"Want your pie and ice cream now, or later?"
"Hmm. Although we've been savoring the smell of the pie baking in the oven throughout the meal, I think we'll wait. Come on, Riel; let's take the dogs for a drive."
Riel hesitated, hating to leave all the dishes on the table while his grandfather walked toward the mudroom, but Jenna flitted her hand in the air as if to shoo him away.
"My job, so scoot before he leaves without you."
Riel nodded his thanks and trailed after his grandfather who was already walking toward the barn with Tanner walking beside him.
Russ slid open the barn door before Riel could help him.
"Let's check on the pups before we head out."
Earlier this afternoon Riel had peeked in the empty horse stall where the pups were sleeping, but he hadn't bothered them. Now Russ stepped over the two-foot piece of plywood, nailed to the end of the stall to keep the pups contained, and sat down on a campstool, which was already in the corner of the stall.
"Get in here and pick up a pup. They need to be played with."
Riel stepped over the barricade and was immediately attacked by five yapping balls of fur. He couldn't help but laugh. There's always been working dogs on his parent's ranch, but they'd never had a batch of puppies.
"Pick up the runt leaning against your leg."
Riel reached down to scoop up the little white and cream-colored puppy and held it up to look at it. The puppy stared into his eyes, and Riel felt his heart melt a little. He held the puppy against his chest, and it gave a little sigh and settled against him. He could get used to this.
"That's your pup, Riel. Name her what you want."
"Thanks, Grandpa." Riel choked out.
His heart started to pound as terror filled his chest. He held the toddler tight to his chest as he raced for cover. Then the explosion blew them both in the air.
Oh God! No!
"Gabriel. Take it easy, son. You're in the barn now, not out on a minefield. Gabriel. Look at me."
His grandpa's words pulled him back from the horror he'd just relived. He looked up realizing he’d curled into a ball in the corner of the stall. The puppy gave a little yap, still wrapped up in his arms. Riel looked down at the puppy, who promptly licked his chin as if she wasn't scared at all. Riel's shoulders sagged with relief as he sat up against the stall wall.
"I had flashbacks from the Korean War, so I know what you're going through."
"Will it get better?" Riel whispered as he hugged the puppy close again and rubbed his cheek against the dog's soft fur.
"In time, but it will help to talk to someone about it. There's a veteran's help group at the church that meets once a week. I want you to attend, and I'll even go with you if you want. I'm sure Pastor Bernie wouldn't mind if an old vet crashed into his session."
"Maybe."
"No maybe. We will go, at least once." Riel nodded his answer, guessing he owed his grandfather his wish since Riel had crashed at his grandfather's ranch unannounced.
Riel's face turned red with shame. "Does Jenna know what happened in Afghanistan?"
"I told her when it happened, and we talked about it. She knew when you got back to stateside, and then back to Kansas. Jenna won't think badly of you for what happened to you then, or now."
"Why not? The child I was trying to protect died, and I lost my foot in the process too!" Riel snarled at his grandfather.
"Son, you were in a war situation. People die or get maimed. Now you have to pick up the pieces and start living the life God gave you."
"I'm scared I'll explode in front of Jenna, or hurt someone."
"You automatically protected your pup, Riel. You're on the right track. Pastor Bernie, Jenna, and I will help you transition back to civilian life.
"How can Jenna help me? I know she lost her husband, but she seems fine now."
"But she had a long road to recover too.”
"How long ago?"
"Since he died and left her destitute, or how long has she been here?"
Riel shifted his weight to ease the phantom pain in his lost foot.
"Well, I guess both." Riel hated to be noisy, but he was curious.
"Tug died almost a year ago. Jenna moved home from Dallas a few months after everything collapsed around her."
"Tug? Unusual name. The only time I heard it was that pro football player that..." Oh. Riel was overseas when it happened.
"Tug McDowell. Promising player. When his last injury sidelined him off the team permanently, he turned to stronger drugs to help with the pain. Jenna tried to get help for him, but he refused. She said he'd changed so much she didn't know him."
