Jared nodded, but there was a frown marring his face. "Ever think of coming back to Dallas?"
"Why? I have no family there. Sold the house..." And everything else she owned to pay off Tug's bills.
"Well...I miss you, Jenna. Thought maybe we could be reacquainted...in a different way…now that it's been over a year..."
Jenna was taken back by his halted words and the suggestive look on his face. Yes, Jared had been one of Tug's friends, but she didn't realize he might have been...maybe attracted to her back then.
"How about coming back to Dallas with me for the week?" Jared pushed on. "We can spend time together. And the team is playing in town this weekend so that you could sit with the wives and family for the game. You can visit your old friends."
Jenna's thoughts were torn with his suggestions. She missed her friends, but they reminded her of Tug's death and the aftermath. Every team member and their wives had been at the funeral, but had ignored, or almost shunned her after that, not knowing what to say. Becky and Jim were the only ones who kept in touch with Jenna.
How would it feel to meet the team's tight group again if she showed up with Jared? Welcomed? Or would they think she was going after his money?
"I can't take time off my job, Jared." Jenna blurted the first excuse which came to her mind.
"Jenna. Surely the rancher can handle two horses by himself for a week," Jared teased her, but it grated on her nerves when he did that. Yes, Russ and Riel could take care of themselves and the livestock for a week, but she had an obligation to them, her dog training…plus she needed the money. Or was that her excuse not to go with him to Dallas?
"I don't have appropriate clothes to wear in Dallas anymore."
"Then I'll take you on a shopping spree. I remember how Tug said you loved to shop. Or call Becky and have a girl's day out on the town. My treat, Jenna."
Shopping with Becky used to be a favorite past time. Jenna felt herself thinking about going.
"I'll take you out on the town every night to all your favorite restaurants. We'll wine and dine until you’ve had your fill. You've had to miss that style of living exiled out here on this broken-down ranch."
Jenna sharply looked away from Jared, embarrassed at what he'd called the place which she now called home. Yes, the ranch buildings were worn and old compared to her fancy home in Dallas, but she was proud of what she, and Riel, had repaired and painted so far.
"Century-old ranch homesteads tend to look this way, Jared." She let him know she wasn't pleased with his assessment of the place.
"True. Don't be offended by it. I'm just used to my new gated neighborhood. I moved into a new home, and I'd like you to see it."
Becky had told her Jared had moved near their subdivision. Why a single man needed a huge house for... Unless he was thinking ahead to marriage and a family.
Jenna welcomed Lucy leaning against her leg, so she could look down and pay attention to Lucy instead of up as Jared continued to talk.
“Jenna,” she looked up when Russ called from the house porch where he stood by the door. “Why don’t you invite your friend in for lunch?”
Lucy took the chance to charge in the front door since it was open. Jenna could see Riel standing in the doorway staring at Jared. He was wary, ready to spring into action to...what, protect her?
"Thanks. I'd like that, sir." Jared answered and started walking to the door without looking her way. Jenna caught up as Jared and Russ were shaking hands.
"Jared Milner."
"Nice to meet a friend of Jenna's. I'm Russ Cooper, and," Russ stepped back and motioned Riel forward. "This is my grandson, Riel Shepard."
Jared and Riel sized each other up before reluctantly reaching hands for a quick once only shake.
"Riel live here too?" Jared asked as he ushered Jenna through the door.
"Uh, yes. He just retired from the military."
"So, you were a soldier, huh? Well, thanks for your service." Jared's quick salute didn't seem sincere, but Riel nodded to acknowledge it. Jared had no clue what Riel had been through and probably didn't care.
Comparing the two men, Jenna couldn't believe the difference. If she started dating again, which kind of man did she want to spend time with?
Jared had money, prestige, and a future ahead of him when his football days were over. His family had oil wells and businesses all over the state, and Jenna knew Jared planned to join his father and brother in the managing of their wealth when he ended his athletic career. Life with him would be high living in Dallas.
