He hated doing the paperwork. He’d rather be out in the fields with the horses and cattle. He needed to check on Jenna and felt guilty he’d lost track of time.
“She still asleep?”
“Yeah, now come have lunch.”
“I’m on my way.”
Jack usually went around the house and entered through the kitchen. Today he went in the front and up the stairs to check on her first. She hadn’t moved, was still sound asleep. Beth had put another cool cloth on Jenna’s fevered head. He prepared the antibiotics and gave her another shot and tucked the sheet around her so she wouldn’t get the chills.
She stirred and called his name. He brushed his hand over her head and held it over her soft cheek. “I’m here,” he whispered. She relaxed again and settled into sleep. He rubbed his fist over the ache in his chest.
Sally licked his hand. “You’re a good girl. Keep an eye on her.”
Jack kissed Jenna’s shoulder and lingered over the task. Her skin, so soft. He brushed his lips over her. He hated to leave her, but he needed food and headed downstairs for lunch, knowing she pulled at him even as he left her sleeping.
“She’s fine, Jack,” Beth said when he entered the kitchen. “Your face is hanging so low, you look like a hound dog. Don’t worry. She hasn’t stirred all morning, or afternoon.”
“I know, but that fever hasn’t gone down.”
“I have to leave in an hour. So you’ll need to stay with her, or have one of the guys come up to the house.”
“She wouldn’t like having a strange man around if she wakes up. I’ll stay.”
“Dinner’s in the fridge. Just pop it in the oven for half hour and you’ll be good to go. If she wakes, there’s soup in the fridge for her and fresh bread in the box on the counter.”
“Yeah, I’ve thought about that. I need to get some fluids into her before she wastes away.”
“Why don’t you call Doc Stanton and have him come check on her?”
“If she isn’t better by tomorrow morning, that’s exactly what I intend to do, whether she likes it or not.”
Chapter Thirteen
* * *
JACK SETTLED ON the couch to watch a ball game on the big screen TV. Beth left a few hours ago, and evening set in. He tried to get his mind on the game and off the woman upstairs. No good. He couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm despite his team leading three to one in the third inning. Sally ran in and jumped on his lap, whining and pawing at his chest.
“What’s up, girl? I didn’t think you’d ever leave that room. You need to go out? Hungry?”
Sally kept pawing at him and whining. He stood, practically dumping her off his lap, and walked to the front door to let her out, but she ran and stood by the stairs and looked back at him. Her warning registered and he ran upstairs to Jenna’s room and found it empty. Jenna wasn’t in the rumpled bed or the bathroom. Sally scratched at the door to the walk-in closet, whining, determined to get in.
Jenna’s anguished sobbing came through the door.
He knocked and called out, “Jenna, it’s me, Jack. I’m opening the door and coming in. You’re okay. I won’t hurt you.”
His stomach in his throat, Jack opened the door into the dark closet. Sally ran in and lay down by the wall and Jenna. He hit the switch for the light and found Jenna huddled in the corner, wrapped in the sheet, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head on them as she rocked back and forth sobbing. Her hands covered her head. She’d done a good job of pulling most of her hair out of the braid.
Jack slowly walked toward her. Plenty of room in the empty closet for both of them. Jenna sobbed harder the closer he got to her in the back corner. Jack bent down on his knees a couple feet in front of her. She put a hand up to stop him from coming any closer. She never stopped rocking and sobbing.
The past few days had crashed down on her. Inevitably she’d break down and have to let it all out. Every sound of misery tore at his heart and twisted his gut.
“Jenna, I won’t hurt you. You’re okay. Let me help you back to bed.”
She continued to rock, her body shook, and sweat broke out on her arms and what little he could see of the