Chapter Twelve #2
Nick decided to whip up an early supper for everyone while Axel went to meet Jenna at the highway entrance.
She’d been away for several hours, missing both breakfast and lunch and had called a little while ago to let them know she was heading home.
He hoped she’d grabbed something to eat while in town, but if she hadn’t, he wanted to have a meal ready for her when she returned.
Earlier this morning, Nick had suggested that someone follow Jenna part way on her trip, as long as she called when she was heading home so she could be met again.
He was pleased that both Axel and Jenna had agreed to this arrangement, especially since Axel had made it clear that he wouldn’t let her go to town alone.
Axel’s protectiveness was evident, and it was a good trait in a decent man to have for his woman.
With about an hour to spare, Nick focused on preparing a meal that Jenna would appreciate. Something simple yet nutritious.
The act of cooking for her brought him a sense of joy and gave him an opportunity to reflect on the female police officer who had visited earlier. She had been professional and serious, asking detailed questions that challenged Nick’s memory.
He’d been able to recall specifics, such as a German Shepherd bobble head toy on the dashboard and a crack in the truck’s right front bumper. The officer’s approach was thorough but not intimidating, a welcome contrast to his past experiences with prison guards.
Axel also participated in the conversation, asking about leads in the investigation.
The officer shared that neighbours had reported nighttime visitors on the same night as Jenna’s incident.
One neighbour had surveillance footage of one intruder stealing his truck’s plates, though the video quality was poor, so they couldn’t make an identity of the thief.
Another neighbour had seen a suspicious truck parked in his yard the night someone broke Jenna’s window.
Knowing that the police were actively investigating the complaints provided Nick with some comfort.
He was also glad that the building supplies they’d ordered had arrived.
The supplies were stacked in the parking lot, protected by tarps that Axel had found in the barn, following the driver’s warning about impending rain later this evening.
The driver had noted that the replacement window would take a couple of weeks to arrive.
Despite being surrounded by vast wilderness dotted with small ranches and farms, Nick realized that trouble could still find its way even to the most remote places. The officer promised to stay in touch with any new updates.
As Nick worked in the kitchen, he hummed along to the loud, buzzing sounds of the cicadas outside the open window. The afternoon had brought more humidity and heat, and occasionally he’d checked on the horses out in the pasture.
Some had taken shelter in the shade of nearby trees, while others contentedly grazed in the sun, their tails flicking lazily at flies.
Although he’d only been at the ranch for a little over twenty-four hours, the place already felt like home to him. Funny how years spent in prison seemed to fade away in the comfort of a place where he finally felt like he belonged.
Bear Valley Ranch felt like a slice of heaven, although he had yet to see a bear.
He smiled to himself, grateful for the newfound sense of home. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he’d been an innocent kid, and truth be told, it really felt good.
* * * * *
“I haven't had such a good meal since...yesterday!” Jenna quipped with a laugh. The laugh felt good. It was a brief, welcome crack in the pressure building inside her. She speared her baked potato and flicked a glance at Axel, letting him know that she truly had enjoyed his cooking too.
“Absolutely delicious. My compliments to the chef,” Axel said from across the table, flashing a grin at Nick.
“Glad you’re enjoying the grub,” Nick replied and then he suddenly focused his attention on her.
“Jenna, I was thinking, maybe you could take Axel over to Sam’s this afternoon before the rain hits and show him what needs doing. That way, you’ve got two of us in the loop.”
Jenna’s fork paused mid-air, the sudden weight of their attention landing on her was like a warm, unsettling spotlight. A flush crept up her neck, her pulse thudding in her throat as those two pairs of eyes pinned her in place. Her fingers tightened around her fork as she tried to steady herself.
Her thoughts scrambled. Duty was tugging one way; desire was tugging her another direction and fear tugged a third.
Oh great. What was she supposed to say?
No?
No, I don’t wish to be alone with Axel in the truck? I don’t want to be reminded at how easily we kissed.
Or that I’d slapped him.
Guilt pummelled her. She had never slapped anyone in her life.
Or should she put on her big boss boots and tell Nick that he show him what to do over there?
But that wouldn’t work either because she didn’t really want to be here alone or leave her home with no one here.
“Sure, I can do that.” The words slipped out before she could stop them, leaving her both relieved and terrified. She forced a smile as she resumed eating.
Why had she just caved to Nick’s suggestion? Maybe she did want to be alone with Axel? Maybe she wanted to kiss him again?
No. No.
She was so confused.
She stared at her plate; grateful the men had brought in the many bags of groceries and that her morning sickness was gone.
Nick had outdone himself. The boiled eggs, potatoes, green beans, and banana muffins would all be gentle on her stomach. She found herself wishing the food could settle her nerves, too.
“You guys are keepers,” she praised, watching Nick and Axel dig into their meals as if they hadn’t eaten in days.
Axel grinned at her.
Oh gosh, that lethal grin. The same one that used to undo her as a teenager and as a young woman. It tugged at something deep and dangerous inside of her.
“Glad to hear it, though I think Nick’s banana muffins are the real reason I’ll stick around,” Axel replied cooly.
“Good to hear,” Nick replied with a wink.
“We have to admit, the food here is like staying at some ritzy hotel compared to…” Axel hesitated, looking a bit sheepish.