Riel was about as opposite as Jared as a man could be. Riel had built his muscles back from his months of recovery by working and repairing things on the ranch instead of going to a gym to lift weights like Jared.
Riel had compassion for people and animals because of the sorrow and suffering he'd seen during his military career and living through these things himself.
Unfortunately, Riel also had a disability from his military days that he'd have to live with for the rest of his life. His loss of his foot and his PTSD would affect his future and if he ever married.
Knowing the two men, even though in separate times in her life, she'd prefer to be living the simple life with Riel instead of Jared, maybe because of her upbringing?
"Jenna just put my favorite hamburger casserole on the table. Pull up a chair and join us."
She opened the cupboard door to grab another chipped plate and opened the silverware drawer to pick out a knife, fork, and spoon. Nothing matched, and it hadn't bothered her before, but she thought of it now setting it in front of Jared.
Jenna opened another cupboard door to reach for a plastic drinking glass. "Do you want water, tea or milk to drink, Jared?"
"I'd prefer a beer, please," Jared asked as he took the casserole dish Russ was passing him.
"Sorry, no beer in this house," Russ answered so Jenna didn't have to.
"Okay, I'll take a bottle of water then."
"Will tap water be okay?"
A flash of surprise light Jared's face, as if he couldn't believe they were living so backward out here in the country.
"Sure. Thanks."
Jenna set the filled glass in front of Jared and sat down, ready to eat and get this meal over.
Russ chewed and swallowed before asking, "Is this the first meat out of Chuck?"
She and Riel had transported the jumping steer to the processor after Riel's accident, and Riel had picked up the meat yesterday.
"Yes, the first two pounds of burger. What do you think?"
Russ took another bite, concentrating on the taste while rolling his food around in his mouth. "Wild and rangy. What do you think, Jared?"
Jared had been shoveling the food into his mouth as if he'd never tasted a casserole before. Jenna was sure this simple dish of ground burger, canned mushroom soup, and a bag of processed shredded potatoes wasn't one of the Milner family cook's specialties.
"About what?"
"Chuck. You're eating our steer. Does the meat taste wild to you, like a wounded deer chased before it died?”
"I've never hunted anything in my life. Wait." Jared quickly put his fork down beside his plate. "You're eating an animal you knew?"
"This is a ranch. You drove by my herd and many others on your way out here. Where'd you think beef came from, the grocery store?"
Jared opened and closed his mouth, unwittingly giving his thoughts away.
"Have you ever been on a ranch before?" Russ asked and grunted when Jared shook his head.
"Well then, after lunch you and I are going for a drive in my ATV to educate you," Russ explained as he commenced to eat again.
"I bet you'll have to marinate Chuck's steaks to get the wild taste out, Jenna."
"I agree. I have five hundred pounds of Chuck to use, so I'll have to get creative to cover the taste."
Jenna looked across the table at Riel, who continued eating and silent during the meat conversation. Given the food he'd eaten with the Afghanistan tr
ibes and his freeze-dried army rations, this simple casserole probably tasted great to him.
Jared guided the conversation back to Dallas and football, and Russ asked polite questions to keep him talking through the meal.
"I asked Jenna to come back to Dallas with me for a while. She looks like she could use some pampering in the big city. I assume you can spare her from casserole duty for a week, or two?"
Jenna dropped her fork, embarrassed Jared brought this up in front of Russ, and Riel.
Temper rose with her red-heated face. Casserole duty? Really? That's all he thought of her work here?
Russ caught on to her predicament when she narrowed her eyes at him. He nodded and cleared his throat.
"That's up to Jenna, but she's a vital team player on our ranch and our community. She's on the committee of our church's fall festival which is coming up soon, so she needs to stay here for that."
"Church? You never went to that, Jenna. You wives usually had a brunch before the Sunday game."
"Priorities change, Jared. And my moving back to Sweet Grove has set them straight again," Jenna declared as she stood and cleared the table of their dishes.
