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Copyright 2004

Jenny slept late that Saturday morning. She had gotten home late the night before. It had taken all of them to get Buckshot on his feet and down to the place where Paula had picked to bury him. By the time she helped Mitch euthanize him, everyone was crying, even Dutch who had arrived with his backhoe. It was well after dark when Mitch gave her his keys and convinced her to take his truck back to the clinic. He said he was going to spend the night there, he’d let someone drop him off over the weekend.

Now she lay awake in bed remembering how it felt when he had touched her cheek. She wasn’t afraid to be alone with him anymore. It was quite the opposite. She craved being alone with him right now.

Suddenly she realized that no one had mentioned a girlfriend. Did he already have one? A man like him, in a place like this? She sighed. He probably had a whole harem of women after him.

“Actually,” she could hear Bessie talking to someone, “she’s still in bed.”

Jenny jumped up and threw on her robe. She stuck her head out of the bedroom, “I’m up, Grandma.”

“Oh,” Bessie was on the phone, “She’s up, I’ll let you talk to her.”

“Hello?” Jenny could feel her heart pounding in anticipation.

“Hey, Sweetie,” Linda’s voice greeted her, “I hope I didn’t wake you. We’re getting ready to go to a car show and I was afraid I’d miss your call.”

“Mom,” Jenny was glad to hear from her, but realized she had been hoping it was Mitch, “I was awake. Just hanging out, being lazy.”

“So, tell me how it’s going.”

~*~

Jenny spent Saturday sorting through boxes and putting things in order. She tried to push Mitch from her mind, but he kept creeping back in. She found herself wishing Monday would come soon.

Sunday morning started out warm for January and Jenny was longing for a horse to ride. She had a fleeting thought of going to the stable, but she didn’t feel right about leaving her grandmother. She was sitting on the front porch, enjoying the sunshine when she heard the phone ring.

“Jenny,” Bessie came to get her, “It’s for you, Dear.”

Thinking it was her mother again, Jenny picked up the phone, “Yeah?”

“Don’t you even want to hear the question?” Mitch’s voice teased.

“Oh, hello,” Jenny went crimson, “I thought it was my mom. Sorry.”

“That’s OK,” he chuckled, “I liked your answer…In fact, I’m going to hold you to it.”

“OK,” she wondered if he could tell how nervous she was, “What is the question?”

“It’s supposed to be gorgeous today,” he told her, “Up in the 60’s this afternoon. Why don’t you come over to my folk’s house for lunch and we’ll go for a ride afterwards? You can bring your grandma along. I’m sure she’d like the chance to visit. Hazel is here and my grandpa and I think Dutch is bringing his dad out.”

“What’s the occasion?” Jenny wondered.

“Spring fever,” he laughed, “And an attempt by Dad to get Mom’s mind off Buckshot. He figures if there’s a crowd, she won’t have time to think about it.”

“Should we bring something?” She offered.

“Just your sweet smiling self,” he told her, “Just come whenever. Dad’s grilling burgers for everybody. We’ll probably eat around noon.”

“OK,” she accepted, “We’ll be there.”

Jenny’s heart was racing as she and her grandmother got out of her truck. The lawn was bustling with people, setting up tables, laughing, visiting. She looked very feminine in her jeans and powder blue sweater. She had picked it because it was the softest one she had.

After introducing her grandmother to the family she hadn’t yet met, Jenny left her visiting with Hazel.  Rob was grilling burgers and Mitch was nowhere to be seen. Jenny went over and put her arm around Rob.

“Hey, Squirt,” he grinned and put his arm around her shoulders, “Glad you could come.”

“Hey, Boss,” she stayed there in the crook of his arm, “How’s Paula doing?”

“She’s been better,” he sighed, then reached down and kissed the top of her head, “She’ll be happy to see you here. She’s in the kitchen. Why don’t you go offer to help her.”

“OK,” she nodded, “I will.”

Jenny turned to go into the house and almost ran into Mitch. Stealth mode, she thought, feeling herself blush.

“Hey,” he grabbed her shoulders, making her knees go weak, “You made it!”

“I told you we would,” she almost snapped, wincing at the harshness in her own voice.

“Mom’s in the kitchen,” he let go and stepped back.

Jenny was already kicking herself by the time she made it into the kitchen. She’d meant to be bright and cheerful, but she was already starting to feel glum.

“Hey, Jen,” Paula smiled at her, “Did your grandma come, too?”

