The Dangerous Gift (11 page)

“You’re full of surprises, Jen. I never realized you knew so much about marketing. I’m impressed.” Jared rested his arm across the back of the sofa, and her body heated with his nearness as her mind preened at the rare compliment.

“I have a degree in business and marketing, and I have some practical experience from placements. I told you I could help.”

He traced gentle circles on the skin bared by her sleeveless vest top. Jennie shuddered and trembled when she saw the heat and intent in his gaze. Not blinded by grief this time, he still wanted her. Maybe their recent conversation had revealed her maturity.

Jennie’s capacity for coherent thought diminished as Jared’s mouth met hers and her world spun out of control. Shell-shocked and a little angry, she pulled out of his passionate embrace and smoothed down her skirt. “Why did you kiss me? I thought we agreed to be friends.”

“No, we didn’t. You stopped me the other night, and you were right to. I couldn’t see past the grief, and I wanted proof I still lived. It’s different now. You could have died in the fire and you would never have known how I feel about you.” Jared’s intense gaze never left hers.

“You’ve changed your opinion in five years, have you?” Jennie wanted to be sure this time.

“Yes and no. I always wanted you. It tore me apart to push you away and hurt you like I did.” Jared gently covered her mouth with his fingers when she tried to interrupt. “I didn’t have a choice. You were too young, and Dad would never have forgiven me.”

“Ralf warned you off me?” Jennie couldn’t believe kindly Ralf would interfere like that.

“Yes.” Jared’s monosyllabic answer indicated he wasn’t going to make this easy for her.

“Ralf couldn’t have known how much I wanted you,” Jennie said half to herself.

“He did, but Dad believed he was doing what was best for you.” Jared’s gaze met hers, tinged with sadness. “You were the daughter he never had. He protected you at all costs, even if he hurt me in the process.”

“You lied to me,” Jennie said harshly, stung anew by his rejection. “You wanted me but wouldn’t go against your father’s wishes. Even though you knew how I felt…how we felt.” Tears coursed down her cheeks as she grieved for the wasted years.

“I did…do want you, and now I’m going to do something about it. I know you feel cheated. We’ve wasted time, but you’ve changed since you left, seen life in another country, and met other men.” Jared frowned as if the thought bothered him. “Yet you came back when I called and you want to stay. So maybe the time apart gave us time to grow up and realize what and who we want in life.”

“Maybe.” Jennie half smiled. “Would you have contacted me if the circumstances were different? You only called because of the terrible plane crash. How can I believe that you always planned to call?”

“I want you to stay.” Jared ignored Jennie’s perfectly reasonable doubts. He hauled her close and stopped further debate with a toe-curling kiss. Jennie’s thought processes turned mushy, but her heart knew what it wanted as it hammered against her rib cage, excited and hopeful that Jared saw a future for them now.

Chapter 10

In the barn reserved for pregnant mares and newborn foals, Jennie leaned over the stable door and stroked the mare’s velvet muzzle. “Come on now, girl. Let’s get you cleaned out.”

The heavily pregnant mare whinnied as she docilely followed Jennie to the centre of the large barn, where she munched happily on a pile of hay. Jennie mucked out the stable on autopilot as she dwelled on more pleasurable pursuits, like the kisses she and Jared had shared. Maybe she’d imagined them after all, she had dreamed about it often enough, but this time her mind insisted it had really happened.

They’d made out like a couple of teenagers. Her lips could still feel the imprint of his firm mouth, and her face tingled, a reminder of how his five-o’clock shadow had rubbed against her sensitive skin. The aroma of his cologne lingered in her nostrils mixed with an indefinable essence, unique to Jared. Amongst the hot kisses, Jared had convinced her of her importance to him. She believed he wanted more than friendship now he’d lain past ghosts of pain and misunderstanding to rest. He explained he hadn’t wanted to spoil her birthday but was under strict instructions from Ralf not to go anywhere near her. Jared had insisted he’d always wanted her. Only her innocence and his father’s insistence had stopped him from making her his on that fateful night before her eighteenth birthday.

As she removed the dirty straw from the stable and spread the clean straw on the floor, Jennie daydreamed about what their life together would be like. But although Jared had spent the last hour convincing Jennie he still wanted her, something bothered her. Why would he admit his feelings now, when he’d virulently denied them since her return? What had happened to change his mind?

Jennie led the mare into her clean home, searching her mind for any clues to Jared’s change of heart. Prior to their passionate interlude, they’d discussed the drilling report, and he’d allayed her fears, saying he would never allow oil prospectors on his land. Nausea built in the pit of her stomach as Jennie faced the possibility Jared’s declaration of love was a sham. Could their subsequent lovemaking be integral to his plan to make her forget the significance of the oil survey?

