now wasn’t the time. As forward as she’d been joking with him about women beating down his door, she shied away from acknowledging this thing between them. He broke off the look first and dug out his supplies. He wrapped a bandage around her thigh, trying not to think about the softness of her skin or the fact she was naked under the sheet.
Her eyes fluttered shut. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. She placed her hand on his cheek. Such a simple gesture. He leaned into her palm, felt her fingers brush against his skin. How long has it been since a simple touch affected him so deeply? Reluctant to leave her, nonetheless he drew back and her eyes remained closed. He took her hand from his cheek and placed it on the pillow next to her head.
He nuzzled at her ear and whispered, “Beautiful. Believe it.”
Chapter Sixteen
* * *
JACK LEFT JENNA sleeping in his house and went down to the barn to work, lighter after seeing her soft smile this morning. She’d actually teased him. A good sign after she broke down during the night, and it did his heart good.
He returned for lunch to check on her. She slept through the afternoon, and after he showered and changed into clean clothes he went in to wake her. Wrapped in the sheet, she sat in the chair he’d slept in for two nights, looking out the window, her mind a million miles away. He crossed the room and sat at the end of the chaise, his forearms braced on his thighs, his hands clasped together between his knees, so he wouldn’t reach out and touch her the way he desperately wanted to.
“Where did you go?” he asked. He ignored her instinctive flinch away when he sat, and held on to the way she settled at the sound of his voice.
“This is a beautiful room. I like the soft green walls and the cream carpet and the colorful oil paintings of roses. The antiques are so pretty.”
“I’m glad you like it. You can stay as long as you want.” In my bed would be better. He’d settle for her in the same house, for now.
“I liked the cabin, too. Did you decorate everything yourself?”
“I took an extended leave from the military about eight years ago for the summer and spent it building the cabin. I needed the time to sort some things out. I like working with my hands. It’s a good way to relieve stress.”
“Why did you go back to the military?”
“Because that’s where I needed to be at the time. Caleb and I were part of the Rangers. We thought we were doing some good in the world.”
“Why did you finally leave?”
Not one to open up, her genuine interest and openness in her eyes made the words fly out of his mouth. “That kind of life takes a toll on a person. A little over four years ago, I decided I had enough. Caleb and I were buddies. My parents wanted to go out and see the world, so he and I came back and took over the family ranch.
“He took one look at Summer, sparks flew, and all of a sudden my best friend is marrying my baby sister. Kind of strange at first, but you could see how much they loved each other. I couldn’t help but be happy for them. Of course, I had to punch him when he said he was marrying my sister.”
“You didn’t punch him. Your best friend.”
“I did. Then we shared a couple of beers.” She laughed and smiled with him. His belly tightened. “She’s my sister. No one’s good enough for her. Caleb comes close though. They got married four months after they met and had Lily nine months later. Besides my parents, I’ve never seen two people so right for each other.”
“So what about you? How come there’s no lady of the house?” Jenna asked, curious. An open expression on her face and in her eyes made it easy for him to open up and answer. He wanted to see her smile again. He liked being the reason she smiled.
“I dated a few women when I came back. Turns out my wallet appeals to them more than I do.”
“I find that hard to believe,” she said shyly.
“Startling, isn’t it?” With a grin, he went on. “They find out about the land, the cattle, the horses, the diner, all of a sudden they think I’m an