Page 6 of Desert Wind

“Funny how the world works, isn’t it? All those missed opportunities for us, and look at us now.”

“We’re the same people, Jenna.”

“No. No, I’m not,” she said. “What that man, those men, did to me left me a shell of myself. I’ll never be alright again. Never.”

Jenna left him sitting there alone. Alone except for a ghost.

“Give her time,” said Nathan.

Nash thought to himself, she can have all the time in the world.

CHAPTER THREE

“What do you want to do now, Jenna?” asked Kari. “Your attackers are gone, and you can now do whatever you like. There’s a place for you here if you want to stay with us.”

“Thank you,” she nodded weakly. “I’m not sure what I want to do, to be honest with you.”

“That’s understandable,” said Bree. “If you had the opportunity after high school, what did you want to do?”

“Well, I wanted to be a teacher, and I did get my teaching degree. I was teaching at the convent’s school when – when the attack happened. Maybe I could do that again one day.”

“I can see where you’d make a wonderful teacher,” smiled Kat. “You’ve been a joy to work with here. You’re a special woman, Jenna.”

“Thank you. All of you have changed my life in so many ways.”

“What about Nash?” asked Kari carefully. She didn’t want to put any pressure on the woman, but they could all see that Nash was desperately in love with the woman he’d desired since ninth grade.

“Nash,” she whispered. “He’s such a good man. I want him to find happiness. He deserves that, but there can’t possibly be a woman good enough for him out there.”

The women all stared at one another and then looked back at Jenna. She had no clue that he still had feelings for her.

“Jenna, Nash cares for you. Deeply,” said Georgie. “Maybe you could continue to heal here and perhaps rekindle that friendship with Nash.”

“Maybe,” she said quietly. “I’ve been thinking lately that maybe it’s time I went home for a while.”

“Isn’t all your family gone?” frowned Bree.

“Y-yes. I meant, go back to Arizona and find some closure. I left the day after I graduated from high school. I never returned. I went home when my family all died, but it was brief, and I came right back. Maybe going home will allow me to feel again. Feel something good.”

“It could be difficult, Jenna,” said Bree. “I’m all for you going back to your childhood home but remember that this will bring up painful memories for you as well. You’ll be seeing your old home if it’s still there. Your old schools. Maybe even run into old friends. Are you sure you’re ready to do that?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure of anything, to be honest with you. I just know that I can’t sit here and do nothing for much longer, or I’m going to lose my mind.”

“You’re not doing nothing,” said Georgie. “You’re healing. That’s all you should be doing.”

Jenna nodded, then looked at the group of women in front of her.

“Were you all raised here?” she asked.

“I was raised in New Orleans,” said Kari. “I met Pierre when he was sent to guard me before a trial.” She nodded and looked at Georgie.

“My father was part of the original security group, REAPER,” she said. “I was born in Virginia and then moved here.” She looked at Katrina.

“Oh, my father, Miguel, knew the team when they were in Virginia. They rescued me when my uncle kidnapped me. I’vebeen around them my entire life, obviously falling in love with Nathan,” she smiled.

“I met the team when Steel Patriots was based in northern Virginia,” said Bree. “I was counseling Grace, and that’s when I met Doc.”

“Have you traveled?” she asked the group.

---