Jennie shut the stable door, her thoughts in full denial mode. Jared wouldn’t be so cruel—unless the future of the ranch depended on his deception, her subconscious taunted. She grasped the stable door for support and in a desperate attempt to ground her body against the overpowering nausea. The possibility Jared had manipulated her angered and saddened Jennie. Once again, she’d allowed him all the control. It was on her if her dreams were crushed. Just like that, the rose-colored glow of their kiss disintegrated as her beautiful dream of happy ever after crumbled before it began.

A swath of intense heat stole her breath as she swayed against the barn door. She stepped outside. The midafternoon sun blazed down and dazzled her after the stable’s dark shadows. Jared’s voice echoed across the paddock as he schooled one of his young horses. He saw her and raised his hand in greeting before he returned his attention to the colt.

Jennie froze, her earlier happiness already a distant memory. She couldn’t face him, not when doubts about his motives flooded her mind. The empty truck drew her gaze, and impulsively she ran towards it, assuming the key was in the ignition as usual. Once inside, she gunned the engine and headed down the dusty track towards the creek. Somehow, it seemed appropriate to sort out her life at the place where it fell apart years ago.

Jennie pulled off the rough track and jumped from the truck. She retrieved her mobile from the passenger seat, silent now though it had rung continuously whilst she drove. She had six missed calls, all from Jared. Too bad, she needed some time to herself without the distractions of his fit body and sweet talk.

She tossed the mobile phone back into the truck and walked towards the creek. The blue-green water shimmered in the hot afternoon sun. Jennie couldn’t resist the promise of its cool caress on her heated, dusty skin. After a cursory glance around, she shed her clothes. No skinny-dipping this time, but still, her lacy lingerie afforded little protection for her modesty. As she lay back in the cool creek and floated, the rippling water eased the tension in her shoulders as it lapped over her body.

A vibration rather than sound disturbed her peaceful idyll. Jennie raised her head as the stillness of her sanctuary was invaded by the thunder of hoof beats moving closer with each rhythmic thud. She stood up. The water barely covered her breasts, which were clearly visible through her bra’s soaked, lacy material. Jennie crossed her arms protectively over them. She could stay where she was or make a run for her clothes.

Modesty won. She forced her heavy limbs through the water. Cool water droplets splashed her exposed skin. As she reached the shore, she scanned the immediate area but saw only the scurrying insects and the birds that populated the surrounding bushes.
As she stepped into her jeans and reached for her cotton shirt, the bushes rustled and the birds stopped singing.

Jennie’s fingers trembled as she forced the slippery buttons through their holes. Anxious to avoid a confrontation with Jared, she sought an escape route. When no one appeared, she wondered if maybe it wasn’t Jared. Wasn’t he schooling a young horse when she left the barn? He couldn’t have saddled a mount and followed her so quickly, her logical mind insisted.

The threat on the invitation card replayed in her mind, and she shivered. Could her so-called well-wisher be the phantom rider? Her fearful thoughts made her recoil from the sinister implications.

She shoved her damp feet into her well-worn cowboy boots, not bothering with socks. Jennie needed to get away from this pursuer who might want to hurt her with more than words. Her gaze came to rest on the rickety wooden bridge between her and safety on the other side of the creek. It was her best escape route.

She ran towards the bridge, climbed the wooden rungs of the rickety ladder leading up to it, and stepped onto the wooden planks, which swayed with her weight. Dizzy with the unexpected movement, she grabbed the rope handrail to steady herself, then took a deep breath and another careful step forward. The bridge creaked, but the swaying diminished to manageable proportions, and Jennie overcame the urge to dash recklessly across the bridge to escape from the potential threat. She edged closer to the other side, past the point of no return, her heart racing and thumping against her rib cage. Her clammy hands slipped against the well-worn, smooth rope handrail.

Almost to the other side, she stopped and risked a look over her shoulder. No one was behind her. The birdsong was sweet and gentle, not punctuated with shrieks of alarm. Maybe she’d imagined her pursuer?

Part of the bridge dipped into the water and disappeared as she neared the far bank. Gingerly, she tiptoed around the gap. The creek bubbled just below her feet; she looked straight ahead to avoid thinking about it. The deeper water swirled around the rocks, and trees creaked with the water’s force, their roots buried in its depths.

Jennie stumbled.
Concentrate!
She mustn’t fall in.

The bridge swung wildly, and she grasped at the handrail, which burnt her soft hands as they scrambled for purchase. Her foot slipped against a raised plank, and she lost her footing. Flat on her stomach, she lifted her head from the rotting wood in response to a movement in her peripheral vision. Darkness filled her gaze, and she feared the outcome if she fainted. As she forced her soft palms into the broken wood, a sharp splinter embedded into her hand. Fully aware now, she bit her lip to control her scream.

