by Barb Han
“Gambling” was all Jenn managed to say. She needed water, food and a day’s worth of rest before she could say much more. Nearly three days of who knew what conditions she’d been in other than the basement. The only good news was that she seemed otherwise healthy and should bounce back given a little time to recoup.
“What did you say?” Jessica asked, leaning closer.
“She said gambling. I’m guessing Milton’s trouble had to do with a betting addiction,” Tyler said.
Jenn nodded.
“But you didn’t think he’d turn on you,” Tyler clarified.
“No.” A look of horror crossed Jenn’s weary features as she looked at her sister. “I would never have—”
“I know. Don’t try to talk right now. It’s okay,” Jessica soothed. “I know you would never put me in danger on purpose.”
“We need to stay on the move,” Tyler said as he moved toward Jenn. “And get her into the SUV.”
He scooped her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck again. He’d rather go straight to Tommy than to the ranch. There was no doubt that Tyler could trust his longtime family friend. Jessica and Jenn seemed to have other ideas. He needed to help them see the light.
So far the only thing the three of them agreed on was getting Jenn out of the state and keeping her off the radar while she gained her strength. But Tyler had every intention of calling his friend. Jessica had green-lighted the connection before and nothing in their present circumstance changed his mind.
* * *
THE FLIGHT HOME was smooth as the morning sun settled in the sky. Jessica was grateful to have her sister back. During the flight she’d racked her brain to put the pieces together. Milton had obviously been in some kind of gambling trouble and when Jessica couldn’t deliver the necklace, he’d tried to kill her, believing her to be Jenn.
Jessica had an endless list of questions...would Elijah realize Big Beau had allegiance to Jenn now that she’d escaped? Elijah had figured Jessica out. But who stole the necklace in the first place?
Everyone seemed to believe that Jenn knew where this multi-million-dollar necklace was, but she was too weak to talk. Answers would have to wait until she was hydrated and feeling better.
“Checked the weather in Bluff before we took off,” Tyler said, interrupting her hamster-wheel of questions. “It should be in the low sixties for the next few days. Perfect camping weather.”
Images of the last time she was on his land flashed through her thoughts. Of turning to find Milton standing there, rock in hand, ready to bash her head in. That image was burned into her brain.
After settling the airplane in the hanger, Tyler helped Jenn into the backseat of his SUV. She was moving a little better now that he’d removed the ropes from her ankles. He’d given her ibuprofen and water from his emergency kit and Jenn had slept during the flight home.
Jessica was grateful for Tyler. She couldn’t imagine doing any of this alone—and yet hadn’t she been alone her entire life? Sure, she’d had her sister and her parents, all people who leaned on her, but who did she have to depend on?
Without the Texas cowboy she had no idea where she would’ve ended up. Dead, she thought. She would’ve died if she’d been left underneath that ATV. A wild animal would’ve gotten to her or she would’ve wandered around on the property, lost, until she succumbed to dehydration or, if she’d survived long enough, starvation. The important thing was that she and Jenn were together and her sister would be okay.
Tyler took a call, walking around to the back of his SUV out of earshot. A pang of jealousy tore through her, which was silly. She had no designs on the cowboy, even though the few kisses they’d shared in the past twenty-four hours had left a piece of her thinking otherwise. Dating hadn’t been a priority of late and especially since Brent. It was more than his infidelity that pierced her chest. It was the fact that she’d so easily given her trust to him, and how willingly he’d stomped all over it. Was she that bad a judge of character?
It would seem so, because she’d misjudged her sister, as well. It had taken a stranger, Big Beau, to tell Jessica what she really meant to Jenn.
How strange was that?
“That was my brother Dallas. Someone in a suit is still asking around for me in town,” Tyler said, rounding the SUV to where she was sitting in the passenger seat with the door open.
“Why would they want you?” Then it must’ve dawned on her. “They must’ve figured out that you were helping me.”
“When your sister wakes up, we need to talk to her.”
“Do you think she’ll be safe with us?” she asked. “I’m worried about her. She’s been mumbling something and I think she’s out of it.”
“I was planning to call Dr. McConnell to have Jenn examined. We could check her into the hospital under a fake name. I can send security to keep an eye on her 24/7 while we continue to investigate. I’m certain the doc will accommodate us without asking a lot of questions.”
Jessica chewed on that thought for a minute. She liked the idea of having her sister in a facility where she could be properly cared for. Looking at her in this condition was a cause for serious stress. Would Jenn fight them on it? Could she? As it was, she could barely lift her head and her ramblings were becoming more frequent and less distinguishable.
“She’ll get well faster in a place she can be looked after properly,” he said with a convincing look.
“Okay. Let’s do that. If we can get her to agree,” she said.
“Her eyes have barely opened since Baton Rouge. I doubt she has any fight left inside her.” Tyler had a point. He walked away, presumably to give her time to think about it.
