Hank stabbed the pitchfork upright into a bale of hay, the handle swaying back and forth behind him as he walked toward the end of the stable. Bacon greeted him with a whinny. The foal nudged his hands, looking for a bottle. “Sorry, pal. It’s not dinnertime yet,” Hank said. Instead, he grabbed the large brush off the hook nearby and began to brush down the foal’s soft hair. Bacon wriggled beneath the brush, tilting his head so it pressed deeper into his mane.
“Do you miss her?” Hank brushed the foal’s mane, dislodging a few strands of hay. “I know she misses you.” He worked his way down Bacon’s back, making the small horse whinny. “I hear you, pal. She didn’t say goodbye to you, either?”
He reached up and rubbed Bacon’s nose. “At least you know she actually misses you. Me? I’m not so sure.” Being in the horse’s stall helped Hank feel close to Jenny. As much as he tried to picture her in Petaluma, his imagination kept moving her to the Rosecrown field. She belonged here, with Jo Jo, Louis, Bacon, and him.
Hank patted Bacon’s nose a final time, and then backed out of the stall. “I’ll be back later to feed you.” The most logical thing would have been to hand the feeding of Bacon over to David, but there was no way he was letting him anywhere near Jenny’s horse. Hank hoped that Jenny would come back and appreciate how good a job he had done watching over the one thing from the ranch he knew she cared about.
With a deep breath to steady his nerves, Hank walked toward the house and the uncomfortable lunch that was waiting for him. He desperately wanted time to process his feelings about Jenny, but the guest on the farm was making that difficult to do. At least David would only be here for a couple of months until harvesting season was over. Hank couldn’t wait to bid him goodbye.
Jo Jo’s face was all smiles when Hank came into the dining room. “You just missed it,” she said. “Jenny called.” Hank’s stomach flipped over, but he put a smile on his face. Jo Jo pointed to a seat at the table, with an empty plate waiting to be filled. “She is doing so well. I learned all about her job.” Jo Jo used tongs to pick up a baked chicken breast and plop it on Hank’s plate, along with some mashed potatoes. Hank reached for a fork, trying to keep his face neutral.
“What did she tell you? Did she fix things with her big client?” Chili pepper and cayenne warmed Hank’s mouth, tamed by the fluffy mashed potatoes piled high on his plate.
Jo Jo shook her head back and forth. “No. That friend of hers really messed things up. She said it’s going to take ages to clear up his mistake.”
Hank’s heart fell. He realized that he had been waiting for good news. He wanted Jo Jo to say that everything had been fixed and that Jenny would be coming back to the ranch to stay. He shoveled another bite of food into his mouth, grateful for the distraction so his voice wouldn’t betray his emotions. “Do you think she’ll be able to get things worked out?”
Jo Jo shook her head again. “I don’t know. I’ve got my fingers crossed for her.”
Trying to hold a light conversation with Jo Jo was torture. Invisible ropes bound Hank’s feet to the legs of the chair, tying him to the table, where manners were required. There was no good news at the end of this talk. There was just the finality of Jenny leaving Hank’s life. He looked up at Jo Jo, trying to smile. “I was really hoping she’d come back to us,” he said.
Jo Jo patted Hank’s shoulder on the way out of the room. “Me, too.”
A banging of pots and pans followed Jo Jo’s departure to the kitchen. While she did the dishes, Hank forced himself to finish his food. The flaky biscuits and spicy chicken weighed his stomach down. Finally, he stood and walked his plate to the counter where Jo Jo worked. She reached for the plate, her eyes studying his.
“You miss her, don’t you?” Jo Jo said, turning to the faucet, where she rinsed Hank’s plate.
“Yeah. I miss her more than I thought I would.”
“Hank, I have to believe she’ll come back. She belongs here.” Jo Jo put the plate in the dishwasher and then grabbed a sponge to tackle the remaining pans on the counter.
“How can you say that?”
“When I first saw this land, I knew in my heart that I would rather live anywhere else than on a ranch. I was a city girl through and through. But before too long, the country had gotten into my blood. You wait and see. Jenny’s heart will pull her back here eventually.”
