Page 33 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

The fire alarm stopped, but the ringing in Jenna’s ears continued.

Annoyed chatter clogged the air, but people shuffled back the way they’d come. Frank ushered her into the stream of people. Keeping one hand secured around the railing, she kept the other on Frank’s sturdy arm as she made her way back to the third floor. Each breath she took labored and shaky.

“Jenna!” Calvin rushed down the hall, pain etched on his face. He skidded to a stop in front of her and cradled a palm against her jaw. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She winced. “Someone attacked me. Choked me on the stairs. I pulled the fire alarm.”

“I need to help get all the patients settled,” Frank said.

“I’ll get her to my room,” Calvin said.

“Yes, thanks Frank. You go.” Jenna offered Frank a weak smile.

Frank shifted her toward Calvin.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her close to his chest.

The feel of his body anchored her. She inhaled the smell of him, and her heart fluttered. How many times had these arms supported her? How many times had this man been her safe space to land? An onslaught of sadness washed over her. She’d missed Calvin so damn much.

Calvin tucked his thumb under her chin, lifting her face to see her neck. His nostrils flared. “You need to be examined.”

As much as she hated to be poked and prodded, she didn’t have it in her to fight. Not to mention the stabbing pain pulsing against her neck. “Okay. Will you stay with me?”

His expression melted from anger to wonderment, as if her asking him for anything was beyond comprehension. “I’ll do anything you ask of me.”

She crushed her eyes closed against the rush of words from his full lips. Understanding warmed her and shook loose the lingering webs of terror. For just this moment, she didn’t want to think about the man who’d tried to kill her or the bullet that grazed Calvin’s side or the hospital they’d been stuck in for far too long.

No, all she wanted was to lose herself in Calvin’s arms. Lose herself in the fantasy that he was hers and when this was all said and done, their paths would join once more and take them somewhere so much better than she’d ever been—a place with all the happiness and love she’d missed out on for so long.

15

Swirls of orange and pink slashed against the midnight blue sky, announcing the ridiculous hour as Jenna drove her and Calvin back to his house. Sadie had made sure her car waited in the parking lot. None of them had any way of knowing it would be hours before she and Calvin would return home. Hours spent giving more statements and waiting around while police poured over security footage.

The man dressed as a doctor who’d strangled her was caught on camera, but he’d hidden himself enough to keep any distinguishing features from standing out. The only new piece of evidence from her near-death experience was that whoever was out to get her either worked at the hospital or had enough knowledge about the facilities to gain access and secure the weapons and equipment he needed.

Which shined a light on Dr. Kent, the man who was fired following a malpractice suit she’d brought against him.

Comfortable silence filled the car, adrenaline and sheer will keeping her focus on the road as she drove along the river headed back to the farmhouse. The Smoky Mountains loomed in the distance, beckoning her forward. Trees lined the street,branches swaying as if guiding her. She pulled into the driveway and parked. “If you wait, I’ll help you out,” she said.

Calvin snorted. “Trust me, you’re in worse shape than me. I wasn’t too stubborn to take the meds. I feel fine.” He pushed open the passenger side door and walked slowly, if a bit crookedly, toward the porch.

Jenna scurried from the car and caught up with him, placing a hand at his back to guide him into the house. Guilt gnawed at her. An overwhelming urge to take care of him had her placing her own discomfort on the backburner. “You need to get some rest.”

“We both do,” Calvin said as he kicked out of his sneakers.

“There you two are,” Sadie said, rising from the couch and meeting them in the hallway. “Are you both okay?”

Jenna shrugged then winced at the pain slicing through her neck. “Okay as we can be. Thanks for staying with Oliver. Having someone here he knows and trusts helped him and me both.”

“No problem. It took a little time to get him back to sleep, but he’s out like a light now. I laid him in the guest room.”

“Perfect.” Jenna shrugged out of her jacket. “Now to get Calvin to sleep. He’s had a long night.”

“We both have.” A yawn interrupted his words.

“I want to talk to Sadie about some things before she leaves. You can rest while we chat. I don’t know if I can sleep now, anyway.” Not to mention Oliver would soon be awake. The hour he finally went down last night wouldn’t matter. The kid always woke at the same time every day, his internal clock like a damn rooster who crowed every morning.

“Okay. Wake me if you want to sleep. We can take turns so someone is always awake, or I can help with Oliver.”

---