The Dangerous Gift (3 page)

Jared swallowed hard. “Harry brought a letter for you.”

“My hands are wet. Put it on the nightstand for me, please.” Jennie smiled.

Jared stepped past her into the room, hands clenched and skimming the door to avoid any bodily contact. He carefully placed the letter where she’d asked. “I’ll see you downstairs in about twenty minutes,” he said before marching from the room without a backwards glance.

“I won’t be long,” Jennie said as the door banged shut behind him.

She selected lingerie and a classic black dress and dressed without conscious thought as she seethed. Jared hadn’t changed. But it was his loss. Next week, she’d be back in England, and Jared and his precious ranch would be relegated to her teenage memories. But deep down, she knew that was only wishful thinking.

The letter on the nightstand drew her gaze. If Harry wanted her to have it before the funeral service, it must be important. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out the thick legal notepaper inside. On it, Harry Barnes expressed his sorrow for her untimely loss and requested her presence at the reading of the wills of Ralf and Annie Stewart immediately after the funeral service.

Jennie scanned the letter’s contents again. She hadn’t misread it. She slipped her feet into neat, kitten-heeled classic court shoes. With a last look in the mirror, she went downstairs. Did Jared know about the letter’s contents?

***

Jared

The hearse and funeral cars arrived, and it was time for his final good-bye. Jared shuddered as he recalled the service would be a memorial. Precious little of his parents remained after the fireball. He pushed the horrific images from his mind and sought a diversion. The answer to his prayer walked down the stairs in a demure black lace dress with a buttoned-up, lacy collar and long sleeves. Jen’s hair was restrained again in a simple bun this time, which his fingers itched to free, and she wore barely any makeup, her pale skin adding to her air of fragility.

Jared captured and held Jen’s troubled gaze. Driven by a protective instinct, he ran up the stairs. The coldness of her delicate hand alarmed him as he enclosed it in his warm grip. As he stroked the soft skin to warm it, the scent of roses drifted off Jen’s body, and his libido went into overdrive. She smelled so good.

“Are you okay, Kitten?”

“Of course I’m not all right. I hate funerals. See, I’m crying again. My face will be red and puffy before we even get to the church.” Jen’s gaze filled with raw pain as she looked into his eyes.

Her flushed face, brittle voice, and eyelashes spiky and wet from tears made Jared feel even more protective. He put his arm round her slim shoulders and pulled her closer into the warmth and strength of his hard body. “You’re not on your own. I’ll be with you. We can support each other. It helps me, having you here. You must know that.”

The hearse with its two caskets waited outside. Full of yellow roses, it had a kind of macabre beauty that drew the eye. Jen’s tears flowed as Jared ushered her into the lead limousine. When the door closed with a soft thud, he turned to her, desperate for comfort.

***

Intruder

The lonely hillside stood silent, the tears it had witnessed already a memory, the recent mourners’ grief an echo in the gentle breeze. The solitary, dark-suited mourner picked up a handful of earth and threw it into the newly dug graves. Tears splashed onto the dry earth, unnoticed, except by the dead.

The afternoon sun reflected on the windows of the distant ranch house, almost blinding him. Memories flooded back, unwanted and horrific—a fireball spinning in the prematurely darkened afternoon sky, the odor of burning fuel, and the sweet, sickly smell of cooked flesh.

The lone mourner’s vomit spewed onto the dusty trail.

Chapter 2

Jennie

The funeral was soul-destroying. Memories of her parents’ deaths and the pain of her loss resurfaced and intensified the grief she felt for her guardians’ passing. When the ranch house came into view on the ride home, its legacy resonated and comforted her. Memories of happier times gave her hope for the future as she unclasped her hands and relaxed back against the limousine’s upholstered seat. Jared reached for her hand, as if he sensed her disquiet.

Jennie’s mind drifted to her parents and how happy they were. Sarah, her English mother, met and fell in love with Jennie’s father Antonio, Unicorn Ranch’s manager, during Sarah’s post-university graduation holiday. Impulsive Sarah had then shelved her original life plan for wedded bliss on a Texas ranch. Sarah had taught her daughter to always follow her heart, just as she had.

Jennie wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She hadn’t followed her heart when it came to Jared, but maybe this was her second chance.

The limousine came to a stop, and Jared opened the car door. The hot air stole her breath. She fought to inhale much-needed oxygen into her lungs as they hurried up the steps, into the cool of the air-conditioned house. The other mourners looked up as they entered the hallway, their faces blurred by the tears in her eyes.

Jared’s hand on her arm halted her progress into the dining room. “Harry’s ready for us in the office, Jen.”

“I hope your guests don’t mind us disappearing so soon. Shouldn’t I stay here?”

“They’ll understand. There’s plenty of food and drink.” Jared walked towards his office without a backwards glance.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll be with you.” Jennie ignored the other mourners as she headed for the staircase.

