Jenna's Cowboys

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “Oh,” she said. “Since I seem to be a magnet for deadly things that explode and/or fly, that sounds like a good idea to me.”

  Cole opened the driver’s side door of the Denali just as Peter and two of the hands approached at a run, all three of them carrying rifles with handguns in well-worn leather holsters on their hips. Dillon nodded to Peter, then set Jenna in the driver’s seat.

  “Lock the door,” he said after handing her the keys, all humor gone. “If anything happens, you start this thing up and go straight to Sheriff Luke’s office in town. Promise me, Jenna.”

  She looked into Dillon’s eyes for a long moment, then she looked into Cole’s and swallowed hard at what she found. She understood that if she didn’t make this promise, they’d go in there distracted and worried about her instead of focusing on whatever danger might be waiting for them. “I promise,” she said reluctantly.

  “Thank you, angel,” he said. He closed the door and she locked it, then concentrated on her breathing as she watched Dillon and Cole enter the house with the other men. She only had to wait about fifteen minutes, but they were some of the longest minutes of her life.

  She unlocked the door with trembling fingers when Dillon came out for her, noticing the gun he now wore at his hip though she made no comment on it. When he pulled her close against his chest, she wrapped one arm around his neck, buried her face against his shoulder, and squeezed tightly for a long moment. “Everything’s all right then?” she asked after releasing him.

  “There’s no one in the house,” he said, carrying her back inside while fighting to maintain his composure after the unexpected and emotional embrace. “I want you to look around and tell us if you see anything different than it should be.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know, angel, just a hunch. Do you mind?”

  “Of course not.”

  “We’ll start with the bedroom since the door was shut when it should have been open.”

  “Sounds good. Are you sure no one touched anything in there while you were searching?”

  “Yeah, except for opening the closet doors, which were shut tight, and lifting the bed skirt to look under the bed.”

  Jenna nodded, then beckoned to Cole when she saw him standing with the other men at the end of the hall. He approached with a curious expression that turned to surprise when she reached for him and, with a little help from Dillon raising her up a bit, managed to wrap an arm around his neck and hug him as she’d hugged Dillon.

  Cole exchanged looks with Dillon, then turned his head enough to kiss her hair before she released him. He smiled at her and stepped back, unable to find words for how he felt, or what her embrace meant to him even though he didn’t know why she’d done it. Then Dillon approached the master bedroom door.

  “Hi Peter.”

  “Hi darlin’,” he replied, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You feeling all right?”

  “I’m good,” she said. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  Peter opened the door and Dillon carried her in, stopping just inside so she could take a long slow look around. “My little jewelry box has been moved,” she said. “It was closer to the butterfly. The top drawer of the bedside table on Cole’s side wasn’t shut all the way, but it is now. Dillon, will you turn so I can see the shelves please?”

  He nodded and turned to face the entertainment center. “Someone went through my drawings. The tablets are in a different order than they’ve been in the last few days.” She asked him to turn around again and she frowned at the bedside table on his side of the bed. “Huh,” she said.

  “What is it, angel?”

  “Can you move closer to your bedside table please?” Dillon did. “The label on my vitamins was facing forward, and it was right up against the lamp. The crackers have been moved, too.” She looked around the bedroom again, then asked Dillon to take her into the bathroom. “Huh again,” she said as soon as he stopped in the doorway.

  “What?”

  “There’s something on the counter, and on the floor there, do you see it?”

  “Looks like powder,” Dillon said, squinting from the doorway.

  “Yeah, but from what?” Jenna asked. “There was a dark blue hand towel on the counter next to the center sink. It’s gone now.” She looked around but saw nothing else out of place.

  Cole wrote down everything she said, then followed as Dillon carried her through the house. The blinds on the kitchen window were closed when Jenna remembered they’d been half way open, but she didn’t see anything else changed in those rooms she’d been in. She couldn’t judge whether anything had been moved in any of the rooms of the house she hadn’t been in recently.

