Chapter 10: The Next Morning

Chapter 10: The Next Morning

The following morning, by the time the rooster crowed in the barnyard just as the sun was peeking over the eastern horizon, Cole was already up. He pulled on a faded pair of jeans and a flannel-lined chambray shirt against the chill of the March morning.

Passing Jenny's door, he peered in to see her in much the same position in which she'd been the night before. Hooking his head to the right, he indicated for Blue to follow him, which the dog did, albeit reluctantly.

A hot mug of coffee in hand, he stepped out onto the wide covered porch and watched as Blue performed his morning constitutional. Cole had a busy day ahead of him, having lost time the day before traveling to and from Carmel. He needed to work all the horses, for a little while, at least, and he wanted to see what kind of headway he could make with Dahlia.

And he needed to go to town to pick up feed for the horses. He thought of Jenny, asleep upstairs. As long as he'd be in town, he was going to pick up some things for her. She had absolutely nothing, not even shoes. He mused for a moment on the clothes and other things she needed.

Returning inside, he found a pad of paper and a pen, starting a list of items. Blue took the opportunity to shuffle back upstairs, and Cole didn't bother to stop him. It pleased him that the dog had taken to her as he had, and Jenny seemed to like him right back. Cole figured it was a good thing.

When he was satisfied with the list, he headed to the barn to begin his day.

As she slowly began to awaken, Jenny breathed in deeply, turning from her back to her side. Eyes still closed, she brought a hand to her face, gently touching the area around her eye.

Does it feel less swollen? Maybe it did, or maybe it was wishful thinking.

Warm breath on her face startled her, and her eyes popped open to see a shiny black nose and two soulful brown eyes resting mere inches away.

Jenny smiled. Hi, puppy. She reached to pet his head, and the dog whimpered softly. Jenny frowned. Do you need to go outside?

Carefully, she sat up and looked around. It had been dark when she'd gone to bed. Now, golden sunlight streamed through the two windows of the corner bedroom. To her, it was a beautiful space, all pastel colors and feminine details.

Her prison of the last two years popped into her mind, the tiny cubicle with its stark white walls, the air mattress she'd been allotted, the black blanket that had kept her warm.

No more. She shook her head and her gaze fell back to Blue. Oh. Puppy needs to go out.

She wondered where Cole was. The house was deafeningly quiet. She slid out of bed, still wearing the clothes he'd loaned her the night before. Quickly, she made the bed, carefully replacing the throw pillows and making certain the arrangement was pristine.

She crossed to the bathroom, pausing to check her image in the mirror. The swelling around her eye had definitely abated. Now it was merely a noxious shade of purple. She used a comb she found in a drawer to sort out her ginger waves, wishing she had a hair tie. Instead, she tucked her hair behind her ears as best she could.

In the hallway, she glanced around, but since the house seemed empty, she headed downstairs. A rectangle of white paper on the kitchen counter caught her eye. It was a note from Cole.

Good morning, sleepyhead.

'I'm out at the barn. You can join me if you like.

Cole'

Jenny smiled, noting that her lip was less sore than it had been. She looked down at her sock feet. No trips to the barn today. She placed a hand on her stomach to still the nerves there.

Besides, Victor is looking for me.

To anyone else, the idea that Victor might find her at some remote ranch all the way in--she realized she had no idea where she was--might seem ridiculous. But she knew Victor, knew what he was capable of. She's seen it firsthand.

Blue whined again, and the thoughts of Victor dissipated. Come on, puppy. She opened the kitchen door, and the dog ran outside, heading in the direction of the barn.

Afraid to go outside onto the porch, Jenny crossed to the living room windows. From there, she could see Cole exercising a horse in a round pen not far from the barn. A few other horses grazed in a fenced pasture beyond that.

Blue trotted up to Cole, and the man leaned down to scratch behind his ears. Then he stood and looked toward the house, raising a hand in a wave when he saw Jenny at the window. Jenny smiled and waved back, feeling an uncertain flutter in her stomach.

Cole stopped the horse and walked up to him, rubbing his nose and neck with generous affection. He opened the pen's gate and walked the horse into the pasture, where he removed the rope harness and turned him loose to join the others.

