“What?”
“I been back there. Just last week. I talked to Ben. I know all about you and my sister.”
Cash’s anger gave way to softer feelings, thinking of Jenna at Twin Oaks, on the farm she loved with her whole heart. “Then you know the trouble you caused.”
“I know one thing, all right. I know you got no call to blame me. Seems you got the best end of the deal. Hell, my sister ain’t never lain with a man before. It didn’t take you long to bed her. I bet she gave you a real good time.”
Cash’s fist found Bobby Joe’s face. Blood oozed out of his mouth and nose when the man landed on the ground. Jenna didn’t deserve the anguish this man had caused her. Cash wouldn’t allow one bad word about her, not one. Brother or not, Cash would see to it that Bobby Joe looked upon Jenna with respect. Cash was ready to pounce, to teach him a thing or two when Louella’s loud voice stopped him. “Cash!”
“Stay out of it, Lou.”
Louella grabbed hold of his arm. She pleaded with him, her voice steady and her grasp firm. “You’re about ready to kill him. I can see it in your eyes. Now back off. As it is, you probably broke his nose and he’s gonna be eating on his back teeth for a long time.”
Cash stared at Bobby Joe, lying there, his face a bloody mess. It wasn’t enough. It might never be enough. Bobby Joe would never right the wrong he’d done to Jenna, but Cash would see to it he’d never hurt her again. “I should kill you.”
With his sleeve, Bobby Joe wiped away blood on his mouth. “You’ll be dead before you can do that.”
“What’d you say?” Cash stepped closer to see the certainty in Bobby Joe’s eyes.
“The Wendells know you’re alive. You ain’t exactly been hiding out. They’re mad as hell they killed the wrong man. They’re gonna come after you again. How long before they find out you took yourself a wife?”
Cash’s face twisted. Damn. He hadn’t thought of that. His mind hadn’t been right since he left Twin Oaks weeks ago. He’d been wallowing in self-recrimination, thinking about Jenna, spending days drifting and nights, sleep-deprived. “If you told them about Jenna—”
“They got their own ways of finding out. Seems they got some kin in Goose Creek area. Only a matter of time before they find out about her.”
Cash’s gut tied into knots. If the Wendells knew about Jenna, they might go after her, just to get to him. A thousand thoughts passed through his mind, but he kept coming up with the same conclusion. Jenna could be in danger. The Wendells were ruthless. No telling what they might do, if they knew about her. “You keep your mouth shut about your sister.”
Bobby Joe lifted his bloody chin and became defensive. “I ain’t gonna send them her way, if that’s what you mean. She’s my kin.”
Cash narrowed his eyes, unsure whether to believe the scoundrel. Bobby Joe was a liar, plain and simple. That this man and Jenna were blood relations seemed completely unfathomable. “You didn’t mind sending that gambler to her at the farm.”
“Didn’t think he’d do her any harm.”
“Lucky for you, he didn’t,” Cash warned. No telling what he would have done to Bobby Joe if one hair on Jenna’s head had been injured. He probably would have killed him today, right here for the entire town to witness.
“C’mon, Cash. Let’s get out of here.” Louella took his arm and led him away from Bobby Joe. Cash allowed that, because his head was spinning about the Wendells. “Go on up to your room, get yourself clean, then head back to The Palace. We’ll have ourselves a talk.”
Cash stopped and turned, giving Bobby Joe a cold hard look and his voice boomed like thunder when he cautioned, “Stay away from Twin Oaks. Stay away from Jenna.”
“I ain’t going back there. No way. Ben nearly ran me off the property anyhows. And Jenna wasn’t her usual self. She didn’t look too good, sorta pale and she don’t eat like she used to.”
Cash didn’t want to hear this. He didn’t want to care. It was better for Jenna if they never laid eyes on each other again. But Bobby Joe said she looked pale, she wasn’t eating. It was too much for Cash. He had to know. “What’s wrong with her?”
With a smug expression, Bobby Joe announced through bloodstained teeth, “If you ask me, I’d say she was in the family way.”
Cash leaned his elbows heavily on the table in Louella’s back room and played aimlessly with a pair of dice, rolling them again and again. He kept his focus steady on those dice, but his mind had drifted off.
