All But the Fall

by Kim Turner

  How was it he did this when he’d seemed so hard to her at times. She’d needed his words but quickly wiped her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Hey, folks. Bri says I can bring you back. We’re supposed to let two visitors back at a time, but I think we can make an exception.” Shay led the way, giving Jenna a slight hug as she led them to the door of Aaron’s room.

  He lay on the stretcher, eyes closed with a soft collar and the head of the stretcher up. The heart monitor blipped with each beat of his heart, matching her own racing pulse.

  Brianna turned to them. “He’s resting but wakes every few minutes.” She motioned Gabe and Jeremiah over, pushing them closer toward Aaron’s side.

  “Thanks, Bri.” Jenna fell into her embrace, fighting more tears.

  “He was in a lot of pain, but much better controlled now. What in the hell happened out there?” Bri waited, holding her gaze and shaking her head.

  “Part of the ramp exploded.” Jenna glanced toward Aaron and back.

  “Jenna it’s him isn’t it?” Brianna needed no explanation. Maybe they had both known this day would come.

  “He’s supposed to be in Mexico, but…” How could she answer? Brianna had to know how bad it was now with this happening.

  Her friend nodded, her eyes wide. “Jenna, he’s crazy, we have to get you out of here, somewhere.”

  She whispered then. “I know he’s behind it all, the flowers and this. Gabe and a friend named Tucker are working on things to keep the police and tabloids out of it, but with an explosion…”

  “Jenna. This isn’t a game.” Bri’s voice rose to a harsh whisper.

  Jenna shook her head. “I know.”

  “Well, you take care of him right now. I’m here but I won’t let you be next in this nasty play from Vince. We’ve got him a bed in the Intensive Care Unit. I’ll move him once you have a few minutes with him,” she added, walking to wash her hands and turning back to Jenna. “He was asking for you.”

  Jenna held her friend’s terrified gaze. Brianna knew way too much, actually she knew all of it but the latest happenings. She dropped her gaze and turned to Aaron, touching his shoulder and leaning to kiss his cheek.

  “Aaron, it’s Jenna, we’re here with you.” She spoke close to his ear.

  He stirred and struggled to open his eyes, though he closed them once more.

  “Doc said you’ll be good as new in no time,” Gabe added, touching Aaron’s good arm.

  He opened his eyes again. “Maxus?”

  “Rusty got him off the ramp, he was pretty spooked, and the blast affected his eyes we think.” Gabe glanced at Jeremiah and then Jenna, shaking her head.

  Aaron focused on his brother and closed his eyes again.

  “You’re doing good, Aaron. We’ll call Sarah and Amos in a bit,” Jeremiah added.

  Aaron nodded. “They don’t…need to worry, and Lily…don’t tell her until I am better.” He reached for Jenna’s hand, but she made it easier by placing her hand in his.

  “Aaron, do you remember what happened?” Gabe asked.

  Aaron closed his eyes, rubbing Jenna’s fingers in his own. “Something blew.” He opened his eyes again, blinking several times in the light dimmed room.

  Gabe waited. “That ramp was secure. You were set up brother.”

  Aaron winced in pain, letting go of her hand to hold his forehead, the heart monitor beating faster. “You…watch the videos, look…at the take on the…ramp. Find out who was on that set.”

  “Aaron you have to rest, not get upset. Please.” Jenna held a hand against his upper chest.

  Aaron kept his eyes closed but spoke to Gabe. “Gabe, get Tuck on this.”

  “I got it brother. You do your part to heal.” Gabe left the room and Jenna couldn’t be sure he hadn’t been fighting his own tears of relief.

  “He’ll be all right.” Jeremiah glanced at her. “You rest, Aaron, or I’ll tell them to tie you a good one. I’m gonna call Sarah and see about getting everyone a sandwich, coffee or something.”

  Jeremiah touched Aaron’s shoulder. “Rest, Aaron.”

  Jenna turned back to Aaron. His face was bruised, the hematoma behind his ear solid purple. She wanted to tell him she was sorry, that it was all her fault.

  Aaron jumped, waking again and squeezing her hand.

  “Aaron, you can have something else for pain?” she offered.