Hank gave Jo Jo a hug. He ached for her words to be true, but he worried that his heart would be hurt again. “I hope you’re right. The place doesn’t feel the same without her here.”
Taking strength from Jo Jo’s words, Hank headed out to the fields. He had fields to mow and animals to tend to. He couldn’t see the path that would lead Jenny back to the ranch, but if she ever did come home, he’d be ready. He didn’t want her to find a reason to leave ever again.
Chapter 22
Early morning on the ranch was Hank’s favorite part of the day, getting to work before it got too hot. The first rays of sun warmed his face, waking him up better than any alarm clock. As the mountains turned golden in the light, their tall peaks soft, Hank would roll out of bed and head to the main farmhouse to start breakfast. He appreciated the quiet before David inevitably showed up, wanting to talk about the daily tasks.
Jo Jo’s health was holding steady, but Hank didn’t want to overwork her. He cracked open eggs, whipping them into a froth before pouring the deep-yellow liquid into a sizzling pan. It didn’t take long to throw together a simple breakfast of hash browns, scrambled eggs, and leftover muffins. Jo Jo came into the kitchen, tying her apron on. “Where do you need me?” she asked.
“I’ve got things covered here,” Hank said, pointing to the skillet. “Do you want to squeeze some juice?” He handed Jo Jo a pitcher off the top shelf, and then turned back to the eggs. He was reaching for the spatula when the pitcher shattered on the ground, glass scattering across the floor to Hank’s boots. A loud thump followed.
Hank spun around to see Jo Jo laying on the ground, her head surrounded by shards of glass. She moaned; her eyes open wide as they darted to Hank’s face. He grabbed a towel off the counter and pushed glass out of the way before kneeling down beside Jo Jo, applying pressure to a deep gash on the side of her head. “I’ve got you,” he said.
He pulled out his phone and dialed 911. Experience told him it would be at least 10 minutes before the paramedics arrived. He needed to slow the bleeding until the reinforcements came.
The mahogany desk in the middle of Anita’s office was pretentious like she was. Loud, in your face, and very hard to miss. Jenny sat on one side of the desk, watching as Anita folded into a chair on the other side. A few dress adjustments later, Anita looked down and began to furiously click her fingers across the keyboard. “Thanks for meeting with me. I’ve heard good things about you,” she said. She glanced away from her typing, and Jenny belatedly realized she was supposed to answer.
“Um, thanks?”
“Don’t mention it. I pulled up your work reports. You seem to have a pretty good track record with your clients. Except for the Jackson account. You’ve been back for three weeks and I haven’t seen much of a change with it.” Anita’s eyes bored into Jenny’s soul, making her feel like a spider under a magnifying glass.
“There was a hitch with that account,” Jenny said, pressing her hands to her sides, unwilling to let Anita see her fidget.
“So I see. And why didn’t you take care of it?”
Jenny almost laughed, the absurdity of the questioning sinking in. What was she supposed to say? That her boss had helped break her heart? That Jenny left to get away from Justin, and inadvertently, Anita?
“I was helping my family,” she answered.
“That’s right. Your . . . vacation. You thought it was a good time to leave?”
“It was personal.” Jenny leaned forward in her chair, trying to match Anita’s energy with an equal amount of strength. There was no way to answer the question that would end well for Jenny. Either she’d spill the beans abou
t dating Justin, or she’d talk about her grandma, which would bring up the ranch and Hank, and then she’d be tempted to cry. Tears were not on the agenda for this interview.
Anita’s lips scrunched together in a tight line. “I admit, when I started working here, the rumors about your work ethic were legendary. But the Jenny I’ve seen over the past few weeks seems rather, well . . . less than impressive.”
Jenny crossed her legs and clasped her hands together in her lap. “My personal work ethic has remained the same over the years.”
“Hmm.” Anita sniffed once, and reached into the desk drawer to pull out a tissue. She patted her nose, and then tossed the tissue into the trash can beside her chair. “You have a client that would beg to differ.”
