Jenna's Cowboys

by Laura Jo Phillips

  Dillon thought of all they’d learned about Jenna in the past couple of days and felt a lump form in his throat as he began to understand what she meant. “It’s being outcast by people you knew your whole life without knowing why.”

  “It’s more than that,” Cole said. “It’s all of them standing by without lifting a finger while you were attacked and almost killed. People you knew your whole life sacrificed you and your child, leaving you with the feeling that you were unworthy of their protection.” Jenna nodded, surprised that they’d gotten it so quickly.

  “I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Cole said. “I’d give anything if I could take all of that away from you, erase it somehow.”

  “Thank you, Cole,” she said softly. “That’s…thank you.”

  “I want to tell you we’ll never do anything like that to you. I want to promise you that you never have to worry about that happening to you again.”

  “But?” Jenna asked tensing just a little.

  “Words are cheap, and we’ve already broken your trust in us,” Cole said, his blue eyes steady on hers. “Saying those things now isn’t going to help you one damn bit. The only thing that will help you is if we can make you feel so loved, and so safe, and so happy, that you never even think about something like that happening again.”

  Jenna’s breath caught. She struggled for the words to express how much his understanding meant to her, but words eluded her. She pushed her chair back, stood up slowly and walked the few short steps from her chair to Cole’s, then did something she’d never done before. She leaned into him, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Cole was so shocked that he didn’t even move at first. Then he put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap, holding her as tightly as he dared. When Jenna raised her head, her eyes were watery, but she was smiling.

  “I’d like to eat now.”

  “Of course, honey,” he agreed, standing up with her in his arms. He set her back down and smiled at a grinning Dillon while returning to his own chair. He knew that sitting there staring at her while she ate would be a mistake, so he searched for something to talk about. Dillon was thinking along the same lines and thought of a subject first.

  “Going back to the subject of you needing something to occupy your mind,” he said, getting up to cook breakfast for himself and Cole. “Do you have any ideas on how to accomplish that?”

  “Not in the long term,” she replied. “I have a few things that’ll keep me busy for a little while though.”

  “Out of curiosity, what kinds of things?” Cole asked, refilling his coffee cup and carefully not noticing that Jenna was eating while they talked.

  “I thought I’d do some research for the shop. I’ve been thinking about adding some new products, but I haven’t had the time or energy to do the research needed before I can make a decision.”

  “What kind of new products?”

  “Books, mainly.”

  “Books?” Cole asked. “You mean like erotica?”

  “If you’re talking about fiction, or men’s magazines, then no.”

  Cole exchanged looks with Dillon. “Have you ever read any fictional erotica?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise and her face turned pink, “Um, no, I haven’t.”

  “Jenna, I’d like to ask you a personal question if you don’t mind.”

  “All right,” she said warily.

  Cole took a moment to carefully phrase what he wanted to say before he spoke. “Since you’ve never read erotica, and you’d never been with two men before us, how did you know what we’d want from you that night?”

  Jenna’s face turned bright red but, as always, she refused to hide either from herself, or them. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out. And, to be sure, I looked on the internet.”

  Cole nodded, then decided to let it drop. For the time being. “What sort of books are you planning on carrying?”

  “Books on aromatherapy, sensual massage, Kama Sutra and Tantric sexual techniques, that sort of thing. But I don’t want big heavy tomes or text books. I want books with lots of bright pictures and easy to follow directions or guidelines. Books that people can have fun with rather than study. I just have to find them.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Dillon said. “I’d like to read books like that myself.”

  Jenna smiled. “That’s good to know.”

  “I think it’s a great idea too,” Cole said. “How much time will your research kill?”

  “No telling,” she said. “Sometimes I find what I want right away, sometimes it takes hours. But, besides the research, Jack said he was gonna email the partnership contracts for me to review which will take some time. And I know he said he’d speak with Susie about what’s going on, but I want to email her myself, too.”

  “We only caught a few bits of information on that subject,” Cole said. “I seem to recall Jack saying something about you paying for movers. Is that right?”

  “Yes,” Jenna said. She told them about Susie, and taking her as a partner. They listened without interruption while she spoke. When she was done, they both fell silent while they carried their plates to the table and sat down to eat.

  “So, once Susie gets here, you just need to teach her how to make your Bliss product line, is that right?” Cole asked.

  “That and everything else,” Jenna replied. “Susie’s never worked retail before, so she needs to learn everything from the ground up. She’s real sharp, so I have no doubt that she’ll pick it up quickly, but I can’t be there to teach her the way I planned. It’s looking like the shop is going to be closed for a while.”

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Dillon said. “We spent a lot of time talking with Meg, Hank, and Jack that night you were in the hospital, and they told us how you’d been doing, and how worried everyone has been about you. There’re a lot of people in Sparx who would love a chance to help you, Jenna, and a lot of them run businesses of their own. If you can give them the specifics on things like ordering, pricing, banking, and whatever else they need to know, they can teach Susie how to run the shop for you. The only thing you really need to teach her is how to make your Bliss products and fill custom orders.”