“Yeah,” Jenny forced a smile, “She’s with your mom. Can I do anything to help?”

“Sure,” Paula handed her a tray of raw patties, “Here’s the last of the burgers. Can you carry them out to Rob for me?”

“Glad to,” she answered and started out.

“Oh Jenny,” Paula called, “Would you send Mitch in here for me? Tell him I need his muscles.”

Jenny grimaced inside. This wasn’t going to be anything like she had hoped. She carried the tray out toward Rob, scanning the crowd for Mitch as she walked.

“Here,” Dutch appeared and reached out to help her, “Let me take those.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, “I was on my way to Rob with them.”

“Got it,” he took over.

She scowled as she looked for Mitch, then panicked when she saw him talking to her grandmother. That could be the end of life as she knew it. Jenny hurried over to put an end to that conversation.

“Mitch,” Jenny ordered, “Paula wants you in the kitchen.”

He looked up at her, clicked his heels together and saluted, “Aye-aye, Cap’n.”

“Jenny,” Bessie scolded, after Mitch walked off, “Couldn’t you have said that in a nicer way? What’s gotten into you, Dear?”

“Grandma,” Jenny said under her breath, “Please. I have to work with him. Don’t be saying anything to him, OK?”

Bessie shook her head and shrugged, then went back to find Hazel. Jenny was berating herself terribly. She wanted to be nice to him, but every time she opened her mouth she heard venom in her voice.  She started to go talk to Rob, but saw Mitch had reappeared close to the grill. She was feeling miserable.

“Are you OK?” Dutch came up to her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she smiled.

“Not used to a big family, are you?” He guessed.

“No,” she shook her head, “Just me and Mom for a long time.”

“I hear you lost your dad when you were young,” he told her, “I lost my mom when I was in high school.”

“I’m sorry,” she was starting to feel comfortable with this guy, “It’s hard, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” he nodded, “But I have five sisters, so we still had a big family. It must have really been hard for you and your mother.”

“I had Rob,” she started to tell him, then caught herself.

“You still do,” he grinned, “And now you have the rest of us, too…whether you want us or not!”

She chuckled at his joke, “It’s kind of overwhelming.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “Chelsea feels that way too sometimes. It was just her and Karen…that’s her mom…most of her life. She still gets overwhelmed by all the activity when everyone gets together…Funny, it doesn’t seem to bother Mitch that way.”

There was that name again. She felt the knot in her stomach return. Dutch must have noticed the look on her face.

“Something wrong between the two of you?” He asked.

“Who?” She acted confused.

“You and Mitch,” he said quietly, “You’re treating him like he has leprosy.”

She looked at him for a minute, then shook her head, “No…everything’s fine…”

“OK,” he reached over and patted her on the back, “If you need a friend…I’m around.”

Jenny made her way up onto the front porch. She found a nice perch at one end where she could watch everyone without being in the middle of the activity. She was leaning on the rail, looking at Rob cooking the burgers. She longed to go talk to him, but there were too many people around. She suddenly realized what was really bothering her. She had never had to share Rob before.  He had been all hers when she was a little girl, and even this past week working at the stable. Now, he belonged to everyone…and she wanted him to herself.

Paula crossed the lawn and walked up behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her face between his shoulder blades. He leaned back into her and looked back over his shoulder, smiling. Jenny felt an intense pang of jealousy.

“Almost sickening, isn’t it?” Mitch spoke from over her shoulder.

Her back was to him, so he couldn’t have seen her blush this time. Stealth mode again. How was it a man his size could move so silently?

“I don’t know,” she spoke quietly this time, “I think it’s kind of nice. After all these years and they still love each other like that.”

“Yeah, I know,” he was close enough behind her that she could feel his breath, “But it’s hard to watch sometimes. Day after day, week after week, month after month…year after year…It makes it hard not to have someone of your own you can be that way with.”

“You’re just jealous,” Jenny accused, still not turning to face him.

“Of course, I am,” he confessed, “Who wouldn’t be? I’d give my right arm to have a woman like that in my life.”

Jenny looked across the lawn at Chelsea and Dutch. They were face to face, his arms around her waist and hers around his neck.

“They have it too,” Jenny observed.

“Yes, they do,” Mitch moved to her side and looked toward Chelsea, “I’m glad. He makes her very happy…she deserves to be happy like that.”

Jenny saw a clouded look come over Mitch’s face as he looked at them. His voice had a thick sound to it she had never heard before. When he looked down at her, she saw a tear at the edge of one eye.

