Page 21 of Rainwater
“Yeah, that’s where they hit me with the bat.”
Jennifer covered her mouth and looked away, unable to tolerate the guilt. “I’m really sorry about all this.”
He leaned forward slightly and snagged her chin, turning her face up to his. He could barely stand the self-condemnation in her eyes. “Why, Jennifer, you had nothing to do with this. Butler and his boys are nothing but cowards. They couldn’t even face me in the light of day, but had to slink around at night to ambush me. Don’t blame yourself, darlin’.”
“I do, and I’ll make it up to you.”
“No, you won’t.”
“I wish you had minded your own business. Jay would have probably lost interest in a day or two.”
He sat up very painfully and leaned against the headboard. He glared at her. “And what would have been the price? A bruise on your pretty face? Who knows where he would have stopped? Bullies only get meaner.” He couldn’t bear to see her skin marred with bruises. His mother’s face swam before his eyes. Bruised, battered, her eyes so tired and old.
No, Jay Butler would have to go through him to get to Jennifer.
But you won’t be here to protect her,an inner voice reminded him.You’re going to leave her. Leave her here with the demons.
He had to! He didn’t have a choice. He would talk to the sheriff before he left and explain what was going on. But that thought did nothing to ease the twisting of his gut.
“At the very least you could press charges,” she encouraged as she smoothed down the bedspread.
“It wouldn’t do any good, Jennifer. There are no witnesses and I didn’t even see them. They attacked me from behind.” He closed his eyes wearily as another stricken looked crossed her face.
“But your bike and—”
“My bike,” he groaned loudly. “What about my bike?”
She bit her lip and looked away, but not before he saw the same guilty look. “I had it hauled over to Gus’s garage.”
“I don’t like the sound of the wordhauled.”
“He says it’s pretty much beyond repair,” she said softly.
He closed his eyes, a dark panic welling in his chest. He was trapped? Dear God! There had to be a way out of this town. Surely a bus must run through here. He couldn’t stay with her, he thought frantically. God, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her.
“What about the saddlebags?”
She got up and walked across the room and turned them out. “The clothing is being washed. The buckles are in this drawer, and your boots are near the bed. There was nothing else in them.”
“Great. So what you’re telling me is that I’m without transportation and flat broke.”
“Broke?” she squeaked.
“I had fifteen hundred dollars in those bags to tide me over for a while.”
A thoughtful look came over her face and she said in a rush, “I could use a foreman.”
His body stilled. “Jennifer, I don’t think my staying here would be a good idea.”
Her eyes flashing, she tossed the empty saddlebags back on the chair and placed her hands on her hips. “What do you expectme to do? Let me see, you save my dignity and what can I do in return? I got it! Perhaps I can throw you out in the street bruised and battered. Hell, why don’t I throw you in the gutter and let you crawl to wherever you so desperately want to go?” She glared at him, but he looked at her with a defiant, sardonic expression that only pushed her temper higher. “This is all my fault!” she shouted, goaded by his attitude.
Folding her arms over her chest, she stared him down. “You’ll stay here until you’re well. I don’t want to hear anything else from you. You can make a decision about the job then.”
“Jennifer, I’m not staying here.”
“I’ll get you something to eat then. I wouldn’t dream of throwing out a wounded man into the gutter without offering him something nourishing first,” she said tartly. With a flip of her flaming hair, she strode from the room.
The woman was magnificent. Her anger and shame stood out clearly on her face. And her green eyes crackled with suppressed fury. What was he going to do with the bossy, pushy little thing? He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t. Jennifer was much too tantalizing. Much too beautiful. And he was much too needful.
