She knew she should invest in a security alarm system, but with the intermittent power outages, and there were quite a few, the cost of the system seemed hard to justify when compared to the ongoing needs of her horses and the buildings.For now, she would make do with what she had, which was trusting her instincts and focusing her resources where she felt they were needed most.
Her gun was a comfort against the lingering uncertainty that something might happen again tonight, so she retrieved it, made sure the safety catch was in place, and keeping it within reach, she swept up the shards of glass from the broken window.
Afterward she shut the bedroom door and went to lay down in her guest bedroom.This small room, which she planned to transform into a nursery in the coming months, offered a sense of hope and purpose amidst tonight’s chaos.
As she lay down, she tried to quiet her mind and focus on the calm she hoped would return with the morning light.
She smiled, despite a pounding headache and placed her hand over her tummy, soothing herself and the baby.All she needed to do was rest.All would be well in the daylight which would be within the hour.
Maybe she would reach out for help and put in a call to one of her brothers.She didn’t know how long she could put up this brutal pace of caring for two places.Her brothers, Brady and Mitch, were the closest, only a few hours away, and they had said to call if she needed them.
Yeah, maybe she would call one of them.
In the meantime, she would just lay here and wait for the sunrise.She wouldn’t fall asleep.How could she?She’d had three coffees, and she hoped she hadn’t just turned her unborn baby into a caffeine junkie.
The wind continued to rattle at the cabin walls, push against the old windows, and she heard weird banging noises up on the roof making her wonder if the old shingles weren’t holding.But after everything that had happened, she just didn’t care about what the weather was doing to her home, and she simply couldn’t gather the strength to go outside to see.Besides, any damage done by the wind, she would deal with in the daylight.
She was surprised that she fell asleep because when she awoke bright light streamed past the drawn curtains into the room, splashing heat over her face, making her feel incredibly hot.It appeared despite all that coffee she’d consumed; she’d fallen asleep again.A glance at the clock on the night table had her gasping.
It was just after eight o’clock!And way too muggy inside without any open windows, but she did feel rested compared to other days.
Thankfully though, she heard no wind.All was quiet.The windstorm had passed.
She could smell the tiniest tinge of coffee too as it wafted through the hot air and she remembered she’d left the coffee maker on the warm setting after last night’s fiasco.
Oh boy, she needed to get her butt in gear.She was way behind schedule.Her horses and Sam’s horses would be so pissed at her at being let out so late.The eggs needed to be collected from the henhouse too.
But first she needed a quick shower to get herself nicely refreshed and then a coffee.
She kept her gun on the nearby bathroom counter as she quickly showered.
Not too long afterwards, she turned off the faucets, stepped out of the shower and hurriedly towel dried herself.She wouldn’t blow dry her hair.Once she got outside the sunshine would dry it quickly.
Just as she finished drying herself, a squeak that oddly sounded like that of her kitchen door being opened stopped her cold.Instincts warned her that she was now not alone.
Oh, come on!Not again!
Jenna's heart cracked against her chest as she quickly knotted the towel above her breasts.She would have preferred to be dressed, but time was precious.The bathroom window was way too small to climb out of so she couldn’t make a run for it that way.She cursed herself for leaving her cell phone in her purse in the kitchen cupboard.And where had she left her keychain with the keys to her truck?
Anger snapped through Jenna, momentarily chasing away her fear.She grabbed her weapon off the bathroom counter, feeling the welcome weight of the gun in her hand.Her movements were quick and controlled as she carefully undid the gun’s safety catch, then unlocked her bathroom door and steeled herself into the hallway.
Damn!Why had she left her cell phone in her purse in the kitchen?Why had she done such a foolish thing?And where were her keys?She’d had them in her hand after getting her gun out of the lockbox.Being pregnant was really screwing with her brains.
She heard another sound.This one different than the one just moments earlier.Was someone turning on the water tap in the kitchen?
Had her sister come back?She had a key.She might have let herself in.
Adrenaline zipped through her.
If it wasn't Ginny, then Jenna might have to shoot the intruder, or intruders.It wouldn't be the first time she’d shot someone.
Despite every instinct yelling at her to get out the back door this instant, she pushed her urgency to escape aside and tiptoed down the hallway toward her kitchen.She needed to know who was here.
She could barely breathe as she held the gun with both hands and pointed it straight in front of her as she slowly moved.
Despite having her gun, she’d lost her anger, and fear was creeping back.At the end of the hall, she peeked around the corner into the kitchen.
Two big men stood there at the kitchen sink, their backs to her as they gazed out the window.Were they looking for her outside?Hiding in here ready to jump her?
