“I have the feeling that you’re telling the truth. I heard some gossip about a very attractive, young woman in town working for Doc. Let’s go see if we can get that air conditioner fixed so you’ll be more comfortable tonight.” Wyatt began to walk toward the office. As Lena walked in front of Kenny, he touched her shoulder to stop her, and she abruptly turned around, prepared to strike. Talk about being on the defensive. This young woman looked fearful and ready to fight. He wasn’t sure if he was prepared for the hit.
“I hope you’re not trying to scam my parents. They’re good people. Most of the folk around here are good-hearted people. So I’m warning you, Lena, I’ll be watching you.”
She looked him over, and his whole body hummed in awareness.
“I owe your parents a lot and would never hurt them. It’s nice to know that you care for them so deeply.”
He hadn’t expected that. It made him feel guilty, and he wasn’t the one caught running from the police. He followed as he absorbed the way her hips swayed when she walked, how her arms and shoulders were toned and defined, and how stupid he was to think that she was a teenager instead of a voluptuous, petite woman. Oh yeah, he was definitely going to keep a close eye on Lena.
Chapter 3
It was Saturday morning when Lena accepted the invitation to see a potential cottage she could rent from the Joneses. She hadn’t entered the town of Pearl through this side of town. The ranch was magnificent and like nothing she had ever seen before. There were horses and real-life cowboys and everything big, bold, and beautiful. The main house was stunning and looked like a mansion of sorts, perfect for this particular setting. There were smaller houses and cottages along the outside of the main home and then one lone house with a small, detached cottage nearby. It was so strange and made her feel excited simply because she had never seen anything so beautiful before. She felt a bit disconcerted.
She had come from nothing, had survived with hardly anything, going hungry more often than not and living in survival mode. Lena would hide out during the day in malls or the library, then freeze at night on the streets. Then she met Ariel. She had seemed so worldly to Lena because she was older. She made life on the streets sound like freedom and opportunity. That wasn’t the case at all. In fact, it was a death sentence.
Looking around at the land here, the Joneses and the community in Pearl made her not only feel like such a loser and so below their standards, but also made her feel a tinge of determination. She wasn’t living on the streets of Detroit anymore. She could really make a better life for herself here, and the Joneses were her saving grace, her angels.
“That over there is the cottage we mentioned. It’s small but in very good condition.” Abigail pointed to a beautiful white house that was way smaller than the larger white house next to it. There were planter boxes out front and a small area that looked to have been a sitting area at one time.
Her heart hammered inside of her chest. The cottage was gorgeous. She was finally going to have a place of her own to live.
“Oh my God, it’s so beautiful. Are you sure about this?” she asked them, and Abigail nodded her head and smiled wide.
As they got out of the truck, Abigail took Lena’s hand and led her toward the front walkway. She pointed toward the right. “Over there are the horses’ training stables and acres upon acres of Jones property. There’s a swimming hole and a cookout area where we’ll host a BBQ for Fourth of July.”
Lena touched the small white fence that needed some paint as well as the planter boxes that remained filled with old dirt.
“You can plant anything you like, dear. The place is all yours,” Doc stated from behind her, and Lena felt the tears reach her eyes. Could this really be happening to her? Could she seriously have found the best place on earth to live and be free from danger?
They walked her inside to a small living room and a decent-size kitchen. There were boxes everywhere.
“Quinn and some of the workhands will be stopping in to help clear out the boxes. We wanted to be sure that you were okay with the place,” Abigail stated, sounding nervous.
Lena looked toward the older woman, so grateful for everything her and her husbands had done for her.
Lena slowly reached for Abigail’s hand and squeezed it gently.
“Thank you. I could never repay you for this. Please let me know what the rent is. As soon as I get my paycheck, I can pay you.”
“Nonsense, child. The place is yours for as long as you need it. We’re hoping that you’ll love this town and want to set roots down somewhere around Pearl.”
“Oh, by the way, here is your pay for the week.” Dr. Jones handed Lena a white envelope. She thanked him then smiled.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Abigail asked.
“I didn’t want to be rude. I appreciate whatever you felt I should get paid for working for you, Doc,” she whispered.
“You deserve a hell of a lot more. I hope that can help you to spiffy up the place,” he added with a smile as he looked around.
“So, this is Lena?” someone asked. When Lena turned around, she saw one very tall cowboy. He was wearing jeans with dirt on the thighs, cowboy boots, and a light-colored plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The man was gorgeous. She had difficulty swallowing, felt her cheeks warm from the sight of him as she wondered what was in the water here in Pearl. The men were some of the best-looking men she had ever laid eyes on.
“Hey, Quinn, I thought you were out in the fields,” Doc stated as Quinn removed his hat and ducked his head as he entered the front doorway. Lena once again felt so feminine and tiny compared. He held her gaze and looked her over with hungry eyes. Oh yeah, he had to be about mid-twenties and filled with cockiness and experience to boot.
“This is Lena. Lena, this is our son Quinn. He works here on the ranch with the horse-training business,” Abigail introduced.
The closer he walked the farther up she had to tilt her head.
“So, you’re the one the police thought was a teenager committing a break-in at the office? They must be blind. Ain’t no way I’d mistake a pretty young thang like you for a kid,” he teased as he touched her hand to shake it. The moment their fingers touched she felt the jolt of awareness. What was with these cowboys around here? She pulled away and turned shyly as if looking around the room again.