Little Cowgirl Needs a Mom (9 page)

The sound of sirens pierced the silence. “Oh, Evan, what happened? Are you hurt?”

She reached him, helping him into a nearby chair.

“Not sure,” he admitted. “He hit me with something hard.” He cursed again. “My head hurts like the devil. I can't believe I walked into that.”

She stood back. “Dammit, Rafferty. You shouldn't have gone in at all.” She felt the tears well in her eyes. “You
could have been really hurt, or worse…” She turned away, unable to say any more.

“Jenny,” he whispered her name, reaching for her.

She raised her hand. “Please don't say anything more. I'm barely holding it together.”

“Police!” Someone called from the alley, then she recognized Chuck Reynolds, the duty sheriff, as he walked in with his gun drawn. When he saw them, he lowered his weapon. “Evan. Jenny. Are you two okay?”

“No,” she told him. “Evan's hurt. Call the paramedics.”

“No, don't.” Evan reached out and grasped her arm. “I'm fine.” He rubbed the back of his head and winced. “We need to talk to Chuck.”

Jenny couldn't stop shaking. She'd never been so scared in her life. Another officer moved through the shop into the classroom section. Jenny looked around and did her own inspection. All in all, the shop wasn't in bad shape. The cash register was open, but it had been emptied at closing time. Millie had taken the day's receipts to the bank earlier.

One of the officers came into the room. “The perpetrator ransacked the upstairs apartment.”

Jenny's heart sank. She walked toward the back and found Evan on her heels.

“Jenny, wait. You don't need to go up there right now.”

“Yes, I do. Everything I own is up there. It's not much, but it's mine.”

Evan's head was pounding, but he saw more pain in Jenny's eyes. “Okay, I'll go with you.”

“I need to go, too,” the deputy said, “and get a list of anything that's missing.”

Jenny nodded and the men escorted her up the back staircase to the attic apartment. Evan watched her swallow a sob as she surveyed the mess. Dishes were broken,
cushions tossed, furniture toppled over. She walked to the bedroom and saw that the bed had been pulled apart, sheets stripped off, clothes from the closet and dresser thrown on the floor.

“How long were you gone from the shop?”

She looked back at Evan. “Maybe three hours. I was out at the Rafferty ranch.”

Evan saw Chuck glance at him, then write down something. He'd known Chuck in school, and his wife, Claire, had been friends with Meg. Did he care if anyone knew he spent time with Jenny? No.

Chuck ran his hand over his thinning sandy-colored hair. “This could be the work of someone needing drug money. Although robberies are still rare in this community.”

Jenny went to the golden-hued brocade-covered box she'd had since childhood. The treasure box was on the floor with its lid torn off. “He took my necklace. Allison and Alex gave it to me for my birthday. There was a small sapphire in the center of a heart.” Another tear fell. “It was my birthstone.”

“Anything else missing?”

“A few other pieces of jewelry,” And, as she checked the dresser drawer, she added, “And about three hundred dollars in cash.” She picked up a ragged-looking stuffed bear and hugged it to her body. “Who would do this?”

She paused as if something had come to mind. Her gaze connected with Evan's, then just as quickly she glanced away. “I need to let Allison know what happened.” She wiped away the tears and pushed past him out of the room.

Evan looked at Chuck. “What does your gut tell you about this?”

The deputy shrugged. “I don't know. Someone needed money pretty badly.” He glanced around the room. “It's
odd that the thief bypassed the shop and did all the destruction up here. It seems personal.” He looked at Evan. “Does Jenny have any enemies?”

T
WO
hours later, Jenny sat in the waiting room at the urgent-care facility after she'd finally managed to get Evan checked out. She glanced at her watch. It was after eleven o'clock, she was exhausted and still shaken from what had happened tonight.

What worried her the most was that Todd could have been the one who broke into the shop. Was it possible? Would his parole officer let him leave San Antonio?

Of course, her stepbrother already knew where she was living when he'd called her. And she'd refused to help him. In the past, Todd had never liked it when she didn't do what he wanted. She closed her eyes, trying to fight off the bad memories. Whenever Todd wanted something he'd found a way to get it. He'd been a bully and a troublemaker all his life. He picked on her because she had told on him many times.

One particular incident when she'd told on him had sent him to juvenile hall. She'd stayed clear of him ever since. Once away at college, she'd heard that he'd been arrested again and this time he was sent to prison.

She had finally felt safe. Until now. She seriously doubted he'd been reformed during his years of incarceration. She knew deep down that he'd had something to do with
the break-in. And, if it had been Todd, she couldn't stay here. She couldn't cause her friends any more trouble. “Jenny Collins.”

She looked up to see a nurse, stood and went to her. “Is Evan okay?”

“The doctor will give you the information.” She led Jenny back to a curtained cubicle where Evan—minus his shirt—sat on the exam table.

Oh, boy! Her breath caught as she tried not to stare, but she lost the battle. He had a well-developed chest and broad shoulders. His arms weren't bad, either.

He smiled at her. “Doc says I'm lucky he hit me on the head. So it looks like I'm going to live.”

