by Sable Hunter
Up in the stands, Logan’s attention was fully focused on Jenna. This was the first time he’d seen her since he’d walked away from her lying in his bed. Rushing from the bar, he’d hoped to get to her before she went on, but no such luck. So here he was, sitting in the stands with the rest of the audience watching the woman he adored, the one he dreamed about each night, doing daredevil tricks that made his blood run cold.
Logan had eyes for no other. She might as well have been riding alone. When the rest stood in formation for her routine, the crowd went still. Even in his agitated state, he couldn’t deny that she was a ballerina on horseback. Elegant and sure. Poetry in motion. From one daring position to another, Jenna hung off her horse, just inches from pounding sharp hooves. Flowing from one move to the next, she redefined the roles of athlete and performer, merging the two in a way that made what she did look effortless. Logan looked around at the faces of the crowd as she rode by. Little girls wanted to be her, women envied her and men…they just wanted her.
Logan understood the feeling. He’d been a fool to let her go. She belonged to him and he wanted the privilege of protecting her, loving her – not as some pseudo uncle figure, but as the man who adored her more than life itself. And so he watched…and planned what he’d say to her the first chance he got.
As the Cowgirl Angels time in the spotlight wound down, he started making his way down from his high spot in the bleachers so he could intercept her when she rode through the gate. Fate intervened when a clown climbed the stands to make balloon animals and every kid stood up to bar the way between him and the steps leading the ground. “Excuse me, excuse me.” Several times, he tried to aim in a different direction, but excited youngsters in full cowboy gear stood between him and the exit.
When his boots finally touched dirt, the announcer’s voice cut through the noise.
“Now for what you’ve been waiting for…bull riding!”
Logan’s head jerked up to listen.
“Take your seats because this is something you don’t want to miss. Oklahoma has been blessed this season with a sight to behold. Put your hands together! The first contestant, riding unridden Bushwhacker is Jenna Travis!”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Logan took off toward the chutes in a run. There was no way he'd get there in time to stop her, but he'd be there just the same.
Jenna sat on top of Bushwhacker. “Remember me, boy? You just give me a good show and I’ll make sure the guys give you an extra bucket of grain.” She knew the animal was agitated and had no memory of her. Jenna was just talking to calm her own nerves more than anything.
Gripping the flat braided rope in her gloved hand, she held the eye of the cowboy manning the chute. Coming directly from the Cowgirl Angels routine, she still wore the pink shirt and the sequined fringed white vest. Next to the men who were competing, Jenna knew she looked out of place, like a butterfly flitting among a flock of hawks. With a nod, she gave the signal and the gate to the bucking chute swung open. Bushwhacker, seeing an out and freedom, exploded forward. Jenna felt her body jerk and pop like it was on the end of a whip. The bull bucked and reared up, pure raw power coming down viciously on its front legs. She fought to stay on, holding her left hand in the air and gripping the bull with her thighs. Trying to focus was hard, all she could think was – ‘if Logan sees this, he’s going to kill me’.
Logan bounded up on the fence, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do but watch as the bull kicked, spun in tight quick circles, and twisted in an attempt to throw his Jenna off. Hell, she wasn’t even wearing a helmet. Time ceased to have meaning, he didn’t know if she’d been on the back of the bull for three seconds or thirty. If she wasn’t the most precious thing in the world to him, Logan might have been able to be objective and admit she was doing fairly well, matching her movements to the rampaging animal – but he wasn’t. All he could do was hold his breath until the moment Bushwhacker completely left the ground, kicking all four feet to the side in a twisting, rolling motion.
Staring in shock, he was frozen.
In slow motion, he watched as Jenna was thrown – her body flying through the air and impacting the dirt hard.
Logan lost his mind.
Shaking like a leaf, he shouted, vaulting over the fence, seeing the bullfighter place himself in between Bushwhacker and Jenna. The animal wasn’t a killer, but instinct kicked in after a ride turning the usually docile animal into a raging storm. Pure terror enveloped Logan and he seemed to be moving through syrup. The damage that could've been done to her delicate, fragile body had his guts cramping. By the time he got to her still, crumpled form, there was a medical team bent over her. “How is she?” Logan yelled, falling to his knees.
