Chapter Seven
It had taken Axel a relatively short time to sift through Jenna’s cooking recipes.
Sure, he had cooked the pre-packaged food in the prison kitchen while on kitchen duty, however that hadn’t stopped him from watching cooking shows when some of the guys decided that's what they wanted to watch, especially if they liked the look of the cook, who was almost always a female.
And drilling through the cookbooks in the prison library, drooling over menus that he wished he could cook up, had turned into a thing to pass many hours for Nick and himself.
It hadn't taken long to figure out Jenna didn't have much food in the house either. At least not for two hungry guys fresh out of prison.
He had a few eggs to work with, so he'd flipped through the recipe books, Jenna’s freezer, then rummaged in a cold storage area in the basement and settled on making a meatloaf casserole.
It was baking in the oven, almost finished.
As he was just about to start the mixer to mash the potatoes, he couldn't help but think once again that Nick should have been here by now. The thought nagged at him, distracting him from the task at hand as he once again gazed toward the screen door and beyond to the parking lot.
Still no truck.
Now it was nearly one o’clock in the afternoon. Nick had been away for more than three hours, even though he was only meant to be gone for two hours at the most. The delay weighed heavily on his mind, each minute making him more uneasy.
Yeah, he should have been back by now, shouldn't he? Or maybe because it was his first day and that’s why it was taking him longer than the couple of hours Jenna had said it would take. Maybe he was taking care of repairs over there. Probably trying to make a good first day impression for Jenna.
His heart skipped a beat when he heard a noise at the back door of the ranchhouse. His muscles went taut, the old prison reflex snapping through him before he could think.
“Smells good! I’m starving! Gonna wash up. Be there in a minute!” Jenna called out from the back of the house as the door creaked open.
Relief washed through him so fast it left him a little unsteady. He hadn’t realized he’d been so tense.
By the time she appeared, Axel had the plates and cutlery all set out and had arranged the mashed potatoes, cucumber salad, and meatloaf casserole on the table, making sure everything looked inviting for her.
He watched Jenna closely as she abruptly stopped, her hands rising to her chest and clasping together, her eyes lighting up with surprise and delight. The look on her face hit him square in the chest. It was worth every minute he’d spent cooking.
“Oh my gosh, this smells wonderful. I could smell it from outside. I cannot believe you cooked this up. I am so hungry, I could eat a horse.”
Axel grinned, responding with a playful chuckle, “Just don’t tell your horses that.”
“It all looks just perfect, Axel, you're a keeper.”
Embarrassment warmed his cheeks, but beneath that, a quiet pride grew within him too. He had made Jenna happy with his efforts. Watching all those cooking shows had been worth it.
Savouring the feeling, he stepped over to the table, and, in a gesture of gentlemanly hospitality, he pulled out a chair for her, waving her towards it. It felt strangely natural, like slipping into a rhythm he’d forgotten he knew.
“Madame, have a seat. Your dinner lunch is served,” Axel said with a smile.
Her sweet lips were curled upwards with pleasure as she sat where he instructed.
He poured her a coffee, and the fresh aroma filled the air between them.
“Dig in,” he said as he poured himself one too.
But before Jenna reached for her food, her gaze flickered toward the kitchen screen door, peering out into the parking lot and a faint crease formed between her brows, enough to tighten something inside him.
“Where is Nick?” she asked.
A prickle of unease slithered up his spine and Axel tried to hide the worry in his voice as he responded, “Not back yet.” He didn’t want Jenna to sense his growing unease.
“That's odd. He should have been back awhile ago.” Her concern was clear from the lines creasing her forehead.
Axel suspected he knew what she must be thinking.
“If you think he made a run for it. He didn't,” Axel said. His voice came out steadier than he felt but he needed her to believe in Nick the way he did.
“What makes you so sure?” she asked, her tone laced with uncertainty.
“I know him” he replied as he met her gaze without flinching, the truth of it sitting solid in his chest.
Nick wouldn't take off. Not unless he told Axel he was going to do it or took him along with him.
Jenna didn’t answer, but Axel could tell he hadn’t convinced her. Just then the soft purr of the truck’s engine drifted into the kitchen through the screen door, cutting through the uneasy silence. A quick glance at the parking lot and he saw Tim’s red truck pulling into the yard.
