“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” she whispered.
“I’m afraid that’s my fault,” Hattie said softly. “I was afraid it would cause problems. Mitch agreed with me.”
Jenny understood their concern. After the accident, she had been a shell of her normal self. No wonder they questioned whether she could handle such news. “When is the funeral?”
“Tomorrow. If you’d like to go, I’ll come pick you up.”
Jenny sat in stupefied silence, nodding her head. So much seemed to have happened in such a short time. Her perfect little world seemed to be falling apart at the seams.
* * *
A cold January wind tore through the solemn crowd of people who had come for Mitch’s mother’s funeral. The funeral had been a somber affair, short but eloquent. His mother had been remitted into the hands of the God she loved.
Amanda stood beside Mitch, her false show of concern grating on his already raw nerves. She had twined her arm through his and although he wanted to firmly push her away, he didn’t want to cause a scene. Her attitude of late had made it clear that she would like to take up where they had left off. He was going to have to make it clear to her that there was no way that was going to happen.
He glanced up and caught the look on Jenny’s face and his heart dropped. Surely she didn’t think there was anything between Amanda and him. Although he had to admit that it was his own fault for bringing Amanda into the equation in the first place. He was going to have to talk to Jenny and get things out in the open once and for all. He was utterly tired of the dance they had been doing lately. Hopefully he would get a chance to talk to her before he had to leave on his afternoon flight.
When the service ended, he accepted the condolences of his friends, using the excuse to remove himself from Amanda’s cloying presence. He turned to search for Jenny, but she had already disappeared. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he wove his way through the crowd and reluctantly headed for home.
Although his mother hadn’t been with him long, the place was going to be lonely without her. He had grown used to coming home and finding her waiting with a meal, listening to his itinerary of the day’s events.
In her final days they had discussed many things. He was going to trust his mother’s judgment that Jenny was in love with him. Perhaps he was being a gullible fool, but he had decided that she was someone worth fighting for.
Before he could make that happen, though, he would have to go to San Francisco to settle his mother’s affairs. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but it was something that needed to be done and he was the only one able to do it.
Amanda followed him to his Jeep and although he wanted to find Jenny before his plane left, he knew he had to make this final break with Amanda. He had long been regretting his decision to invite her to his barbecue. It was time to make it perfectly clear to his former fiancée that he was head over heels in love with another woman.
* * *
A few days after Delores Anderson’s funeral Annie had come to Jenny with a proposition. If Jenny would be willing to help Annie with her upcoming wedding, she would pay her enough to cover the costs of the time it lessened for making her crafts to sell.
At first Jenny was skeptical about being able to pull off such an affair, but with Hattie and Annie helping, she had finally agreed. It also gave her something to do to keep her mind off the fact that she had learned that Mitch had left town with Amanda.
When she had seen them together at the funeral, she had wondered if they were renewing their relationship. Now she had no doubt. Remembering Mitch’s kisses, she felt used all over again, but this time the pain was ten times worse. The question was, how long did it take to mend a broken heart?
Despite her inner turmoil, the days flew by on wings. Jenny was kept so busy, she had little time to think and worry. Only three days remained till the wedding, and if Annie had her way, it was going to be the wedding of the century.
Jenny lifted the cream satin from her lap and gently shook it out. She held it up and critically studied every detail. Perfect. She couldn’t be more pleased if it were her own dress. Annie would be thrilled. Thankfully she had finished it in time as Annie was on her way to pick it up today.
It wasn’t long until she heard a vehicle rumbling up to her cabin. One thing she had always appreciated about their distance from the road was that it was impossible for company to take her unawares. Except, perhaps, if you were busy with coyotes and scorpions. She smiled at the memory, her smile fading as she thought of all that had transpired since that time. Love had been a painful experience for her.
She met Annie at the door, giving her a hug and inviting her in. Jenny lifted the dress carefully from the sofa, where she had it spread out for Annie to view it, and waited nervously for her to say something.
Annie inspected the dress, smiling. “It’s perfect,” she said breathlessly. “Oh, Jenny, it’s absolutely gorgeous!”
Relieved, Jenny returned her smile. “Thank you. I thought so. You’re going to make a beautiful bride.”
Annie blushed, her dimples showing as her smile grew. The smile left her face and her look turned serious. “You’ve been a great friend, Jenny. I want you to know how much I’ve appreciated our friendship.”
“As have I,” Jenny agreed. She didn’t know what she would have done without Hattie and Annie. God had blessed her in so many ways, not least of which was with remarkable friends.
Annie refused an offer to stay and visit. “There’s a winter storm advisory. I need to get back to town before it hits and I still have a ton of things to do tonight.”
Jenny followed her out onto the porch. She could see the dark, heavy clouds moving in from the northeast. The days had warmed to record temperatures, but the temperatures had been dropping steadily for the past hour. That would mean freezing temperatures and, if not snow, then definitely icy rain in the next few hours.