Upstairs, she washed her face and reapplied her minimal makeup. She had to look good before she faced the roomful of inquisitive well-wishers again. Her thoughts drifted to Jared. Outwardly, he appeared unaffected by his parents’ deaths, but Jennie knew better. She’d held his hand in the car as he struggled with his grief. When they arrived at the church, he’d hidden his turbulent emotions behind an implacable mask and read the eulogy without stumbling. A private man, he would deny his grief in public, yet he allowed her glimpses of his pain. He’d been sending her mixed messages since her arrival at the ranch. She had to understand what she truly meant to him before she returned to England.

Jared’s reflection in the mirror startled her. His expression was an equal mix of concern and impatience. “Jen, are you all right?”

“I’m coming.” She took a deep breath and followed him downstairs.

***

Jennie jumped up so quickly that she overbalanced the chair, and it hit the floor with a thud.

“Sorry, I must have misheard. I thought you said Annie and Ralf bequeathed me a thirty percent share of the Unicorn Ranch.”

“Yes, honey, I did,” Harry’s gravelly voice assured her. “I know you live in England, but thirty percent of the ranch is yours, regardless of where you reside.”

Jared remained silent, and Jennie risked a glance his way. When his icy-blue-eyed gaze captured hers, cynicism had replaced their usual warmth.

“You didn’t know about this, Jared?”

Jared’s face whitened. “Hell no! Why would they do this behind my back, Harry?”

An awkward silence ensued, broken by the sound of muted voices and the clink of glasses from the wake in the other room. Jennie opened the double doors and stepped into the sultry afternoon heat. The empty porch promised solitude.

“I’ll sit here alone awhile.”
I don’t have to accept the gift
, her conscience reasoned. Annie and Ralf never knew the real reason she’d fled to England.

Her dismissive words seemed to hit the spot.

Jared’s gaze heated. “Touché, Kitten. I’ll leave you to your thoughts. Come on, Harry, the bourbon beckons.”

Alone, Jennie closed her eyes. The old wooden rocker’s monotonous creak soothed her frazzled nerves. She loved ranch life, and she regretted leaving, but Jared’s rejection had made it the only choice. She’d thought her life would be easier if she didn’t see him every day, but her leaving had proven futile. Her teenage crush had endured her self-imposed exile and matured into one-sided love. No one at university threatened Jared’s place in her heart. She compared every man she dated with her first love, and they always fell short. Now that part of the ranch belonged to her, she had to decide if she could live with the platonic relationship Jared had once claimed he wanted or, her heart ventured, see if Jared was willing to take a chance on her now.

A noise in the office startled her. Footsteps, a door clicked shut. A lost guest maybe? Her lack of sleep the previous night, coupled with the rocking motion, induced a drowsy state. She should be at the wake, but she wouldn’t go just yet. She’d take just a few more minutes alone. Exhaustion numbed her. Jared’s long-ago rejection didn’t cut so deep amidst the raw grief of her recent loss. Perhaps she could revisit her painful teenage memories and move on. She must, if she wanted any kind of future with Jared.

“Jen, are you okay?” Jared’s quiet voice disturbed her musing.

“Yes, I’m fine. Old memories, that’s all.” Jennie rubbed her tired eyes.

Jared sat in the adjacent seat. “I know what you mean. It’s a pity you have to go back so soon.”

“
If
I go back. I’m not sure I will now.” Jennie cast a wary glance at him.

The color leached from Jared’s face. “Really?”

“I love the ranch. I’m sure Annie and Ralf wanted me to stay and help you run it.” Jennie hoped he would understand.

Jared sat straighter in his chair. “There’s no need to worry about your investment. I’ll take good care of it.”

“Don’t be defensive, Jared. I know you’re not happy about their decision.” Jennie couldn’t prevent the pique in her voice.

“Mmm, well, let’s talk about it tomorrow. Oh, I found this. It’s addressed to you.”

As Jennie took the pretty cream envelope from Jared, their fingers brushed. She felt a current arc between them. Shocked, she sought his gaze.

Jared looked away and muttered, “Time I went back.”

Jennie examined the envelope. “I heard someone in the office earlier. Strange they didn’t bring this out to me. I’ll open this first and come with you.”

“Perhaps they didn’t see you out here.” A soft knock at the door interrupted them. “I’ll get that. Seems we’ve been missed.” Jared shrugged and walked back into the office.

Jennie opened the envelope, and a stiff formal invitation card fell into her lap. Her heart bumped in her chest as she read the unmistakable warning, written in bold red script, a stark contrast to the snowy white of the card. She had to show Jared. Jennie shuddered and glanced at the office door. Jared stood against the doorframe, a tall, willowy blonde draped in his arms, their lips fused in a passionate kiss.

Jennie’s sore eyes blinked, focused, and flooded with tears. The card fell from her lifeless fingers, forgotten. She stumbled along the porch towards the noisy wake, the lesser of two evils. She couldn’t watch Jared kiss another woman.