  “Hurts like hell.” He tossed the blankets back and tried to touch where the tube entered his chest, the bloody dressing around it taped in place.

  “Don’t touch; it’s helping you breathe by getting the fluid off your lung.” She pulled the covers higher on him where his chest wasn’t exposed. Nursing habits hard to break.

  Brianna slipped back into the room and checked Aaron’s I.V. and documented his vital signs from the monitor. She then turned to hold Jenna’s gaze. “Where’s Mason?”

  “He’s with Aaron’s mom still.” Jenna held tightly to Aaron’s hand. She sniffled and quickly wiped her tears, not wanting anyone to see, but Brianna hugged her again on the way out.

  “Hey.” Aaron was looking at her when she opened her eyes again. “It’s…all right.”

  “This is my fault, Aaron.” Her voiced cracked.

  “No, this…isn’t your…fault.” He shook his head and grimaced, closing his eyes. “I won’t have you thinking that.”

  “Aaron, it has to be him.” She fought to keep more tears at bay.

  “This isn’t your fault.” He opened his eyes again, forcing the words and holding his side.

  “Aaron, if this is Vince, he almost killed you and I…couldn’t survive that.” Jenna tried to scold to convince him. “And Mason…”

  “Let Gabe…take you home to Mason at the ranch.” Aaron tried to raise up and growled through his pain.

  “Aaron, I can’t endanger your family, Sarah, Amos and, God forbid, Lily…Aaron, I can’t.” She shook her head. “I can’t stay here and bring more harm to you…”

  Aaron grabbed her arm hard, his words slurred. “Jenna, you can’t run, not anymore. Not like…this…you go home with Gabe, and you stay there.” Aaron fell back to the stretcher. “Shit, I can’t even damn talk…right with the medicine making me crazy… Jenna, please don’t leave here, not even one…minute alone. Promise.”

  She shook her head at a loss for words.

  He touched the ring on her finger. “Jenna…stay at the ranch and we’ll fix things…together. Promise.”

  Brianna came running in the room. “Jenna?”

  She turned, glancing at the monitor. “Aaron you have to relax…your heart rate is going up…please Aaron.”

  “Don’t leave here, Jenna…”

  “I’ll go to the ranch,” she promised wondering if she could keep her end of the bargain but hoping her response calmed him. She rested her head against Aaron’s hand as he finally relaxed. How could she not be there for him now through his recovery? He’d be months healing from this. Filming would go on but the season would be over in a few more weeks. Aaron was right, she couldn’t keep running, but then maybe she had no choice when it really came down to it and she should have known that two years ago.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Aaron startled awake, confused until the pain in his side reminded him. He was in his hospital room and Maxus was being cared for by a veterinarian specialist from Helena. He touched his side, gazing around the darkened room. Was it dawn or dusk? He hadn’t any idea which, nor did he have any inkling how long he’d been in and out of the drug induced haze. Blinking hard he turned to find Jenna sleeping in the chair beside him, a white hospital blanket covering her.

  He squinted to focus on her. She must have gone home with Gabe at some point and returned. He shook his head, trying for a deep breath, but the bigger mistake was moving. Son of a bitch!

  “Aaron?” Jenna jumped out of her slumber.

  “You should have stayed at the ranch.” He scolded not liking the idea he couldn’t protect her with his injuries.


  She smiled and tugged the hair across his brow back from his face. “I was worried so Gabe brought me back.”

  “How…long has it been?” He held his chest, still concentrating on breathing, and thinking it hard to get the right words out. Damn the medication.

  “It’s evening. You’ve been sleeping since last night.” Jenna tugged his blanket higher.

  He grimaced and closed his eyes.

  “You have a concussion, but you can have something for the pain,” Jenna offered.

  He grabbed her hand. “I’ve had…enough drugs. I can’t even…think. Please…go to the ranch.”

  “I’m not leaving you, Aaron. I can’t. And Mason seems fine with Sarah and Lily.” She couldn’t hide the tears that filled her amber eyes.

  He brought her hand to his cheek. He wouldn’t have left her, either. “Where are the boys?” He’d been aware his brothers were with him, on and off, but the medication confused him, making him lose time with strange dreams.

