shook the whirling thoughts away and recalled seeing exactly what he needed. From the thin cabinet next to the oven, he retrieved a baking sheet to use as a tray. Improvisation he could do. He loaded it down with everything he thought they’d need and lifted it into his arms.
“She not ready to be around everyone yet?” Shane asked.
Easy paused and looked his friend in the eye. Shane McCallan was a good guy through and through, and the fact he implicitly understood where Jenna was at right now meant a lot. “No. The bruises are filling in pretty good. I think she’s feeling self-conscious. She’ll come around, though.”
Shane nodded. “All right. Tell Sara I made us something to eat?”
“Yup,” Easy said, and then he was all about getting back to Jenna.
J ENNA SMILED WHEN Easy walked into the bedroom, carrying what appeared to be half the refrigerator on a bowing cookie sheet. Not only had he made and delivered dinner, he’d sent Sara up to keep her company. How much more thoughtful could he be?
He glanced between her and Sara like he was unsure what to do next. Jenna pulled the covers back so the surface would be flat and patted the bed next to her. “Put it anywhere.”
Easy set the makeshift tray down and rubbed a hand over his head. “I tried to think of things that would be gentle on your stomach,” he said in a low voice. “But if you want something different—”
“No, this looks perfect.” Her gaze settled on a tall glass of . . . She gasped. “You made me a milk shake?”
At that, Sara patted her on the knee. “Okay, I’m gonna go. Let me know if you need anything?”
“Oh, uh, Shane was making you all something to eat,” Easy said.
Sara smiled. “Good timing. This is making me hungry,” she said, gesturing to the tray.
Jenna grabbed up the milk shake and hugged the glass against her chest. “Get your own.”
Holding up her hands in surrender, Sara smiled. “All yours. Besides, Nick and Jeremy have the world’s biggest sweet tooths. There’s an endless supply of ice cream downstairs. I’m not even joking. So there’s more where that came from.” She squeezed Easy’s arm. “You know where to find me if you need me,” she said.
And then they were alone.
Jenna was glad. Not because having Easy here warded off her panic and fear but because she just wanted to be with him.
She fished a spoon out from between two plates and took a taste of her treat. Freaking heaven. “Oh, my God,” she said, scooping another big bite. “This is so good . I can’t believe you made me a milk shake.” Even when her father had been alive, Sara was the one who’d really taken care of Jenna. So maybe Easy’s thoughtfulness wouldn’t have been so earthshaking to someone else, but to her, it meant a lot. She peered up at him, which made her realize he was still standing. Crisscrossing her legs, she pointed at the foot of the bed. “Come sit down. Some of this has to be for you, too, right?”
“Yeah,” Easy said. “You sure this is okay?”
“It’s great, really. I can’t even remember the last time I ate, so this is like filet mignon and Maine lobster rolled into one. Seriously.” She exchanged the milk shake for the bowl of soup, and the warm, salty broth tasted every bit as good.
They ate in silence for a while, then he asked, “So, what are you studying in school?”
“International business,” Jenna said around a spoonful of soup. “I always wanted to travel.” And, to put it more plainly, she’d always wanted to get the hell out of here. Which made her break her promise to Sara—it was really hard not to feel bad about wanting to leave Sara knowing everything she’d been going through. Jenna was going to be a work in progress on that, it seemed.
“Sounds ambitious,” Easy said. “Did you have to learn languages?”
Jenna nodded. “I minored in Spanish, and I’ve taken some French, too. What I’d really like to learn is Chinese since there are so many new
“She not ready to be around everyone yet?” Shane asked.
Easy paused and looked his friend in the eye. Shane McCallan was a good guy through and through, and the fact he implicitly understood where Jenna was at right now meant a lot. “No. The bruises are filling in pretty good. I think she’s feeling self-conscious. She’ll come around, though.”
Shane nodded. “All right. Tell Sara I made us something to eat?”
“Yup,” Easy said, and then he was all about getting back to Jenna.
J ENNA SMILED WHEN Easy walked into the bedroom, carrying what appeared to be half the refrigerator on a bowing cookie sheet. Not only had he made and delivered dinner, he’d sent Sara up to keep her company. How much more thoughtful could he be?
He glanced between her and Sara like he was unsure what to do next. Jenna pulled the covers back so the surface would be flat and patted the bed next to her. “Put it anywhere.”
Easy set the makeshift tray down and rubbed a hand over his head. “I tried to think of things that would be gentle on your stomach,” he said in a low voice. “But if you want something different—”
“No, this looks perfect.” Her gaze settled on a tall glass of . . . She gasped. “You made me a milk shake?”
At that, Sara patted her on the knee. “Okay, I’m gonna go. Let me know if you need anything?”
“Oh, uh, Shane was making you all something to eat,” Easy said.
Sara smiled. “Good timing. This is making me hungry,” she said, gesturing to the tray.
Jenna grabbed up the milk shake and hugged the glass against her chest. “Get your own.”
Holding up her hands in surrender, Sara smiled. “All yours. Besides, Nick and Jeremy have the world’s biggest sweet tooths. There’s an endless supply of ice cream downstairs. I’m not even joking. So there’s more where that came from.” She squeezed Easy’s arm. “You know where to find me if you need me,” she said.
And then they were alone.
Jenna was glad. Not because having Easy here warded off her panic and fear but because she just wanted to be with him.
She fished a spoon out from between two plates and took a taste of her treat. Freaking heaven. “Oh, my God,” she said, scooping another big bite. “This is so good . I can’t believe you made me a milk shake.” Even when her father had been alive, Sara was the one who’d really taken care of Jenna. So maybe Easy’s thoughtfulness wouldn’t have been so earthshaking to someone else, but to her, it meant a lot. She peered up at him, which made her realize he was still standing. Crisscrossing her legs, she pointed at the foot of the bed. “Come sit down. Some of this has to be for you, too, right?”
“Yeah,” Easy said. “You sure this is okay?”
“It’s great, really. I can’t even remember the last time I ate, so this is like filet mignon and Maine lobster rolled into one. Seriously.” She exchanged the milk shake for the bowl of soup, and the warm, salty broth tasted every bit as good.
They ate in silence for a while, then he asked, “So, what are you studying in school?”
“International business,” Jenna said around a spoonful of soup. “I always wanted to travel.” And, to put it more plainly, she’d always wanted to get the hell out of here. Which made her break her promise to Sara—it was really hard not to feel bad about wanting to leave Sara knowing everything she’d been going through. Jenna was going to be a work in progress on that, it seemed.
“Sounds ambitious,” Easy said. “Did you have to learn languages?”
Jenna nodded. “I minored in Spanish, and I’ve taken some French, too. What I’d really like to learn is Chinese since there are so many new
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