Just as she was about to speak, Jason ran up to them.

“Mitch,” he reported excitedly, “Dad says after lunch we can set the jumps up for the horses. Want to ride with us?”

“Not today, Jas,” he smiled, his voice back to normal, “I’m going to try to persuade Jenny to take a ride with me. She’s never seen the property and I thought I’d take her on the grand tour.”

“OK,” Rob shouted, “Burgers are done! Come and gather around for the blessing so we can eat!”

Jenny managed to sit with Chelsea, Dutch and all the senior citizens. She noticed Mitch heading her way at first, then moving toward his brothers when he saw that she was surrounded. She was glad. She wasn’t ready to eat in front of him yet. She relaxed and enjoyed herself while they ate.

After they had finished, Dutch and Chelsea got up and started toward the arena. Jenny almost followed, but she knew they wanted to be alone. She was looking around for a good place to hide when Rob sat down next to her.

“Hey, Squirt,” he winked, “You OK today?”

“Yeah,” she smiled, “I’m glad you guys thought to invite us.”

“I’m afraid I can’t take credit for that one,” he told her, “That was my son’s idea.”

“Which one?” She wondered.

“I think you can figure that out,” he teased, “Hey, he wants you to go riding with him. Go ahead. You’ll be fine.”

She swallowed hard and looked at him, searching his eyes, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Jenny,” he only used her name when he was totally serious, “It’s a beautiful day. He has a pair of paint horses that are right down your alley. There’s a great trail that goes down by the creek. Let him show you. He won’t hurt you, Honey. I promise.”

She felt like a little girl again, when Rob talked to her like that. It made her want to crawl in his lap and lay her head on his shoulder. If only he knew how much she wanted him to ride with her instead.

“OK,” she said softly, “If you say so.”

“That’s my girl,” he smiled, gently rubbing her shoulders as he got up and left her.

There was an ache in Jenny’s heart that was growing. She was going to have to do something or everything would come crashing down around her before long. This day was turning into a nightmare for her.

“Hey,” Mitch startled her as he sat down.

“Stop doing that!” She snapped.

“Doing what?” He asked.

“Sneaking up on me,” there was still a harsh edge to her voice, “That’s the third time today.”

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, “I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess I could hang a cowbell around my neck.”

She couldn’t keep from smiling at his remark.

“That’s better,” he grinned, “Now, will you please do me the honor of joining me for a ride this afternoon? I’ve already saddled up both my horses. I thought you would like Dakota, so I put one of Paula’s saddles on him for you.”

“OK,” she agreed, “And I like the idea of a cowbell.”

He stood up and reached for her hand. She gave it to him, and felt her breath catch as he squeezed it and led her toward the stable.

As she got on Dakota, she noticed something rolled up behind Cheyenne’s saddle. It looked like a blanket. Fear shot through her and she almost changed her mind. Then she remembered Rob’s promise. She had to trust him.

Mitch led the way on Cheyenne, Panyon following along. Jenny started to relax, enjoying the feel of a horse again. She hadn’t ridden for years, but it wasn’t something a person forgot how to do. They rode quietly, except when Mitch pointed out things along the way. They flushed a couple of deer. There was a bald eagle flying high above them. He showed her a place in the woods where turkeys had been roosting.

When they reached the creek that ran through the valley, Mitch stopped his horse. He got down, dropping the reins. His horse stayed put as he walked over to Jenny. He looked up at her and reached his hands up to help her down. Jenny didn’t move.

“Come on, Jenny,” Mitch asked, “I’m not going to bite.”

“I can get down from a horse by myself,” she told him.

“I know you can,” he smiled, “but if I’m here, you shouldn’t have to.”

She looped the reins around the saddle horn and reached out to let him help her down. She felt herself blush as he put her down gently in front of him.

“There,” he looked down into her eyes, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Why are we stopping?” She asked stepping away.

He led the horses to a tree and tied them. He reached up and grabbed the roll behind Cheyenne’s saddle. As he shook it out, Jenny felt her blood run cold. It was a blanket. She had been right. He spread it out on the bank overlooking the creek.

“What’s that for?” She started backing up.

“To sit on,” he answered, “We’re stopping so we can talk. Come here, Jenny. Please.”

She thought about grabbing a horse and trying to get away. She thought about just running. She knew they were too far from the house for anyone to hear her scream. Mitch must have seen the look of terror on her face.

