Angels In Red

by Laudan, Adelle

  “It’s a beautiful horse ranch. The residents all have disabilities of some kind. Angelina has Down syndrome.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin and shook her head. “Some of those kids broke my heart. One little girl they call Sweet Pea is the tiniest little thing, her hands all gnarled. Yet, you never saw a bigger smile than hers.”

  “I don’t know much about Down syndrome. Is she physically disabled in some way?” He watched Jenna’s posture straighten as she put on a brave front.

  “Daniel says there are many different types of afflictions those with DS could have. He said Angel is one of the lucky ones. Her biggest challenges are being partially deaf and in processing information. I guess she doesn’t react well to change, which is why we’re being extra cautious not to rush her when it comes to me.”

  “Excuse me.” Grace poked her head around the corner of the doorway. “There are two officers at the door who want to speak to you. Shall I bring them out here?”

  “Oh my. Of course, yes, Grace.” Jenna wiped her mouth. “You don’t think it’s about Jack do you? Maybe he got into an accident on the way home.”

  “Slow down. Try to control that over-active imagination of yours.” Jenna had always been one to over-dramatize events throughout her life.

  He got up from the table and offered his hand to the first officer. “Good morning. What brings you out here?”

  “Good morning. I’m Officer Dixon and this is my partner, Officer Walker.”

  “What’s wrong? Is somebody hurt? Is it Jack? Did he make it home okay?”

  Officer Dixon put a hand on Jenna’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, I didn’t mean to alarm you. No, there’s been no accident and nobody is hurt.”

  Jenna blew out a rush of air and flopped back in her seat. “Thank God.”

  “It seems a woman drove past the estate early this morning and saw someone hiding out in the bushes, watching the house through a pair of expensive binoculars. Unfortunately, by the time we got here, there was no sign of the culprit.”

  “Did she give you a description? How did she know they were expensive?” Jenna asked, twisting a cloth napkin in her hand.

  Charles sat back and listened, seething beneath the surface. I paid good money to have this house watched for something like this. Just wait until I get my hands on the idiots in charge of security.

  “The woman who called in happens to be an avid bird-watcher and recognized them as high-powered, expensive binoculars. It could be some reporter trying to get a story in relation to your father’s death.” He bowed his head solemnly. “Please accept my condolences on behalf of the police force.”

  “I hope you guys plan on keeping a lookout for this guy.” Charles couldn’t help the accusatory tone to his voice.

  The officer arched a brow in response. “Of course. We’ll have a car drive by at regular intervals for the next couple of days. Hopefully, the sound of sirens scared the guy off and he won’t be back.”

  “Thank you for letting us know.” Charles shook both men’s hands in turn.

  “Of course, you’re welcome.”

  Officer Walker spoke to Jenna. “Please be careful when you leave these grounds. It might be a good idea to have your driver take you wherever you need to go for the time being.”

  Jenna nodded, but remained seated as the officers left them alone. “What the hell was that all about? I bet it’s that disgusting excuse for a man, Howard Meed.” Her cheeks stained pink, and her eyes ablaze with anger.

  “You let me worry about that. Do as the officers suggested and have John be your chaperone for the next few days. If Howard is behind it, I’ll find out and promise it won’t happen again. It will be kind of hard for him to look through binoculars with two black eyes.”

  Jenna laughed and threw her napkin across the table. “My bodyguard.”

  “You bet I am. You don’t have to worry about a thing, okay?” Charles returned to his seat across from her. “Besides, maybe it was a nosy reporter trying to get a story.”

  She smiled. “Yes, that is very possible.” Jenna returned to her muffin, taking a huge bite.

  Thankfully she seemed content with leaving any further action to him.

  First thing, he’d check out the tapes from the security cameras around the estate. If it is Howard, he’ll wish he’d never tangled with me. I’ve had just about enough of his obsessive bullshit.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The weather couldn’t be more perfect for Family Day at the ranch. In the short time since arriving, Jenna garnered a new appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the staff. One couldn’t help but get caught up in the very real sense of family. Something from her childhood she missed terribly.