The dark shape came closer, and she scrambled onto her knees. Her ankle, bruised by her fall, wouldn’t let her stand. Trapped, she stared at the tall, slim person walking towards her. Dark, sexless clothing disguised the shape of their body and their gender.

Adrenaline coursed through Jennie’s bloodstream, and she grabbed the rope handrail where it hung in front of her. She suppressed the pain in her hand and foot and hobbled towards the bank and safety.

The bridge lurched, and Jennie lost her balance with the force of the hard body that ploughed into her and knocked her over the edge. She made a desperate grab for the handrail, but her pursuer pulled it out of reach. As she plunged into the creek’s foamy water, the dark form turned and ran towards the bank.

***

Jared

Jared heard the whine of the truck’s engine and saw the cloud of dust Jen left in her wake. Where could she be going? The colt bucked; he required all Jared’s attention. Jared turned back to the horse, but a shadow in his peripheral vision drew his gaze back towards the barn. No one was visible, but from behind the barn, another dust cloud shot into the blue sky, less dense than the one made by the truck but discernible nevertheless. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something bothered him about the second dust cloud. Who was following Jen?

Jared tied the colt’s reins to the fence. “Joe, can you put this fella back in the paddock for me?” Without waiting for a response, he vaulted the fence and ran towards the house, where his father’s truck was parked. He retrieved the keys from under the sill and brought up Jen’s number on his mobile as he started the engine. He needed to know where she was going and warn her that she wasn’t alone.

Damn it, Jen, why don’t you pick up?

Jared followed the dust cloud and the tire tracks left by the ranch’s truck. When the tracks veered left, he knew her destination. The place she visited when she wanted solitude—the creek. The truck was parked haphazardly on the dirt track close to the water. As he pulled in behind it, a pinto galloped from the bushes on the opposite side of the creek. A rider crouched close to the horse’s neck like a jockey, which allowed the creature maximum freedom.

Jared reached for the starter wire. He could outrun the horse, maybe identify Jen’s pursuer. He spun the truck round and gunned the engine to give chase. The squeal of the old truck’s shift grated, and the jolt it gave made him rethink his priorities. He couldn’t leave Jen.

He jumped from the truck and ran through the dense undergrowth that hid the creek from the wide, desolate plain. In the distance, someone was splashing in the creek’s choppy water. He leapt onto the bridge and ran along its length, uncaring of its precarious state, Jen his only focus.

He neared the point where he saw her in the creek and vaulted over the rope handrail into the cold, foamy water. Panic and swathes of water clouded his vision. He couldn’t see her in the foam and dirt he’d stirred up. He pushed his face into the water and forced his eyes open. Nothing. His lungs burnt. His head spun. He must breathe. He forced his body to the surface and gulped in air, and then he saw her. Or what he hoped was her. He lifted his powerful shoulders from the water and swam towards the still form slumped against the bank.

The water became shallower near the shore. Jared let his feet drift towards the bottom of the creek, leant forward, and pulled Jen’s limp body into his arms. Unwilling to let her go, he laid her on the dusty bank and checked her over. His hands trembled and acid filled his stomach. Jen wasn’t breathing. He pushed his horror away. After checking her airways, he placed his mouth over her blue-tinged lips and gently breathed.

***

Jennie

She couldn’t breathe.

Fiery aches licked at her chest, but still she couldn’t force her lungs to breathe.

The vise around her chest eased, replaced by severe discomfort like hot aches. The darkness receded. Rushing water, the thunder of her heartbeat, and a second, steadier thud, so close…warm breath on her numbed lips and the smell of horses, dust, and Jared…

***

Jared

Jared sensed Jen’s return to life before her mouth moved underneath his. He leaned back and moved her into the recovery position. Jen gasped, spluttered, and coughed as her lungs expelled the water and replaced it with oxygen. He stroked her back and marveled at the rise and fall of her body under his hand. He tasted salt and licked his tear-covered lips. A surprise, since he didn’t realize he’d been crying.

Jen’s eyes opened, unfocused and red. “Pushed…”

“Did you see who?”

Jen shook her head and turned away, as if she blamed Jared for her near-drowning. He wiped the unwanted tears from his face and scooped her into his arms. She lay limp in his embrace, her eyes closed, and her body shivering despite the heat. Jared pulled her closer and took her to the truck, where he covered her with the dog blanket his dad always kept there. He gunned the engine and headed at breakneck speed towards the town’s doctor. Left alone with his thoughts, he agonized over Jen’s apparent anger at him.

***

“Hope I got to her in time, doc. I don’t know how long she was in the water.” Jared searched the medic’s face for reassurance as he examined Jen.

“She should be fine.” The doctor turned to Jen. “I’ll prescribe a course of antibiotics. If your headache worsens, come back, but otherwise you should be back to normal in a couple of days.”