Saved by the Rancher by Jennifer Ryan Read Free Book Online Page B

ordered and Beth went after him. Jack overheard them on the stairs. “What the hell was that all about? I ain’t never seen Jack look that way, or yell at me like that.”
    “I know, Pete. I don’t know who that woman is, but Jack won’t let anyone near her. I’ve never seen anything like it. Did you see her back? What did that to her?”
    “Not what. Who.” Jack heard Pete’s furious words, “A man. And if Jack gets his hands on the scum, he’ll kill him.”
    Amen, Jack thought.

 
    Chapter Seven
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    D AVID TOOK THE call in his office, sitting behind his desk. He turned his hand palm up and stared at the healing cut, remembering his time alone with Jenna fondly. The police tried to question him again, but his lawyer held them off. Untouchable. The thought made him smile.
    “Where is she?”
    “I lost her in Tennessee,” a deep voice came over the phone, clipped and to the point.
    “You lost her.” He reined in his fury and responded, “I see.”
    Rattled by the dead calm tone, his man offered up an excuse. “I thought I picked up her trail heading out of state, but I lost her at a gas station where three major highways converge.”
    “You mean she lost you.” He both loved and hated how smart and clever she could be. It made it difficult to find her, but it made the chase that much more interesting and challenging.
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Find her.” Less calmly, he shouted, “And don’t take five months to do it this time!” Rage simmered in his gut, feeding his need to find her. The longer it took, the more impatient he grew, which had disintegrated his control this last time. Next time he’d keep his wits, take his time, play out his plans, and enjoy every minute she was at his mercy. A shiver of anticipation ran through him and made him hard. With that thought in mind, he ended the call by saying, “You know what to do. She’ll make a mistake. She always does.”
    And then I’ll find you.

 
    Chapter Eight
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    S UMMER CAME OUT of the bathroom with a bowl of cool water and a washcloth. Jack sorted out antiseptic, bandages, syringes, medicines, and other things to fix up Jenna, determined to make her well.
    Summer knelt next to the bed by Jenna’s head and placed a cool washcloth on her forehead. “What are you going to do with all this stuff?”
    “First, I need to clean all the bleeding wounds with antiseptic. It’ll hurt, but I’ve got to clean the wounds. I’ll stitch up her leg. I have some medicine here that will numb it for the most part, but she’ll probably know what I’m doing. Then I’ll bandage her up the best I can and hope she sleeps and her fever breaks. Tell Beth to go down to the barn and ask one of the guys to give her a bottle of antibiotics.”
    “The medicine you use on the horses?”
    “Trust me, it’ll work. She needs them now before this nasty infection spreads.”
    “Shouldn’t we call Doc Stanton and ask him to come and treat her?”
    “No. Ben said no hospitals. She doesn’t need anything I can’t do for her. If she gets worse, we’ll have Doc take a look. Now, please, send Beth. The sooner we get the antibiotics into her, the faster we can stave off this infection in her leg.”
    Summer took off out of the room. Sally jumped up on the bed and lay across Jenna’s left side and on her arm. Jack tried to get her to move, but Sally wouldn’t budge. It didn’t appear to bother Jenna, so Jack washed out cuts and wounds starting with Jenna’s shoulders and moving down her back. Jenna stirred and moaned a few times, but Sally and he held her arms down. He began a chant of “You’re okay. You’re okay, sweetheart.”
    That’s how Summer found him when she returned, Jack crooning softly to her as he tended her wounds. “I don’t know how much more I can take. The anguish in your voice, I hate seeing you so upset.”
    “I passed upset when I saw her at the diner. Now I’m just furious with myself for leaving her alone at the cabin when I knew she