by Ana Sparks
Within seconds Dan had landed a punch on Tywin’s chin that sent the man hurtling to the ground. As Dan bent over and laid into him, it looked like he was more than willing to keep the punches flying until the referee intervened, having to pull on his arm to stop him.
Jen was hoping against hope that this meant the fight was over, but as the referee reached the count of nine, Tywin got back to his feet, a little wobbly but still very much in the fight. He rushed at Dan, obviously hoping to catch him off-guard, but with another solid punch from Dan, he hit the floor again.
This time the referee managed to reach the count of ten without Tywin getting back to his feet, much to the disappointment of the crowd who had clearly wanted to see the fight last longer than one round.
The referee declared Dan the winner and then motioned to a couple of men standing in Tywin’s corner. “Your guy needs some attention.”
There was a lull in the jeering from the crowd, and when Tywin still didn’t get to his feet, people started booing Dan. Jen started feeling uncomfortable as the mood started to turn, and someone shouted out “you’ve killed him, you bastard!”
Jen paused just long enough to shout out Dan’s name and watch him jump out of the ring, and then he was following her out of the building and up the stairs outside.
Out in the cool night air, Jen headed straight for her car, starting the engine and leaning across the seats to unlock the passenger door. She looked out through the windshield in horror as she watched Dan push his way past a group of people who had followed him out of the building.
“Dan! Get in!”
She watched in relief as his head turned in her direction and he made a run for the car, jumping in and slamming the door closed behind him. Jen’s foot slammed on the accelerator and she pulled away with a screech of tires, leaving a smell of burning rubber in her wake.
“Are you okay?” She asked. Her voice was a little shaky, despite the relief she felt that they had gotten away from the angry horde.
“I'm okay, but I’m not so sure about him.” Dan replied, his voice just as shaky as hers was. Jen didn’t know whether to be relieved at the fact or be even more concerned.
“What’s going to happen now, Dan?” Jen was on autopilot and was barely aware that she was driving; she hadn't a clue where she was headed. She looked sideways across at Dan.
“In all honesty I have no idea,” Dan said, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. I didn’t mean to hit him so hard, but I was so angry at the way he’d treated you. He had it coming, Jen. I just hope he’s okay.”
Jen took a deep breath before asking the question she’d been dreading. “What if he’s not okay? What’s going to happen?”
She sensed rather than saw Dan shake his head.
“It was an illegal fight, so if he wakes up he’s not likely to press any charges because he’d implicate himself as well. If he doesn’t wake up? That’s another story. If that happens, I’m not going to get charged with fighting illegally, I’m going to be charged with murder. They have enough witnesses for the charges to stick, and I’m pretty sure I’ve pissed enough people off for them to testify against me.”
“Holy shit, Dan.”
It suddenly dawned on Jen that she couldn’t have picked a worse night to find him and tell him about her own circumstances. With the type of trouble he was in right now, the last thing he’d want to hear was that he was going to be a father.
But if Jen was going to have this baby and Dan ended up in prison for murder, he had to know the facts.
She took a deep breath. “I know my timing is lousy, but I was looking for you for a reason tonight, Dan.” She chanced a quick look at him and saw him watching her intently. “There’s something I have to tell you, but please don’t think I’m telling you because I’m expecting anything from you.”
“I’m listening.”
“The thing is, the night we spent together…something happened that neither of us were expecting. I’m pregnant, Dan.”
The sound of silence in the car was almost deafening and Jen shot another quick glance across at him, expecting to see anger on his face. She was surprised when what she saw was the faint glimmer of a smile.
“I don’t want you to say anything right now, and like I said, I’m not expecting anything from you, but I thought you had the right to know.”
“Thank you for that, Jen. I’m pretty sure I don't deserve you making the effort, but I do appreciate it.”
Jen smiled across at him, her smile a genuine one. “You’re welcome.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes before Dan spoke again. “So what are we going to do now? Do you have any ideas?”
Jen had a few, but she needed his input, and she wasn’t sure that she wanted to suggest anything to him while the situation was still fraught and unstable.
“Before we do anything else, I think we need to find out how that guy is doing. I know you’ve been keeping an eye on the mirror just as much as I have, and I think it’s safe to say that we weren’t followed, so I’m going to pull over as soon as we see a phone booth to see what we can find out.”
“I was going to suggest the same thing. Great minds think alike, huh?”
It didn’t take them long to spot a public telephone, and Dan got out of the car when Jen pulled over. She watched as he dialed the number and spoke to somebody, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. As he walked back to the car, she couldn’t discern from his expression whether he’d been given good news or bad, and she turned to him nervously as he sat back down and closed the door.
“Is there any news?”
“Well, he’s not dead, but he hasn’t woken up yet either. The bad news is that he’s in a coma and the police are on the lookout for me. I’m really not sure what we should do, Jen. I think I'm in over my head.”
