Except last night, but she wasn’t saying anything about it at least not yet.
Nick nodded.
To her surprise, Nick produced a small notebook from the breast pocket of his military green shirt along with the stub of a pencil.
“Tell me what needs to be done.”
Her mind whirled as she shot off the chores to him.
Nick wrote quickly, asked questions, all the while whipping around at the back of her mind was the thought she did not want to be alone with Axel.
But half an hour later, she stood in her parking lot.She watched with dread as the red taillights of Tim’s bright red truck, a brand new truck that hadn’t been necessary, had a virtual stranger driving off in it.Soon, the taillights disappeared at the top of the hill, leaving her with a strange mix of dread and anticipation as Axel stood beside her, his body heat whipping against her like an inferno.Her pulse stumbled as old instincts roared back to life.
Damn him, why was she still reacting to him after all these years apart?
“We'd best get to the chores.What did you need me to do first?Remember I'm a city bumpkin.No idea what to do on a ranch or farm or whatever this place is.”
His voice dipped into that familiar teasing drawl that always used to undo her and now made her body hum.Just like old times.
“It was supposed to be my dream horse ranch.Tim added the chickens.We’ll start there,” Jenna said as she led him to the chicken coop.
“I am assuming Tim is your late husband.Cyn mentioned he had died unexpectedly,” Axel said as he followed her.
“Yeah,” Jenna said, feeling the cut of grief slice through her again as Tim’s name landed like a stone in her chest.
Axel’s footsteps slowed behind her.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.The gentleness in his tone scraped raw against her grief and unexpected heat flickered low in her chest.Was he talking about Tim…or about everything they’d lost?She shoved the emotions down hard.
Later.She’d deal with all of it later.
She just needed him working so she could call Cyn.
And fire her ass.
Chapter Five
Axel had noticed Jenna visibly tense when he had offered his sympathy.The flinch hit him harder than any punch he’d taken inside the prison.It was a reminder of how much he’d lost the right to comfort her.She was suffering and he wished he could just hug her close and tell her everything would be alright.But he kept quiet as they entered the chicken yard.He was here to help her out, not find an excuse to wrap his arms around her.
“I keep the chickens inside at night because of the foxes, wolves, and coyotes.You’d be surprised how they'll rip down an enclosure to get at the chickens,” she explained as she opened the wired gate.He followed her through the gate, struck by how naturally she moved in this space.Confident, capable, entirely at home.
He nodded and realized he couldn't take his eyes off her as she showed him where she kept the feed and how to clean and then fill the water fountains.Then she unlatched the lock on the chicken coop and told him to stand back as she opened the door.He did as she instructed and he laughed as several squawking rusty colored chickens came running out.
“They like it outdoors,” she laughed.
Her laugh sounded bright and unguarded and punched straight through his chest, making guilt rip through him again at how badly he’d treated her after he’d been convicted.
“Just scatter the food in the yard,” she explained and he watched as she did it and then she had him try it.
“Then we go inside and do some cleaning and get the eggs.There's usually three to six eggs every day.Sometimes more,” she explained.
He stooped in the low doorway as he followed her into the coop.It was cozy and quite warm inside.Clean and snug and smelled of pine.
She pointed to the pine shavings on the entire floor.He watched her hands as she gestured steady, sure, the hands of someone who’d built a life without him.
“This needs to be swept up every morning to keep everything hygienic,” she explained as she pointed to the floor.She grabbed a nearby broom, dustpan, and garbage bag off a shelf, and she showed him what needed doing.
Once that was finished they sprinkled fresh pine shavings onto the wood floor.