“You gotta go back,” Louella said with quiet determination.
“I can’t.” Louella didn’t know all the facts. She didn’t know how Jenna had kicked him off her land. She didn’t know Jenna hated him just on the basis of how he earned his living. She hated gamblers. Cash couldn’t go back there. It would only bring Jenna more pain.
“From what you told me, that girl could be in danger.”
“If I left a trail and led the Wendells away from here, further south, she wouldn’t be.” Cash had been planning that in his mind since the moment Bobby Joe spouted off about Jenna. As soon as Cash had gotten wind that she might be in danger just from knowing him, he’d started formulating a plan.
“You want to spend your entire life on the run?”
“I’m not afraid to face them.” He wasn’t. Not if it meant keeping Jenna safe.
Louella took hold of his hand, putting a halt to his dice playing. He stared down at the snake eyes he’d just rolled. “Cash, you might never get that opportunity. The Wendells wouldn’t think twice about shooting you in the back. They’d probably prefer it that way. You’d never see them coming. You wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Cash massaged his shoulder as he contemplated. Oddly, that familiar pain from working the farm comforted him. “She doesn’t want me back there, Lou.”
“That don’t matter.”
“She’s opposed to the life I lead.”
“That don’t matter, either. You owe it to that girl to go back. What if her brother wasn’t lying just then? What if that girl is carrying your child?”
Cash’s breath caught for a moment. A child? His child? Hell, he knew what it was like for a child to have nothing or no one to call his own. He’d been that child, not so many years ago. He hadn’t forgotten. Of course, the baby would have Jenna. And Ben and Rosalinda would be there. But Cash knew it wasn’t enough. He wouldn’t abandon Jenna if she were carrying a child. And what of the danger she might be in? Yet he was fighting going back.
But why? Then the reason flashed in his head as if the image had been there in the back of his mind for weeks now, ready to slap him hard with the truth.
It was the look of disgust and scorn on Jenna’s sweet face when she’d found out who he was. In her eyes, nothing was more despicable than a gambler. From that moment on, she’d despised him. Cash had fought too long, struggling all of his life to attain a degree of dignity and with one look, Jenna had managed to wipe his pride away.
“You care for this girl, Cash.” Louella’s accurate assessment had him lifting his head to meet her light brown eyes.
He inhaled sharply. “I don’t want to.”
“But you do,” she offered firmly, nodding her head so that one tight red curl piled atop her head came down to bounce on her shoulder.
Cash stared at that curl for a time. Hell, he couldn’t deny he had protective feelings for Jenna. He wouldn’t allow himself anything more. “Yeah.”
“Then you go see to her safety. You do the right thing. You know you’re going back there. There ain’t a bone in your body willing to desert that girl when she might need help. And from what you two shared in the past, who knows? Something good might come of it.”
Cash grinned, concealing his trepidation. At least he could talk to Louella. She was the friend he’d needed right now. “Who knew you had a romantic soul, Louella? I’m going back to Twin Oaks, but don’t be surprised if I’m back real quick. She might take one look at me and toss me off her property.”
“You see
to it that she doesn’t. You owe that girl your life. You go back there, Cash, and make sure she’s safe.”
Cash knew he’d have to think long and hard to figure a way for Jenna to accept him back on the farm. Hell, he had to protect her, even if it meant sleeping in the wheat fields, watching out for the Wendells. One way or another, Cash was going to see to Jenna’s safety, and he knew for damn sure, she wasn’t going to like it. Not one dang bit.
Three days later, Cash turned in his saddle, not surprised to see the dog he’d fed in Blackwater still riding his coat tails. “Ain’t you tired of following me yet, Scrappy?”
The mangy dog, thin as a string bean, had been beholden to Cash since he’d offered him table scraps from the diner. Cash hadn’t the heart to turn the dog out, seeing him hungry and alone. He pretty much knew he’d gain a friend for life if he fed the darn animal, but that wasn’t enough to thwart his intentions. He couldn’t let the dog starve. The desperate longing in that mutt’s eyes reminded him of a place Cash never wanted to be again. So now, he had a companion. Hell, he’d make a good watchdog, if nothing else. “We’re just about there, Scrappy. Won’t be long now.”
