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Chapter Thirteen
Jackson
Idried Lena’s hair and brushed it until it was smooth, making careful short strokes starting at the ends and then longer ones as I got all the little tangles out. I made sure to be particularly cautious around the area by the bruise.
After her hair was dry, I continued to brush the long strands, running my fingers through the silky threads behind each sweep of the brush. It was so satiny smooth and smelled like roses, a shampoo I’d found in Brodie’s shower, left by one of his female friends. Mmmm … good choice.
“There, now you’re almost perfect,” I said softly.
“Almost,” she said, gently touching the bottom part of her eye as she sank back against the pillows.
I leaned back against the sofa, my arm resting by my leg, so close to the bottom of her feet. I moved it quickly on top of my thigh, not wanting to rub against her skin accidentally. Those thoughts ran rampant in my brain, but I had to push them aside. I had more important things to concentrate on, like wanting to know about the creep she was running from, but I figured she’d never tell me until I gained her trust. I needed to give her time to recuperate.
I glanced at her. Her eyes closed, her breathing relaxed. I watched her chest rise with every breath she took, knowing each one probably hurt.
I carefully got up, pointed at Rufus and whispered, “Stay,” and quietly let myself out, locking the door behind me. I had two sets of keys and put one on the key holder in the kitchen before I left. I went back to the bar to make good on my promise to Doc to buy him a beer. I wasn’t looking forward to the twenty questions I knew would be waiting for me, not only from Doc but from Brodie too.
I didn’t want to stay too long. I needed to get back to wake Lena up. After I’d given Brodie and Doc the short version of what happened when I took her home, leaving out the bath and the hair drying, I had to endure listening to twenty minutes of taunting about the fawn and some other injured animals I’d rescued over the years. They’d managed to keep any mention of Lena out of the conversation in front of the rest of the guys in the bar. Both knew she was running from someone, and if word ever got out that I was helping a strange girl, well, you never know who might be listening.
I shrugged through most of it, laughing along until it wore me out, and Brodie finally noticed my mood change to a somber one. “Sorry, Jackson,” he said, patting me on the back. “Don’t mind these guys. They’re just having a little fun.”
“Yeah, I know. Poke all you want. Wait until it’s your dog or cat that needs rescuing, and see who’s laughing then.” I finished my coke, went to the office, grabbed my guitar, and took off. And for the first time in many years, I looked forward to going home.