She watched Annie disappear down the road and decided to follow. Grabbing her purse from the coffee table and extracting her keys, she decided to pick up the twins early at Mitch’s instead of waiting for him to bring them home.
It had been two weeks since Mitch had left town with Amanda and she had only heard about his return yesterday when the twins told her Mitch would be stopping by to pick them up in the morning. After sewing long hours into the night, she had been asleep when David and Renee had quietly slipped out of the house. Her stomach churned at the thought of facing him again, but she stiffened her spine, castigating herself for her timidity.
Reluctantly she started the engine. The desire to see Mitch warred with an equal desire to flee from him any time he was near. Every time she thought about her response to his kisses, she cringed inside. She had made it only too clear that all he had to do was snap his fingers and she was his for the taking. And to what purpose? He wanted her ranch. That was the only thing that made any sense, especially now that Amanda was back in his life. Yet when she had asked Annie to offer it to him after her stay in the hospital, he had refused point-blank, leaving her more confused than ever.
Pulling up in front of the ranch house, Jenny stopped the car and turned off the engine. She had learned from experience not to let it keep running, because there was no telling where the twins might be.
She waited several moments and had just decided to go searching when Mitch came out of the stables, David and Renee following behind. Fudge trotted close on Renee’s heels. Mitch was leading a small colt that Jenny recognized as the one that had been born this past summer.
Seeing her car, all three stopped in their tracks. The colt tried to use the opportunity to show her independence, but Mitch stroked her soothingly, bringing her into submission. It was a poignant reminder of that first night when he had soothed her fears, as well.
Their eyes met across the distance and Jenny’s heart turned
over at the emotion she saw registered on his face. How could he look at her that way if he had feelings for Amanda? Or was it just wishful thinking on her part that made it seem as though something was there that really wasn’t?
The moment disintegrated when the twins raced to the car, both talking at once.
“Hold on!” Jenny pleaded. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”
Renee reached down to lift Fudge into her arms.
“I’ll tell her,” David said. Turning back to Jenny, his eyes alight, he said, “Mitch said I could spend the night if it’s okay with you.”
Jenny felt her heart sink. Rarely did she try to intervene in the relationship between Mitch and her brother, but David had to start getting used to being without the big man, especially if he married Amanda. She had made it quite clear that she wasn’t particularly fond of children.
“Not tonight, David.”
The light left his eyes and a mutinous expression tightened his features.
“Why not?”
Before she could answer, Mitch joined the group. He nodded his head at her. “Jenny.”
Looking at David he asked him, “What’s the matter?”
“Jenny says no.” His voice was laced with venom and Jenny inwardly quailed at the coming confrontation.
Mitch studied Jenny momentarily before putting his hand on David’s shoulder. Never taking his eyes from Jenny’s face, he told David, “Well, if Jenny says no, then no it is.”
David’s mouth dropped open, but he was no more surprised than Jenny. She could see the words cramming for release from her brother. It was obvious he felt the subject far from closed.
“I’m sure she has her reasons,” Mitch told him. He was looking at her again in that way that made her glad she was sitting. It was definitely time to leave.
“As a matter of fact, I do. I have a date tonight, and I don’t want Renee to be alone.”
Three pairs of surprised eyes fastened on her face. Mitch’s lips pressed into a grim line. “Jenny, we need to talk.”
Not if her life depended on it. “I’m sorry, Mitch. Maybe another time. I don’t want to be late.”
The silence went on until Jenny squirmed uncomfortably. Mitch’s look told her the conversation was far from ended. Turning to David, Mitch put an arm around his shoulders. “Maybe another time, partner.”
David nodded, crawling into the backseat. When Jenny turned to him, he looked away, his very posture announcing his displeasure. She sighed before glancing once again at Mitch.
“Thanks for having them.”
He gave a curt nod, moving away from the car. “I guess I’ll see you at Annie’s wedding.”
She reached forward and started the engine, in a hurry now just to get away.
Renee climbed into the front seat, cuddling Fudge close. She flicked a glance at David, Jenny and Mitch but remained silent.
The return trip to the cabin was a cold, silent one. David slammed into the house and Jenny blew out a frustrated breath. Renee gave her a sympathetic look, following her brother inside.
David was still not speaking to her when Jenny left the house. By now, she was irritated at the whole mess. Now was not the time to tell the twins that her date was with Annie to finish working on the centerpieces for the reception tables. She felt guilty at misleading Mitch, but she hadn’t truly lied.
* * *
Annie walked down the aisle on the arm of her father, a rather formidable-looking gentleman. She was absolutely stunning. Her Gibson-style wedding dress was set off to perfection by a quaint Gibson hairstyle. Little blond ringlets curled becomingly around her cheeks. She looked at least ten years younger than her thirty-five years.
It had always amazed Jenny that someone as lovely as Annie would wait so long to marry. Seeing the love shine from her eyes, and the answering love from Jeremy’s, Jenny could at last understand why. Annie had waited for God to send the right man.