“OK, Jenny,” he sat down, “I’m going to sit down. You can stand there or you can take Dakota and ride back if you want. He knows the way back. I’m not coming after you. I’m not going to chase you.”

“Why did you bring me out here?” She asked, her voice trembling.

“Because you’re scared of me, Jenny,” he stated calmly, “I don’t know why, but you’re scared of me. You’re not scared of my dad or of Doc, but you’re scared of me. Have I done or said something that scared you?”

She took a deep breath, “No. Did your dad tell you to do this?”

“My dad?” He raised his brows, “No. Why would Dad tell me to do this?”

She didn’t answer.

“Jenny,” he started talking, “There are some things you need to know, OK? This is not general information, for everyone to know, but Doc is thinking about retiring soon.”

“What?” She gasped.

“It’s written into my contract,” he went on, “that I have the first option to buy the practice.”

She was still standing there, letting it sink in.

“If you have a problem with me,” he told her, “then we need to work it out.”

“You’d be my boss,” she muttered.

“Jenny,” he confessed, “I already am.”

“What?” She was getting very confused.

“What do you think the M in J & M Stables stands for?” He pointed out.

“Martin,” she whispered.

“Please, Jenny,” he asked softly, “Come over here and sit down. We need to talk about this. I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

She walked over hesitantly and looked down. He was sitting Indian style, looking up at her with those eyes that belonged to Rob…and her father. She sat down across from him, still afraid.

“There,” he smiled, “See? I’m not going to do anything. We’re just going to talk. I’ll talk, OK? You can just listen. I know Mom told you some things, but she didn’t tell you everything, because she doesn’t know everything.

“I’ll start at the beginning,” he was speaking in the same soft, gentle voice he used with horses when he calmed them, “I was adopted when I was a baby. The Martins, the people who adopted me, were nothing like Dad and Paula are. They both worked and they were very materialistic. I know they loved me and wanted me, or they wouldn’t have adopted me, but I never spent a great deal of time with them. I had a full-time nanny until I went to school. I had all sorts of lessons and tutors and coaches who taught me things, but my parents never taught me anything themselves.

“I had horses,” he went on, “And I learned to think of my horses as my best friends. I decided very early that I wanted to be a vet. I wanted to work with racehorses.

“When I was in high school,” he explained, “I had a couple of different girlfriends, but nothing really serious. I was busy getting ready for vet school and I didn’t want to get involved with someone and have to leave her behind. My parents had the money to put me through school, but I got a scholarship anyway. I was always near the top of my class in grades. I never went through a rowdy, rebellious stage. I was just focused on being a vet.”

He paused for a minute, as if collecting his thoughts, then rubbed his face with his hand, “In college, at MU, I met a girl named Kim. I did get serious with her. We were going to get married and have our own practice. A husband and wife team. We were both trying to get jobs in Kentucky.”

“What happened?” Jenny finally asked, her fears starting to subside.

“I saw what I wanted to see,” he confessed, “because now when I look back, I can see all sorts of red flags. I should have known better. Of course, that was before I knew my real dad…before I’d seen what real love and a good marriage looks like.

“Anyway,” he sighed, “while I was in school, my adoptive parents were killed in a car accident. I had to handle everything…funeral arrangements, insurance policies, selling their house…I don’t know how many trips I made back and forth between Columbia and St. Louis. Kim didn’t go with me at all. Not once did she even offer to help.”

“But you needed her,” Jenny spoke softly.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “But the saddest part is—I didn’t realize she was supposed to help. I remember the holidays when she went home to Kansas City and I stayed in Columbia. I should have figured it out then, you know? Hindsight is 20/20, though.”

“Yeah,” she smiled, “I understand that one.”

“Right before we graduated,” he informed, “Doc offered me this job and I took it. When I told her about it, she told me that she had been offered a position in Pennsylvania. I asked her to come here with me, instead. She laughed, said hey it’s been fun, but she had other things to do with her life.”

“So you came here,” she concluded, “Paula told me how you all ended up finding out the truth.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “And at first I didn’t know what to think. I mean, here are these people who obviously have an ideal family, and they just open their door up to me and say come on in and join us. I was amazed. I looked at Dad and saw someone with a perfect life, willing to risk that for a son he never knew he had. And there was Paula, never failing to support him in all of it. And the boys…they acted like I was the best surprise in the world.”

“Suddenly you had a real family,” Jenny observed.

“Yeah,” he smiled, “And I realized what I’d been missing all my life…And then I went looking for my real mother. Did Paula tell you that story?”