Reaching out a hand, Jen rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. “It will all work out, Dan. We just need a contingency plan for right now, at least until we know one way or the other what his condition is.”
In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help thinking about the trouble she could end up in for harboring a fugitive, but there was no way she could abandon the father of her child. She would do anything in her power to help him.
“I have an idea, and I don’t know if it’s something you want to do, but I can’t think of anything else. I know a place in the countryside—it’s actually my parents' holiday home. It’s pretty remote, so we shouldn’t be disturbed by anyone. We can wait there, at least until we know what’s going on.”
Dan turned in his seat so that he was facing her. “Are you absolutely sure, Jen? I don’t want to drag you into the middle of all this, especially considering the condition that you’re in.”
“It’s purely because of my condition I’m helping you, Dan. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with us or the baby, and I’m not expecting you to take on any more than you absolutely want to, but I’m also not going to sit back and do nothing if there’s something I can do to help.”
“You’re one in a million, Jen. You know that, right?” He sounded sincere, and Jen felt a warm glow spread through her at his words. “I think your plan sounds great. You don't need to do this for me, you know.”
“It's okay. I have a few days left to take off at work, so I’ll call them later and tell them that I’m taking them now. My roommate is away now for a couple of weeks, so I don’t need to let her know, and I only talk to my parents about once a month anyway. I think it’s safe to say that I’m not going to be missed.”
“Then let’s do it. At least until things calm down and we know what’s happening. Thanks, Jen.” The relief in his voice was evident, and Jen felt good about being able to help him.
Turning her attention back to the road, Jen started to laugh—quietly at first, before it turned into a belly laugh that had tears running down her face.
Dan looked at her with a bemused expression on his face. “Do you want to share what's so funny?”
“I just realized what you’re wearing. Or should I say, not wearing.” She was still laughing, the tears rolling down her face unchecked as she tried to concentrate on the road.
In their haste to leave the boxing venue, neither of them had spared a thought for the fact that all he had on were the shorts he’d been wearing for the fight.
Dan started to laugh along with her, and it was a sound that was a release for them both after the stress of the evening.
“I think there are some clothes at the house that should fit you, but if you’re cold now there’s a blanket on the back seat.”
“The heat’s on, so I think I’m okay for now. So long as my near-nakedness isn’t offending you?” His tone was joking, but Jen’s mind immediately sank to gutter-level as a picture of him completely naked sprang to mind.
“Well, we’ve got a few hours to drive yet, and if I get tired I’m going to need to open the window to stay awake, so it might get a little chilly.” She was doing her best to get her mind back on track, but if she was completely honest with herself, she was failing miserably.
Chapter Ten
They drove in relative silence for the remainder of the journey, listening to music on the radio for most of it. Jen quickly found out that even though Dan was extraordinarily good-looking, with the body of a god, he couldn’t sing to save his life. Eventually he fell asleep, and the rest of the drive was much more peaceful.
As she pulled up into the driveway of her family’s country home, she gave him a shake. “Wake up, Dan. We’re here.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” He rubbed his eyes sleepily and looked out of the window again. “This is your family’s country house? It looks more like a damn hotel.”
Jen laughed softly as she unbuckled her seat belt and opened the car door. “Nope, no jokes. The house has been in the family for generations, and to be honest, I don’t even know why my parents keep it. They hardly ever come here.”
She got out of the car and Dan quickly followed, shivering against the cold night air. “And you’re sure it’s okay for us to be here?” He was looking up at the house in awe.
“I’m positive. Besides, how will they even know?” As she spoke she walked up to the large double front door and lifted up the strategically-placed plant pot. “If anyone asks, you didn’t see this, okay? My folks would kill me if they knew I’d given away the hiding place of the spare key.”
“My lips are sealed. The last thing I want to do is get you into trouble.”
Jen unlocked and opened the front door and walked inside, looking back at Dan as he stood looking up at the mansion-sized home in stunned silence, shaking his head as though he can’t quite believe what he was seeing.
“Are you going to stand out there all night? Because if you are, I can bring you something warmer to put on than those shorts.” She said the words laughingly, and Dan finally shook himself out of his reverie and followed her inside.
“The place is a little chilly because we don’t keep the heating on when there’s nobody here. We usually let our neighbor know when we’re coming and she comes over to warm the place up, hence the key in the flowerpot. I’ll go and get the furnace started and we’ll be warm in no time.”
She left Dan in the living room, and when she returned he was still standing there, as though in a daze, not looking like he’d moved a muscle.
“Are you okay, Dan?”
“I think so. I’m just really confused, to be honest.” He finally looked at her and she could tell by his expression that his words weren’t an exaggeration. “This house belongs to your parents?”
Jen nodded her head, not knowing where the question was leading. “It does, yes.”
“Wow. Just, wow.”
“Take a look around if you’d like. Or, better yet, why don’t you go take a hot shower and warm up a little, and then I can give you the grand tour.”