A short time later, Cash rose up from his saddle and peered down the hill, witnessing workers busy plowing the field at Twin Oaks. He’d rode his mare hard, once the idea had settled in his head, hoping to get to Jenna before any danger might occur.
Relief swamped him when things appeared normal. Ben’s son Antonio was tilling the soil on the east end of the property. There, they would plant oats. The crop rotation was meant to keep the soil fertile and where the soil was too tired, the field would remain fallow; nothing would be planted until next year. As he scanned over the land, it appeared to Cash that they’d accomplished some, but had much more to do since he’d left. Soon the wheat seeds would have to be planted.
He pushed his mare forward and after a time, he caught sight of Ben, working on a faulty axle by the barn. Cash’s luck was holding out. He’d wanted to speak to Ben first, before he approached Jenna.
Cash sat high in the saddle and was ready to dismount when he was met with Ben’s wary stare. “You want something, stranger?”
“It’s me, Ben. Cash Callahan.”
Ben squinted, blocking sunlight and stepping away from the axle. “Didn’t recognize you in them fancy duds. And that mare of yours looks like a mighty fine piece of horseflesh.”
Cash had forgotten that the folks at Twin Oaks hadn’t seen him in anything but work clothes. He realized all too late that his suit coat, new Stetson hat and shiny boots would only remind Jenna of the way Cash made his living. He appeared every bit the gambler in his duds. And his horse was the best money could buy. Cash knew a good horse when he saw one, and apparently, so did Ben. “I suppose you got a problem with me?”
“Nah, I got nothing against you personally. But I do got a problem with you coming back here. Miss Jenna ain’t gonna like it.”
Cash dismounted. He preferred speaking to a man on level ground. Cash could never be accused of talking down to a man. Scrappy, ever loyal, stood right by his side. “I know. But listen, Ben, I came back here for a good reason. Hear me out first before judging me.”
“I suppose I could do that.”
They took a seat on the back end of the wagon Ben had been working on. After a few minutes, Cash appealed to the older man’s sense of fairness after explaining all about the Wendells and the trouble they could cause Jenna. “Well? Will you help me?”
Ben scratched his chin, thinking hard. “You say Miss Jenna could be in real danger?”
“Yes, it’s real. The Wendells are merciless. I don’t trust them. If they find out the ties I had to Jenna, they’ll come here looking for her. I’ve thought on it and me coming back here seems the best way to keep her safe.”
“I’m here,” Ben said, a bit defensively.
“Yes, you are. And I’m sure you look after her the best you can. But you don’t sleep here. You have your own place. And that leaves Jenna all alone at night.”
Ben’s eyes grew wide and the older man’s ire sparked. “Now, wait a minute. You ain’t gonna be sleeping here, neither. I don’t even have to tell you, Miss Jenna won’t allow it.”
“Ben, even if Jenna would have me, I won’t go near her. You got my promise.”
“You thinking she’s not good enough?”
Cash twisted his mouth. He knew a no-win situation when he saw it. The old guy had a stubborn streak when it came to protecting Jenna, but Cash admired Ben’s loyalty to her. “More like I’m not good enough for her.”
“I might agree with that,” Ben said, but there was no malice in his voice. Actually, it seemed Ben was teasing. Hard to know what went on in that old man’s mind.
“But I’ll be here, on the grounds. I’ll sleep outside or in the barn. I’ll be watching out. Just until the danger has passed.”
“Miss Jenna ain’t gonna like this. She won’t want your protection.”
“She won’t know I’m protecting her. I don’t want her to fret about the Wendells or the danger she might be in. She’s had a rough time lately. I don’t want to add to it.
“I’m hoping to convince her to let me stay on until the planting’s done. I owe her, Ben. With my life. And that’s the truth. You folks could use another hand on this farm. I’m hoping to convince Jenna of that.”
“It’s doubtful she’ll be agreeing,” Ben said with a shake of his head.