Riel remembered the accident because it had made national news. "He drove the wrong way down interstate straight into a semi. No skid marks as if he tried to stop." His actions caused a change-reaction to pile up that killed three other people besides himself.
"Tug's estate was sued, and Jenna lost what was left of their money, house, and vehicles."
So now, she's hiding on his grandfather's ranch, just as he planned to do.
"At least Tug's autopsy showed he had that brain disease, so Jenna felt like she wasn't the fault of their marriage problems."
"Brain disease?" Riel was having problems following Grandpa's conversation.
"He was a lineman. Hit in the head too many times."
CTE. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Riel had heard of it because it could happen to military veterans too. CTE affect's a person's mood and behavior, including aggression, depression, and paranoia. As the disease progresses, some people may experience problems with memory loss, confusion, and impaired judgment before dementia hits.
“That would be tough to get over.” Russ murmured.
"It hasn't been an easy year for her, but with counseling and time, she's made substantial progress. Although you know how she gravitated toward the dresses in the Thrift Shop," Russ winked. "She may be a rancher, but she's always loved girly stuff."
"What's that got to do with Tug's death?" Reil had to ask.
"When Tug played football, there were events to go to, so Jenna got to dress up. She had to sell all her designer clothes to pay the debtors. She took a bus home with only the clothes on her back."
"Didn't her folks help her?" Riel couldn't imagine family and friends not helping the woman, after all she'd been through.
"Jenna was too proud, scared, shocked...whatever, to tell them about the lawsuits. Her family was there for the funeral, but then they left when she asked them too, thinking she needed time to grieve by herself.”
"Wow. Going from riches to rags is one thing. But then what she went through with her husband before and after. I guess they didn't have any kids?" The puppy leaned into Riel's hand as he quietly petted it.
"No, and I haven't asked why. In some ways, it would have helped Jenna now to keep going, but it would have been a burden for the children to see their father decline and kill himself like that.
"She teaches the first grade Sunday school class now—great with the kids—and enjoys it. Jenna will be working on her lesson and craft plans this evening over in the bunkhouse. Tomorrow you'll see a different side of Jenna."
Riel hated to admit it, but he liked the cowgirl version just fine. He hadn't been interested in a woman in months, so it surprised him he felt a spark of curiosity for Jenna. He looked forward to seeing Jenna dressed up tomorrow.
"Now if you can leave your puppy for a little while, I'd like to take a drive around the ranch."
"You mean I can't take Lucy with me?"
"Lucy, huh? And she already looked up to you when she heard her name. Nope, she can't come with us yet. Lucy needs to stay close to her momma and siblings for a few more weeks, then you two can hang out together full-time."
The little pup whined when Riel set her down in the straw with the others.
"I'll be back soon, Lucy." Only a day had passed since he left home, and he already felt better, all due to his grandpa, his co
wgirl farmhand, and his new dog.
Chapter 4
Jenna couldn't help herself this morning. Besides putting on her favorite soft rust-colored wrap dress with three-quarter sleeves, she'd applied a touch of makeup to her eyes and cheeks. Mentally she said it was because it was Sunday, but her fluttering heart said it was because she wanted to impress Riel.
It had been over a year since—no—more like three years since she'd happily dressed up to get a man's attention. She and Tug had been so happy in their marriage until everything spiraled downhill.
Tug had injuries both in college, where they'd met at a dance and in the pro league, but that happened to most players. Players took time off to heal and then they were back in the game. When Tug tore the ligaments in his right knee and had to have extensive surgery, Jenna thought he was done with football, but miraculously he returned to the game. It turns out he was eating pain pills like candy to play. Tug couldn't finish the season and was forced to retire.
Jenna left college after only her first year, so they could marry and move to Tug's first team. She hadn't declared a major and hadn't decided a career anyway, so marriage seemed like the right step. And it was the right decision because they truly loved each other those first dozen years.
