Jenna frowned.How did Cyn know about Sam?She hadn’t told anyone that she was caring for his place too.
Or maybe she’d put Axel and Nick under Sam’s name in the program?That might work.
She made a move to unwrap the towel from her wrists.This time neither man stopped her as she sat up.
There was a hint of dizziness and then it thankfully passed.
“I need to get over to Sam's place and take care of his animals.Oh, damn.”
Suddenly her vision blurred and the room tilted as her stomach lurched violently.
“Jenna?You look sick,” Axel growled.
Before she could so much as nod, a plastic wastebasket was thrust beneath her chin.
Embarrassment rocked her as she puked.A gentle hand patted her upper back and instinctively she knew it was Axel trying to comfort her.The warmth of his hand through the towel made her throat tighten with something far more complicated than embarrassment.
How in the world could she tell him that she was pregnant?
Her nausea went away after she puked.Just as quick as it came.Concern for her baby was beginning to mount.
“Did I hit the ground hard?”she asked as she grabbed the facecloth and used it to clean around her quivering lips.
She didn't feel any aches or pains, but that didn’t mean anything.
“Nick was the gallant knight and caught you,” Axel replied.
“Yeah, I'm younger and faster,” Nick said with a chuckle, replaying that earlier joke.
Axel rolled his eyes.
“He wishes he was faster.I was just too far away.”
Despite everything, a tiny laugh bubbled up and Jenna grinned.The two men had been standing beside each other, and Axel had taken a step forward when…
“Your gun is right over there.I put the safety lock on,” Axel said as he took the wastebasket.
“ll take care of it,” she whispered, totally embarrassed that they could see and smell her puke.
“No, I'll take care of it.You get dressed and then if you feel up to it you'll give us the lowdown of the chores.And about this Sam character,” Axel said.
There was a tinge of hardness when he said Sam's name.His jaw tightened, a flicker of something territorial flashing in his eyes.
Was he jealous?Had Cyn not told him that Sam was fifty plus years older than them?She kept her questions to herself as she stood.
The two men flanked her, probably concerned that she might fall again.Their nearness wrapped around her like heat, overwhelming and strangely comforting all at once, but she felt sturdy and waved them away.
Goodness!How was she going to handle having these two men around?
Had Cyn gone insane?
Was she herself insane for even entertaining the idea of keeping them here?Her pulse hammered as she hurried down the hall, the weight of two men, and one impossible future pressing at her heels.How was she going to handle this situation?
* * * * *
“I can see why you're attracted to her.She's quite pretty,” Nick said in a low voice when Axel returned from emptying and cleaning out the puke basket.Nick kept his tone casual, but something tight flickered in his chest as he watched Axel’s face.
“I am more than attracted to her.She was my fiancé.And she's more than quite pretty.She's beautiful, kind, and smart as a whip,” Axel replied and grabbed the wet towel and washcloth from the floor where they had fallen after Jenna had gotten up.
