Chapter Fourteen
The next few weeks went by in the same way, every day.
She would see Jared at dinner, where they would talk about nothing important.
He would send her to bed early and join her for an hour or so later.
He would make sure she was ready, tuck her under him right away, and join them together.
He would pump into her several times before climaxing, then immediately roll over and go to sleep.
She would get up, shower, and try to get some rest, whether in a chair or, once, even her old bed.
He’d put a stop to that instantly. He didn’t want her out of the room.
If she slept in the chair, it didn’t seem to matter as long as she was in the room.
The few times she was able to sleep in the same bed, she woke with his arms wrapped around her.
Those were the times she deluded herself with thoughts that he might actually care for her.
Sky took each moment as it came, dealing with whatever emotions were there at the time.
She finished organizing the books in the library and started a few online classes.
She was also working out to Zumba DVDs every morning.
She tried different things to keep busy, so she didn’t have time to think, and she also reminded herself that the situation she was in was far better than the one with her father.
That always helped settle her for a moment.
Sky’s nerves seemed to grow tighter as the days passed. Not only was she dealing with her feelings for Jared, but her father had started to call her every other day and demand money or to see her. The thought of him near her made her shake uncontrollably, and it took hours for her nerves to settle.
Sometimes, when she was tired, thoughts of her childhood would penetrate the wall she tried to erect to protect herself from them. She had to keep telling herself she was better off on the ranch, because at least she wasn’t getting beaten, and she actually had a woman to talk to.
She looked forward to the hour or so of freedom as she made her way outside to sit in the sun. That’s the only time she sat back, closed her eyes, and pretended her life was different.
Abby tried to help her pass the time, asking her to bake different desserts she found interesting in the cookbooks she gave her to read. As sweet as Abby was to her, it didn’t take away from the despair growing inside her.
They never had sex again like they did the first time. He was in and out of her before she got even close to the level of desire she needed to enjoy the sex, much less climax.
****
Jared noticed Sky emotionally retreat a little further every day and didn’t know if he wanted to fix it. It was getting harder to keep a distance between them.
Jared knew his relationship was already affecting his days. His foreman made a comment that if he got any more miserable to work with, every one of the ranch hands would quit. They were unable to deal with his nasty temper and volatile disposition that seemed to get worse every day.
****
Something broke in her the morning she awoke to her period. She prayed every day that if she couldn’t have a husband who cared for her, she wanted a child. A human she could pour all her love into. She dressed carefully that morning before making her way down to the kitchen.
“Well, look at you. Why are you dressed so nice?” Abby asked.
“I have a few things to get in town, and frankly, I need to get away for a few hours before I go crazy,” she admitted.
“I wondered how long it would take. You lasted a lot longer than I ever imagined.” Abby handed her a cup of coffee. “Do you want some toast before you go?”
Sky drank the coffee and rinsed the cup before turning toward Abby. “No, I’m planning on eating lunch in town before heading back. Do you need anything in town?”
Abby wiped her hands on her apron before she tore a piece of paper in half.
“If you could get me these things? Take the truck I use. The keys are in it.”
“Absolutely,” Sky said before hugging the older woman.
Sky rolled the window down after she turned out of the driveway. She took several deep breaths of the fresh air streaming into the truck. The knot that seemed to grow every day loosened enough to let her relax and just enjoy the day.
She was singing to the radio and smiling by the time she made it to town. Sky walked through several stores, getting the things on her list and Abby’s. It was about noon when her stomach started growling. She made her way to the diner Jared had taken her to the day of their wedding.
It seemed like years instead of a few weeks when she’d made the promise to love and cherish Jared.
She wondered if she knew then how it would be, would she have gone through with it?
Sadly, she decided she would. Unfortunately, she was unable to prevent herself from caring for her husband, even though he treated her like a stranger most of the time, and then a whore the few minutes a night he allowed himself to touch her.
Sky shook off the negative feelings and decided to enjoy this short amount of freedom before she had to go back.
****
“Where the hell is she?”
Abby turned from the piecrust she was rolling out. “I beg your pardon?” Abby said in a dry tone.
“I want to know where my wife is?”