“Excuse me, sir, you’ll need to back up,” one told him.
He ignored the order, leaning down near her face. “Jenna? Wake up, baby.” Holding out his hand to touch her, Logan was stopped.
“Please, sir, we have to get her to the emergency room.”
“I’m going with her!” he demanded, his heart beating out of his chest.
Using a back board, they lifted her onto the stretcher and carried her out of the arena toward the ambulance with Logan looking on. “Are you her husband or relative, Sir?”
“No, I’m not, technically but…”
“Family only are allowed to ride. You can follow us to the emergency room.”
The crowd was thick, lights were flashing. The announcer was explaining to the crowd what was going on and Logan felt like he was in the middle of a bad dream. He had to fight his way through the throng to get to the rear exit. From there, he ran through the maze of a parking lot to where his truck and trailer were park. “Dammit!” He fumed as he had to stop and unhook the trailer. Once inside, Logan realized he had no idea where the hospital was located in this podunk town. Rolling down the window, he began shouting. “Hey, I need help! Which way is the emergency room?” At this moment, he couldn’t have figured out how to use his GPS to save his life. He was just too torn up.
An older man who’d been helping to park cars came over to Logan and gave him directions. With a quick wave of his hand, he was off, racing toward the highway. Worried to death, he was paying no attention to speed limits or cop cars. Unfortunately, the law was out in full force. The siren was wailing behind him for a half mile before Logan realized some zealous black and white was trying to pull him over. Not really having a choice, he complied.
The cop came forward, shining a flashlight in Logan’s window. “In a rush, sir? Can I see your driver’s license and registration?”
Almost blinded, he held up his hand. “I’m on the way to the hospital. My…girlfriend just got thrown off the back of a bull.”
“Have you been drinking, Sir?”
“No, you don’t understand. I’ve got to go.”
“Step out of the truck, sir…
By the time Logan was on the road again, it was a half hour later and he was several hundred dollars poorer. He didn’t know if the policeman gave him a ticket for speeding or mouthing off. Whatever happened to movie-type escorts to the hospital with sirens blaring?
When he pulled into the emergency room parking lot, a good forty minutes had passed since he’d seen Jenna thrown from the bull. Slamming the door, he broke into a run, barreling into the medical facility and rushing to the ‘help’ desk. “I’m here to see Jenna Travis. She’s a member of my family.” He’d worked on his approach. The statement was by no means a lie, Jenna had spent years in his family’s home. How he felt about her was nobody’s business – as soon as he formulated that thought in his mind, a thousand doubts assailed him. Logan pushed them aside as a nurse came to his aid, beckoning him to follow her.
With his heart in his throat, he made his way down the hall and into a room where he found Jenna lying in a bed, hooked up to an IV. The sight almost brought him to his knees. He never should’ve let her out of his sight. Ignoring every reservation he’d ever felt, Logan went to her. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry
.” Unable to stop himself, he began feathering kisses all over her face. “This is all my fault. I should have kept you safe.” Covering her hand with his own, he linked their fingers. “Please, please, come back to me.”
She didn’t move or open her eyes. Logan yanked a chair close to the bed and sat down, holding on to her hand and staring into her beloved little face. “Wake up, angel. I’m so sorry. Things will be different, you’ll see.”
Someone clearing their throat at the door caused Logan to glance over. A somber man stood there with a tablet in his hand. “I’m Dr. Cole. Are you the father?”
“What?” The question made him angry. “No, I’m not her father. She’s my…”
Shaking his head, the doctor stepped closer. “No, are you the father of her baby?”
CHAPTER SIX
Baby?
Logan felt the earth shift under his feet. “Jenna’s pregnant?” My God! Looking down at her face, the reality of the doctor’s words hit him like a freight train. She was pregnant…with his baby. “Yea, I’m the father.” He had no doubts on that score. In the next breath, he exclaimed. “The fall, she took a bad fall!” God, she’d been riding bulls, she’d taken several bad falls. “Is the baby okay? Is she okay?” he asked with alarm.
