe place.”

He knew how she felt. She’d been running for so long, she had no home, no place or person to make her feel protected and safe. Jack knew just how that felt, being in some foreign country, fighting for freedom and always being on guard, and wishing for home.

“Come on, honey. When I lift you up, it’s going to hurt, but I promise you’ll be safe.”

Jenna cried out when Jack lifted her from the floor. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. Jack let out a heavy sigh of relief. Limp in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, he rushed her out the door and eased into the truck. Summer closed the cabin door after Sally ran after him. Sally and Summer jumped in the driver’s side and they sped off toward the house.

Jack rested his cheek on Jenna’s head and spoke reassuringly to her the whole time. Summer tried to avoid every bump and hole in the gravel driveways, but the drive was anything but smooth. Jack held tight to Jenna, still talking to her softly and letting her know she was safe.

Beth ran down from the porch to open the door for Jack as soon as they arrived. Jack got out with Jenna, still unconscious in his arms. Sally followed him up the steps. At the top, he turned to Summer, who ran up behind him.

“You and Beth go down to the barn. In my office is a large green military medic bag behind my desk. Bring it. If it’s too heavy, have one of the guys help you carry it, but hurry.”

Summer and Beth were already running for the barn.

Jack made his way into the big house. He took Jenna up the stairs to the guest bedroom. Beth had turned back the covers on the bed. A lamp cast a soft glow from the bedside table. Jack carefully set Jenna on the bed, gently rolling her onto her stomach and out of the blanket he wrapped her in. He went into the bathroom and came back with a towel, a couple ibuprofen, and some water. He placed the towel over her bottom, and had just managed to get her to swallow the pills when Summer, Beth, and one of his ranch hands, Pete, came in with the Army medic bag.

“What the hell?” Pete gaped at Jenna.

Jenna opened her eyes wide and screamed, “No more!” She tried to get up from the bed, but couldn’t even manage to get her arms under her.

“Get out,” Jack shouted at Pete. He put a calming hand on Jenna’s head, encouraging her to lie down, and leaned close to her ear. “You’re all right. No one will hurt you. Stay still. You’re hurting yourself, baby. Please, stay still.”

Summer and Beth stood like toy soldiers at the foot of the bed. As he spoke, Jenna’s body relaxed and Jack’s knotted muscles unwound.

Pete left the room as ordered and Beth went after him. Jack overheard them on the stairs. “What the hell was that all about? I ain’t never seen Jack look that way, or yell at me like that.”

“I know, Pete. I don’t know who that woman is, but Jack won’t let anyone near her. I’ve never seen anything like it. Did you see her back? What did that to her?”

“Not what. Who.” Jack heard Pete’s furious words, “A man. And if Jack gets his hands on the scum, he’ll kill him.”

Amen, Jack thought.