Abby snorted. “Really, you’re calling her your wife? I know sworn enemies who treat each other better than the way you treat her.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Abby straightened, faced him, and placed a hand on her hip.
“Like hell, I don’t. I see her every day, and every day, the light in her eyes dims further.
Now, I have no idea what happens in your bedroom, but I can just imagine how cold you are.
You must treat her like some kind of prostitute.
What you do is isolate her from everyone except me, and for a few minutes a day, you grace her with your presence. ”
“Abby...” Jared said with a shade of warning in his tone.
Abby put both her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes in anger.
“Don’t you ‘Abby’ me. You need to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you were her, how long do you think you’d be able to put up with the way you treat her?
And I have another question. Why are you doing it?
I’ve never known you to be a cruel man. If your mother knew how you were treating her, she’d be so disappointed in you.
I know I am.” With those words, Abby turned back to her piecrust.
A long moment of silence descended around them.
“I’m afraid if I let her in, thoughts of her would haunt me all day until I couldn’t get anything done.”
Abby looked over her shoulder. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Jared snorted. “Jesus, Abby, Thanks for your support.”
“I will not support idiotic reasoning. What do you think other men do who care for their wives? What do you think Terry does? I don’t understand your thought process?”
Jared waited a moment. “Remember Todd?”
Abby looked confused. “Yes, what about him?”
“Did you notice that after he married Carrie, his ranch slowly died because all he wanted to do was spend time with her.”
She looked at him in shock. “And you think he lost his ranch because he loved her too much?”
Jared blew out a frustrated breath. “The way you say it makes it sound stupid.”
Abby shrugged. “Because it is. Todd didn’t lose his ranch because of a woman. He lost it after the drought took more than half his herd. He wasn’t able to get back on top of the ranch after that. A lot of ranchers lost their places over that drought.”
Jared’s brows snapped together. “Why haven’t I heard this story before?”
“Because you were so busy keeping this ranch going, remember? The drought hit us hard, also.”
Jared ran a frustrated hand through his hair before he raised his gaze to Abby.
“The first moment I saw her in person, I was done. I felt almost like someone had pulled my heart from my chest, blew it up, and put the pieces back in. The feeling of possessing her overtook every thought in my head. I had to marry her the next day. I used her father as an excuse to get her to the altar. I haven’t reassured her that her father won’t ever have a chance to hurt her again. ”
“That would have been nice for her to know. I know she worries about him from time to time. Usually, after he calls here for her.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jared yelled.
“I thought she’d have told you, but I should have known you two don’t talk about anything personal.
He’s called here several times. I’ve watched her a few times, and I know he upsets her.
She won’t talk about it, but she usually disappears into your room for a while.
When she comes out, I can tell she’s been crying, but she goes about her day, or what of it she’s made with so little to fill her time. ”
They both stayed silent for a moment.
“Do you know what I find the saddest?” Abby narrowed her eyes and asked him.
Jared was afraid to answer.
“That she never once complained and always talked about you like you mattered to her. It’s nice to have someone care for you.
She has me, but I’m an old woman. The only other people she has are you and her father, and frankly, you both treat her like shit, and she’d be better off without either of you. ”
Jared slapped a hand against the doorjamb.
“Don’t say that, dammit. I know I screwed up, but I care about her more than I ever thought possible. Now tell me where she is?”
Abby looked at him silently for a short moment.
“She left.” She felt a little bad that she’d said it like that when all the color in his face dripped away, but he deserved a little fear.
“What ... you’re messing with me.” He turned abruptly and walked through the house, yelling her name. There was stark fear in his face when he came back. “Where? Do you know where?”
Abby walked across the kitchen and placed a hand on his arm.
“Jared, she’s coming back. She just went into town.”
“You don’t know that, Abby. I wouldn’t blame her, but damn, I’m not letting her go.”
“Then you need to show her the real Jared. The caring man I’ve always known.”
“I’ll bring her back,” he said and turned and walked out of the house before she could answer him.
Abby nodded. It’s about damn time. She should have scared him a few weeks ago, but she had hoped he wouldn’t be able to resist that sweet woman this long.