  She sank her teeth into a perfectly charred burger and caught the drips running down her chin with a napkin. “Mmm.”

  Daniel chuckled as he straddled the bench she sat on. “I take it you approve?”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks. “Best burger ever.”

  A lady waved at him from the other end of the tent. “I’m sorry, duty calls. Will you be okay here on your own?”

  Caught with yet another mouthful, she offered a weak smile and thumbs up.

  “Enjoy.”

  With that, he took his leave, allowing her to finish her burger in peace. Jenna popped the last morsel in her mouth when she spotted Angelina staring at her from where she sat a couple of tables away. This time, she didn’t appear to be upset or confused, only curious, openly checking her out.

  Without making a big production of it, Jenna offered a smile and went back to eating the macaroni salad on her plate. A few minutes later, she chanced another glance, disappointed to find her sister no longer at the table.

  She sighed resignedly as she left the tent. Baby steps.

  FACE PAINTING was drawn with brightly colored markers on a poster-board hanging at the front of her station. Several kids had formed another line at her table.

  I guess I’m not doing too bad of a job after all.

  Before long, she was back in the groove, thoroughly enjoying the special kids. No matter their affliction, all had a big smile for her; some even clapped their hands and jumped up and down after she held up a mirror for them.

  Jenna painted yet another butterfly to match Sweet Pea’s other previously painted cheek. The little girl seemed to have taken a liking to her, never straying too far from her table.

  “Who’s next?” She looked up to find Angelina standing before her. Her heart started beating so fast she feared a heart attack right then and there. “Please, have a seat.” A surplus of emotions ran rampant within her. She prayed her sister didn’t sense anything amiss.

  Angelina sat and eyed her curiously.

  “My name is Jenna. What would you like me to paint on you today?”

  “Can you paint an angel? That’s my name, Angel.”

  Jenna tittered nervously. “I’ve never done one before, but I’ll give it a try. Where would you like it?”

  Her sister turned her face and touched her round cheek. “Right here, please.”

  She fumbled with the paint brush, dropping it on the ground. Oh my, how am I going to keep my hand steady enough to paint her lovely face?

  Angelina picked up the brush before Jenna had a chance to and passed it back to her. She patted Jenna’s hand. “It’s okay. Don’t be scared.”

  Jenna blinked rapidly. Angel’s eyes were filled with compassion for her.

  She let out a calming breath. “Thank you. Now, let’s see if I can do this.” She pictured the angel on the top of a Christmas tree. The familiar scent of lily-of-the-valley made keeping her emotions in check that much more difficult. She focused on a steady hand to paint a triangle for the body and a circle for the head, filling them both in with white. Angel’s eyes reflected the sparkle of a glitter pen as Jenna attempted to draw a halo and steadily outline a pair of wings. She realized it wasn’t just the eyes of her sister she looked in—her sister shared the same beautiful green eyes as their mot
her’s.

  Jenna held her breath, using one hand to steady the other, in order to finish off with green dots for eyes and red for a mouth. She hesitated before putting the paint brush in water and used the excess red to add a little color to the hair.

  “Well, it’s certainly not as beautiful as you are.” With trembling hands, she held the mirror for her sister.

  Angel’s jaw dropped, followed by the most beautiful smile Jenna had ever witnessed in her lifetime.

  “Oh, you did a really good job.” She reached over and patted her on the back. “You did a good job, Jenna. Way to go.”

  Jenna’s heart swelled, and she chuckled at her sister’s enthusiasm.

  Angel’s brow creased, and the smile vanished from her mouth. “Why do you laugh at me?”

  “Oh, I-I wasn’t laughing at you.” Jenna stammered, recognizing a melt-down when she saw one.