Then Tug started having mood swings, but Jenna thought it was because of the sudden forced retirement. They'd retired to a ranchette near Dallas where they had two horses, so Jenna kept busy maintaining the twenty acres, the house and riding their horses. Tug used to ride with her every day but then started making excuses, saying he planned to go golfing or meet his friends for a drink.
An hour or two trips to see a friend, turned into all afternoon, then overnight. Jenna became afraid to ride in the car with him because of his aggressive road rage. He'd be a loving husband one minute, then sweep everything off the kitchen island with his muscular arms, roaring the whole time about some silly thing.
But Tug's behavior scared him too. He knew something wasn't right, but he was scared to see a doctor about it. And then his accident ended his pain and ballooned hers to massive proportions.
Jenna looked up to the mirror, realizing her cheeks were damp from running streaks of mascara. So much for looking nice for another man.
No. Chin up. Tug was gone, and so was her old life. She and Pastor Bernie had prayed for her moving forward in life, and making friends with Riel was a start. He might only become a male friend, instead of a potential boyfriend, but she needed friends in her life again.
Maybe they were both sent to Russ's ranch to heal and recover. She'd thought of Russ as a heaven-sent angel more than once in the past year.
"Woo-wee! I told Riel you'd clean up nice for church," Russ remarked as the two men entered the kitchen where she was getting breakfast ready.
"Grandpa! You sound like a dirty old man." Riel whispered in mock horror.
Jenna looked over her shoulder where she stood by the stove, pulling the egg casserole out of the oven. She always made an easy dish for Sunday morning the evening before, so she could slip it in the oven the next morning, then go back to the bunkhouse to dress for the day. An apron kept her outfit clean before they left for church.
She liked seeing the smile on Riel's face. Hopefully spending the evening relaxing with his grandfather had given him a good night's sleep.
"Oh, that's just his way of complimenting me. I'm used to it." Jenna remarked as she set the casserole on the table between the two men. She'd already set toasted raisin bread, butter, and peach jam on the table before they arrived. After she got their coffee on the table, they were ready to eat breakfast.
She sat down in her chair and automatically reached for Russ and Riel's hands for their morning prayer. Riel didn't hesitate this morning as he did for last night's meal. It felt good to hold Riel's hand and gave it a light squeeze when Russ said "Amen."
"Jenna this breakfast casserole is as good as last night's food." Riel complimented after swallowing his first bite. "Dare I ask what's for lunch and supper? I could get used to this good cooking."
“This is Jenna's day off, so we're on our own the rest of the day.” Russ looked at Reil and asked, “Are you cooking or are we eating out?"
Did Riel look a little disappointed she’d be gone the rest of the day? She sat with her parents at church, and then usually spent the rest of the day with them.
"I can make a fancy grilled cheese sandwich. Heat a can of soup to go with it. And we can finish off the rest of last night’s apple pie," Riel said after he thought for a minute.
"That'll do for supper. We can eat lunch in town after church. And we're in charge of cleaning up after breakfast since Jenna's only eating with us this morning."
The conversation turned to today’s limited chores. Jenna always made sure a bale of hay from the haystack was in place Saturday night for Russ to feed to the horses on Sunday. He could handle feeding the dogs and chickens by himself. But now he'd have Riel's help, although the former soldier seemed unsteady on his feet.
Jenna glanced at her wristwatch, seeing she was going to be late for Sunday school if she didn't hurry. They'd spent more time talking than usual with Riel being here.
"I got to go! See you in church," Jenna said as she rose and pulled off her apron.
"Drive safe, and we'll see you later, Jenna."
Jenna glanced at Riel and realized he was looking stressed again, probably thinking of going to church with Russ, who would introduce him to everyone in the sanctuary.
She put a hand on Riel's arm to get his attention. "We have a great congregation, so be prepared for words of encouragement and hugs—especially from the widow ladies who love squeezing younger men." She whispered the last part to put a smile on his face. It worked. And it put a smile on her face too.
