by Leanne Davis
Trent started to step forward but Aaron put a restraining hand on him. He stood directly in front of Jason. “You’ll have to understand that my wife and I just got a call that our daughter was seriously injured falling down stairs, and then to our complete shock, are told she’s had a miscarriage when we didn’t even know she was pregnant. What the hell is going on? And who are you to all this?” His voice was domineering and his manner held the confidence and authority that would benefit a man who ran his own empire.
Jason stiffened and rose up to his full height. Aaron Andrews didn’t look like someone he would want to piss off. It didn’t help they had no idea what kind of person Jason was, other than the one who had made Christine cheat on her fiancé. Not exactly a sterling representation of his character, now was it?
He was now only a few feet from Christine’s father and was surprised to see they stood eye to eye. They were both tall and dark with the same type of features. He and Trent would remind Christine of her father.
Jason cleared his throat. “Up until a week ago we were dating.”
“When did you get together? She had barely just broken it off with Trent.”
“About then, we started to date.”
Aaron frowned. “About then? As in it started before. So…you were the reason for all this?”
Jason shrugged. “Yeah. I guess I was. And then later on, she found out she was pregnant and—”
With a hand to her mouth Kay suddenly moaned, “Oh my God, then she doesn’t know who the father is, does she?”
“No. Trent’s just guessing he is.”
Kay cried out, then leaned against Aaron.
Trent put a hand on Kay’s arm and narrowed a hard gaze on Jason. “I know what you did to her. I know that you broke up. She came back to me. She came to me, crying and apologetic.”
In what lifetime would Christine go crying and apologetic to Trent? It didn’t ring even remotely true. But her parents seemed to be eating it up.
Trent continued, “She told me what you said to her, and it made her realize how wrong she was about you. And how wrong she’d been to leave me. She regretted it all. Don’t you see? Christine is too good for you. She just got scared, and you were a diversion. We were going to have the family and life we always dreamed about, until you ruined it.”
Aaron looked first at Trent, then to Jason. He scowled fiercely at Jason. “Who are you exactly? Trent’s brother? How?”
“Yeah. Half-brother. Terry is my biological father.”
Aaron suddenly whipped around to face Terry Gallagher. “This is your son? I didn’t know you had another son. Did you know that he was dating my daughter?”
Terry licked his lips. His voice was hesitant as he said, “Yes, I knew. I... I caught her at his house a few months ago.”
“And you didn’t think it prudent to maybe tell me?”
“Well I... I didn’t know how to tell you. It wasn’t exactly under great circumstances.”
“You mean because you’d hidden a son from me? Or that my daughter had somehow found him?”
Terry’s face changed color and he stuttered under Aaron’s fierce gaze and tone. There was something frightening about Christine’s father. It was the first time Jason had ever seen Terry tongue-tied and meek. And at a loss of how to schmooze his way out of a situation. It was an interesting switch.
“I didn’t think it was my place to try and explain your daughter to you. She’s been acting so erratic lately. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you everything.”
Aaron’s gaze was enough to make Jason step back. “What else haven’t you told me, Terry? I didn’t realize you were so adept at keeping secrets. You of all people will refrain from saying anything in judgment of my daughter. Because right now, Terry, I feel like my company could easily find a new law firm, and maybe even withdraw any funding we have earmarked for your political aspirations.”
Political aspirations? How much money could becoming the mayor of a reasonably small town take? He had never witnessed anyone having the upper hand over Terry Gallagher. Jason didn’t know what to make of it. He glanced at Aaron. Was Aaron doubting Terry? It had never occurred to him that Aaron would find Terry ignoring his son anything but justified. It was a shock to think Christine’s father might have felt how Christine did.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Aaron, really. Of course, I should have told you. I was just so furious with Christine on behalf of my son.”
“Which one?”
“The one that matters to me. Trent, of course.”
“The one that matters? What the hell is the matter with you? How have I known you for twelve years and never heard of another son?”
“I don’t advertise him. Look at him, would you? Though your daughter seemed to see something in him. I can bet on what.”
Aaron’s hand clenched in a fist. Jason raised his eyebrows. Terry didn’t notice the fist. Was Aaron about to hit Terry? Jason was shocked that Aaron was so upset by Terry’s secrets and his actions. “Get out of here right now, both of you,” Aaron said.
Jason almost laughed out loud because Trent and Terry did it. They turned and walked down the hall, their backs stiff with resentment, as if they were five-year-olds being sent to the corner. He could not believe it. Aaron watched them leave and then turned back to Jason.
Jason sighed. “Christine wanted to tell you about us, about me, but she was scared you’d think about her, just like Terry was. Your opinion of her means everything. She didn’t enjoy disappointing you. She hasn’t enjoyed any of this.”
Aaron regarded him. “That sounds like my daughter. You at least talk about her like you know her.”
“I know her. You just missed that Trent never did.”
Kay put a hand to her mouth. “How did you even meet her?”
“She came looking for me after she discovered my existence. I think her intent was to mend fences between me and the Gallaghers. Plus she hated that Trent had kept a secret from her.”