“That’s where you come in. I’m betting that you want to see Jenna safe. I’m here to do that. I’ll watch out for her, I swear to you. If you could help make her see that you need me here, at least until the planting is done—”
“Well, I don’t know.” Ben scratched his head, a look of indecision on his face. “Jenna has her own mind. You’d best talk to her about it. And…” the old man said, after a moment of contemplation “…and I’ll put a bug in her ear, but I’m making no promises.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Fact is, we could use another hand around here.”
“That’s how I see it, too. How…how is Jenna?”
Cash held his breath waiting for the old man’s answer. Ben took his time, darting a glance at the house, then at the rusty axle he was fixing. “Well, now, I won’t lie. She’s been better. Like I said, this is between the two of you. You’d best see for yourself. Go on. Get over to the house. I got work to do up on that barn roof, patching some holes, and I’m losing daylight.”
“Right. I’m going.” Sudden unexpected fear climbed up Cash’s spine. He’d faced many an unholy situation in his time and had come through without a scratch, but somehow, meeting Jenna head-on scared the dickens out of him. One part of him couldn’t wait to see her and the other feared her reaction to seeing him again. He wasn’t a fool. He knew she’d not greet him with a hearty welcome.
Yet he was here to see to her safety. He owed her that. He’d have to find a way to stay on. He’d use every power of persuasion he could muster to make Jenna see that he was needed here.
After he’d left Twin Oaks, he’d felt as though he’d abandoned her as well as Ben and Rosalinda. He’d been a help to them on the farm. He’d seen how much work they’d had to do, knew his being here had made a difference.
Cash headed for the house and worries set in. What if Jenna was sick from carrying his child? What if she was in a bad way? Cash wouldn’t leave her, no matter how much she argued the point.
“Stay here,” he commanded to the mangy dog. Scrappy planted his bottom down, his tail doing a half swish, as if the animal couldn’t decide if staying put was a good thing or not. Cash didn’t take time to unsaddle his mare, Queen, but he did unload one parcel she’d graciously carried on her back from Blackwater. He lifted the package and knocked softly on the front door. When Jenna didn’t answer, Cash walked around to the back door and knocked again. “Jenna.”
No answer again.
Cash turned the knob and quietly let himself in, shoving aside though
ts of Jenna’s reaction when she found him inside her house. He had good reason to be here. “Jenna,” he called out again.
Cash made his way inside the parlor and stopped up short when he caught sight of Jenna Leah Duncan, sprawled out lazily on the sofa, fast asleep. One of Button’s kittens, the orange-and-white lump of fur Jenna had aptly named Pumpkin, slept curled up right next to her, just under her chin.
Cash stepped back ready to leave the room, but he found himself drawn in by something he didn’t want to put a name to, by something he didn’t want to fight. He set the parcel down then lowered himself onto an old wooden rocker that had seen the last of its rocking days, and waited.
Chapter Seven
A wisp of soft fur tickled her nose. Jenna’s lips curled up as she inhaled the sweet scent of her contented kitten. She came to slowly, relishing the peace of waking in the late afternoon. She’d been overly tired lately. She refused to think on it as melancholy, yet by day’s end, Jenna just didn’t have much fight left in her.
A flash, a subtle movement across the room, caught her attention as she squinted against the drowning sunshine. She saw a man, sitting in her rocker. Blinking, Jenna whispered, “Blue?”
He rose and came toward her, lowering himself down on his haunches. “No, Jenna. Not Blue. It’s me, Cash Callahan.”
Jenna met his gaze, peering into those incredibly deep-river blue eyes. She shot straight up on the sofa, displacing the befuddled kitten, and stared into his face, blinking yet again. “Mr. Callahan? W-What are you doing back here?” Jenna grabbed up Pumpkin and held her tight to her chest.
Cash rose and backed away, giving her the space she needed. “I had to come back, Jenna.”
Stunned, Jenna’s mind clouded. Her heart pounded. She never thought she’d lay eyes on this man ever again. She’d all but thrown him off her property, weeks ago. What possible reason would he have to return? She didn’t want him here. She’d been desperately trying to forget him. “I don’t see any reason for that, Mr. Callahan.”
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