  “I’d say this is enough to call Luke in on,” Cole said, watching Dillon set Jenna down at the kitchen table. Dillon nodded, his jaw tight as he got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with ice and water before carrying it to Jenna.

  “Thank you,” Jenna said, frowning worriedly at Dillon.

  “Peter, would you mind sitting here with Jenna for a couple of minutes? I don’t want her to be alone.”

  “Of course, Dillon,” Peter said, smiling at Jenna as he took a chair across from her. “I always enjoy having a chat with the mother of my grandchildren.” Jenna returned his smile, but her eyes followed Dillon and Cole as they left the kitchen.

  “Don’t worry none, Jenna,” Peter said in a low voice. “They’re just real worried. You need to let them take care of you as best they can.”

  “I know, Peter, and I know they’re trying to keep me from going into a panic, too. I’m glad they left you here with me. That helps.”

  Peter nodded. “That’s some talent you have, remembering everything you see.”

  “I suppose,” she said. “I’ve made use of it for drawing, but until now I never found much else to use it for. Well, unless I forget something somewhere.”

  “Yeah, I can see how that might come in handy,” he said. “I wanna thank you for letting me be a grandpa, Jenna. Closest I ever came to having children of my own is Cole and Dillon. You’ve given me the greatest gift I’ve ever gotten, and I mean that.”

  “I’m glad it makes you so happy, Peter,” Jenna said. “It makes us happy too. But you know, you were a really good parent to Cole and Dillon, and you still are. Since none of us have blood family, it’s kind of wonderful that we can make those we care about most our family instead. That means you, Meg, Hank and Jack.”

  Peter blinked rapidly for a minute, then cleared his throat. “So how did Meg take the news of Marli’s middle name?”

  Jenna smiled, but there was a touch of melancholy in her eyes. “She was real happy. Happier than I hoped for, even. It’s sad that truly good people like the four of you don’t have children when you all have so much love to give.”

  “Well, I think I’m gonna have to set you straight on that one,” Peter said seriously.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The four of us didn’t have our own babies, that’s true, but we’ve got children, no doubt about it. I love Cole and Dillon like they’re my own, and if you ask Meg, I know she’ll tell you that in her heart and mind, where it counts most, you’re her daughter. Hank and Jack love you too, and so do I. All four of us are about to become grandparents and I guarantee you, none of us dreamed we’d get to have that at this stage of our lives. Just the thought of being called grandpa makes me so happy I can’t hardly stand it.

  “I also guarantee you that anyone who even suggests we aren’t Max’s and Marli’s real grandparents is gonna be in a world of hurt. So don’t think we’re sad, Jenna, cause we’re not. We’re as happy as we can be thanks to you, them boys, and Max and Marli there.”

  “Thank you, Peter,” she said. “That makes me feel lots better and by the way, I love you too.”

  “I know you do, darlin’,” he said with a grin. “If you didn’t, I wouldn’t be about to be a grandpa.”

  She laughed softly just as Cole and Dillon returned to the k
itchen. They both went straight to Jenna, touching her lightly as though to reassure themselves she was there. “We called Luke and Jag,” Cole said.

  “Peter, would you mind gathering up the hands?” Dillon asked. “We need to know if anyone saw anything out of the ordinary around here today.”

  “No problem,” Peter said, standing up. “You keep on staying calm, Jenna.”

  “I will, Peter, and thank you.” He bent to kiss her on the top of her head again, then left, gathering up the two men who’d come with him as he went. When they were alone she looked up at Cole and Dillon. “Tell me what you’re thinking, please.”

  Dillon didn’t try to pretend he didn’t know what she meant. He nodded, then went to the fridge for a soda since beer wasn’t a good idea at the moment. He grabbed one for Cole too, and they both took seats at the table.

  Jenna watched Dillon open the soda, take a drink, then turn it around in his hands, his brow furrowed. “It’s all right, Dillon,” she said. “I can handle it. I’ve got the two of you here to help me if I need it.”

  “I know that, angel,” he said. “I just hate putting this particular thought into words.”