Dr. Cole motioned for Logan to follow him out into the hall where they could talk. “She has a mild concussion, although I see no reason why she shouldn’t wake up soon. Her vitals are good. There were no broken bones. Yes, I know she was participating in the rodeo. The medics informed us of the circumstances. Without the proper equipment, we can't be sure there was no harm to the baby. We don't have ultrasound equipment here. I can tell you there is no bleeding or spotting.”
“If you don't have ultrasound equipment, how do you know she's pregnant?” Logan pulled off his hat and tapped it against his leg. He was nervous.
Pushing his glasses up on his nose, Dr. Cole looked up at Logan with a face full of patience. “When she was brought in, we needed to do an x-ray. Before we can, our policy is to perform a one-step pregnancy urine test on any female of childbearing age as part of our standard admission. It’s a good thing we did. Ms. Travis is with child.”
Logan passed a trembling hand over his face. He couldn’t believe she was lying here vulnerable in this hospital. What if he hadn’t been here? She’d be all alone. Unacceptable. “Has she opened her eyes at all?”
“No, not yet. We’ll just have to wait.”
“So, she doesn’t know she’s pregnant?” Logan muttered. Of course she didn’t, Jenna wouldn’t take a risk like that with a baby. He knew her too well to even consider it.
“Not from us, although she’ll have to be told when she wakes up. She can’t continue her lifestyle.”
“I’m going to stay with her.” Logan announced in a tone that brooked no argument. “And I’ll be talking to her about changing that lifestyle.”
Dr. Cole nodded, apparently unimpressed with Logan Gray’s determination. “Very good. The nurse will be in to check on her soon.” With that, he turned and meandered down the hall to the next patient’s room.
Logan felt like he’d been knocked for a loop. There was no way he was leaving. Pulling out his cell, he called his father. “Dad, I need you to get one of the men and head up to the rodeo grounds in Ada. I’m tied up, you’ll have to pick up the stock. I found Jenna and she’s in the hospital.”
His words started a flood of questions. He answered them as quickly as he could, knowing he needed to get back to Jenna. “Remember to transport Stormy home, also. We'll see about sending someone to pick up her truck later. I'm not even sure where it is. Thanks, tell Mom I’ll call both of you as soon as I know anything.”
“Hold on, Logan, your mother wants to say something.” Earl’s voice was taut with emotion.
“Dad…” There was no use protesting, she had the phone and he wasn’t about to hang up on his mother.
“How is she?”
Just the sound of her voice broke something inside Logan. “She’ll be okay, she took a spill.” His voice grew hoarse. “They say she’s pregnant, Mom. She’s pregnant with my baby.”
“Oh, my Lord in heaven. Get that child home.” Louisa was near tears.
“I am. I intend to bring her home and I intend to marry her.”
“Of course you do.” She said as if there was no question, and there wasn’t. His parent’s reactions were mixed – relief and worry, happiness and concern. Logan knew the feeling. After he hung up, Logan stood in the hall, trying to get his bearings. The small clinic was clean but small. He was tempted to have her transferred. Returning to Jenna’s room, he slipped in the door. On his way to her side, she stirred and Logan stilled. “Jenna, baby?”
Jenna knew she was dreaming. She could hear Logan’s voice. She dreamed of him often. Through a haze of pain, she fought her way to the surface. Why did her head hurt so badly? Desperately she tried to open her eyes, but once she did, she scrunched them closed quickly. The light felt like daggers in her brain. “I want to go home,” she murmured.
“I’m here to take you home.”
Jenna’s eyelids immediately sprang open. “Ow,” she moaned, but her focus was on the big man in front of her.
Logan.
“Dang, now I’m hallucinating.” Because Logan wasn’t here. Why would he be here?
She rubbed her eyes and tried to sit up. A large warm hand was placed on her shoulder.
“Don’t, Jenna. You need to rest.”