  Jenna thought about that for a minute while she finished her eggs. Accepting so much help from others was difficult for her, but she was getting better at it. “I’ll talk to Meg about it and see what she thinks. But how do I teach Susie to make my product line without going in to the shop?”

  “There’s always Skype,” Cole said.

  “True,” Jenna said, smiling a little. “The formulas for all of my products are written down, of course, and I have a file for each customer and their personal preferences. All she’ll have to do is follow the instructions, sort of like following a recipe. But I’ll need to be right there with her for some things, especially in the beginning. Once she knows how to use the equipment, where things are, and some of the basics, then Skype should be enough.”

  “If you start improving, get some color back and put on a bit of weight, we could speak with Doc about you sitting in the shop to work with Susie for brief periods of time,” Dillon said. “We’d stay right there with you so you don’t have to walk or lift anything.”

  Jenna’s eyes brightened for a moment, then faded almost immediately. “Maybe,” she said with a little grimace.

  “What are you thinking?” Cole asked. “I know the idea of being in your shop isn’t causing that expression, so what is?”

  “The drive from the hospital yesterday wasn’t exactly comfortable. I think that’s part of the reason for my meltdown yesterday. If I could lay down it might be better but unless I’m mistaken my Bronco is a complete loss. So, I guess if riding in a truck is what I have to do, then that’s what I’ll do. It’s a good idea.”

  “It’s not a good idea if you’re stressed and in pain,” Dillon said. “Those are two of the things we’re trying to avoid.” Dillon hesitated, then added, “And yeah, Luke said you
r Bronco’s a total loss, angel. I’m real sorry.”

  “Thanks, Dillon,” she said, blinking away tears. Not because of the Bronco itself so much as the loss of her father’s vehicle.

  “I forgot to tell you yesterday that we ordered a new phone for you which I’ll pick up at Gordon’s Comm Shop today while I’m in town, after I pick up what’s left of the contents of your purse. Luke said your keys and your wallet are intact, as well as a few other items. Your cell phone is toast, but the memory card is good so I can have your data transferred when I pick up the new phone.”

  “Okay, Dillon, thank you. The only important things in my purse were the wallet and the phone anyway.”

  “Going back to the subject of our trucks being uncomfortable for Jenna,” Cole said. “It occurs to me they’re not gonna cut it for much longer anyway, Dillon. We need to get a family vehicle.”

  “You’re right,” Dillon agreed. “More than one, eventually, but one will do for now. What do you think? An SUV?”

  “Definitely,” Cole said as Dillon pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Jenna’s been driving that big Bronco for years so we know she can handle an SUV, and they’re safest with the snow and mud we get around here.”

  “Yep, I agree,” Dillon said. He opened his address book, selected a number, tapped the speaker icon and set the phone down on the table, then returned to eating his breakfast. Jenna nibbled on a piece of toast while she watched curiously.

  “Jag here,” a deep male voice announced through the cell phone’s speaker.

  “Morning, Jag,” Dillon said. “Heard the news?”

  “That depends on the subject, Dillon.”

  “Me and Cole are gonna be daddies.”

  “Yeah, I might have heard a whisper or two about that,” Jag said with a chuckle. “How high over the moon are you?”

  “Hell, Jag, the moon ain’t nothin’,” Dillon said, grinning. “We’re all the way to Mars.”

  “I’ll bet you are,” Jag said, the deep voice sounding just a little wistful even through the phone’s tiny speaker. “How’s Jenna doing?”

  “Fairly well,” Dillon said, smiling at her. “Cole and I have made some mistakes but she’s doing a good job of straightening us out without drawing too much blood.”

  “Good for her,” Jag chuckled again. “What can I do for you, Dillon?”

  “It just came to our attention that our trucks aren’t all that comfortable for Jenna right now. They’re not gonna work for car seats and babies, either.”

  “Nope, they sure won’t. What’d you have in mind?”

  “An SUV,” Dillon said. “Whatever’s the absolute safest.”

  “Bells and whistles?”

  “For Jenna and our children?” Dillon asked archly. “This is our family we’re talking about Jag.”

  “Dumb question,” Jag laughed. “What’s your cap? Or is that another dumb question?”

  “It is.”

  “How fast you want it?”

  “How about within two weeks? That’s when Jenna has to go into town to see Doc, and we’d like to take her without causing her any more pain than she already has to deal with.”

  Jag was silent for a moment. “If you need to take her sooner than that, you’ll have to use one of your trucks, right?”

  “Yes,” Dillon said, frowning worriedly as he glanced at Jenna. “Good point, Jag.”

  “I’ll put a rush on it,” Jag said, surprising Jenna. “I’ll do some research, make some calls, and email my recommendations for you to choose from by mid-afternoon, latest. Once I have your decision, it shouldn’t take more than a few days. If it does, I’ll look elsewhere.”

  “Thanks Jag. Appreciate it.”

  “No problem, Dillon. And congratulations. You and Cole are damn lucky men.”

  “Believe me, Jag, we know it,” Dillon said.

  Jenna watched Dillon disconnect, a frown on her face. “Did you just tell someone to buy you a new car?” Dillon was chewing so he just nodded. “Did you also say you didn’t care how much it cost?” Dillon nodded again as he picked up his coffee.