Jenny giggled, “Oh yeah! I won’t tell you the word she used to describe her.”

“Well,” he smiled, glad to hear her laughing, “I’m sure it was accurate. I won’t go into all that if she already told you. Some things aren’t worth rehashing. So, anyway, then Chelsea showed up. I don’t know how much either of them told you about that, but…I want you to hear my side.”

“OK,” she was listening with great interest now.

“Chelsea and I,” he explained, “had this immediate connection. She’s beautiful and smart and very deep. She has quite a story of her own, but that’s not mine to tell. I found myself in a very strange situation. She’s my cousin, but I was crazy about her. We spent a lot of time together and she told me things she had never shared with anyone else.

“And then Dutch came along,” he frowned, “And I was very protective of her. But she didn’t want me to be. There were a lot of tense moments around here for a while. I didn’t trust him. I was afraid he’d hurt her.”

“Why?” Jenny asked.

Mitch looked deeply into her eyes, “Jenny, these things that I’m telling you have to stay between us, OK?”

“OK,” she agreed.

“One of the times when Chelsea and I had been having a deep serious talk,” he divulged, “She told me that she had never been with a man. It was something she was ashamed to tell me. Maybe that was partly because she was raised in California…I don’t know. I think it’s still probably a little more common in this part of the world than it is out there.

“Anyway,” he continued, “I told her not to be ashamed of it. That she should wait until she was married. It was a gift she should give to her husband. I wasn’t sure I convinced her of that. Then Dutch came along and I was afraid he’d take advantage of her.”

“I don’t think he has,” Jenny reflected.

“No,” Mitch shook his head, “He hasn’t. I’m not sure if Mom or Dad talked to him or if he just did it on his own, but he came to me and we had a long talk. He’s a real stand up guy, Jenny. He’s somebody you can trust, too. He told me he wanted to marry her and he asked for my blessing.”

“Wow,” Jenny shook her head, “That took guts.”

“Yeah,” Mitch smiled, “And I’m convinced that he’ll take good care of her for the rest of her life.”

“Do you love her?” Jenny asked.

“I think I’ll always love her,” Mitch confided, “But it doesn’t hurt like it used to. It helps to know she’s happy.”

“Does she love you?” She asked.

“Like a brother,” he reported, “That’s the only way she ever felt about me.  She had no idea how I felt until I told her.

“Anyway,” he went on, “I kind of moped around for a while and had a pity party and felt sorry for myself. I’m sure I made everyone’s life miserable for a while. Then last fall, there was a girl who came to work here.

Her name was Carrie.”

“She’s the one I replaced,” Jenny remarked.

“Yes,” he nodded, “And I made a real big mistake. I was lonely and still feeling sorry for myself, but that’s no excuse. She was pretty and smart and fun. Her dad’s a vet and she’s a zookeeper. She seemed too good to be true.”

He sighed and looked up at Jenny, “You know that old saying? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is? Well, apparently I was the only one who didn’t see it. I jumped into a relationship with her way too fast. You said something the other day…about the difference between knowing about someone and really knowing them…Boy did that ever hit home. I didn’t know her, Jenny. I found out too late that I didn’t really even know enough about her.”

“What happened?” She asked.

“Mom and Dad invited her for Thanksgiving dinner,” he recalled, “Everyone that’s here today was here then, except you and your grandma. They started asking Carrie questions and I started finding out things about her that I should’ve already known. I mean big things.”

“Like what?” She wondered.

“Like she didn’t want kids,” he relayed, “She didn’t see any reason to get married…thought living together was better. The worst thing was the way she looked down on Mom and Chelsea for their lifestyles. She put her career in front of everything.”

“And you were already sleeping with her,” Jenny guessed.

“Yes,” he look away, obviously ashamed of his behavior, “But we broke up when I found out all those things. We didn’t have a big fight or anything, just parted paths. I learned a big lesson, though, Jenny. I know what I want out of life and I know I may never get it. But I also know I’m not going to settle for less, either. I’m doing it right, or not at all.”

“What exactly does that mean?” She pried.

“I want a wife and I want a family of my own,” he explained, “I want someone who puts her family first. I make plenty of money to support a family. I’m not rich, but I can provide a comfortable life. I’m not jumping into another relationship just because I’m lonely. The next woman I go to bed with is going to be my wife.”

He looked her straight in the eye when he said that. She suddenly realized she wasn’t blushing anymore as he talked. She took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. Did she have the courage to be as honest with him?

