side of her face. She buried the rest in her knees and the arm she wasn’t holding up to him covered her head. He didn’t know what to do.
“Jenna, baby, come to me. I’ll put you in bed. You’re okay.”
“I won’t go back. I won’t go back. I won’t go back,” she sobbed and chanted.
“No, honey. You can stay. Stay with me.” He added the last on a whisper.
Jack moved closer and ran a hand over one of her hands and down to her shoulder. She pulled back and tried to curl up more. No place for her to go, she stuffed herself into the corner.
“Come here, sweetheart. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
He kept stroking her arm. She rocked and sobbed, shaking from the exertion.
“I won’t go back. I won’t go back.”
“Come on, sweetheart. Come to me. Please,” he begged.
Jenna tilted toward him and Jack took the initiative. He grabbed her from around her back, putting his arm around her knees. He picked her up enough to move her between his legs, his back to the wall. He scooted himself into the corner with Jenna between his up-drawn knees. He crossed his ankles, making a circle around her with his long legs, and wrapped his arms around her and held on to her while she cried.
She put both hands under his right arm and held on to his bicep, burying her face in his chest. Jack wrapped himself around her like a cocoon, letting her soak up all his warmth and protection. She cried it all out. Nothing else for her to do, he’d found her with all her defenses down. Too far gone, she didn’t have the strength to put up her walls and push him away.
Summer stood in the doorway. Jack lifted his face from Jenna’s hair and met Summer’s sad eyes. He nodded they were okay and for her to go. Summer silently agreed and left.
Jenna settled down after a while and her exhaustion took her into a deep sleep. He needed to get her back into the bed. Sitting on the floor probably hurt her, and he hoped her stitches were still intact. He rubbed his fingers back and forth over her soft skin on her shoulder. He didn’t want to let her go. Not yet.
He listened for a long time. Her breathing evened out. The wracking breaths from crying subsided. Safe to take her back to the bed. His legs were half asleep, so he stretched them out and accidentally kicked Sally. Jenna didn’t stir. She did have a good hold on his arm and nothing had ever felt better than the feel of Jenna against him. He hated to let her go, but he couldn’t sleep with her on the floor of the closet all night.
He scooped her up close to his chest and, bracing his back to the wall, rose as best he could from the floor without disturbing her. He carried her to the bed and lay her down on her stomach. Even with the sheet wrapped around her, he managed to pull it up her thigh and check the bandage and stitches. Still swollen and red, none of them were torn, making him grateful for that small mercy. Sally jumped up next to her and took up guard. He shut off the lights and crashed in the chair by the window. Tonight took an emotional toll on him. He never wanted to hear anyone cry like that again. He fell asleep watching over her.
Chapter Fourteen
* * *
THE SUN SHINED through Jenna’s eyelids and she opened her eyes to a strange room. She recognized the tall, lean, handsome man asleep in the lounge chair by the window. Jack. Little memory of the last two days, but she remembered him doctoring her back and leg, murmuring in her ear, and holding her while she cried. He’d said comforting things that made her feel warm inside. She would never forget that low, soothing voice, or how she felt safe in his arms. Safe, a feeling she hadn’t had in a long time. She’d be grateful to him the rest of her life for giving her the small respite from reality.
She tried to move, but a paw pressed down on her shoulder. Sally gave out a soft bark. Jenna turned her head and came nose to nose with the golden retriever.
“Good morning, Sally. No barking, you’ll wake up Jack.”
“Jack is awake.”
“Now see what you did.” Jenna turned her head again and stared at Jack.
“How