  “How rich are you guys?” she asked warily.

  Dillon and Cole glanced at each other. If anyone else had asked that question they would have immediately been suspicious. Coming from Jenna, they reacted with caution.

  “I’m sorry,” Jenna said, her face red with embarrassment. “That was extremely rude and none of my business.”

  “It wasn’t rude and it’s definitely your business, honey,” Cole said. “There’s not one single thing about us that isn’t your business. We’re only hesitating because we’re worried you’ll get scared again, like you did last night. We’ll tell you if you really wanna know. But if not, then just know that money isn’t ever going to be an issue for us, for you, or for our children, no matter how many we have.”

  Jenna thought about that for a few moments, then nodded. “I honestly can’t say if it’ll scare me or not. I’m glad to know I don’t have to worry about how to pay for things the babies need. And the medical bills. It takes a huge worry off my mind. I appreciate that very much, and that’s enough for now.”

  “That’s fine, angel,” Dillon said. “If you change your mind, let us know.”

  “All right.”

  “Back to the subject of things you want from town. Is there more than what you’ve already told me?”

  “Yes, there is,” she said. “Can I make a list?”

  “Sure,” Cole said, and got up to get a pad and pen for her. “If there’s anything that needs to be done, write that down too. Like water the plants, or check for deliveries, things like that.”

  “Okay, I hadn’t thought of that, thanks,” she said. While she worked on her list, Cole and Dillon finished eating and got up to clear the table and straighten the kitchen. By the time Dillon left for town he had a long list of things she wanted and a much shorter list of things that needed to be done.

  Even though she’d done little more in the couple of hours she’d been awake than talk, eat, and write a list, she was tired and it showed. Cole settled her in the living room with the television remote and her intercom remote, got her a couple of pillows, tucked a blanket around her, then left to take a shower and get dressed. She stared blankly at the television while she idly flipped through the channels, amazed at the sheer number of them. Even with hundreds of channels to choose from she didn’t find anything that caught her interest. She sighed and turned it off, her eyes going to the view through the glass wall overlooking the patio and the rolling, grassy hills beyond.

  “What’re you doin’, baby?” Cole asked as he entered the living room a short while later, his dark hair wet, leaving damp spots on the shoulders of his t-shirt. She smiled, understanding that he’d hurried through his shower in order to check on her.

  “Not much,” she replied. “You have a gorgeous view.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Cole said. “Later when it warms up a bit we can open the patio doors and get some fresh air in here. Winter’s coming on fast so we best enjoy what’s left of sunny days like this.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He glanced at the big TV screen on the wall, then sat down on the edge of the enormous coffee table in front of her. “You really don’t like TV much, do you?”

  “No, I don’t,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I kind of wish I did.”

  “I’ve been trying to think of other things to occupy your mind, but so far I’m drawing a lot of blanks. If you think of anything, no matter what it is, you just let us know, okay?”

  Jenna nodded, her eyes thoughtful, something he’d just said giving her an idea. “Would you do me a favor?”

  “Anything.”

  “Would you call Dillon? There’s a cardboard box on the shelf of my bedroom closet that I’d like him to bring.”

  “Sure, honey,” he said, pulling out his cell phone. “What’s in it?”

  “Something that might keep me busy,” she said vaguely. Cole started
to ask what, but Dillon answered his phone. After he hung up, the doorbell rang. With a warning for her to stay put—which she rolled her eyes at--he went to answer it.

  When he came back in with Peter, Jenna stiffened nervously. “Hello, Peter.”

  “You know Peter?” Cole asked in surprise. Jenna’s expression grew worried. “Hey, honey, relax,” he said at once, moving to her side so he could reach down and stroke her hair. “It’s all right, I was just surprised is all.”

  Jenna looked at Peter whose eyes went from the scrapes and bruises on her face, to the bandages on her arm and leg. “I saw Jenna in town about two weeks ago, Cole. The day you asked me so politely about where I’d been.”

  “I see,” Cole said thoughtfully. “That explains your sunny disposition that afternoon.” Peter nodded. “Don’t worry, baby. Peter raised us from when we were ten. He’s like a father to us, which makes him our only family. We understand why everyone kept your secret and we’re sure not gonna get angry with Peter for it.”

  Jenna started to relax, then realized she was half lying on the sofa dressed only in an oversized sleep shirt and shorts. Her face flushed red with embarrassment as she struggled to sit up.

  Cole immediately slipped his arms around her and lifted her into a sitting position. “You shouldn’t be moving around so much. I know it hurts you and we’re trying to avoid that.” Her face heated more, but Peter spoke before she said anything.

  “Don’t be embarrassed,” he said. Jenna’s eyes jumped to his, a little startled to find so much kindness there. “You need to let Dillon and Cole take care of you now, Jenna. You’ve carried this load on your own for a long time, and you’ve done a damn fine job of it, but it’s time to let them take a share now. Okay?” Jenna nodded, but it was a struggle to keep the tears from falling. “You’ve made Cole and Dillon happier than I’ve seen them since they were ten years old, so I wanna personally thank you for giving the knuckleheads another chance.”