Heat rose in Jenny’s cheeks, but she stared at Anita’s face, watching her boss until Anita looked away. “I have always done the best possible work for my clients. The problem with the Jackson account was caused by another employee.” She clamped her lips together, wanting to take back the words as soon as they left her mouth, but Anita’s face lit up. She pushed her chair back and stood up from her desk.
“So, you blame your poor work ethic on other people.” A boulder rolled into Jenny’s stomach, where it pushed against her lunch, making her feel ill.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“But that’s what you said.” Anita walked to the door and held it open, tapping her foot impatiently. “I seem to have been fed some misleading information about you. Consider this a warning.”
Jenny walked back to her desk and opened the Jackson file. She pulled up property listings, scanning them for anything new, but the listings were the same. When her cell phone rang, Jenny reached into her pocket and flipped it to vibrate. The last thing she needed was Anita catching her taking personal calls. She continued to plug in various search terms, hoping for a miraculous property to appear.
The phone began buzzing in her pocket again. Ignoring it, she pulled out a notepad and turned to a fresh sheet. She began to make a list of people she could reach out to.
The third time the phone buzzed, Jenny shook her head. She was at work. Since all her friends knew she was working, she figured it was a telemarketer. The feeling of Anita watching her every move trickled down her back. There was no need to give Anita any further reason to watch her.
The fourth time the phone began to buzz, Jenny pulled it out. The phone showed four missed calls from Hank. She stared at her phone like it was a bomb that was about to explode in her hands. Frozen, she stared at the screen as the phone began to ring. Again.
“Hello,” Jenny said. Her voice came out as barely more than a whisper.
“Jenny? Are you there?” The sound of Hank’s voice poured through Jenny’s body, a warm caress that she had missed fiercely.
“I’m here.” Jenny clutched the phone to her ear, trying to calm her breathing to a steady flow. It was Hank. He had called first, even though he had said things were over. Her heart began to swell, until she registered the words Hank was saying.
“We’re driving to the hospital right now. I’m not sure how bad it is.”
The balloon in her heart popped, sinking like a lead weight. “What happened?”
“She fell. She was in the kitchen, and she collapsed. It was . . . I . . .” Hank released the breath he was holding. “It was pretty tense for a while.”
“Please take care of her until I get there, Hank. I’m booking a plane ticket,” Jenny said.
“We’re pulling into the hospital now. I’ll call you when I know something more.” The phone beeped, and Hank was gone.
It took just a few minutes to secure her reservation, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she typed in her information.
Jenny grabbed her purse off the edge of her desk and ran out of the building, fumbling for her keys. The airport was fifteen minutes away, but between parking and the security line, it was going to be another close flight.
A muffled voice was paging Jenny over the airport speakers by the time she got through security. She ran to her gate, and made it as the attendant was reaching for the handle of the door.
“You’re cutting it pretty close, ma’am.” The attendant held the door open, shooing Jenny through after a quick scan of her boarding pass. “Have a good flight.”
The door swung shut behind Jenny as she walked down the concourse. She found row M and squeezed past a mother with a lap child and a harried looking father to the window seat. Once she pushed her purse under the seat, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting the tears fall.
Chapter 23
Although the airplane ride took hours, the ride to the hospital stretched on for years. Jenny clutched the handle of the car door, willing the Uber driver to speed faster. Checking her phone again and again didn’t make Hank call with an update any sooner. Finally, when her patience was stretched to a breaking point, the Uber driver pulled into a large circular driveway. The tall grey walls of the hospital loomed in front of her.
Jenny ran to the entrance, shifting back and forth while she waited for the automatic doors to slowly unfold. Then she darted through the smallest opening possible and ran to the information desk, startling the woman seated behind it.
“I need to see my grandma,” Jenny said. She watched the woman, waiting for her to start typing or calling someone on the phone. The lady smiled at her.
“I’d be happy to help you, dear. What room is your grandmother in?”
“They were pulling into the hospital when I last spoke with them. She wasn’t checked in yet.”