“Jenny,” he spoke softly, “You don’t have to tell me anything. I didn’t bring you out here to pry into your private life. I just want you to know you’re safe with me. I’m not going to hurt you. I think we can work really well together, if you’re not afraid of me. I want to be your friend.”

Her friend. That brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t want him to just be her friend. He reached over and wiped a tear from her cheek. She wanted so badly to grab his hand and hold it there against her face. To fall into his arms and feel safe…really safe.

“Mitch,” she finally gathered her strength, “Thank you for being honest with me. I’m sorry I was afraid of you…I’m going to tell you some things now too. Please don’t tell anyone else.”

“I won’t,” he assured, and stretched out on the blanket, resting his head in one hand, ready to listen.

“When I was really little,” she started, “my daddy died. I don’t remember much about him. I do remember his eyes. They were blue…like yours. He was a good father and a good husband…I do know that. He died in a fire. He saved me and Mom, then he went back in for her dog and the house collapsed on him. I was four.”

“Mom did tell me that,” he confessed.

“That’s when my mom started working for Doc,” Jenny continued, “I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa a lot until I started school and Grandpa got sick. So then I started coming to the clinic with Mom sometimes.

“That’s how I met your dad,” she remembered, “He had my daddy’s eyes, too…And he was so good to me. He really took the place of my father in a lot of ways. I used to dream of what it would be like if he was my father.

“My Grandpa died,” she told him, “And not long after that, Paula and Rob got married. I was eleven by then and it broke my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Paula, too, but since she quit working, I didn’t see him anymore. I lost Daddy, Grandpa, and then Rob. I just decided to get tough and not care anymore, then it wouldn’t hurt when people left me.”

“I can understand that,” he nodded.

“Right before I started high school,” she told him, “Mom married Bob and we moved to Kansas. I never let myself get close to him. He’s just always been her husband, never like a father to me.

“In high school,” she remembered, “I met this guy named Kenny. He had horses and he roped. He found out I had run barrels, so he told me I could use one of his horses. Officially he was my boyfriend, but really we were just more friends than anything. He was a good kid.

“Anyway,” she recalled, “We went to rodeos together for a while and it was a lot of fun. Then one day, I was at his place to ride. Mom had dropped me off and she was going to come back to pick me up later. I was in the barn putting the horse up. I don’t know where Kenny was.”

She stopped talking. Her eyes got a distant cloudy look as if she was relating something she had watched instead of lived. Mitch sat silently and listened.

“I turned around and Kenny’s dad was standing there,” she began to get a cold tone to her voice, “He had a strange look on his face. The next thing I knew, he had me pinned to the wall…”

“Oh, Jenny,” Mitch whispered, “No.”

“I managed to get the heel of my boot down hard enough on one of his feet,” she reported, “that he stepped back a little. It gave me enough room to fight and I kicked him. I kicked him as hard as I could and he went down.”

“Good for you, Baby,” he smiled.

“I ran,” she told him, “And I didn’t stop running until I came to a store with a phone. I called my mom and she came and got me.”

“Did you tell her?” He asked.

Jenny nodded, “Yes, and that was the end of the rodeos. We decided not to make a big deal of it, though. He had a family and I didn’t want to hurt them. After that, though, I took extra care to never be alone with a man I didn’t know.”

“I don’t blame you,” he commented.

“That’s why when I graduated,” she explained, “I got the job with the lady vet. I didn’t want to work for or with a man.”

“And, of course,” he concluded, “You already trust Doc and Dad.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “But there’s more. About a year ago, we went out on a call to work on a horse. I met this guy named Mark. He had lots of horses and he was handsome and nice and kept flirting with me. We had to go out several times, because we were working on the same horse. I started feeling comfortable with him.

“He asked me out,” she continued, “And I broke my own rule and went. He was a perfect gentleman and we started seeing each other. I thought I’d finally found a decent guy that I was safe with who maybe I could fall in love with and not get my heart broken. I didn’t ask the right questions, either, Mitch. I just grew up believing that marriage and kids were the goal for everyone. I forgot that not everybody feels that way anymore. One night, I was at his place and he started doing…well, more than I felt comfortable with. I told him to stop…”

“Oh, Jeez, Jenny,” he sat up, “Please tell me he didn’t hurt you.”

She was touched by his concern, “He stopped. But I told him then, point blank, that I had no intentions of going to bed with anyone until I was married. He wasn’t mean, he just told me that he wasn’t looking for a wife, so there was no reason for us to keep seeing each other.”