Jessica looked in the backseat. Her sister was resting comfortably but she needed medical care in order to get better. What if infection set in or she was bleeding internally? She already favored her right side, moving carefully as if one of her ribs was broken. She needed X-rays and an IV.
But that would mean leaving her in the hospital.
The thought of not staying with Jenn hit Jessica like a two-by-four to the chest. But what choice did she have? It wasn’t like Jenn was waking up. She could have a concussion or worse. Even though Jessica couldn’t imagine walking away from her sister, she wouldn’t deny her medical service or put her in danger because of her selfishness.
Fighting tears, she walked over to where Tyler stood forty feet away. No way was she going to let the handsome cowboy see her cry again. This was the right thing to do for her sister. “Signing my sister into the hospital under an assumed name is the best way to go. Can you arrange it?”
Tyler took her hand in his and tugged her toward him. She leaned into his strong chest and he wrapped his arms around her. And in that moment, crazy as it might sound, she felt safe.
“You’re making the right call. She’ll be well cared for in the hospital and it’s the last place Milton or anyone else will look since you’ve already been there.”
She nodded. “Plain sight.”
“That’s right,” Tyler said. “I’ll call Dr. McConnell and set everything up.”
Jessica wiped a rogue tear. “It’s hard to see her like this. She’s normally so strong and willful.”
“We’ll get her the care she needs and you’ll be back to your twin antics in a few days,” he said, an obvious attempt to make her smile.
It worked.
Chapter Fourteen
Tyler pulled off the highway and then around the back of the Quick Gas Auto Mart on the outskirts of town where an ambulance waited. Dr. McConnell had insisted this would be the best and safest way to transport Jenn to the hospital, and he figured she was right on both counts.
Jenn could begin receiving fluids immediately and, given that she was severely dehydrated, that should make a big difference in her general health. Glanci
ng at Jessica as he parked had him wondering if she would be able to walk away from her sister. Agony darkened her features and she was chewing on her thumbnail.
“They’re going to take good care of Jenn and the doc said she’d call the minute your sister wakes up and is ready to talk,” he said to reassure her, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind at the last minute.
“You’re right,” she conceded. “It’s just hard to leave her again.”
Tyler waved the EMTs over. Andy and Shanks greeted Tyler as they went right to work helping Jenn out of the SUV and positioning her on the gurney.
Jessica was at her sister’s side as Jenn’s eyes fluttered open again.
“You’re going to the hospital,” Jessica said.
Jenn barely nodded.
“Everything’s going to be okay and I’ll see you very soon,” Jessica reassured, rubbing her sister’s arm.
Jenn opened her mouth to speak but looked as though she lost the energy. She took in a ragged breath and mouthed, Love you.
“Love you,” Jessica parroted.
“We’ll take good care of her, man, I promise,” Shanks said to Tyler, looking from Jessica to Jenn. Tyler could almost see the question mark in his mind at the resemblance between the two.
Tyler patted Shanks on the back. “I know you will. And we’d appreciate it if you kept my involvement between us for now. In fact, if you could keep quiet about this whole thing.”
“Doc mentioned something about this being tied to a criminal case and her being a witness, but that’s all she could say.” Andy’s eyes got wide and sparkly with excitement. He lowered his tone when he said, “Is she going into the witness protection program or something?”
“I’d like to tell you more but I’m sworn to silence,” Tyler said, trying to sound disappointed. He didn’t want to quell Andy’s excitement, and figured his response would serve as a good reminder of how top secret this had to be.
“Right-o.” Andy nodded and wheeled the gurney to the back of the ambulance with a satisfied smile.
As soon as Jenn was out of sight, tears started rolling down Jessica’s face. Tyler glanced around, feeling exposed in their current location. He hugged her before ushering her into the SUV.
“Why do I feel like I’m never going to see her again?” Jessica said, wiping the tears from her face as she apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually a crier.”
“Never say you’re sorry for showing your emotions,” he said. Tyler had been an expert at stuffing his below the surface for too many years.
“I’ve always been the strong one, you know. It’s why my sister always comes to me and this makes me feel weak.” She motioned toward a rogue tear sliding down her cheek.
“Crying doesn’t make you any less strong. Tears are just saltwater. The ocean is filled with it and that doesn’t take away from its magnitude. Real strength means pushing through your boundaries when you’re afraid and never giving up. Trust me when I say you have that in spades.”
She smiled through red-rimmed eyes. “Thank you.”
Tyler started the engine and navigated onto the highway, heading home. His heart fisted in his chest. He was in trouble. And this time, going home had a new meaning. Rather than rack his brain trying to crack that nut, he fisted the steering wheel and focused on something that made sense...the road in front of him.
“You’re quiet all of a sudden,” Jessica said.
“I just have a lot on my mind.” It was partially true. Tyler couldn’t stop thinking about Jessica and wasn’t it his trick to shut down emotionally when he got close to someone or something he wanted? But then he hadn’t wanted anything like he wanted her in his life and it confused the hell out of him.