  “Gabe went to the set for he and Tucker to have a look around and Jeremiah had to work,” she said.

  He let go of her hand touching her cheek. “You look…tired.”

  “I’m fine as long as I’m with you.”

  “No…you’re not…but you will be.” He adjusted his position and tried to stifle a cough that pounded through him anyway. “Damn it.”

  “Don’t try to do too much right now.” She straightened the pillow behind him.

  He concentrated on breathing again. “We’ll see what…Tuck and Gabe find out.”

  “Aaron, this isn’t some kind of thing to be fixed. I know it’s Vince, and he’s dangerous. Look what he’s already done.” She stood, walking to look out the window, folding her arms.

  “Tuck is good, Gabe too… I need you to go to the ranch and stay there.” He tried to sit up, but the idea was too much. “Did Gabe tell…Sarah and Amos?”

  “Yes, but Aaron this is dangerous for your family and my friends here. Vince…he has men anywhere he wants them, doing whatever he needs them to do. I never really understood that about him until it was too late. He’s taken so much from me, I’m not even sure…who I am anymore, but I can’t let him hurt all of you.”

  Aaron pulled himself up in bed, in spite of the pain, biting his bottom lip and focusing on taking in air. “Jenna, damn it, I can’t get up…come here.”

  She turned and looked at him for a long moment and finally walked toward him and sat on the side of his bed again, tears streaking her cheeks.

  He wrapped his good arm around her, wanting to comfort her, but shaking in the effort. He hurt like hell and moving simply doubled that, but he couldn’t let her suffer with all uncertainties alone.

  “This is going to end, but you…have to believe that,” he tried. “It’s going to be all right.”

  “You are in no condition right now. You’ll be weeks healing. How are things going to be all right? And oh, God, poor Maxus, Aaron…” She shook her head.

  He touched the ring on her hand. “I made you a promise. Jenna, I would…walk to the ends of this earth…to make sure you took one more breath. You have to trust me.” And he would do as he said, even if Maxus would never be the same horse.

  She wiped her eyes. “When you fell…I thought…”

  He stopped her. “It’s not the fall, it’s…the landing…and I’ve landed right here with you again.” His head was splitting but tried for a smile. He groaned and she helped him lie back once more.

  “Aaron?”

  He grunted through several breaths, closing his eyes. “Just…tired.”

  “I love you, Aaron and I’ll be right here. Rest.”

  He opened his eyes again, shaking his head. “What did Horace do…about the take?” With him out of commission and Maxus likely blind…

  “Sally said there was enough footage to finish the take.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.

  “It’s all right. I know how it works. They made it look like Maxus went over.” He nodded. They’d had enough footage with his practice jump to fill in any gaps, in spite of the fall that had been an accident.

  She touched his brow, hesitating. “Evidently and the episode and season will be dedicated to you and Maxus. That was at Drake Masters insistence.”

  He looked away. It was a nice gesture, but it hardly did an animal like Maxus justice and he didn’t need pity from anyone over what had happened.

  “You know Horace and Drake came by and stayed here for hours until we knew you were going to be all right,” Jenna added, pushing a cup of water his way. “Drink.”

  He sipped as she held the cup. When he’d taken enough he nodded and she lifted the cup from his lips setting it aside.

  “I suppose it made…the evening news?” He figured it without a doubt.

  “It’s been on the news, but no footage shown, though the FBI have been nosing around according to what Gabe found out.” She shook her head. “I fear they might make Vince even more vengeful.”

  “We don’t need the feds in this. Where’s my phone.” He looked toward the bedside table, forgetting and reaching with his casted wrist. “Shit.” He jerked his arm back, cradling his hand with the other, throwing his head back.

  Jenna picked up the phone from the small bag of Aaron’s personal items Gabe had brought by.

  “Call Jeremiah…and tell him to sit on top of Amos as he’ll probably try to drive down here eventually.” Aaron shook his head and studied the cast on his arm.

  The door to the room popped open, and Amos Decker ambled into the room, lugging his oxygen canister over his shoulder.

  “Amos is driving in the city, take cover.” He mocked Aaron’s words with a chuckle.

