“I’m sure it won’t make any difference to wait a day or two before heading to Dallas.” Or three or four.
He clenched his jaw. “Don’t you want to see your mother?”
She sighed. “I love my mother, but she and I have never really gotten along that well. She’s better off with
Aunt Mary. She’ll look after her. Give her all the attention she needs.”
She turned and walked off. She just wasn’t ready to leave the safety of this place. Haven had healed her. Taught her she was stronger than she’d thought, and she was worried all that strength would disappear if she left.
Maybe it was stupid, but she needed a bit more time.
Reaching out, he grabbed hold of her forearm and turned her. “You think your precious town will still be happy once you bring trouble to their door? Because that’s what’s going to happen if you stay.”
They both heard footsteps approach, and, turning, she saw Saxon jogging up to them. Damn the man, he even looked sexy when he was running.
When she ran she looked like a sweaty beet.
“Everything okay here?” He gave Curt a suspicious look, staring pointedly down to where he held Jenna.
“Everything’s fine,” she told him, forcing a smile as she extricated herself from Curt’s hold. His words sat like a lump of lead in her belly.
Saxon looked Curt up and down. “You’re still here.”
“I’m staying with Jenna.”
“Why?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Curt,” she said admonishingly. She understood that he didn’t like it here, but it didn’t mean he had to antagonize everyone who lived here. They were her friends. Although she admitted Saxon wasn’t acting much better.
“Curt was married to my cousin, remember? He came to tell me something about my family and he’s decided he likes it here so much he’s sticking around for a few days.”
“You’re a terrible liar, pet,” Saxon told her.
Curt stiffened, and she saw him open his mouth. God, the last thing she needed was for him to get into another argument. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, squeezing.
“It’s personal stuff I’m not ready to talk about yet, all right?”
Saxon’s gaze narrowed, and a small shiver ran up her spine. She knew he wanted to press her for more, and he would have if Curt hadn’t been there.
Finally, Saxon nodded. “Melody isn’t joining you today?”
“No, it’s her birthday, and she wanted to sleep in.”
“Ah, yes. I believe the celebration is tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
“Should you even be out running today considering you were injured yesterday? I’d think you’d be home resting.” He gave Curt a look as though blaming him.
Jenna sighed. Dealing with a bunch of Alpha males could certainly be trying at times. She tried to hold onto her patience, knowing they only acted this way because they cared. She wasn’t used to having people fuss and worry over her. For most of her life she’d been raised by Nancy, her nanny. She knew her parents loved her, and her father tried to be there for her. But he worked a lot, and her mother was so busy with her charities and social life she’d most of her time with Nancy.
When she’d hit twelve, her mother had dismissed Nancy, saying she didn’t need a nanny anymore, and Jenna had been on her own. It had been tough being a teenager without anyone to talk to. She’d had some friends, of course. But teenage girls didn’t always make the best companions. Sometimes they were your best friend, then your worst enemy. Plus, Jenna had always been a bit of a tomboy. She’d never quite fit in.
It had taken her a while to get used to the way things worked around here, but once she had, she’d discovered a place where she belonged.
And now, when she needed them most, she had to leave. It sucked. And, like a toddler, she wanted to stomp her foot and scream no.