Page 28 of Burning for Him

Doug ground his back molars together to keep from shoving the other man away from Jenn and publicly claiming her as his. But he promised that he’d keep their relationship a secret for now, and therefore, Romeo and Lindsey couldn’t find out yet. That didn’t mean he had to like it, though.

“Okay.” She solemnly nodded and let Doug settle her in the middle of the seat. He climbed in next to her, and Lindsey got in on the other side. Parsons was behind the wheel while Romeo took the front passenger seat. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at Doug. “Your go-bag is in the back with ours. Anything left behind that you need them to recover?”

He thought for a few moments before shaking his head. “Just the commune’s medical bag we had with us when the landslide hit. It’s on the porch of a cabin—can’t miss it—but we used a lot of stuff, so there’s not much left in it.”

“No worries,” Parsons said as he steered around a dip in the dirt road. He was driving slower than he had the day before, probably because of Jenn’s injury. “We have more that were donated at the commune.”

Between the effects of the morphine and the rocking motion of the vehicle, it wasn’t long before Jenn fell asleep. He didn’t miss Lindsey’s curious expression when he put his arm around Jenn’s shoulders, tucking her close to his side to keep her from pitching forward as Parsons drove them down the mountain.

When they finally reached the commune, just before sunset, he woke Jenn up. Dr. Sanchez was already waiting for them to exit the vehicle. They brought Jenn into the clinic, where the splint was removed so the doctor could assess her arm. “Well, definitely broken, but the capillary refill in your fingers is normal, so that’s good. Any numbness?”

She shook her head. “Nope. It hurts, but the drugs are still working, so it’s not that bad.”

Dr. Sanchez reapplied the splint and inflated it again. “I don’t want to cast it here without an X-ray first, and the hospitals are overloaded with earthquake victims. I hate to say it, Jenn, but I think the best thing for you to do is return to the States and see an orthopedist as soon as possible.”

“But you need help?—”

“And we have it,” Dr. Sanchez cut her off. “You’ll be no good with a busted arm that needs to be cast. I spoke to your uncle a little while ago, before and after I called Margie’s brother to notify him of her death. Ian told me he’ll arrange to transport her body after it’s recovered. That was nice of you to ask him to do that. You’ve been a wonderful help here these past few weeks, and we’ll all miss you, especially the children. I hope you’ll come back again, maybe next year, but for now, it’s time for you to go home, get that arm taken care of, and then rest.”

Crestfallen, Jenn stared at the older woman for a few moments before nodding. “I guess you’re right. I would love to come back next year, though.”

Dr. Sanchez smiled. “I’ll look forward to seeing you then. Now, why don’t Lindsey and I help you pack your bags? I’ll make sure Margie’s things get back to her family. Our residents are already talking about planting a tree or some flowers in her memory after things calm down. She was well loved here, as are all our volunteers, including you.”

Hoping off the examination table, Jenn hugged the doctor with her good arm. “I’m going to miss everyone.”

“We’ll miss you too.”

After Jenn’s belongings were packed and loaded, it took much longer than expected to leave for Bogotá since she had to say lengthy goodbyes to everyone in the commune, at least twice, especially the children. Hugs and tears were aplenty. She left notes for Tony and Roland because they wouldn’t be back until she was most likely already on the private jet, and it grated on Doug’s nerves. He wanted to see what she wrote to the two men, but short of ripping them out of her or Ramona’s hands, he didn’t have an opportunity.

She tried to stay strong and smile while talking to the children, but completely lost it in the back seat of the Suburban about a mile down the road, sobbing into Doug’s chest as heheld her tightly. Once again, he ignored Lindsey’s curious look. It would be a long and exasperating flight if he couldn’t pull Jenn onto his lap and comfort her the way he craved.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Do you want to take one of the pain pills Ramona sent?” Doug asked Jenn, squatting beside her as she lay on one of the jet’s couches, trying to get comfortable and warm under a fleece blanket.

They’d finally taken off about forty-five minutes ago, after another minor quake temporarily halted traffic at the small airport for almost an hour while the buildings and single runway were inspected for damage. Once the private jet reached cruising altitude, the four passengers got comfortable for the long trip. Doug sat on a recliner beside Jenn, while Romeo and Lindsey were stretched out and already sound asleep on first-class-style seats near the front of the jet on either side of the aisle.

Jenn took a moment to assess her level of pain. The morphine was nearly out of her system, and her arm throbbed more than it had earlier. When she tried to wiggle her fingers or adjust her position, it felt like someone stabbed her with a knife. “Yes, please. The pain is getting worse again, so I'd better take one now before it becomes unbearable.”

He stood and strode to the back of the jet, where the small kitchenette was always stocked with assorted beverages and snacks, before returning with a bottle of ginger ale, a Percocetpill, and a granola bar. The doctor had given her a two-day supply to manage the discomfort until she could see an orthopedist and warned her not to take the pills on an empty stomach.

Since she was basically useless while Lindsey and Dr. Sanchez packed her things, she’d called Ian to let him know she would fly home with the others. Thankfully, he didn’t say, “I told you so,” when she explained about her broken arm. He was just grateful it wasn’t worse and would make an appointment for the following day with the orthopedic surgeon who had treated several Trident employees in the past. According to Ian, Dr. Bardot was the best in Tampa and always made room in her schedule for them, ever since the Alpha Team rescued her brother years ago after he was kidnapped for ransom in Mexico. Her godfather and his good friend, Chase, the owner of Blackhawk Security, had connections in various professional fields, and it seemed many owed one or both of the men favors that they could cash in whenever necessary. Jenn knew she should be used to it, but sometimes it still amazed her that there were people willing to drop everything to help out anyone from either company. It was a testament to the good work both Trident and Blackhawk did, some of which was classified.

Jenn sat up, took the medication from Doug, popped it into her mouth, and then washed it down with the soda before eating the granola bar. She wasn’t overly hungry since the commune’s kitchen staff had given them lunch to eat on the road, but that was about two or three hours ago. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He sat beside her, set her pillow on his lap, and patted it. “Lie back down.” When she glanced toward the front of the aircraft, he added, “Don’t worry. They’re both out for at least a few hours. It’s been a long three days.”

As much as she wanted to put her head down and let him care for her, she hesitated. “You should get some sleep too.”

“I will. Later.” He took the ginger ale bottle from her and placed it on a small side table. “For now, I just need to make sure you’re comfortable and in as little pain as possible.”

She snorted while lying back down on her right side, facing away from him, and settling her head and injured hand on the pillow.

“What’s so funny?” he asked as he unraveled the now-bunched-up blanket, draped it over her body, and tucked it around her shoulder.

“You.”

“Me? Why?”

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