  “All the more reason for you to share it with me.”

  He nodded. “I’m real worried that whoever was in the house tampered with your vitamins.”

  Jenna felt the blood drain from her face. The squeezing sensation in her chest started up, but she focused on her breathing and it faded after a few moments. She was surprised to see both Dillon and Cole crouched down on either side of her.

  “I’m okay,” she said.

  “We failed you again, angel,” Dillon said.

  “You did?”

  “Yes, we did,” Cole said. “We promised to keep you safe.”

  “Yeah, and I am safe.” They both looked doubtful as they got up and resumed their seats. “I’m more safe now than I’ve been since my father died. I’m not alone, I have you two right here with me, and I know nothing can hurt me without you meeting it first. To me, that’s pretty damn safe.”

  “We want you safer than this,” Cole said.

  “Well, I’m happy with what I’ve got.” She sipped her water, trying to think of a way to distract them. “I suppose Luke will want to…well, whatever it is police types do…in the bedroom tonight. So we should probably figure out where we’re gonna sleep.”

  “We have a big guest room just up the hall from the master, angel. We’ll set you up in there for tonight.”

  “What about you guys?”

  “What about us?”

  “Where will you sleep?”

  “With you between us,” Cole said, hoping she didn’t object. If she did, they’d be sleeping in chairs in the guest room because no way in hell were they leaving her alone. When he saw Jenna relax at his answer, he smiled.

  “You don’t mind?”

  “No, I don’t,” Jenna replied. “I like how safe I feel sleeping between you. I don’t even need to use nightlights any more.”

  “Yeah, I remember you had a lot of them in your apartment,” Dillon said. “Is that why? They helped you feel safe?”

  “In a way,” she said. “It helped to know that if anyone was coming at me, I’d be able to see them. I was here for a week before I even thought about them.”

  “I’m glad, angel,” Dillon said, pushing himself to his feet. “Now, before we’re descended upon, let’s get some dinner in us. How about some tuna salad sandwiches to go with that soup Meg sent home?”

  “Sounds fantastic to me,” Jenna said. “I’m starving.”

  Cole chuckled and she arched a brow at him. “It’s just so wonderful to see you have a good appetite honey, that’s all.”

  “You’ll be eating those words when you find yourself carrying a blimp around this ginormous house of yours.”

  Cole and Dillon both laughed at that. She smiled to herself and sipped her water while a problem she’d been nagging at her over the past few days worked its way to the front of her mind. It was as good a subject as any to distract them with, and it was time to deal with this anyway.

  “After today’s visit I think it’s pretty clear that Doc doesn’t think I’m gonna be running up and down stairs any time soon.”

  “No, he doesn’t and you’re not,” Cole said, getting up to fetch a pot to heat the soup in, while Dillon began gathering ingredients for the tuna salad. “You might be able to walk a few steps here and there if things keep going well, but that’s it until after Max and Marli are born.”

  “Yeah, I know,” she said, then chewed on her lip a moment before continuing. “Unfortunately, that leaves me with a rather large problem.”

  “What’s the problem?” Dillon asked, searching a drawer for the can opener.

  “I was planning to start setting up one of the empty bedrooms in my apartment as a nursery about now. But, since I’m not living in my apartment at the moment, setting up a nursery there seems rather pointless. I’m not sure what to do, but time is getting real short so I need to make a decision soon.”

  Dillon and Cole stopped what they were doing and exchanged a long, silent look. Then they approached the table, but didn’t sit. “Jenna, we get that this is a problem for you, and we get why it’s a problem. So first off, please know that we won’t be using this as an excuse to try to get you to make up your mind about the future. Okay?”

  “Okay, thank you,” she said with real relief.

  “Second, there’s a bedroom right across the hall from the master that’s completely empty. It doesn’t even have carpet on the floor. We intended it to be a nursery when we designed the house. If you wanna set it up for Max and Marli, we’re all for it. If you want us to help you set up a nursery in your apartment, we’ll do that too. We’ll even do both, if that’s what you want. It’s all up to you.”