Finally! Nick was back! Relief punched through him so sharply, he almost laughed.
“I'll go out and meet him.”
He didn’t wait for permission as worry and irritation propelled him to the door. He was determined to give Nick shit for taking so long and getting them all worried.
Jenna instantly sensed that something was wrong with Nick as he slowly climbed out of the truck.
Had he injured himself while at Sam’s? Another thought briefly crossed her mind.
Had Cyn remembered to secure liability insurance for her ranch, especially since she hadn’t even had the foresight to discuss having two men here.
Jenna’s unease intensified as soon as she noticed the blood streaking down the side of Nick’s face. His face was pale, which only served to increase her worry for his well-being.
Axel wasted no time getting to Nick who held the driver side door open for Daisy.
The dog hopped out and was a white blur as she dashed toward the horses in the pasture.
Jenna didn’t worry about the dog. She knew that the poodle, being familiar with the presence of horses, would instinctively keep a safe distance from their hooves.
As Jenna drew closer, she quickly began to assess the situation.
Nick was grimacing, obviously in pain and he was squinting as if he seemed to be having trouble seeing.
Shoot! This didn’t look good.
Jenna suspected he might have a concussion but taking him to the clinic in town was not an option, since the trip was longer than the ankle bracelet would allow and would trigger the alarm and result in his return to prison.
Fortunately, Jenna was knowledgeable about first aid so she could tend to him. She’d also have to reach out to the nurse practitioner for advice on how best to help him if it were serious.
“What the hell happened?” Axel shouted, his voice was sharp with worry as he swooped in around Nick like a mother hen.
“Hey, not so loud. Got a killer headache,” Nick complained, wincing as he spoke.
Jenna watched as Axel reached up, and with surprising gentleness, touched the area on his scalp near where blood was trickling down the side of Nick’s face.
“Might need stitches. What happened?” Axel asked again. His tone now soft and tender respecting Nick’s request.
As she watched the interaction between the two men she suddenly remembered the look that had passed between the two of them in the kitchen shortly after they’d shown up.
The air had been charged with a sizzling connection, despite her gaslighting herself that she’d been imagining it.
It had been hot. Caring.
But now as Axel tended to Nick, his concern was evident. It was more than just being worried; it was a genuine care that ran deeper than one what might expect from a friend.
Jenna was certain now that there was definitely something going on between the two men.
“Saw a truck parked at the side of the road up there on the ridge. Thought somebody might need help, so I stopped. No one was around and the next thing I know Daisy is freaking out, barking, and I looked at her and then I’m getting smacked over the head. And then that truck took off.”
Axel swore and his face twisted with anger. There was a sudden storm behind his eyes. The transformation was immediate. This was the flip side of his tender side.
Intense. Volatile and fiercely protective.
Jenna remembered it well.
Here was that explosive temper that had gotten him thrown into prison. It was the same force that drove him when someone he cared about was hurt or threatened.
“Axel…” she warned. Her voice trembled, barely audible over the pounding of her heart. She feared where his anger might lead him now. Waves of that same helplessness she’d felt upon finding out he’d gone after the men that had put his father into a wheelchair was pummelling her now.
Axel didn’t seem to hear her. The fury had swallowed him whole.
“How long ago did this happen?” Axel demanded.
“Just a few minutes ago. Hey chill. He’s long gone, man. Took off like the devil was after him,” Nick said in a controlled voice that didn’t seem to penetrate Axel’s anger.
“Give me the keys. I'm going after him,” he snapped. Nick’s eyes widened, but he didn’t argue. He knew better than anyone what Axel was like when he snapped.
Before Nick could give him the keys, Axel had grabbed them.
He jumped into the truck and sped off. The roar of the engine faded down the road, leaving a hollow ache in its wake. It happened so fast, Jenna hadn't even been able to warn him to be careful and to not set off the ankle security monitor.
Damn that man. Not even a day here and he was already trying to get himself into trouble.
She forced herself to breathe, to focus. One crisis at a time. She refocused on what she could control and that was tending to Nick.
“Come on, let's go inside,” Jenna urged, now realizing someone had been watching her place.
Nick nodded.
An unsettling truth dawned on her. Nick had come upon the intruder and had been assaulted because of her.