Another thing he didn’t want to think about right then.
Tyler decided to take her to the easternmost tip of the property, furthest from his house, where people would least expect him to be. His SUV was made for off-roading and he’d need it to reach the location. The drive took another two hours. Jessica leaned her seat back and rested for the ride. He almost woke her half a dozen times to tell her that he was confused and wanted to sort out what was going on in his mind, but he stopped himself. She needed the rest and he liked having her there.
“This location will be out of the way for most of the ranch business and should keep us flying under the radar,” he said when she finally sat up.
Pitching a tent didn’t take long. He’d decided on camping next to Hollow’s Lake, figuring they’d need a water source if they were going to be out there for a few days. This land wasn’t near where they kept the cattle and therefore no one would be riding fences. There were no hunts scheduled on this side of the property in the month of November, so unless something had changed they’d be good. He had cursory supplies, including toiletries, in his SUV at all times in case he wanted to spend the night out on the range and sleep under the stars, which had happened often since hearing the news about his parents.
He built a campfire and offered Jessica a protein bar before making coffee.
“I’m impressed,” she said, taking a sip.
“What you’re tasting is the result of years of trial and error.” He laughed.
“It’s even more than that,” she said, and he knew exactly what she was talking about. “What is it about a beautiful landscape that makes everything taste so much better?”
“Fresh air does something to food and drink.”
She nodded. “Thank you for taking care of my sister.”
“No problem,” he said, but he could see that it was a huge deal to her.
* * *
JESSICA DIDN’T WANT to like the handsome cowboy any more than she already did. As soon as they figured out who was behind this crime and could prove it to the law she’d go back to Shreveport and running the family business so she could resume taking care of her parents. The thought made her sad. Not the part about taking care of her parents, but returning to Shreveport. The place no longer felt like home and the job had never before felt so lonely.
Could she convince Jenn to come home?
Jenn? Come home?
Jessica almost laughed out loud. Her sister hadn’t been able to wait to get out of Shreveport. If Baton Rouge was no longer an option, and Jessica was pretty sure it wasn’t, then maybe Jenn could get a fresh start in Houston or San Antonio.
Thinking about her sister brought on too much sadness, so she pushed those unproductive thoughts aside for now and tried to clear her head with another sip of coffee. They needed to figure out why Jenn was being set up.
“Have you heard from Zander?” she asked.
“He was released from the hospital last night and is doing fine.” He sat staring with his back to the sun.
Had a wall come up between them? When Jessica really thought about it, Tyler clammed up every time they got close. What was that all about? He had feelings for her, or at the very least an attraction, and yet he shut down every time they tried to act on it. She made a mental note to ask him about it. Maybe it had something to do with his past.
“Did you really play pro baseball?” she asked, remembering a conversation with Zander.
“Yep.”
“And what happened?”
“Nothing.” He rubbed his right shoulder, a move she’d seen him make several times when they’d done something physical.
“Everything okay?” She motioned toward the spot where his hand was rubbing.
He stopped midrub. “Peachy.”
She pushed to her feet, unsure what she’d done to make him stop talking to her. All of a sudden they were at one-word answers and he looked uncomfortable. “I’m going for a walk.”
“You want company?”
“No.” What had happened? One minute he was comforting her and now they were barely speaking. Wh
at was up with that?
Jessica pushed those thoughts aside as she walked toward the lake. Every step away from Tyler was a giant leap toward being completely stressed. How had she become so dependent on a stranger in just a few short days?
Anger and frustration formed a tight ball in her chest, making breathing hurt. She had no right to feel this way about him and she needed to walk it off. Heck, she didn’t want to feel this way about any man. And yet she couldn’t deny that was exactly what was happening.
So the handsome cowboy had done a few nice things for her. Let’s face it, his actions were nothing short of heroic. But that didn’t mean she had to put up with his roller-coaster emotions—one minute on and the next keeping her at a safe distance.
At least this was better than her relationship with Brent. He’d been practiced and cool the whole time. He knew exactly the right words to say to throw her off the trail if she was suspicious...and it had all been one big act so she wouldn’t catch him cheating.
Jessica paced from a mesquite tree to the lake’s edge a few times before she looked up and realized that Tyler was standing right there watching her. She let out a little yelp before she could quash it. “What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”
“I’m sorry.” His wry grin belied the sincerity in those words.
“Great. The man can put two words together,” she quipped and then regretted saying what she was thinking. She should probably bow at the man’s feet for how much he was helping her family, so why did she want to claw his eyes out right now instead?
There he stood, silent, for a long moment with his arms crossed as he leaned against a tree.
Jessica would be damned if she spoke first. Two could play at that game, so she planted her fisted hands on her hips and stared right back.
“You want to scream or something? Go ahead. No one will hear you out here,” he said, as if he dared her to.
His stance was casual. Hers was aggressive. Well, get used to it, buddy. She had no plans to back down from a challenge.