The unspoken word prison hovered between them, scraping against the raw place in her chest where years of hurt still lived.
His gaze drifted to Jenna, as if waiting for her reaction. She remained silent and kept eating.
“Yeah, we pretty much survived on TV dinners for lunch and supper,” Nick said, nudging Axel playfully. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. If you’re really hungry, they are delicious.”
Axel shrugged.
“True enough. Just no variety. Same thing week after week. I’ll take this over a reheated meal any day.”
Serves you right for not having good enough food, Jenna wanted to say to Axel, but she held her tongue.
She had to admit that every time they mentioned prison, a spark of anger crackled through her, just as it was doing now.
She pressed her lips together, forcing herself to focus on the comfort of the meal rather than the memories of anguish of Axel not being in her life over the years that kept trying to surface.
An awkward stillness followed as they all kept eating and then Nick finally broke the silence.
“We’ll start on the roof in the morning, weather permitting. After I get back from Sam’s. Is that okay with you, Jenna?” Nick asked, studying her carefully. The gentleness in his tone caught her off guard. It was as if he could sense the storm brewing under her skin.
Did he know when she got angry? Was he picking up that she was still mad at Axel for getting himself sent off to prison and then writing a letter saying he didn’t love her anymore? She tried not to show it, but Nick seemed to know how to take the air out of her temper before it got the best of her.
“That’s fine, Nick,” she answered.
And just like that, the two men launched into a discussion about how best to tackle the roof. The tension eased from her shoulders as their attention drifted away, giving her space to breathe again.
She finished her meal while listening to their conversation and then poured fresh coffee for all of them.
She nibbled on a banana muffin which was quite delicious and let their chatter wash over her, observing the endearing smiles and teasing remarks they shared and, for the moment, she felt herself relax, if just a little.
* * * * *
It was quiet in the truck as Axel drove them to Sam's place. They said barely a word to each other, the silence hanging heavy in the air.
Axel seemed withdrawn, reserved, and serious. Perhaps he was lost in his own thoughts, mirroring Jenna, who found herself submerged in her own worries and memories of their past.
She was grateful when Sam's place finally appeared in the distance. His flower garden was always fully in bloom during the spring, summer and autumn months. The flowers and bushes were planted in an arrangement of gardens at the front of his house and along the sides of his laneway.
She found herself relaxing, if just a little, as she gazed at the colorful floras in season; white and pink cosmos, the dark blue bachelor buttons, the tall swaying pink and purple cleome spiders, tall white lilac bushes and many other blooms that brightened up the two-story rustic farmhouse and nearby barn.
Despite the beauty of her surroundings, and the succulent aromas wafting in the air, she found it was not so easy to fully unwind when the man she should have married had upended everything by going to prison, forcing her to move forward without the love of her life.
Her anger simmered as she showed Axel the evening chores which included weeding Sam’s small vegetable garden, helping her clean out the stalls and then setting out fresh water, and food for the animals before bringing them inside.
Despite trying not to show her irritation with him, her words came out clipped and direct. Axel responded with grunts or with stiff questions whenever he needed clarification.
The tension between them was quite evident as they worked quickly and efficiently and she wondered which one of them would address the issue.
The only bright spot in their interaction was Daisy, the poodle.
They had heard Daisy’s warning barks drifting through the truck’s open windows long before they’d reached Sam’s little farmhouse.
Daisy was thrilled to see them, soaking up their praise and attention and following them around everywhere with an occasional excursion into the surrounding areas to sniff this or that before returning to grab more praise.
Jenna knew that Daisy must miss Sam. How could she not? They’d been living together since he’d brought her home as a rescue dog three years earlier.
When the chores were finished twilight began to settle. The fading light softened everything. The rural barn, the fields and meadows, and the flower gardens. Doing the chores had finally chased away the sharp edges of the anger inside of her.
It was time to leave, and she felt hungry again.
“Want to bring the dog home?” Axel asked as he closed the barn door and they found Daisy running toward them at top speed from her latest exploration trip.
“I think so,” she answered. That he thought of her place as home should have warmed her heart, but she felt like she was doing a tight rope walk over a razor sharp fence.
When should she tell him about her baby? The thought pressed against her ribs like a stone, heavy, unavoidable, and waiting. And what about Axel? Would she be able to not kiss him again if he stayed? A flutter of heat curled low in her belly, traitorous and immediate.
She already knew the answer to that last question.
And what if they didn’t find the intruder? When Sam came back he’d want Daisy to stay with him of course and then she’d have no dog excuse for not having the guys in her house at night. But she did have her weapons.
Her mind scrambled for reasons to keep distance even as her body whispered the opposite. Hmm, did she even want to use excuses?
Suddenly she began to feel warm all over just thinking about being with Axel again.
No. That shouldn’t happen. The two men were here to help run her little ranch. They were not here for her to have sex with.
As Jenna instructed Daisy to jump into the back seat of the extended cab, she noticed Axel hadn’t climbed into the truck but was standing outside near the driver’s side, gazing off into the distance.
His dark eyes were narrowed, his shoulders tense.
The tension in his shoulders sent a jolt of fear through her.
Axel didn’t go still unless something was wrong.