“I understand. Let me see what I can do.” Time slowed as Jenny gave the woman her grandma’s name, and then waited for her to painstakingly type in each letter. Finally, she turned to Jenny with a smile.
“Your grandmother is in room 117.” Jenny took off running before the woman could say any more. She ran down a corridor in the main wing, the beige walls filled with smiling faces of board presidents and donors. The end of the hallway contained a gift shop, over-priced teddy bears and giant balloons displayed in the large picture windows. She turned another corner, following the numbered signs until she came to her grandma’s room. Through the closed door, the murmur of voices rose and fell.
Jenny reached her hand up to knock, her stomach suddenly churning with nerves. She was going to see her grandma, but there was also a good chance that a certain handsome cowboy would be in the room. She let her knuckles fall on the door, a timid knock that wouldn’t wake anyone. The door opened under her hand, and Hank greeted Jenny with a strained smile. “You made it,” he said.
Jenny ducked past Hank, fighting the urge to reach out and hold him, and never let go. The more important person lay on the bed, her bandaged head propped up with a bunch of pillows. Jenny grabbed Jo Jo’s hands with both of hers, and leaned down to gently kiss her grandmother’s cheek.
“Oh, Jenny. It’s so good to see you.”
Jenny’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at her grandma’s face. “You have no idea how much I missed you. How are you feeling?”
Jo Jo squeezed Jenny’s hand. “I’m fine. It was just a little scare with my heart.”
“Your heart? I thought you hurt your head.”
“Yes. I fell. I had to get a bunch of stiches. But the doctor thinks I fell because my heart was working too hard to pump my blood properly.”
The words made Jenny squirm. She hated her grandma being hurt. “What exactly did the doctor say?” she asked.
“He ran some tests and is going to come talk to us a bit later.” Jo Jo leaned forward and whispered loudly in Jenny’s ear, “He’s quite the looker.” She leaned back and raised her eyebrows at Jenny, ignoring the chuckling from Louis and Hank. The sound of their voices reminded Jenny that she wasn’t alone with her grandma. She turned to Louis and gave him a hug.
“It’s good to see you, Louis.”
“The ranch isn’t the same without you there,” Louis said. He pointed at Hank and winke
d conspiratorially at Jenny. “This one here’s a right mess having to take care of your horse.”
Hank shook his head. “I think I’m holding my own just fine. Bacon and I are friends.”
Louis turned Jenny around and gently pushed her toward Hank. Emotions raged through Jenny’s body as Hank wrapped her in a quick hug. Every nerve in her body ached to have his arms wrap around her for good, but she gave him a quick squeeze and backed up, her cheeks on fire.
Jo Jo patted the bed. “Sit down, dear. Tell me everything that has been going on.”
Jenny glanced at Hank a final time, and then she sat on the edge of the hospital bed. She reached for her grandma’s hand, and the floodgates opened. As the words about her frustrations from work spilled out, the faded pink floral wallpaper and bright fluorescent lights receded to the background.
Jo Jo frowned when Jenny told her about Anita, leaning forward conspiratorially. “Is she the one who . . .?” She snuck a look at Hank, and then back at Jenny. “Well, you know.”
A smile spread across Jenny’s face. It was adorable that Jo Jo was trying to keep the secret of her breakup from Hank. “She is even worse than I thought she’d be,” Jenny replied. Jo Jo squeezed her hand.
“Keep going. I want to hear everything.”
Jenny moved to a folding chair, pulling it right next to Jo Jo’s bed. She talked until Jo Jo’s eyes began to flutter. “Why don’t you take a nap? I’m going to go hunt for some food.” Jenny kissed her grandma’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”
When Jenny left the room, Hank gripped the sides of his chair. It took all his effort not to follow the girl out the door. Hank glanced at Jo Jo. She was sleeping soundly, her breathing accompanied by the soft snoring of Louis in the recliner. Hank started to stand, but settled back down in his chair. Jenny had been gone from the ranch for over two weeks without so much as a call or a text message. Her actions had made it very clear that she was no longer interested in a simple ranch hand. She had chosen her life in the city.
Love at Rosecrown Ranch Page 13