Shortly, he and Blue walked in the front door. "Hey there, Jenny," he grinned. "How did you sleep?"

Blushing slightly, she smiled, nodding. Really well.

"Good," he said, hanging his straw hat on a rack near the front door. He turned and tilted his head, gazing at her thoughtfully. "Your eye looks better today. Yesterday, you only had one." He chuckled softly. "It's gonna be quite a shiner for a while, though."

Jenny self-consciously brought her hand to her left eye, touching the area softly.

Cole made his way into the kitchen, and Jenny followed. "Are you hungry?"

She hadn't considered it before, but now that he mentioned it, she was. Yes. She nodded sheepishly.

He took two plates from a cupboard and set them on the kitchen island. "How does a sandwich sound? I have turkey and swiss cheese." He looked to her, and she nodded again.

Jenny felt her stomach rumble. Turkey and cheese sounded amazing. She watched as he put slices of white bread on the plates. From the fridge, he retrieved the turkey, the cheese, a jar of mayonnaise, and a bottle of yellow mustard.

Setting everything on the counter, he held up the condiments. "Mayo, or mustard? Or both?"

She pointed to the mustard.

"Not a fan of mayo?"

She shook her head, wrinkling her nose.

"Oh, it's good stuff," he contended, slathering his bread with the thick white goo.

She couldn't stop the snicker, and he looked up at her, grinning. Her heart skipped a beat as she met his deep brown eyes. Cole was exceptionally handsome, with his dark hair, so brown it was almost black, and those dreamy eyes.

Just…don't, she cautioned herself.

When the sandwiches were ready, he cut them on the diagonal and placed heaping portions of corn chips in the space between halves.

As they ate, Cole chattered about his morning and his work with the horses. Jenny listened, nodding when it was appropriate.

At one point, he looked up at her. "I have to go into town today to pick up some feed that just came in. Thought I might wander over to Wal-Mart and maybe pick up some things for you. Unless you'd like to come with me."

Jenny felt panic rising and she shook her head furiously. She had no money, no way of paying for anything, and she certainly didn't expect Cole to buy things for her. The reality of her situation sank in. What choice do I have?

Cole smiled kindly. "I kind of figured you'd say that. Besides, you can't exactly go gallivanting all over town dressed like that." He nodded to her outfit of his hand-me-downs.

She looked down at herself and smiled in spite of herself.

He drew a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I started a list of things I figured you might need. But I need sizes. I'd never venture to guess a woman's size—I grew up with a sister who could kick my ass."

Jenny found herself suppressing a smile. She scanned the list. Jeans, tops, underwear, jacket, socks, shoes, toiletries.

He pushed a pencil toward her. "I know how you feel about writing stuff down. But I have to have sizes, or else I'll buy all the wrong things."

She chewed her lip thoughtfully as she tried to decide what to do. Finally, she picked up the pencil and began marking sizes.

As she did, Cole continued. "If there are any brands you prefer, mark those, too. And if I know your favorite color, it will make it easier picking out stuff."

Finished marking sizes, she wrote the word purple beneath the list of clothing, then handed it back to him.

He looked over the list and grinned. "Purple, huh? Good to know."

Together, they cleaned up from lunch, quickly washing the dishes.

Cole headed toward the door, grabbing his hat and placing it on his head. "Is there anything from the grocery I can get you? Something to eat or drink?"

Unbidden, the image of an ice-cold bottle of Dr. Pepper popped into her mind. It was her favorite, and she hadn't had any since before she'd been taken. Something must have shown on her face because Cole grinned.

"There is, isn't there? Tell me what it is so I can get it." He held the list toward her.

Jenny felt herself blush furiously. Reluctantly, she took the paper and quickly scribbled at the bottom of the list.

"Dr. Pepper," Cole read, smiling. "Coming right up." He headed to the door and turned to her. "I'll lock the gate behind me, Jenny. You don't have to worry about anybody coming onto the ranch."

She nodded soberly.

"You can even lock the door if you like. I can let myself in with the key." He looked to the dog. "Plus, Blue won't let anybody near the house. He's a coonhound, and he can bay like nobody's business."

Gently, he squeezed her shoulder. "I'll be back soon."