“I'm sure your family will be happy to hear that.”

An older man with gray thinning hair and a ruddy complexion walked in. “Hello, I'm Charlie Michaels. Everyone calls me Doc Charlie. I've been looking after this guy and his brother most of their lives. By the looks of it, they still can't stay out of trouble.”

“I'm Jenny Collins, nice to meet you, doctor. I manage the quilt shop where Evan got injured. This was my fault.”

“Jenny, you had nothing to do with the break-in,” Evan said. “I'm just glad you weren't there alone.”

“Well, you didn't need to rush in and play hero, either,” she argued.

The doctor smiled. “I like this one,” he said to Evan. “She can hold her own with you.”

Evan looked irritated. “Can I go now?”

“Sure. Just remember you have a slight concussion, so don't take anything stronger than ibuprofen. And take tomorrow off work.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Do you have someone to drive you home and check you during the night?”

“Yes, he does,” Jenny said. “Me.”

The doctor grinned. “You are a lucky man, Evan Rafferty. And since you're in good hands, I'll go check on patients who really need me.” He turned and left them.

“Let's get out of here.” Evan stood and slipped into his shirt. It had been one hell of a night. He might have the mother of all headaches, but he was grateful that Jenny hadn't been hurt. He didn't want to think about what might have happened if she'd been there alone at the shop. If this guy was still around, he wasn't letting her out of his sight. Not until he could guarantee she'd be safe.

“Evan, I didn't mean to say I'd be there during the night. Of course I'll drive you back to the ranch, and your dad can check on you. I'll just need your truck to get back to town.”

He began tucking his shirttail into his jeans. He caught her watching him and found he liked distracting her.

“You can't stay in your apartment tonight. For one thing it isn't safe, and besides the sheriff is still investigating the break-in.”

He went to her and gripped her by the arms. “Jenny, that guy who hit me tonight wasn't messing around. He could be some crazy druggie. You're coming to stay at the ranch.”

She glanced away. “I'll go to Allison.”

He shook his head. “I already called Dad earlier and told him what happened. He knows you're coming home with me. In fact, he has a room ready for you. And you won't even have to share it with six little girls.”

He'd discovered he'd liked having her in his house. So did Gracie and his dad and brother. He had feelings for Jenny, but he still wasn't sure if he was ready to try another relationship.

“Come on, let's go.”

He didn't give her a chance to argue as he took her by the arm and they walked out of the exam room. Evan stopped by the desk and signed all the insurance forms, then they headed toward the lobby. He was going to keep her close to him so he could protect her.

 

Unable to go to her apartment because it was a crime scene, they made a quick stop by the twenty-four-hour drug store. Jenny grabbed some personal items, then they were on their way.

Evan insisted he was okay to drive, so she called Allison and let her know where she'd be. Her friend told her that Alex was out of town, but assured her that the apartment would be cleaned up and new locks installed as soon as the sheriff okayed it. She also offered her a place to stay.

“Thanks, Allison, but I'm acting as nurse for Evan tonight.” She couldn't believe she'd said that. “I mean he has a concussion and needs to be watched.”

She heard the smile in her friend's voice. “Well, don't let me keep you. I'll talk to you in the morning and the shop will be closed for the day. So don't think about work tomorrow.”

“I need to help clean up.”

“No, we'll have someone take care of it,” Allison told her. “If you're both up to it, come by for supper tomorrow night. Alex will be home and he wants to discuss more security. And bring Gracie.”

“Thank you. I'll see how Evan's feeling.” Jenny wanted to get off the phone.

“Take care of yourself and Rafferty.”

“I will.” She said goodbye and closed her phone. “Alex and Allison are going to handle things at the shop. They asked to talk to us so we're invited for supper tomorrow. Gracie, too.”

He nodded. “Okay. They're trying to make it easier for you,” Evan said, heading out of town. “None of this was your fault.”

She wasn't so sure. Again she thought, if this had anything to do with Todd then it was her fault.

Twenty minutes later Evan pulled up to the back of the house. They walked up the steps to the kitchen door, went inside and were met by Sean. He examined his son with a worried gaze, then pulled him into a big bear hug.

“Okay, Dad, you can let go now.”

Jenny was next. “Ah, lass. Praise be, you're safe.” He pulled her close and she reveled in the warmth of his embrace. She'd never had a father figure growing up. She liked the feeling.

“It's Evan you should worry about. You should also talk to your son about running off to catch bad guys.”

Sean shook his head. “Ah, would do little good, the Raffertys are a stubborn bunch. We think we can take on the world.” He grinned. “Now, son, go take this young lady upstairs and get her settled in. I'll be down here if anyone needs anything.” He kissed Jenny's cheek, then disappeared into the room off the kitchen.

“Tired?” Evan asked her.

She nodded. “Exhausted, but I'm still keyed up.”

“Come on, you need to try and get some sleep.”

He took her hand and they walked up the stairs. It seemed a natural thing to do, as though they were a couple retiring for the night.

She shook away the crazy thought. At the top of the stairs, he directed her toward a small room. It was a combination office and guest room with a sofa bed pulled out and made up.

