Chapter 2
Jake stepped out of the room long enough to call Zane. He informed him he wouldn’t be home for a while and that the ranch hands’ paychecks were on his desk.
He returned to her room and sat on a chair facing her bed. Despite the paleness of her skin and multiple scrapes and bruises, she was a beautiful woman. Long, wavy auburn hair framed an oval face with high cheekbones. Dark eyebrows and long dark lashes stood out amid the bruising around her eyes.
He studied the smaller bruise Uncle James pointed out. How long had she been held captive and bound like that? How long had she lived with the fear that filled her plea for protection?
His gaze continued to roam over her. Prominent collar bones peeking out of the neck of her hospital gown emphasized her slender figure. His eyes stopped on her left hand. No ring. Or had they removed it to put the cast on?
It didn’t matter. It’s not like he needed a woman to complicate his life. Besides, she probably had a boyfriend, if not a husband who was worried sick about her.
Unable to sit still, Jake paced the small room. His work on the ranch left him little time for a social life, let alone a serious relationship. A rancher didn’t always have a lot of time to devote to a family.
His father had been a good man, but he’d always worked long hours. So his mother had focused on her three children, worked part-time, and involved herself in civic activities.
His thoughts turned to Lydia, the woman he’d fallen in love with at college. A few days on the ranch had been enough to convince her she didn’t want to be a rancher’s wife. His stomach soured at the memory of being forced to choose between his love for her and the ranch. He simply hadn’t been able to walk away from the ranch he loved.
It wasn’t that Jake didn’t want to marry and have a family. He did, but on a ranch the size of the Double Diamond, a wife could feel neglected during the spring and summer months when there was so much work to do. He recalled not seeing his father for days on end during calving season—that lasted for months—when he was young. Once he was old enough to help, Jake longed to see less of his father and more of a hot shower and his bed.
In the winter, however, the ranch could feel isolated. Lonely. He’d found that out firsthand last winter. For the first time in his life, he’d been alone at the ranch. Technically, he wasn’t alone; Zane and Lottie lived nearby in their own house. And even though they ate meals together, the evenings were very long and very quiet.
Jake had promised his dad before he passed away that he’d take care of the ranch and continue to build on his grandfather’s legacy. But what was a legacy if there was no one to leave it to? He may be pushing thirty, but he had no plans to marry and have a family anytime soon.
Jake had been at the woman’s bedside for nearly an hour when she moaned. He stepped to the bed and watched her eyes flutter open. Twin emeralds stared at him.
Her brow furrowed. “Who are you?” The words came out gravelly. “Where am I?” She tried to sit up then winced and fell back against the bed.
Jake put a hand on her shoulder. “Stay still. You were in an accident.” He stepped to the door and told the nurses to get Dr. Young. Then he texted Robert.
The woman’s gazed darted around the room as if searching for answers. “What happened?”
Jake froze beside her bed. Was she referring to the accident or her abduction? “Um... you were in a car wreck.”
Her eyes widened. “Was I driving?”
“No.”
“Was anyone else injured?”
Jake debated how to answer.The man who abducted you died. Oh, and by the way, you were abducted.He didn’t think that would go over very well.
He heaved a sigh of relief when his uncle arrived and began checking her vitals.
Robert walked through the door as Uncle James finished his exam.
“Now, young lady, can you tell us what happened to you?” Uncle James said.
Her brow furrowed again. “I... I don’t remember.”
“What is your name?”
Her eyes widened, and her right hand gathered the blanket into a tight fist. “Um... I... don’t know.”
Uncle James exchanged a sober look with Jake and Robert. He asked a couple more simple questions: “What year is it?”and “Who is the president of the United States?”
Both times, she gave a blank stare and shook her head.
Tears gathered in her emerald eyes.