  “Tell me…you didn’t.” Aaron adjusted in bed again with a growl.

  “What I want to know, is why I have to hear about this on the news, my own wife not even telling me. You’re my son and I have a right to know you’ve been hurt. You’re damn lucky to be alive. Now what in the hell happened out there?” Amos continued in the room, taking the chair beside the bed.

  “Amos, you should…be home resting. I’m fine, or…I will be.” Aaron looked from him to Jenna, who came to sit back on the side of his bed at his feet, facing Amos.

  “Fine? You fell forty feet they said on T.V. and Maxus caught the bad end of the deal too. Gabe said the ramp was blown, Tucker thinks so too.” Amos looked hard at his son.

  “It was.” Aaron had no better answer and his father had most likely figured a thing or two.

  “I taught you boys to check and check again,” Amos scolded. “Though I guess we all know what’s happened. How did he get that done on the set with you boys checking that ramp?”

  “I looked at the ramp about an hour before the jump and Gabe too, but Tuck found evidence of hidden wires we never would have seen, should’ve damn known like you said.” Aaron dropped his gaze.

  Amos’ face softened. “Least wise you are alive. How bad ya hurt?”

  “Broken ribs, a collapsed lung, broken wrist and a pretty bad concussion.” Jenna took over to answer, pressing a hand to this thigh. “And I can’t help but feel responsible.”

  “Hold up right there, missy. You didn’t do this. I think we all know that and you be sure to stick around. The show’s not over yet.” Amos held her gaze as Jenna brushed away oncoming tears.

  “He’s right, but first you need some rest and I do too.” Aaron took Jenna’s hand, but turned to his father. “Let Jenna drive you home, Pop.”

  “He thinks I am a hazard on wheels.” Amos chuckled.

  She smiled. “I think he worries about your safety and mine.”

  “I’m safe enough, who do you think taught him how to drive?” Amos smiled at her.

  “Amos, let her drive you home. I don’t want…her alone.” Aaron shook his head. “Come on, Pop.”

  To his surprise Jenna agreed, though her reluctance was evident. “It really would be no trouble Mr. Decker. I know Gabe is coming here tonight to sta
y with Aaron and I need to give Sarah a hand with the children.”

  Amos smiled, “Well then, I suppose I wouldn’t mind being escorted by a lovely young lady once more. I’ll be back tomorrow, if I can…find my way or this lovely lady brings me back,” Amos said it sarcastically, leaning to kiss his son on the forehead. “I’ll wait outside so my future daughter in law here can kiss you proper.” Amos made his way back out into the hallway, leaving Jenna still sitting on the foot of Aaron’s bed.

  She bit her bottom lip a hint of pink rushing her cheeks. “He’s really endearing, but it’s so dangerous for all of you.”

  “Endearing? He’s hard-headed.” Aaron looked toward the door and back. “But you heed my words, sooner or later Vince will screw this up. If nothing else the ramp explosion put him in the headlines. My guess is his world just got a little more complicated.”

  “I just keep thinking what if you had…” She leaned against him and held on. “Aaron, it keeps getting worse.”

  He held her as best her could. “I’ll be all right, but you have to trust Gabe and Tuck to helps us get this done. Put Vince right out of his misery.”

  “I trust, but things could get worse. You didn’t ask for this and neither did poor Maxus.”

  Aaron touched his thumb to her lip. “It’s going to be all right, it is.”

  She kissed his cheek again. “I know.”

  “Go to the ranch and sleep, don’t worry. Spend some time with the kids.” He pressed the issue. Even though she looked tired and worried, she was still the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen, her amber eyes sparkling in spite of her broken spirit.

  Jenna squeezed his hand, and he placed his lips to hers for a brief kiss. She made her way outside, looking back once and offering him what little smile she could. He shook his head and lay back further trying to adjust to a comfortable position, thinking of Vince Hanson. He wasn’t sure how or when, but the man would pay for all he’d done to Jenna and her son, to him and to one damn good horse.

  ****

  “Girl, where are you?” Brianna was on the other end of Jenna’s cell phone. “I figured you not to leave Aaron until he was heading home. I worry, Jenna. You know this scares the hell right out of me. I went by his room and you weren’t there.”