She started walking out of the large room and Dan followed behind her. They went up the large staircase and Jen directed him to one of the guest bedrooms.
“There’s a bathroom through the adjoining door, and there are fresh towels on the rack. I’ll dig some clothes out for you and put them on the bed for when you get out.”
Dan thanked her and walked into the bathroom, a bemused expression still on his handsome face. Jen left the bedroom and walked down to her parents' room, rooting around in the drawers until she found a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt that should fit him, before returning to the guest bedroom and placing the items on the bed as promised.
As she turned to leave, the sound of Dan's out-of-tune singing reached her ears, and she couldn’t help smiling as she walked away.
Jen went into her own bedroom, feeling calmed by the familiarity of the place. She decided that a shower would do her good as well, and twenty minutes later she walked back down the stairs feeling refreshed and much better than before.
She’d decided on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt for herself as well, feeling that a pair of pajamas was just a little bit too familiar to wear in front of Dan. On her feet she wore a pair of fluffy Mickey Mouse slippers—a gift from one of her best friends a few years ago and something she only ever wore when she was at the country house.
Dan was already in the living room, standing in front of the window awkwardly and obviously feeling very out of place.
“Did you enjoy your shower?” Jen couldn’t help but notice just how hot he looked, freshly out of the shower.
“I feel much better, thanks.” He turned away from the window to look at her and then burst out laughing as he spotted her slippers. “Mickey Mouse? Seriously?”
“Don’t judge me.” There was laughter in her voice. “They’re comfy and cozy.”
He was still snickering, trying his hardest to hide his amusement, but failing miserably. “And how old are you, exactly?”
“I’m old enough to look after myself if you don’t stop picking on me.” She was joking and they both knew it, but the tension in the room had definitely lifted. “So, are you ready for the grand tour?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. After you.”
They left the room with Jen leading the way, and as Dan commented on every room they went into, she started to see the place through new eyes. She had never really thought much about the house or its contents before, but Dan was definitely making her stop and think now.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Jen?” He sounded a little tentative, but she had a feeling that it was more embarrassment than anything else.
She nodded. “Of course you can. You can ask me anything, Dan. I’m not sure I’ll always be able to answer you, though.”
“This is your parents’ holiday home, right?” She nodded again. “How can they afford to keep it if they don’t even live in it? A place like this must cost a fortune to keep up.” He looked at her with a confused expression on his face. “I guess what I’m getting at, or what I’m trying to ask is, just how rich is your family?”
“Would it make you uncomfortable if I told you that my parents are very wealthy? Does it really make a difference?” Jen never really liked talking about her family's wealth, but she wasn’t about to lie to Dan now. He was the father of her child.
He was shaking his head slowly as he walked across to one of the couches and sat down. “I guess it’s just hard to imagine anybody having that kind of money. I feel like I remember you saying something about them being doctors?”
“Yeah, they are. My father is a heart surgeon and my mother specializes in pediatric care. They met at med school and have been together ever since. They both come from old money, though, so even though they earn high salaries, not everything you see here was bought by them. A lot of it was passed down through generations on both my mother’s and my father’s side.”
She gave him a rueful smile. “Maybe now you can understand why they’re both so desperate for me to go to med school and become a doctor.”
Dan gave a short but humorless laugh. “It
’s hard to believe that you and I even met, let alone created a child together. Our backgrounds and lives are so completely different.”
“How are we that different, really? My parents might be well-off, but I’m certainly not. Okay, so they paid for a lot of my tuition, but I’ve got a job and pay for as much as I possibly can myself.”
He shook his head slowly, smiling at her sadly. “You were born into wealth and comfort, Jen. Sure, there’s a lot of expectations that you feel you should meet with regards to your future career, and I’m sure a lot of pressure is put on you by your parents. But at least you have parents who care, which is more than can be said for a lot of people, whether rich or poor.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Jen said, feeling a twinge of guilt rise up inside her. “I guess I've always felt as though they’re trying to control my life, but in all reality they're probably just doing their best to look out for me. I've never really looked at it that way before.”
She looked across the room at Dan and made her way to the couch to sit down next to him. “So what’s your story, Dan? What do your parents do for a living?”
She watched in dismay as his expression went from interested to morose in a split second.
“My story's completely different from yours. I was put into the foster care system when I was very young. I never knew my real mother and father, and from what I’ve been told about them, I didn’t really miss out on much.”
Jen felt her heart sink. How could she have been so careless? It almost felt as though she’d been bragging about her parents and their wealth; she hadn't considered that Dan might have had a very different upbringing to her.
“I’m so sorry, Dan. I shouldn’t have asked.”
He gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s okay. How were you supposed to know? Besides, it's old news now anyway.”
“Were your foster parents good to you?” Once again, she watched his expression change to one that resembled pent-up anger.