She started to reach for the peach pie she'd made for their noon dessert, but opened the freezer door instead. She wasn't going to waste a good pie on Jared.
She opened a box of ice cream bars and tossed one at each of the men. Riel could hardly contain his smile now. He knew when she was miffed.
"Nice seeing you, Jared, but I need to leave now for a church meeting. Enjoy your tour with Russ."
"Jenna, wait up!" Jenna didn't get five feet out the door when Jared caught up with her.
"Why are you mad at me? I'm offering you a way out of this... place. Do you want to live this way?"
Jenna took her time looking at Jared, his expensive casual clothing, and his vehicle. Jared represented her past life. But comparing it to the present, while eating a simple lunch in the ranch house, she preferred her life now.
"Yes, Jared, I do want to live this way. I've found peace here after Tug's death. I don’t want to go back to Dallas, not even for a game."
"You're hung up on the wounded soldier," Jared accused her. "Don't you think life with me would be better than with a man with an injury? I saw him limp."
Jenna squeezed his muscular forearm to make a connection. "Jared, I've always enjoyed your company, but I don't have any feelings for you. You'll always be Tug's friend, but nothing more."
Jared was quiet a moment while staring at Jenna, but she wasn't going to change her mind about this. She belonged in Sweet Grove.
"You sure about this?"
"Positive. Now go back to Dallas and find a woman who’d be happy with you pampering her. I'm going to stick with training dogs, mucking horse stalls, and making casseroles with wild meat."
Jenna didn't mind when Jared gave her a long tight hug this time. She was saying goodbye to her friend, and her past.
Chapter 11
Riel stared out the kitchen window, hating the hug Jenna was sharing with the football star. Why? Because he wanted to hug Jenna.
But it didn't matter if Riel wanted to, he didn't have much to offer Jenna compared to Jared. The man was obviously rich, physically fit, and seemed like a nice guy.
Riel wasn't poor, but his savings from eighteen years in the military wouldn't equal one game's salary for Jared. Plus, his physical and mental health was damaged, making him feel less of a man.
The slap on his back startled Riel to pull away from the window and face his grandfather.
"Don't brood. Jenna won't go back to Dallas with Mr. Football."
"Sounds like she had a good life there," Riel had to admit.
"She did, and I hope she enjoyed it while it lasted. Good memories are always better than bad ones."
They watched as Jenna strode quickly to her pickup, got in, and drove down the drive.
"Does she have a church meeting this afternoon? I thought we were going to move the steers right after lunch," Riel asked as they watched Jared stare at Jenna's trail of dust.
"It's on the calendar for tomorrow, not today. Wait..."
"What?" Riel asked as his grandfather pointed to the wooden wall pegs by the back door. Jenna's purse hung in its usual spot, along with the cloth bag which held her committee meeting notebook.
"She's driving around the section, waiting for Jared to leave." Grandpa's grin was priceless, and Riel breathed easier. Maybe Jenna wasn't interested in Jared after all.
Grandpa opened the front door and called, "Jared, ready for the tour of the ranch?"
"Thanks, Mr. Cooper, but I'll pass. Jenna made it clear she wasn't going back to Dallas, so I don't need to meet the uh...burger's brother."
"Nice to meet you, then. Have a good trip back to Dallas," Grandpa called out before closing the door.
"Get on your phone and tell Jenna that Jared left."
"Was her phone in her pocket? Sometimes she takes it out and lays it on the counter when she makes lunch."
"I saw the sparkly pink phone case in her back pocket when she turned around to race for her pickup."
"Okay, but I'll send a text since she's driving." Riel pulled his phone and sent a text to Jenna that Jared was driving back to Dallas.
"Now what?" Grandpa asked since he'd never sent a text in his life.
"When she can, she'll read it. In the meantime, let's clean up after lunch, then move the steers." Riel didn't think Jenna would appreciate the two of them hanging around waiting for her.
Jenna didn't send a text back to him, but they saw her pickup parked on the far side of the section road when they were out in the ATV moving the steers. She didn't return for supper, so Riel made grilled cheese sandwiches, and they ate the peach pie they didn't get for lunch.
