the guys coming over to try and spook Jensen. “All right. Just sit tight.” He scooted her just far enough away to give him room to stand. Grabbing the lantern, he unzipped the tent and went to check on who or what was disturbing their sleep.
Jensen didn’t attempt to join him, she sat on the edge of his sleeping bag, her arms wrapped around her knees. “Be careful!”
After a few moments, she heard him laugh. “Jensen, honey, come here.”
Glad to hear him sound so calm, she grabbed her blanket, slung it around her shoulders and went out to see what he’d found. “Is it gone?”
“Nope, he’s right here.”
With tentative steps, she rounded the tent to find – a huge longhorn rooting around on the ground for choice morsels. “A cow?”
“Nope. A bull.” He shooed the big beast away.
“Good gracious,” she fumed as she reentered the tent. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.” How silly he must think she was.
“No problem. Glad I could be of service.”
“Let’s try and get some sleep.”
“Why don’t you drag your sleeping bag more to the middle.” And nearer him. “Just in case it comes back.”
“Do you think it will?” Even knowing the intruder wasn’t a swamp monster, the idea of something lurking right outside the tent made her feel jumpy.
“Oh, you never know.”
Giving in to temptation, she pulled the sleeping bag away from the side of the tent. “I probably should be expelled from the program.”
“No one is going to hear anything from me,” he told her sincerely. “After all, the others did everything they could to unnerve you.”
“Yea, but I shouldn’t be so susceptible to their scare tactics. The longhorn cattle live on this property, I should’ve expected something like this might happen.” She knelt by the sleeping bag, suddenly self-conscious because she was wearing a nightshirt that rode high on her thighs. Plus, she didn’t sleep in her prothesis. Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice her lopsided condition.
Clint couldn’t help but chuckle at her comment. “Believe me, I think any one of those guys might’ve reacted to that big old horned head poking through their tent.”
“Maybe.” She smiled at the thought of those men being surprised at the longhorn’s visit.
When he saw she was hesitating to lay down, he realized she might be shy. “How about if I turn the lantern off?”
“Okay. We’ll probably sleep better in the dark.” As soon as he extinguished the lantern, she unwrapped herself and crawled into the bag.
Clint lay there in the dark – so close to her, yet so far. Closing his eyes, he swallowed hard. He could feel her drawing him, like some powerful magnet. He’d never been much of a gambler, but the idea of nothing ventured nothing gained seemed to fit this situation. “Just so you know, there’s still a place for you in my arms. There’s no one else in my life – and there won’t be – not as long as there’s the remotest possibility you’ll give me a chance.”
Jensen kept her back turned to him. She held onto the blanket with both hands, willing herself to be strong. “Clint…I…” The reasons she named to discourage him the day of the crosswalk incident seemed trivial now. He might not check all the boxes of her ideal man, but he was good and kind. He was gorgeous. Hell, who was she kidding? Clint Wilder was freaking perfect. And unless he was an expert at spinning a line, he really and truly wanted to be with her. As she’d lamented earlier, the only justification she had for rejecting his advances were her own insecurities and the fear she harbored of his reaction.
Could she tell him? Could she trust him? How would he react if he knew the truth? The very idea of exposing her utmost vulnerability to him made her nervous.
“Don’t say anything.” He didn’t think he could bear to hear another rejection from those sweet lips. “Just think about it.”
Her heart beat a half dozen times before she whispered softly. “Sleep well, Clint.”
Jensen’s quiet answer didn’t surprise him. At least she hadn’t given him another succinct refusal. “Goodnight.”
A few feet away, Jensen’s mind was racing as fast as her heart was beating. Just the improbable notion of being with him again made her tremble with need. Why she was torturing herself with the possibility, she didn’t know. There was no way she could think of to make things work. No way they could be together without him discovering… “Damn,” she mouthed the word, tossing and