  Angel stood, her bottom lip quivered. “You shouldn’t laugh at people.”

  Before she could respond, her sister ran away, disappearing around the side of the barn.

  Jenna jumped up. “Oh, my word. What just happened?” She stood dumbfounded, watching in horror as all the kids who waited in line disbursed except for Sweet Pea.

  “Why did you make Angel cry?” She rubbed at the butterflies painted on her cheeks. “You are not my friend no more.” She spun and ran clumsily to the tents.

  Utterly mortified, Jenna scanned the grounds to find Daniel jogging toward her. “Thank God you’re here. I’ve upset Angel. She thought I was laughing at her and ran to the barn...and then, then Sweet Pea...” She dropped to her chair and buried her face in her hands.

  “Don’t worry, Jenna. Pull yourself together, and I’ll go find her. It’s important the other children don’t see you upset. You can use the bathroom in my office.” He took hold of her shoulders. “Look at me. Stay in my office, and if I can get Angel to understand, I’m going to bring her to you. Okay?”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She picked up her purse and followed Daniel’s instructions as he ran off in search of her sister.

  I can’t believe what just happened. Did I ruin my chances of having my sister in my life? She surveyed the barn in passing. Please, oh please understand. I’d never do anything to hurt you, Angelina. You’re my sister and I love you.

  Chapter Twenty

  The walls of Daniel’s spacious office closed in on her. The clock on the wall ticked louder with each passing second. Now that she’d washed her face and took at least twenty deep breaths, she reflected on what just happened.

  If she had any hope of salvaging some kind of a relationship with her sister, she’d have to become ever so mindful of everything she said and did. She’d learned in her research that some didn’t understand the concept of laughter as an emotion. Of course she felt like I was laughing at her.

  Her breath hitched with the opening of the door. In walked Daniel with her sister stuck to his side, seemingly a little leery to be in her presence again. Jenna watched him seat Angel next to him. The fear of saying something wrong kept her silent.

  “I think things got off to a bad start. Angel is upset because she feels you were laughing at her.”

  Jenna shook her head. “No. I’m sorry if you thought that. I really wasn’t laughing at you. I was just so happy to be spending time with you…I guess my happiness burst out.”

  Her sister sat still, eyes downcast.

  “If it’s okay with you, Jenna, maybe we can start over? How does that sound?” Daniel stroked the side of Angel’s face.

  “I’d love nothing more than to have a second chance.” She pleaded

  Her sister slowly raised her head and whispered. “Okay.”

  Daniel clapped his hands. “Wonderful. I’m so happy we could work this out.”

  Jenna rolled her shoulders back and held out her hand. “Hello, my name is Jenna. It’s nice to meet you, Angel.”

  The corners of her sister’s mouth twitched, quickly blossoming into a smile. She shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “There we go. Now, doesn’t that feel better?”

  Angel nodded. “Yes.” She looked at Jenna, waiting for a response.

  “Yes, much better.”

  “I think we’ve all had a long day,” said Daniel. “Angel has something to ask before you have to leave us.”

  Her sister peered up shyly. “Maybe you can come back and we can go for a horse ride?”

  She wanted to pull her sister into her arms and jump for joy. “I’ve never been on a horse before. You’ll have to teach me.”

  Angelina’s face lit up. “I will teach you.” She rubbed the top of Jenna’s arm. “You don’t have to worry.”

  Thank you, God. I am truly blessed to be given a second chance.

  “Thank you. I won’t be scared if you’re helping me. When would you like me to come back?”

  Daniel cleared his throat. “We can clear Angel’s timetable on Wednesday afternoon. Does that work for you, Jenna?”

  “Yes, Wednesday is perfect. Thank you for inviting me, Angel. I think we’re going to be great friends.”

  Jack set the last puppy back with his mother. They’d doubled in size and were more and more active every day since their eyes opened. In another week or so, he’d introduce solid food to their diet. Hopefully, they’d be fully weaned by the time they reached six weeks old. Then he could begin their training for the harness in preparation for the sled.