“And?”
“And she fell in love with me.”
“You say it like it was no big deal.”
“It’s been a big deal,” Jason said quietly.
“Your daughter was in love with this young man and she pursued him.”
Aaron and Kay turned as Bill suddenly came up beside them all.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Bill Kelso. I own the garage where Jason works and Christine lives. And unlike your weasel mayor there, I’m Jason’s father.”
“But isn’t Terry?”
“That asshole? No, he donated sperm. My wife and I took Jason in when he was a teenager and have raised him ever since. We know him. Your daughter loves Jason, not Trent. She is smart and kind and good. And she saw the truth far clearer than any of you did. She may have been pregnant, but that was the only accident she’s had lately. That girl knows exactly what she’s doing and what she wants. And you all are the fools who don’t see that about her.”
Kay’s face turned red. In shock? Or horror? Aaron’s jaw locked. His frown deepened. Jason had nothing to add to make any of it easier for them.
Aaron stiffened his spine. “Is this all true?”
“Yeah, it’s all true,” Jason said his tone defeated.
“And the prison part? What were you there for?”
“Drug possession.” He met Aaron’s glare with a blank stare. There was no lessoning what his history presented about him.
“Let me guess, you’re actually innocent,” Aaron said sarcastically.
Jason shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I was in prison. Look, I get it. Trent’s probably even right, Christine wasn’t really in love with me and was only wasting time. I don’t know. But I’d like to hear it from her.”
Aaron stared at him. “How is it I’ve never heard of you?”
“My father had an affair with my mother, Irene Malone. Terry paid my mother to not let it be known who my father was. He then paid me off too when the election for mayor came up.”
“Then don’t.” Jason shrugged. “Doesn’t change that he did.”
“Was it your baby?”
“I don’t know.”
“She really didn’t know?” Aaron asked. Jason had never experienced a moment more awkward in his life. He was never embarrassed about sex before, but before Christine’s father he was nearly blushing.
“She really didn’t know.”
Aaron frowned took Kay’s arm, and drug her away with him.
Jason was left alone with Bill. He let out a long breath. That had been harder than any confrontation he’d ever been in. He sat down in the waiting room just down from where the hospital staff were transferring Christine into a room. He eventually got up and wondered down the hallway to the drinking fountain. He stood in front of her door for a long moment.
“Would you like to see her now?” Jason looked up, startled when a nurse stopped before him. He looked around; everyone else was occupied. He could see her first without fighting them. He nodded and quietly slipped into her room.
He stopped dead just inside her room.
Chapter Twenty
She looked dead. She looked like a ghostly, unearthly pale body lying there against crisp white sheets. It broke his heart. Her eyes were closed. Stitches neatly tied off the gash at her hairline. Her dark hair seemed stark against her pallor. Her face was bruised and swollen in several spots. Each black and blue mark tore at him. Blankets covered her up, tucked neatly under her armpits. Her left leg was elevated and bandaged.
His heart slammed against his ribs. Why hadn’t he realized he was in love with her before? Why hadn’t he told her when he had the chance? Seeing her like this was far worse than whatever he had been afraid of.
He walked over next to her and took the hand without an IV. He looked down at the smallness of it engulfed in his. The gold band she wore on her middle finger was smooth against his fingers. He pulled up a green vinyl chair next to her so he didn’t have to let go of her hand and sank down, suddenly exhausted from the morning’s trauma.
He looked at her, willing her to wake up from the fall and pain meds so that he could tell her everything he felt. Would she believe him? Would she care? Could she ever forgive him? He wanted to help her. He wanted to be the one to tell her what had happened. To be there for her in any way she needed. For once. She was right; he’d made most everything about him. He wanted to change that.
He kissed her hand and looked at her battered face. He wasn’t ready to face this yet. Too much had happened and his emotions were on overload, between finding out she was pregnant, his terrible reaction, and now the miscarriage. It was too cruel to happen in a matter of seven days. He didn’t know what to do with himself. He couldn’t begin to define how he felt about Christine miscarrying.
Christine had only tried to love him despite how hard he made it for her. She’d tried to make his life better. And he’d thrown it all back in her face. She had accepted him as he was, far more than he accepted himself. Or her. She only wanted to heal his anger, make him live again, maybe look at the world a little less harshly. What had he done for her in return? Walked out when she had needed him the most.
He sat there silently berating himself, silently aching for Christine. He didn’t know how much time passed before her mother finally burst into the room, her eyes blazing at him. He got up, realizing her family needed to see her too.
He nodded at Kay as he passed her. Aaron was in the doorway; he had to squeeze past him. Aaron gave Jason a measuring look and he knew Aaron found him unworthy of his daughter, and at that moment, Jason agreed.
Outside her room, Trent and Terry waited, talking between themselves. Peggy had shown up. They were probably filling her in. Peggy glared at Jason and then turned her back to him. Jason looked past them towards Bill and his wife Jenny, who encouraged him to stand beside them.