  “Thanks, guys,” Jenna said, smiling. “That really means a lot to me.” She took a deep breath and, secure now in the knowledge that they wouldn’t use it to try to push her into something she wasn’t ready for, she said, “I guess we have some work to do then.”

  “Work?” Dillon asked doubtfully.

  “We can’t bring two babies home to an empty room that doesn’t even have carpet on the floor.”

  They grinned from ear to ear, then walked around the table to where she sat. “Thank you, angel,” Dillon said, kissing her on the cheek. “We’re gonna love setting up a nursery for Max and Marli.” Cole kissed her too, then they both returned to the kitchen and dinner preparation.

  “I know we only have three months until you’re due,” Cole said, transferring the soup from a big thermos to the pot. “But I also remember Doc saying something about the possibility of an earlier birth. How soon do you think we need to have the nursery finished?”

  “Doc is hoping I can hang on until my eighth month, which is only a month away, but I think I can do much better than that now that I have you guys helping me so much. If we can be done in two months, I think we’ll be fine. Do you think we can do it that quickly?”

  “Thank you for that, honey,” Cole said.

  “For what?” she asked, surprised when they both turned to stare at her.

  “For saying we’re helping you so much,” Dillon said. “It means a lot to us that you feel that way, Jenna.”

  “You needn’t thank me,” she said, smiling. “You guys are doing all the work.”

  “Nevertheless, thank you,” Cole said. “And yes, I think we can get it done in two months.”

  “I hope so because you can’t believe how much stuff just one baby needs. I couldn’t believe it when I started looking online. There really is a lot to do, so we need to get started.”

  “This sounds like fun,” Cole said, grinning. “How much have you already bought?”

  “Nothing,” she admitted. “I was going to start, but Meg said to wait. She wants to throw me a baby shower.”

  “Well, you’re probably not going to get much furniture at a baby shower, so we can at least buy cribs and
dressers and…what else do babies need?” Dillon asked, dumping two cans of tuna into a bowl.

  “Car seats, carriers, strollers, walkers, diapers, clothes, blankets, high chairs, playpens, and so much more,” she said. “I have a list on my iPad. But if the nursery is a bare room we need to start by choosing carpet, paint, window treatments, stuff like that.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll take you in there so you can see it, and then we can start looking online for decorating ideas,” Cole said. “As soon as we make decisions for carpet and paint we can hire people to come out and do that in just a couple of days.”

  “That would be great,” Jenna said, smiling.

  “Maybe we can even do some shopping online tomorrow too,” Cole suggested.

  “I wish I could actually go into stores so I could see and touch things before buying them.”

  “Don’t worry,” Dillon said. “We’ll order things and if we don’t like them, we’ll send them back and shop some more. I’m real glad you mentioned this now, though. Even if we have to return things we should have enough time if we get started right away.”

  “That’s a relief,” she said. “I was getting really worried about this. So, do you guys have any thoughts about colors? I’d kind of like to avoid pink and blue unless you’re set on it.”

  “Not a fan of tradition huh?” Cole asked.

  “Oh, I like tradition fine, I just don’t care for baby pink and powder blue as a color scheme for…well…much of anything, to be honest.”

  “I have to agree with you there,” Dillon said. “Do you have any colors in mind?”

  “I can tell you with absolute certainty that I don’t want red, black, brown, or bright yellow. In fact, I think we can safely nix any and all neon colors, too. Does that help?”

  “Yes, actually, it does,” Cole said. “It tells us we can mark those fears off our list. So, how do you feel about metallics?” Jenna laughed, as he’d hoped.

  They continued talking about decorating the nursery all the way through dinner. By the time Luke and his men showed up they were done eating, had put the kitchen to rights, and Jenna was worn out again.

  There were people in and out of the house for several hours, though they all kept their voices down and the noise to a minimum when Cole and Dillon told them Jenna was sleeping. One of them remained with her at all times, but they spelled each other regularly so they both knew what was happening.