Page 11 of Desert Wind

“Her full name is Jenna Brooks, right?” Nash nodded at the man. “Was she born and raised in Arizona?”

“As far as I know. Again, it’s not something we ever spoke about.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it all out for you. Just watch your back, Nash. We wouldn’t want to lose either of you.”

“I promise,” he nodded.

“Oh, and Nash? Come home soon.” He smiled at Sly, leaving with the duffel slung over his shoulder.

Standing at the SUV, Jenna was hugging the legal and medical teams, Mama Irene shoving bags of food and coolers into the back of the SUV.

“Mama Irene, we’ll stop for food,” he said, looking at the tiny woman.

“You won’t be stoppin’ for no trashy roadside food,” she said. “George, me, Claudette, and Ruby put together enough food to last you a few days. You gotta stop and eat.”

“We will, Mama Irene,” smiled Jenna.

“Mama, let them go. They need to get on the road,” said Claudette. Irene nodded, walking toward Jenna and opening her arms.

“You do what you need to do to get your spirit right, child. Then you come home where you belong and make a life with us, your family, right here.”

“Oh, Mama Irene,” she sniffed, hugging her. “I wish I’d met you years ago when I really needed guidance. Heck, I need guidance now, I suppose.”

“Just do what Nash tells you, and you’ll be safe,” she said to the woman. “He’s a good man, Jenna. A great man.”

“I know,” she nodded. “He’s a good friend.”

Nash heard that word again and cringed, wondering if he’d ever be thought of as something more than just a friend. He knew that Jenna was still suffering from her wounds, internally and externally, but that word really sent panic through him.

“Nash, you come home, honey,” she said, hugging him.

“I will, Mama Irene. I promise,” he smiled.

He knew that if he couldn’t convince Jenna to return with him, he’d come back. He was already missing Kane and their team. The connection they all shared wasn’t just mental, it wasphysical. When they were separated, it felt as though they were missing a piece of themselves.

“Ready?” he asked Jenna.

She nodded, nibbling her bottom lip with a look of doubt.

“Jenna, we can wait. We could hold off for a few days, and you could think about it,” he said, hoping she’d say yes.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, it’s okay. I want to do this. I need to do this. I can feel it in my soul that there’s something I have to get settled.”

“Alright, then. Let’s get your soul settled,” he smiled.

CHAPTER SEVEN

They weren’t on the road more than an hour when Nash looked at the passenger seat to see that Jenna was sound asleep. Her mouth was slightly open, her soft breathing causing him to smile. He reached over and gently pulled her sweater up around her, careful not to touch her skin.

She still had the soft brown hair, now sprinkled with a few gray and white hairs. But her skin was smooth, wrinkle-free and, not surprisingly, makeup-free. Her nails were neatly trimmed and filed with the palest pink polish he’d ever seen. He couldn’t help but smile at that, realizing that it was probably the first manicure she’d ever had.

Knowing they would have to split the drive into two days, he targeted a halfway point somewhere near Sweetwater, Texas. By the time they hit Tyler, Texas, she was still sleeping, and Nash was starting to become concerned.

Pulling into a large gas station for fuel and a rest stop, she moved as the vehicle was stopped.

“Wh-where are we?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Tyler,” he smiled. “You’ve been asleep for about four hours. I wouldn’t have stopped, but I need to use the bathroom, and we need gas.”

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