It was late morning and Christine still was sedated and sleeping. Jason finally got up to stretch. He walked to the elevator, deciding to go get coffee at the cafeteria. The thought of food was enough to make acid feel like it was about to rush up through his throat.
When he stepped around the corner, he came face to face with Kay Andrews. She stood there silently, her gaze traveling up and down him. Her mouth tightened. “Will you join me for coffee?”
He flinched in surprise. He sharpened his gaze on her face. Was she for real? He cleared his throat and said, “Yeah, sure.”
She nodded and got onto the elevator first. He followed her, his palms suddenly sticky. What did Kay Andrews want with him?
****
Christine woke up to a dimly lit hospital room. She looked down. She was in an ugly hospital gown, and her foot was propped up. Flowers filled up the table across from her bed.
She put a hand to her head. It hurt. It really, really hurt. Why was she in a hospital room? The last memory her befuddled brain remembered was going to bed the night before. At least, she assumed it was the night before.
She moaned as another stab of pain filled her body.
“Honey, you’re awake.” A male voice near the side of her bed said from beside her. It hurt to move her head, but she slowly turned towards the sound as relief flowed through her veins, he was there.
“Jason,” she said to the man as he came fully into her view.
“No, it’s Trent. I’ve been here all day. Shh. Don’t waste your energy.”
“What happened? Why are you here?” she asked, because she couldn’t seem to make sense of anything. And there was something she needed to know. What was it she needed to know? Something niggled at her brain. Why was her memory so murky? What thought was nagging at her?
“Where’s Jason?” Her voice came out in a harsh whisper. She licked her dry lips, but it didn’t help .
“Shh, it’s all right. Everything’s going to be all right. You fell, darling, down the stairs. I was with your father when he got the call about your accident,” Trent said, putting a soothing hand over hers. She almost flicked it off. She didn’t want him, she wanted Jason.
Her thoughts were swirling, but there was something on the edge of her consciousness that didn’t sound right about what Trent said.
“No. Not an accident—”
“Honey, don’t waste your energy. You tripped again.”
“No,” she said, starting to protest. He put two fingers to her lips as a sign to hush. She hated when he did things like that.
She turned her head away from him. She was exhausted and her head hurt so bad that just breathing hurt. As she stared off at the blinds covering the window she finally remembered what was so important: the baby.
Christine suddenly gripped wildly at Trent’s hand. “The baby. Trent, what about the baby?”
He took her hand and rubbed it quickly. He ran a hand over her face and into her hair as he shushed her. He told her to calm down, that everything was fine. Just then a nurse came in. Her last thought was the baby must be okay before she faded into a drugged sleep.
****
Her eyes fluttered open at the soft murmurs of conversation around her. She focused on her parents sitting on either side of her bed, near her head. Jason wasn’t in view.
Her mother grabbed her hand. “Christine, baby,” she said as tears filled up her eyes and leaked down her cheeks. She pushed one knuckle at them. “How do you feel?”
She didn’t know how long it had been. Her mom crooned over her and stroked her face tenderly, something she hadn’t done in years.
She turned her head and her father was there. His hand came to her forehead and he gently pushed her bangs back and softly stroked her brow. Tears filled his eyes. She took in a deep, shaky breath.
“There’s so much I have to tell you.” Her heart felt suddenly ripped open.
Kay shook her head and squeezed her hand. “No, you don’t. Bill Kelso, your landlord, found you. He came here and told us everything. It’s okay, sweetie, there’s nothing you have to do but
get better.”
“He told you about Jason then?” she whispered, switching her gaze back to her dad. She couldn’t imagine her father knowing she was pregnant and unsure of who the father was.
“Yes, we know about him. Bill told us, and Trent told us the rest.”
“I should have told you. I was going to tell you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I shouldn’t have shut you out so completely.”
Aaron shook his head, tears blurring his eyes. He blinked rapidly. “I should never have said the things I did that day. You were right to leave. I would have done the same thing if anyone talked to me how I did to you that day. You’re an adult now, and perfectly capable of making your own decisions. But... you’re my little girl and I let you go, and look what happened to you. Look at what I didn’t prevent from happening to you.”
“It’s not your fault, Dad. It’s mine.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry. I love you. Please say you’ll forgive me.”
She took a deep breath and smiled through her watery eyes. “That’s all I wanted. For you to love me, no matter what I did, or who I was with.”
He bent down and kissed her cheek gently. “I do. I should have shown you.”
“I did a lot of things wrong too. Things you won’t be proud of, and this time I’ll deserve it.”
“Don’t worry about it. Not right now.”
She nodded. Her stomach settled. Finally, there were no more secrets. “Where is he? I’d like to see him too.”
“Who?”
“Jason? Where is he?”
Her parents exchanged a look over her. What the hell was that? Her father moved his hand from her head down to her hand. They both gripped a hand, sandwiching her.
Her mother took a deep breath. “Honey, Jason isn’t here.”
“Well, then call him.”
“He just... didn’t come.”
“You didn’t tell him?”