Logan sat down beside her and she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. “You’re really here. Why?”
She didn’t ask how. She asked why. Logan felt regret rise in his belly. What if he’d killed what she felt for him? “Yes, I was the stock contractor for the rodeo.”
Jenna lay back on the pillow, feeling sick to her stomach. “I know, I came upon you unloading the broncs before the rodeo started. I was surprised to see you here. You don’t usually go out of state. You aren't in the habit of watching the events. I was hoping you wouldn’t discover I was here.”
Shaking his head, Logan picked up her hand, holding it to his chest. Leaning close, he whispered, “You knew you'd be in big trouble, didn't you? I should paddle your sweet ass for taking such a huge risk. But I think your landing on it so hard is punishment enough.” Especially when she found out about their child.
He was too close. Jenna could feel his warmth, the sheer magnetic pull of her being toward his. She pulled back, turning her head away from him. “Logan, please leave. I don’t want you here.”
“Tough. This is where I belong.” He placed a hand over hers and stroked the soft skin gently. Logan watched her small face, a face that used to light up when he came around. Now she stared at him with wariness, as if she expected him to hurt her in some way. So even before he asked the question, he was afraid he knew the answer. “Aside from the fact that you knew I wouldn’t approve of what you were doing, why didn’t you come up and say hello when you saw me?”
Jenna closed her eyes. She wanted to be happy he was here, but he’d hurt her so badly before. How could she trust him? “Why would I think you’d want to see me, Logan? The last two times we were together, you did your best to push me away as quickly as you could.”
Logan’s heart hurt at the ring of truth to her words. “You wouldn’t and that’s my fault.” Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed it. When he did, she tried to pull it back. Logan wouldn’t let her, he held on. “I was wrong, Jenna, so wrong. I’ve missed you more than words can say.”
“What do you mean?” Jenna was afraid to hope. She didn’t want to make herself vulnerable, only to be rejected again.
The loneliness and despair that Logan had been living with just burst forth like a damn. “I mean this…” Cupping one side of her face, he looked into her beautiful eyes as he slowly lowered his head to hers. With exquisite gentleness, he joined their lips and he kissed her – slowly, thoroughly – worshiping her mouth with his. “I can’t live without you. Come home with m
e.”
Jenna stared at him in wonder, trying to make sure she heard him correctly. “Are you sure? Do you mean it? You've changed your mind? You want me?” The questions just came tumbling out. Her hand trembled as she stroked the side of his face.
Remorse gripped Logan when he heard the uncertainty in her voice. “Oh, baby, I've always wanted you.” Gathering her in his arms, he held her close. “I was a fool to let you go.” With his breath whispering against the side of her face, Logan poured out his heart. “Will you marry, Jenna? Will you be my wife?”
The idea was so wondrous, she couldn’t believe she was hearing him right. “You want to marry me?”
Looking into her beautiful eyes, he whispered. “More than anything, Jenna. You’re the most important thing in the world to me. I've missed you so much. I found out quickly that life without you is meaningless.”
Throwing her arms round his neck, Jenna began to cry. “Yes, yes, oh yes, please. I’ve loved you so hard, so much, so long. You’re my world. I don’t want anyone but you, I never will.”
A fount of joy rose up in his soul. He’d fantasized proposing to her – for years. If he’d ever considered that she would be happy with him, that he could give her what she needed – he would have been on his knees the moment she turned eighteen. “We’ll marry immediately. As soon as we get home.”
“When can we leave?” Jenna was suddenly feeling better, much better. “I’m ready to start…living!”
The excitement and pure love on her face melted Logan into a puddle of happiness. Her belief that being with him meant truly living humbled him more than anything ever had before. “As soon as the doctor proclaims you fit to travel,” he promised.
A tap on the door alerted them that the nurse arrived. “You’re awake!” She gave Logan a chiding glance. “No one buzzed me. Has the doctor been in?”
“He left a little while ago. She hasn’t been awake long.” Logan explained, keeping her hand in his.
“Could I have a few minutes of our patient’s time?” the nurse asked with a smile.