An awkward stillness followed as they all kept eating and then Nick finally broke the silence.
“We’ll start on the roof in the morning, weather permitting.After I get back from Sam’s.Is that okay with you, Jenna?”Nick asked, studying her carefully.The gentleness in his tone caught her off guard.It was as if he could sense the storm brewing under her skin.
Did he know when she got angry?Was he picking up that she was still mad at Axel for getting himself sent off to prison and then writing a letter saying he didn’t love her anymore?She tried not to show it, but Nick seemed to know how to take the air out of her temper before it got the best of her.
“That’s fine, Nick,” she answered.
And just like that, the two men launched into a discussion about how best to tackle the roof.The tension eased from her shoulders as their attention drifted away, giving her space to breathe again.
She finished her meal while listening to their conversation and then poured fresh coffee for all of them.She nibbled on a banana muffin which was quite delicious and let their chatter wash over her, observing the endearing smiles and teasing remarks they shared and, for the moment, she felt herself relax, if just a little.
* * * * *
It was quiet in the truck as Axel drove them to Sam's place.They said barely a word to each other, the silence hanging heavy in the air.
Axel seemed withdrawn, reserved, and serious.Perhaps he was lost in his own thoughts, mirroring Jenna, who found herself submerged in her own worries and memories of their past.
She was grateful when Sam's place finally appeared in the distance.His flower garden was always fully in bloom during the spring, summer and autumn months.The flowers and bushes were planted in an arrangement of gardens at the front of his house and along the sides of his laneway.
She found herself relaxing, if just a little, as she gazed at the colorful floras in season; white and pink cosmos, the dark blue bachelor buttons, the tall swaying pink and purple cleome spiders, tall white lilac bushes and many other blooms that brightened up the two-story rustic farmhouse and nearby barn.
Despite the beauty of her surroundings, and the succulent aromas wafting in the air, she found it was not so easy to fully unwind when the man she should have married had upended everything by going to prison, forcing her to move forward without the love of her life.
Her anger simmered as she showed Axel the evening chores which included weeding Sam’s small vegetable garden, helping her clean out the stalls and then setting out fresh water, and food for the animals before bringing them inside.
Despite trying not to show her irritation with him, her words came out clipped and direct.Axel responded with grunts or with stiff questions whenever he needed clarification.
The tension between them was quite evident as they worked quickly and efficiently and she wondered which one of them would address the issue.
The only bright spot in their interaction was Daisy, the poodle.They had heard Daisy’s warning barks drifting through the truck’s open windows long before they’d reached Sam’s little farmhouse.Daisy was thrilled to see them, soaking up their praise and attention and following them around everywhere with an occasional excursion into the surrounding areas to sniff this or that before returning to grab more praise.
Jenna knew that Daisy must miss Sam.How could she not?They’d been living together since he’d brought her home as a rescue dog three years earlier.
When the chores were finished twilight began to settle.The fading light softened everything.The rural barn, the fields and meadows, and the flower gardens.Doing the chores had finally chased away the sharp edges of the anger inside of her.
It was time to leave, and she felt hungry again.
“Want to bring the dog home?”Axel asked as he closed the barn door and they found Daisy running toward them at top speed from her latest exploration trip.
“I think so,” she answered.That he thought of her place as home should have warmed her heart, but she felt like she was doing a tight rope walk over a razor sharp fence.
When should she tell him about her baby?The thought pressed against her ribs like a stone, heavy, unavoidable, and waiting.And what about Axel?Would she be able to not kiss him again if he stayed?A flutter of heat curled low in her belly, traitorous and immediate.
She already knew the answer to that last question.
And what if they didn’t find the intruder?When Sam came back he’d want Daisy to stay with him of course and then she’d have no dog excuse for not having the guys in her house at night.But she did have her weapons.
Her mind scrambled for reasons to keep distance even as her body whispered the opposite.Hmm, did she even want to use excuses?
Suddenly she began to feel warm all over just thinking about being with Axel again.
No.That shouldn’t happen.The two men were here to help run her little ranch.They were not here for her to have sex with.
As Jenna instructed Daisy to jump into the back seat of the extended cab, she noticed Axel hadn’t climbed into the truck but was standing outside near the driver’s side, gazing off into the distance.His dark eyes were narrowed, his shoulders tense.The tension in his shoulders sent a jolt of fear through her.
Axel didn’t go still unless something was wrong.
Chapter Thirteen