"You sure she's alright? Should you call her instead of sending text messages?"
"Use your cell phone and call her yourself," Riel huffed, tired of his grandpa badgering him about Jenna. Riel understood her need for some time alone.
"I'm going out to work in my shop for a while," he waved at his grandpa as he held the door open for Lucy. She had her bed—and another set of toys—in his shop, so she loved to spend time in there too.
"Knock, knock," Jenna said as she opened his shop door an hour later.
"Hey," Riel noted as he looked up from his work. Of course, Lucy leaped from her bed for Jenna's attention, and Jenna lavishly rubbed her ears and talked "baby talk" to her. Lucky dog.
"Sorry I took off after lunch and left you having to do everything today," she said with a sigh.
"Not a problem. I understand needing time to yourself." Riel glanced at Jenna realizing her swollen red-rimmed eyes were threatening to spill tears, again, and she was biting her bottom lip. Had she cried all afternoon? That was so unlike the strong Jenna he knew.
"I felt...well, an entire range of emotions and back again after Jared surprised me with a visit."
"When's the last time you saw Jared?" Riel thought maybe they had kept in touch over the past year.
"At Tug's funeral."
"Oh."
"'Oh' is right. My mind replayed the service, Tug's problems, going back to sitting at the football games, our marriage, our college days." Jenna rubbed her hands over her eyes, wiping away the tears about to run down her cheeks.
Riel walked around his leather table and opened his arms. Jenna walked into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her wet cheek rested on his chest, and he wondered if she could feel his heartbeat.
After standing there for several long moments, Jenna pulled away and looked up at him.
"As much as it pained me, I'm glad Jared drove out here."
Did it make her decide to move back to Dallas? He enjoyed seeing her every day and the thought of her leaving made his heart squeeze.
"It made me face the past, kind of...say goodbye to it and think of the future."
"Then why are you crying?" Riel slowly rubbed her back to comfort her.<
br />
"Because it still hurts. Tug and I were together for so many years, almost half my life.
"But, I have the rest of my life to do something, and hopefully, with someone else."
And how Riel wished he could be her future, but he couldn't hope, although he'd sure prayed about it.
"I want to be someone's other half again, so today was about reminiscing and saying a final goodbye to my past."
Tears were streaming down Jenna's cheeks again, but she had a look of peace on her face this time.
"Good for you." Riel pulled her in for a quick hug. "I'm glad you're ready to move forward."
"Riel, it's you who I want to move forward with."
Riel dropped his arms and stepped back, thinking it was a cruel joke.
"Don't pull away, Riel. I'm serious," Jenna insisted as she stepped toward him. Riel held up his hands in defense.
"I'm damaged, Jenna. I can't have a future with a woman."
Jenna moved back to sit on an old wooden chair by Lucy's bed and rubbed the pup's ears. Riel couldn't help feeling jealous. Yes, he had feelings for Jenna, deeper than they should be.
"If your dad lost his foot in a car accident, what would your mom do?"
The question shocked Riel.
"Take care of him, help him recover."
"Would she stop loving him? Leave him?"
"Never. My parents have a strong marriage."
"That's the kind of marriage I want someday too. No matter what a partner goes through, the other is always there for them."
"It's part of the wedding vows. For better or worse."
Jenna stroked Lucy's head a few moments, not saying a word. "In some ways I was too young when I first said the wedding vows, not realizing what they meant. Only when Tug started having physical, then mental problems did I understand the commitment I'd made to him in church, in front of God, and our family and friends."
"Did you talk to your pastor or a counselor about it?"
"We'd quit going to church because of the football schedule. But as Tug's...outbursts worsened, Becky took me to see her pastor for support and guidance.
"Other friends said to divorce Tug and get away from him, but I knew he needed help and I'd said my vows to him.
First Street Church: Love's Blessing (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Clear Creek Legacy Book 1) Page 6