The older woman’s face looked equally grim. She patted the dough and gave a curt nod. “It’s ready. I’ll put it in a bowl and cover it. It’ll need to be punched down in about thirty minutes.” She jerked her head toward Robert. “Go on.”
Jessie washed her hands and followed Robert out of the kitchen and onto the back deck.
Robert spun to face her as soon as the door closed behind her. “I owe you an apology, Jess.”
“For what?”
“For everything. For not believing you. For letting my guard down and not doing my job properly.”
Jessie wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s Patrick, isn’t it?”
Robert propped one hand on his gun holster and rubbed his neck with the other. “Apparently, he’s rented a motel room out by the county line a few times and he’s been driving around town in rental cars.”
Jessie gasped. “He’s here in Providence?”
She knew they hadn’t seen the last of Patrick, but she’d gotten lulled into a false sense of security. Carried away in thinking she could build a new life here.
“Yes, and I can’t touch him,” Robert said in a voice akin to a growl. “Not until he breaks the law or the restraining order.”
“So I just wait for him to come after me?” Her voice broke on the last word.
“No, Jess. You live your life.” He grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Don’t let fear hold you back from doing the things you want to do. Trust me with your safety. I know I haven’t exactly warranted your trust thus far, but I’m going to make sure we have a guard here around the clock. We’ll continue to make sure you never leave the ranch alone and whatever you do, please keep your phone’s location sharing turned on.”
Jessie nodded, despite the fear clawing at her throat. She trusted Robert, but he didn’t know Patrick like she did. He didn’t know how conniving and self-serving Patrick could be. Didn’t know how irrational Patrick became when he lost his temper.
Robert must have sensed her fear, because he pulled her into his arms. “I’m going to take care of you, Jessie.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and let his embrace comfort her.He’s right. I can’t live my life in fear, but how do I let it go while Patrick is still out there?
The thump of cowboy boots sounded on the back deck, and Robert pulled away. They turned to see Jake approaching.
His gaze pinned Robert. “I didn’t expect to see you here this time of day. Is everything okay?”
Before Robert could answer, the back door to the house opened, and Emily stepped out. “What’s going on? Why is Robert here?”
Emily worked mornings at the hospital as a counselor, but now that school had started again, she spent the afternoons at the high school working with troubled students. She often came home for lunch, especially if her last appointment before lunch canceled. Which must be the case today.
Lately, after school, Emily spent hours at Zane and Lottie’s house talking with Daniel. Jessie didn’t fully understand what was going on with him, but from the snippets she’d overheard, he was going through a rough patch.
Robert cleared his throat. “I found out this morning that Pendleton’s in town.”
Jake’s jaw clenched, and he squared his shoulders as if prepping for a fight.
Emily put an arm around Jessie. “So, what’s the plan?”
“I want a guard here around the clock. I’m going to ask Daniel to stand guard during the night.” Robert shifted his gaze to Emily. “Do you think he can handle it?”
She nodded. “It’ll be good for him.”
“As far as the daytime goes, I’ll work out a schedule for me and my deputies to make sure someone’s here at all times.”
“You don’t have that kind of manpower, do you?” Emily asked.
“Not really.” Robert looked at Jessie again. “But I’m not taking any chances.”
A tingle of warmth—that had nothing to do with today’s rising temperatures—shot through Jessie.
“We can play this like we did last year when Emily was in danger,” Jake said. “I’ve got a ranch hand who dislocated his shoulder yesterday. He’s out of commission for the rest of the season. I was considering letting him go, but it sounds like I should keep him on and shift his responsibilities.”