The lovely ceremony brought tears to Jenny’s eyes, which were drawn like a magnet toward Mitch. Her heart started thumping madly when she realized he was watching her. Amanda was nowhere to be seen. What exactly did that mean?
Jenny’s attention shifted when she and Renee were grouped together with all the other eligible young ladies present. Giggling among themselves, Jenny couldn’t help but respond to their lively chatter, her spirits lifting considerably.
“Okay, everyone. Get ready,” Annie ordered as she turned her back. Glancing briefly over her left shoulder, she flung her bouquet unerringly in Jenny’s direction.
Instinctively, Jenny reached out and caught the bouquet. Her face flushed with mortification as the crowd around her cheered.
“You caught it, Jenny!” Renee told her excitedly. “That means you’ll be next.”
Jenny lifted embarrassed eyes, only to encounter Mitch’s intense green ones. Expecting to see mockery, she was surprised at the tenderness she saw there. Everything receded into the background as they continued to stare at each other. The laughing girls surging around her to congratulate her ended their silent exchange.
* * *
The winter storm that had been predicted days earlier had finally turned into a reality. Sleet had already begun to fall as they exited the church building after the reception. High winds seemed to push the cold right through to her very bones. Jenny shivered, wrapping her coat tightly around her.
Still feeling guilty over not allowing David to spend the night with Mitch, Jenny had relented and allowed him instead to spend tonight with Mark. When he walked away, it was clear that he was still not happy with her. She turned to her sister.
“The weatherman says a cold front is moving through. It’s supposed to rain all night,” she told her. “We’d better hurry and get home. The roads are going to be a mess.”
From what the meteorologist had said, this was going to be no ordinary storm system. The weather had warmed to record temperatures and now an icy cold front was moving in from behind, bringing high winds and freezing rain.
It was as good an excuse as any to flee before Mitch could track her down and have that talk he had suggested. She didn’t know what he wanted to say, but her heart was too sore right now to stay around to find out. She needed time to strengthen her defenses before she would have the courage to face him again.
The rain was coming down in buckets by the time they reached the house. Renee rushed inside while Jenny took a moment to move her potted plants closer up the porch against the walls of the cabin. Already the low-lying area behind the house looked like a small lake.
Jenny had to push hard against the howling wind to get the door to close. She was shaking the water from her coat when Renee suddenly leaped from the couch.
“Where’s Fudge?”
Jenny looked at her. “Isn’t he here?”
“I wasn’t paying attention. He didn’t meet me at the door like he usually does.”
“He’s gotta be here somewhere,” Jenny told her soothingly. “You know how he hates storms. He’s probably under the bed. Go check.”
Renee hurried into their bedroom while Jenny searched David’s. No luck. They looked everywhere they could think of in the cabin, but no Fudge.
“Did you remember to lock the doggy door before we left?”
The addition of the small door was something Jenny had long regretted. All kinds of creatures had made their way into the house before she had eventually realized where they were getting in and had made it a locking door.
“I thought you did.”
Jenny gave her a frustrated look. “You know that’s your job.”
Jenny went to the door and when she twisted the knob, the wind flung it inward, banging it against the wall with such force the panes of glass in the door shattered.
Renee screamed, covering her mout
h with her hands.
Pushing against the wind, Jenny went outside, holding on to the rail of the porch, trying to see through the driving rain and darkness.
“Fudge! Here, boy!” The wind seemed to throw the words back in her face. Renee stood framed in the doorway, her anxious eyes trying to peer through the darkness.
“Do you see him?”
“No! Go back inside!”
Jenny called several more times. Where could he be? Already the ground was covered by several inches of water. In the washes and gullies the water would be flowing like a river.
Jenny went back inside, dripping wet. Closing the door, she had to lean against it to get it to shut. The wind whistled eerily through the broken panes of glass in the door, but at least the porch minimized the amount of rain blowing inside. She pushed the wet hair from her eyes, and looked at Renee.
“We’ll have to wait for the storm to end, and then we can try to find him.”
“But he’s out in this! He hates storms. You know he does!” Her voice was increasing in tempo and Jenny could tell she was close to tears.
“Renee, there’s nothing we can do right now. It’s not safe to be out in this. We’ll just have to wait.”
Renee turned fearful eyes toward her sister. Her lips were trembling and tears began falling unheeded down her cheeks.
Teeth chattering, Jenny headed for her bedroom to change. “I need to get out of these wet clothes. See if you can find something to block the wind from coming in those broken panes.”
Walking past her sister, Jenny reached out a hand as she went by. Squeezing her shoulder reassuringly, she told her, “He’ll be okay.”
Jenny wasn’t sure who she was trying to comfort more, Renee or herself. Fudge was so small he could easily be swept away by a strong current of water, not to mention the fact that he could very well freeze to death. Where could he have gone, and how long ago did he leave? More than likely, he had been trying to find Renee.
The Rancher Next Door Page 16