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“They immediately came under fire from just about every damn one in the family.” Cord sounded disgusted. “What we didn’t mention is their older brothers had been riding them, giving them a hard time—being the belligerent asshole bullies they’ve always been. A week or so before their encounter with Norah and her friend concocting conspiracies, Parker and Dale had finally thrown in the towel and quit. They moved off the family ranch and into the city and have been looking for work ever since.”
“You should have them come down,” Chase said. “We were thinking of hiring a couple more hands to help with the ranch anyway. Who better than family to fill those spots?”
“We’ve already extended the invitation,” Jackson said. “They’re on their way as we speak. We didn’t mention the possibility of work because we have an idea what their immediate response to that would be.”
Jenny hadn’t often seen Cord angry, but right then, he looked pissed.
“Of course, they’re traveling this way, angry as hell.” Cord said. “The guys have friends they were going to board their horses with while they were gone. Parker called this morning. Marcus the Terrible—their oldest brother—wouldn’t let them have their own horses. Claimed they were property of the ranch.”
“That fucking bastard. I should have punched his fucking lights out years ago,” Trace said.
Jenny didn’t even blink at the words that tinged the air blue as all the rest of the men weighed in on what they thought of some fuckwad named Marcus the Terrible. She’d never had a horse, but she understood the importance of one to a rancher—to a cowboy. And that was what all these Benedicts here were, to their core. Even Cord and Jackson, who’d left the ranch long enough to play professional football and net themselves a Super Bowl ring or two, were really cowboys at the heart of it all.
Ari had been comforting her husbands a few minutes before, but there was such a pinched look, such sharp anger on her face. She gazed around the table. “Do you know what I hate the most about this entire mess? That bitch, crying wolf like that to shake down a man for money does unspeakable harm to those of us who’ve actually been abused. No fucking wonder we women are not believed when we finally get up the nerve to tell someone what’s happened to us…it’s because of bitches like her, crying rape and abuse just to be selfish and get their own way.”
Jenny reached over and laid her hand on Ari’s shoulder and rubbed gently. Cord had his arm around her, and Jackson held her hand, but the men seemed to know this was one time when a woman’s touch was needed, too.
Jenny didn’t say anything because words weren’t required. Compassion, love, understanding—these were the salves necessary to dress Ari’s wounds. Jenny had them in abundance for her best friend.
Both of Ari’s men were rightly pissed, and Jenny was glad to see they weren’t feeling guilty. This wasn’t on them, not one whit. This was just on Norah Benedict.
And how telling that none of her children ever call her mom or mother.
“I have to believe that Norah will get her just desserts,” Jenny said. “I know I’m naïve. But I cling to the belief that things generally work out the way they’re meant to be, and that just as living right has its own reward, so does the opposite. Holding malice and ill will close to the heart just taints a person, inviting a horrible kind of karma.”
“From your lips to God’s ears, girlfriend.” Air laid her head on Jenny’s shoulder for just a moment.
Jenny had told Ari once the reason she was so optimistic. Her life journey had convinced her of blessings just waiting to be gathered.
You go from being a baby who barely escapes being run over by the drunk driver who orphaned you to being adopted into a good home, and now a wonderful community, you have to figure you’re blessed.
Jenny Collins had no doubt at all that she was indeed well and truly blessed.
* * * *
“You snore worse than my last girlfriend.”
Parker sat up, stretched as best he could in the passenger seat of Dale’s F150, and then shot his brother the finger.