***

Jared

Jared closed his office door, and the tall, statuesque blonde sauntered towards the wake alone. Through the open double doors, the empty rocking chair creaked in the gentle breeze and drew his gaze. No sign of Jen. His uninvited guest forgotten, Jared walked onto the now-deserted porch, surprised Jen had left without a word. He ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair, frustrated. A white object flapping underneath the runner of the rocking chair drew his gaze. He picked up the invitation card. His eyes hardened as he read it.
What the hell?

TIME TO GO HOME. THE RANCH IS NOT A SAFE PLACE. THINK ABOUT ANNIE AND RALF. A WELL-WISHER.

Jared stared at the writing on the card, and his hand shook with anger. Why would someone threaten Jen, unless they knew she now owned part of the ranch? Who would benefit from frightening her away?

You would
, his conscience niggled. He clenched the card in his fingers. It rankled that Jen wasn’t safe on the ranch, and the remark about his parents bothered him. Their plane crash was under investigation, and Jared had convinced himself it wasn’t pilot error. The threat on the card implied it was no accident. How would anyone know that unless they were involved somehow?

Jared thrust the card into his trouser pocket. Jen was in danger. He walked towards the noisy wake, his anger barely in check. He had to protect her.

***

Jennie

Mourners spilled out onto the porch and congregated in small groups, their conversation loud and animated. Shocked by the party atmosphere, Jennie soon realized people were relieved; the funeral was over and they were alive. The wake functioned as a release valve on a grief-filled day. Jennie stood against the porch rail, unsure it was the right place for her in such a distressed state.

“Will the girl get anything?”

“She attended the will reading, so yes.”

Jennie wasn’t surprised the other mourners were speculating about her presence at the will reading. The invitation to attend was unexpected, especially to her.

“…the apple of Ralf’s eye. The daughter he never had.”

“Happy enough to leave him, wasn’t she?”

The harsh comments made her step back into the shadows. No one knew why she’d left the ranch for England. It was only natural people would believe the worst of her. See her actions as turning her back on the people who’d offered her a home after her parents’ deaths. It was still hard to hear. They didn’t know she couldn’t bear to be in close proximity to Jared, and for that she was glad. At least her unrequited love wasn’t public knowledge.

The sound of footsteps behind her forced her into the fray; she couldn’t face Jared and his blonde Amazon when she was so fragile.

“Studied in London…”

“Perhaps Harry knows more…”

The speculations stopped as the outspoken mourners parted to allow her into their midst. Jennie’s red-rimmed eyes and extreme paleness drew sympathetic smiles, despite people’s previous caustic comments.

Harry materialized from the crowd. He handed her a crystal tumbler half-filled with amber liquid.

“There you go, honey. You look like you need this.”

Jennie took the glass and managed a shaky smile, glad to see a friendly face. “Thanks. What is it?” She’d known Harry forever. A long-time friend of Annie and Ralf, he was the closest thing to a father figure available to her now.

“Cognac. Good for shock. Seen Jared? He went to look for you.” Harry’s gaze held only kindness.

Jennie took a tentative sip. A warm sensation spread through her numb body. She took another gulp, and the effect magnified. “He found me.”

“I see.” An angry expression flitted across Harry’s craggy face.

“Sorry?” Jennie couldn’t concentrate on his words.

“Guess he said something about the will to upset you?” Harry gulped down his drink.

Jennie swayed, dizzy and confused. Images of Jared in his office earlier, entwined with the Amazon-like blonde, haunted her.

Harry rescued the empty glass from her shaky hand. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s find somewhere to sit down before you keel over. Cognac’s meant to be sipped, not gulped.”

The mourners parted before them like a shoal of fish in the presence of a shark. Harry guided her to the swing seat at the far end of the porch, away from curious eyes. Jennie dropped into the well-cushioned upholstery with a grateful sigh.

Harry stepped back and leaned against the porch rail. “Come on, Jennie, tell me. I can see someone’s upset you.”

Jennie couldn’t even confide in Harry, whom she’d known most of her life. Her pain was too raw. “It’s everything. Annie, Ralf, the funeral, the ranch. I need time to come to terms with it all.” She forced her hunched-up shoulders into a more relaxed position and hoped Harry wouldn’t dig any deeper. Having a meltdown in such a public setting was the last thing she wanted.

Her protector took the seat opposite hers, and his bulk screened her from the majority of the mourners. Harry patted her hand and smiled. “So has Jared shown you the new bunkhouses?”

Grateful for his sympathetic change of subject, Jennie managed a genuine smile. “Not yet. There wasn’t time between my jet lag and the funeral.”

“I’m sure he’ll get round to it. Now that you’re staying awhile.” Harry leaned back in his chair and brushed a stray dog hair from his pants.

Jennie sighed. At least Harry was on her side. “You think I should stay?”

“It’s not my call. But as a friend…yes, I do.” Harry continued to smooth nonexistent creases from his pant leg.