“What a jerk,” he moaned, “Maybe he needs to meet up with Carrie.”

Jenny couldn’t help but chuckle. He smiled at her. It was one of his big heartwarming smiles. She felt herself melting.

“So then you came back here,” he finished for her, “And got stuck in a vet truck alone with me.”

“I’m sorry, Mitch,” she told him, “I’m not afraid of you anymore. Seems like we’ve both been kicked around pretty bad.”

He stood up, towering over her. He reached his hand down to help her up, “Friends?”

“Friends,” she took his hand and he pulled her up. “Forgive me?”

“For what?” He was standing right in front of her and she was suddenly aware of his own unique scent. It made her want to nuzzle up into his arms. Maybe next time she’d smell him sneaking up on her.

“For being mean to you,” she answered, “You didn’t deserve that.”

“It’s OK,” he assured, “I understand it. Thank you for telling me, Jenny. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone else.”

She looked up into those deep blue eyes. She wanted him to put his arms around her and pull her close. She wanted him to reach down and kiss her. He did neither. He just looked into her eyes, swallowed hard enough she saw his jaw tighten and took a deep breath.

“We should go back,” he told her, then reached down and rolled up the blanket.

 She watched him from behind. His broad shoulders stretching the flannel of his shirt. The image of Paula going up behind Rob and wrapping her arms around him flashed into her mind. She longed to be able to do that with Mitch. He walked over to the horses and tied the roll back on. Panyon got up when he led the horses back to Jenny. He held Dakota while she got on, then he mounted Cheyenne and silently led the way back.

Friends, she thought. He wants to be friends. Well, what did she expect? He’d been beat up almost as bad as she had. Lucy was right. He was just flirty. He didn’t mean anything by it. She felt a lump in her throat. It would’ve almost been easier if he’d been a jerk. Then at least she could hate him. Now she really cared about him and he only wanted to be her friend.

~*~

January returned the next morning, not a trace of the spring-like day they had just enjoyed. It had just been a teaser, something that often happens in Missouri winters. Jenny resolved to be tough as she went about her work that morning. The change in the weather made the previous day seem like a distant memory. At least she wasn’t afraid anymore.

“You’re awful quiet,” Rob came up behind her. He could move like a cat, too, and she hadn’t heard him approach, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s OK,” she smiled, leaning on the shovel she was using, “I guess I need to get used to it.”

He grinned, “Yeah, I do that to Paula all the time too. When we first got married, she threatened to make me wear bells on my shoes.”

“Or a cowbell around your neck,” she chuckled.

“Hadn’t though of that,” he mused.

“That was Mitch’s solution,” she confessed, “I got mad at him yesterday because he kept sneaking up on me.”

“Oh,” he nodded, “Is that what was going on between you two?”

“Sort of,” she shrugged, “Was it that obvious?”

“Did you have a good ride?” He ignored her question.

“Yeah,” she smiled, “You’ve got a beautiful place here.”

“Thanks,” he leaned against the rail, “Did you two work things out?”

“Did you tell him to talk to me?” She wondered.

“No,” he shook his head, “It was his idea. He just asked me to put in a good word for him. He thought you wouldn’t go, unless I did.”

She sighed, “Well, he was probably right. I still almost didn’t go.”

“Put that shovel down and come here,” he motioned.

She did as he asked and he took her hand and led her to a stack of straw bales. He sat down and patted the spot next to him. She sat down, waiting to see what he was going to do or say.

“Jenny,” he began, “I don’t know what happened to you…And I don’t need to know. But you need to know that you are safe here. I won’t hurt you; Mitch won’t hurt you; Dutch won’t hurt you…And my dad and Dutch’s dad won’t hurt you, either.”

She looked up at him and smiled, “I know.”

“Jenny,” he looked deep into her eyes, “If anyone else comes along and tries to hurt you, I’ll kill him.”

She felt tears in her eyes and a sudden rush of emotions, “I missed you.”

“Come here,” he took her into his big strong arms and cuddled her close like she was still a little girl. She felt so safe when he wrapped those big arms around her. His flannel shirt was soft and smelled of fresh hay and his own musky scent. She could feel him resting his chin on top of her head, “Shhh. It’s OK now, Honey, you’re home.”

