Emily turned around and spotted him at the table. “Robert,” she said around a bite of toast. “I’m surprised to see you here so early.”
“He spent the night,” Lottie said.
“Is everything okay?” Emily’s brow furrowed as she sat down at the table. “I remember the last time you felt the need to spend the night at the ranch.”
Robert knew Emily thought about the night the dogs had alerted Jake to a late-night prowler at the ranch after Emily remembered witnessing her brother’s murder last year.
“Not so serious as that, but...” He directed his gaze toward Jessie, who still stood across the room. “Patrick made bail, and one of my deputies thought he saw him in town last night.”
Jessie’s eyes widened. She dropped her partially eaten toast on the counter, walked to the table, and sank into the chair across from him.
“Everything is going to be okay, Jess,” Robert assured. “No one has spotted Pendleton since last night. It’s possible it wasn’t actually him that Brady saw.”
Jessie nodded and met his gaze. “Thank you. I appreciate the precautions you’re taking.” Then she looked away again.
Jake came in through the mudroom door. After washing up, he sat at the table with them. A palpable tension filled the air as Jake avoided eye contact with Robert. Jessie wouldn’t look at him. Even Emily fidgeted.
What’s going on?
Lottie placed a heaping plate of food in front of Jake.
Jessie’s eyes widened. “Excuse me.” She clapped a hand over her mouth and shoved her way through the swinging door, setting it swaying wildly.
She looked like she was going to be sick again. Robert looked back at Jake and Emily, who shared a sympathetic look but didn’t look at him. There was something going on here that no one wanted to talk about. He didn’t press because he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was happening.
He focused on his food.
After a few minutes, he asked Jake if he could keep a ranch hand posted as guard for a few days. “We’re not a hundred percent certain Pendleton is even in town. And if he is, I doubt he knows where Jessie is. But I’d like to know someone is keeping an eye out, just to be on the safe side.”
“I think we’ve got enough men we can keep someone posted.” Jake took Emily’s hand in his. “Kind of like old times, huh?”
Robert finished his breakfast and left without seeing Jessie again. She probably went back to bed. Hopefully, whatever she had would pass quickly, and she’d feel better soon.
Chapter 23
Robert drove back to the ranch after an early dinner at the diner. Like most days, he hadn’t been able to get Jessie off his mind. He tried to keep his distance because the more time he spent with her, the deeper he fell. But after seeing how sick she looked this morning, he’d worried about her all day.
How long had she had this bug?
When he arrived at the ranch, he grabbed the bag sitting on the seat beside him and went in search of Jessie.
He found Emily resting on the couch in the otherwise empty great room.
“Hi,” Robert said when she opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Is Jessie around?”
“I think she’s out on the back patio.”
“Thanks. Sorry to disturb your nap.” Robert walked out before Emily could say anything else. He was always afraid she would psychoanalyze him.
He spotted Jessie laying on a lounge chair as soon as he stepped out onto the back patio. He froze for a moment, waiting for his treacherous heart—that took off at a gallop—to settle.
Why did it always act like this every time he saw her? She was still married to another man. Even if she wasn’t, he could never really let himself care for her again. Not like he used to. She wasn’t content to stick around this small town five years ago. Why should he think she’d be willing to stick around once the threat of her abusive husband was no longer an issue?
As he stepped closer, he realized her eyes were closed. She was napping, too.
She opened her eyes and gave him a faint smile. “Hi.”
A flutter worked its way from his stomach up through his chest. She was so beautiful, especially when she smiled. He sat on a nearby chair, facing her. “Are you feeling any better?”