  The pups kept him super busy during the daylight hours, but at night, when all was calm, he missed Jenna so bad he couldn’t even sleep in their bed alone.

  Jack slipped on his gloves and climbed on his quad. There was no way in hell he’d last another four days without hearing her voice. He twisted the throttle and flew across the fields toward town.

  The firehouse was quiet when he stepped inside. He made it to the chief’s office without notice and rapped on the door.

  “Hey, Jack. Come on in.” Chief Dawson closed the book he’d been reading and set it on his desk. “I didn’t think I’d see you until the weekend.”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I’ve never been any good at waiting.”

  The fire chief smiled knowingly. “I suppose if I had a pretty lady like Jenna across the border, I’d be a little low on patience myself.”

  Chief definitely had a sweet spot for Jenna. It began the first time he came out on one of his random visits to check up on him. She had him under her spell the moment she flashed one of her winning smiles, just like me.

  “I’d appreciate the use of your phone.”

  Chief stood and rounded the corner of his desk. “Any word on how long it’s going to take to get service out to your place?”

  “Probably not for at least a week or two.” Jack took the chief’s place in his chair.

  “I’m going to head for the kitchen and see what I can scrounge up to eat. Be sure to tell the little lady I said hello.”

  Jack took a couple steadying breaths before keying in the numbers. He was a little nervous about talking to Jenna. I miss her like crazy, but I have to convince her I’m doing okay on my own. She needs to bond with Angel, I totally get that. If she suspects for one moment he wasn’t faring well without her, she’d come home...and one day resent him for it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Charles. It’s Jack calling.”

  “Well, hello there. How are things out there in the middle of nowhere?”

  He chuckled. “I’m keeping busy. Is Jenna around?”

  “No, I’m sorry. You just missed her. She’s gone shopping.”

  “Oh.” He tried hard not to show his disappointment. “How is she doing?”

  “From what I can see, she’s doing okay. To be quite honest, I haven’t seen much of her the past few days.”

  “How are things going with Angel?” He found himself hoping it was her sister who’d kept her so busy. Funny, he wasn’t normally the jealous type, but not knowing what she was doing, or who
she was with, drove him a little crazy.

  “I guess they had a bit of a rough go of it earlier today, but they managed to work things out. In fact, Angel invited Jenna to go horseback riding on Wednesday. That’s where she went, to buy riding boots.”

  That’s great!

  His taut muscles relaxed for the first time since being separated from Jenna. “I’m happy to hear it. Can you tell her I called, and I’ll phone again Saturday morning?” He made a concerted effort to appear unscathed at having missed Jenna. Not wanting to chance her catching wind that he wasn’t happy.

  “She’s not going to be very happy about missing this call.”

  “Okay, well, I best be getting back to the dogs.” The line grew quiet. “Can you tell her I love her for me?”

  “Er, um, will do. Take care.”

  Jack set the phone down and leaned back in the chair. He pushed his fingers through his hair and let out a heavy sigh.

  Oh Jenna, I wish I could’ve talked to you.

  She went shopping…sounded like she was settling back into her old way of life. Not sure if that’s a good thing, or bad? Of course he wanted her to have fun, but he wondered how she’d fare coming back here after being reminded of all the luxuries she’d be leaving behind?

  And then there was building a relationship with her sister. Could she really leave her behind to come home to him?

  Jack shook his head and got up from behind the chief’s desk.

  Why do I doubt the strength of our commitment to each other? Jenna loves me, and no person, or amount of money can keep us apart.

  He left the office and made his way out of the firehouse, purposely avoiding any contact with the chief or other men. Once outside, he looked up at the star-filled sky and swallowed hard in an effort to squelch the rising insecurities within him.

  “You will come home to me Jenna…won’t you?”

  Chapter Twenty-One