Jenny took a deep breath and pulled back a little. He loosened his grip, but still held her. She looked up at him, really noticing how he had aged over the years. He was going to be one of those men who looked better as he aged. The lines in his face adding to his appeal. His father was still a handsome man, too. Mitch would probably age the same way. That thought made her blush.

“What’s wrong, Honey?” He asked.

“Rob,” she pulled out of his arms, “I think I need to talk to you about this.”

“OK,” he nodded, “I’m listening.”

“I know you never meant to,” she told him, “but you really broke my heart.”

“What?” He was incredulous.

“You know,” she explained, “I don’t remember much about my real father. I was just so little when he died…But you…Well, you came along at just the right time to take his place. You were so good to me when I was a little girl. I’ll never forget that…And then you married Paula.”

“And that broke your heart?” He asked in surprise.

“It was like losing my daddy all over again,” she nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Cause I never got to see you after that. Not just you and me, anyway.”

“Aw, Squirt,” he pulled her back into his arms, “I’m sorry. I didn’t have any idea I meant that much to you.”

“I know,” she admitted, “And we moved to Kansas and I figured I’d never see you again. You have no idea how many times I wished you were there looking out for me.”

“Jenny,” he pushed her back and cupped her face in his big hands. Hands that were rough from farm work, but so very gentle. He spoke quietly, but very firmly, “Is Bob the one that hurt you? You need to tell me, if he is.”

“Oh, no,” she shook her head, “Bob’s a good guy. He’s just my mom’s husband, you know?”

He nodded, looking relieved, “He wasn’t around when you were a little girl.”

“Right,” she wiped her face, “I didn’t really realize how much I missed you until I came back. Especially yesterday. You’re such a great dad, do you know that?”

“I know sometimes I feel like I’m everyone’s dad,” he winked, “You know, you’re the closest thing I ever had to a little girl. Do you want to be my little girl again, Squirt?”

She nodded, “Can I be?”

“You bet,” he cuddled her up to him again, “I always wanted a little girl.”

“Can I call you Daddy?” She asked softly, “Or would that cause you problems?”

“Problems?” He chuckled, “What kind of problems could that cause?”

“With your sons,” she answered, “And with Paula.”

“You call me whatever you want, OK?” He told her, “My sons are getting used to an ever expanding family around here…and don’t worry about Paula. Mitch calls her Mom and she’s not his mother, you know.”

“Yeah,” Jenny reminded, still snuggled into him, “but he is your son.”

“Hey,” he assured, “Don’t worry. I can handle Paula. I want you to feel like this is your home, OK? I know you’re living with your grandma, and I’m really proud of you for that. But both of you are welcome here any time, OK?”

“OK,” she sniffed, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he kissed the top of her head, “I’m glad you finally opened up and told me all this. I could tell something was eating at you.”

“I told Mitch a lot of things yesterday, too,” she confessed, “I hope it wasn’t a mistake to tell him.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t,” he assured, “He’s a good man. You can trust him…And I’m glad you talked to him. He’s been worried about you, too.”

“He has?” Jenny felt a ray of hope.

“Yes, he has,” Rob confirmed, “He was afraid he’d done something to offend you…I think he…”

“Excuse me,” Paula came around the corner, “I hope I’m not interrupting something.”

“No,” Rob’s eyes met the inquiring look on her face, but he didn’t release Jenny, “What is it?”

Jenny could feel his arms tense up. He was obviously apprehensive about Paula’s reaction, in spite of his words earlier. She could see Paula’s eyes. They were snapping with energy. She was not pleased with what she saw.

“The boys are in a debate about a physics issue,” Paula reported, “It’s way out of my realm. Chelsea’s on the phone with a client. I told them I’d get you to come and settle it.”

“OK,” he let go of Jenny and stood up, “I’ll take care of it…You OK now, Squirt?”

“I’m fine,” she nodded and got up. She watched him as he walked out and toward the house. She could feel the tension in the air. Paula hadn’t moved.

“Do you need some help out here, Jenny?” Paula asked, an edge to her tone.

“No thanks,” Jenny smiled and headed back to the stall where she’d left her shovel, “I’ve got things under control.”

“Yes,” Paula’s eyes met hers, “I can see that you do.”

Jenny felt a cold chill go down her spine as Paula turned and walked out. If Rob thought he could handle Paula, he might be in for a rude awakening. ‘Not someone I want to tangle with,’ Jenny thought. ‘But maybe she doesn’t trust Rob quite as much as everyone thinks she does. Maybe the perfect couple isn’t perfect after all!’

Go to Chapter Three
Snow