***
Jenna was right about getting hugs—from every woman over eighty anyway. Riel enjoyed Pastor Bernie's service and message, but he could feel claustrophobic sensations closing in on him after the service. It was time to get out of the building before he embarrassed his grandfather, and himself.
"Riel, I'd like you to meet my parents, Ken and Sherry Peterson." Riel heard Jenna's voice at the end of a tunnel, but couldn't see her for the imaginary fog in front of him.
"Riel? Riel. Are you, all right?"
"Let's go outside for some fresh air," Pastor Bernie's voice bounced around him. Riel felt small hands grasp his left hand and pull him toward the glass side door of the church. He didn't fight but instead rushed for the sunlight, dragging the woman along with him.
"Riel. Think about Lucy. How she licked your jaw clean this morning as if you had a hunk of egg casserole on your face. Riel, look at me, please."
Lucy. Egg casserole. Grandpa. Jenna. Riel took a deep breath and squeezed Jenna's hands as he finally looked around him.
"Oh gosh. Did I make a fool of myself?" Riel muttered under his breath.
"Not at all, but I hope you join me this week for the veteran's help group,” the pastor assured Riel. “I know the signs of a fresh soldier just out of the war, and know you'd benefit meeting with us."
"Riel and I already talked about attending. Mind if I tag along, at least for the first time?"
"No, actually the group would benefit from your experience, Russ. Please join us." Pastor patted Riel's shoulder then moved away from the group around him.
Jenna's parents now had sympathetic looks on their faces besides shadowed smiles.
"Riel, these are my parents, Ken and Sherry Peterson. Mom, do you remember Riel when he spent summers here?”
"Oh, of course," Sherry relaxed and smiled. "Irma's grandson! How she loved when you visited." Sherry almost stepped up to hug him but stopped short, probably because of his panic attack minutes before.
Ken held out his hand, steady and solid, giving him time until he was ready to shake it. "Good to have you back in Texas, son."
Riel took a deep breath and grasped the hand of Jenna's father. These were good people, just like their daughter,
and who still had a hold of his left hand.
"Thank you, sir. I'm still adjusting...as you could tell, but I think visiting my grandfather will be good for me."
There. Riel admitted he had a problem, but at least he felt he might recover, anyway as long as he was holding Jenna's hand.
"I'm sure it will. Well, Jenna, ready to head out to the ranch? Your mom already has dinner in the oven waiting to be pulled out."
"Yes, I'm ready, Dad. You go on home, and I'll follow you out in a minute." Jenna smiled at her parents before turning to Riel.
Jenna squeezed his hand and let go as she asked, "I'm glad you came to church today. Did you get enough hugs from the sweet old ladies?"
He missed the warmth of her hands but put on a brave smile and nodded, too choked up to answer properly.
"Call me if you need me, Russ." Jenna quietly said to his grandfather as she slipped away from Riel’s side and walked toward her truck in the parking lot.
"Need a wife beside a dog?" Grandpa asked as he patted Riel's shoulder. "You couldn't find a better woman than Jenna."
Chapter 5
"No, no NO!" Riel yelled as he watched the steer take off in the opposite direction as the rest of the group of animals. There was a central alley in the pasture which ran the length between two rows of twelve paddocks, about five acres each. Every day or two, the animals were driven into a fresh patch of grass. It was usually an easy task. Open the gate to the new paddock, go back to the herd in the old paddock, open their gate, drive around to get behind them, and watch them happily walk to fresh grass.
This was the first time Riel, driving the ATV, moved the herd by himself. And darn it, one steer took off in the opposite direction than the rest, jumping the single wire electric fence that divided the paddocks.
Was the electricity turned off the wire or did the steer ignore the jolt of electricity to run for freedom?
Riel sat on the idling ATV a minute to decide what to do. Best to stay with the group and get them locked in before going after the maverick. Riel pressed on the gas pedal of the ATV, following the steers down the alley until they were happily munching fresh grass in the new paddock. He stepped out of the vehicle to close the gate.
First Street Church: Love's Blessing (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Clear Creek Legacy Book 1) Page 2