“If you're not comfortable here, you can have my room since I'm not going to be sleeping much.”

She frowned. “No! I can't sleep in your bed. I mean, I can't take it from you.” She motioned to the double-sized sofa bed. “You can't fit in this.”

Still holding her hand, he tugged her to him. “I'd definitely make the effort…if you were there.”

His head dipped and he covered her mouth with his. She tried to resist him, but found she didn't want to. It felt good to be here, almost too good. Jenny's arms went around his neck as he opened his mouth over hers. With a groan he drew her against him, and she could feel what she was doing to him.

He finally pulled back. “You're killing me, Jenny.”

She continued to take soft nibbles from his lower lip, finding it more and more difficult to resist him. “You started it, Rafferty.”

“And you're taking advantage of an injured man.”

She pulled back. “Oh, I forgot. Are you hurting?”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “That all depends what part of my anatomy we're talking about.”

She tried not to smile but lost. “You need to be in bed.” She pointed toward the door. “Out. Go and rest in your room.”

“Are you sure?”

In the past, she'd always jumped into relationships too fast. And where had it gotten her? And even teasing with Evan didn't mean that he wanted any more.

“Yes. You need to rest. And I need something to sleep in. Do you have an extra pair of pajamas?”

He folded his arms over his chest. “Not since I was eight years old. Would a T-shirt work?”

She nodded, realizing she was fantasizing too much on what he wore. Or didn't wear.

He walked out and returned with a white T-shirt and a
soft denim shirt. “A nightshirt and robe. It's the best I can do.”

“It's great. Thanks.” He started to leave, then he paused at the door and said, “Boxer briefs.”

She blinked. “Excuse me.”

“Since I have a daughter, I wear boxer briefs to sleep in.” He smiled again. “I wouldn't want you to lie awake wondering.”

She hated that he could read her. “Thanks, Rafferty, that's kind of you.” She held up his T-shirt. “And now you won't have to wonder about what I sleep in.” She shut the door chuckling at his groan.

 

The next morning the sun was barely up when Jenny decided she couldn't stay in bed any longer. She glanced at her cell phone clock and saw it was five-thirty.

She stretched. She hadn't slept much during the last six hours. After she'd checked on Evan at two, he'd informed her he was going to sleep and she'd better too, or he'd find another activity to fill their time.

As much as she wanted the man, she wasn't ready for the next step. Okay, she
was
ready, beyond ready for a man like Evan. But…her past failed relationships made her gun-shy. And now, she had the added complications of Todd and the break-in.

And Evan had his vineyard and was trying to be a parent to his daughter. She had her teaching career back in San Antonio. So many cons to deal with, but she could only think how hard the father and daughter would be to walk away from.

She got up and retrieved her hand washed underwear from the bathroom. She'd showered before bed, so she quickly dressed and went downstairs to see if she could help with breakfast.

Halfway down the staircase she smelled bacon and knew she was too late. There were murmured voices coming from the kitchen and she wondered if she should go back to her room. She spotted Sean about the same time he saw her.

He grinned. “Good morning, lass.” He came around the counter and greeted her with a hug.

“Morning, Sean. I came down to help you.” She glanced around to see bacon, sausage and pancakes on the table.

“Hello, Matt,” she said to the younger Rafferty.

“Morning, Jenny.” He smiled. “Now, this is how to brighten the day.”

“Stop it, bro,” Evan said as he came through the back door. “She's wise to your flirting.”

Evan walked up to her and she thought for a minute that he was going to kiss her. He stopped short, but his deep-blue eyes told her he was thinking about it. “How did you sleep?”

“Good.” She glanced over him. “How do you feel?”

“Fine. My headache's gone.”

“It'd better be,” Matt said, then turned to her. “He's helping me brand and inoculate the herd today.”

“How many head do you have to do?” she asked.

“It's only about sixty.”

“Could you use another pair of hands?”

Both Raffertys stared at her. “You're kidding, right?” Matt said.

“No, I had to help out on my stepfather's ranch. It didn't matter if you were a girl or not.” She didn't want to think about those days. “I can't go into work today so you might as well use me here. I'll just need a pair of gloves and a hat.”

Matt dropped to one knee. “Oh, Jenny, lass, say you'll marry me,” he said in his best Irish accent.

She laughed. “I'll think about it.” She glanced at Evan, but he didn't look happy.

“Could this wait until after breakfast?” Sean called. “The food is getting cold.”

Evan stood back as his brother found Jenny a seat at the table, as if she couldn't find a place on her own. He even pulled out her chair. That was over the top even for Matt.

“Stop messing around so we can get going.” Evan sat down on the other side of Jenny. Were they back in high school?

He turned and saw his daughter standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes.

“Hey, what's going on?” she said, then spotted their guest. “Jenny!” She rushed to the table. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I spent the night in your extra room. Seems my apartment got messed up yesterday.” She glanced at Evan as if not sure how much to tell his daughter.

“Gracie, someone broke into the shop last night. So we didn't want Jenny staying there, and I brought her home,” Evan said.

The child hugged her. “I'm glad. Can you stay a long time?”