Jenny: Chapter Six
1248 Words
Jenny: Chapter Six
A female voice said, “Come in.”
Jenny pushed open the door and walked into the hospital room. Beeps and blips sounded. The bed closest to her was empty but not the other.
Dare.
A tall woman with short, mahogany-colored hair blocked the view of the occupied bed. She wore jeans, a short-sleeved green blouse, and slip-on canvas shoes. Dark circles were under her puffy eyes.
“You must be Jenny.” The woman smiled. “I’m Susan. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but thank you for coming to see Darragh.”
Susan made this visit seem totally normal. If only…
“How is he?” Jenny asked.
“In and out. He had another surgery today. With all the hardware they’re putting inside him, he’ll be setting off metal detectors for the rest of his life.”
Dare was alive. That was all that mattered. Jenny swallowed.
She walked toward the bed where a man lay. Wires connected him to machines that made noises and lit up. An IV line went into the top of his right hand. One leg was elevated in a traction device. A cast covered part of his left forearm and hand. A white bandage concealed half his forehead. Cuts and bruises marred his face and arms. But he still looked like…
Ash.
Her heart lurched.
She did a double take. Blinked. Refocused.
Not Ash.
Dare.
A hand touched her shoulder. Susan.
“Are you okay, Jenny?”
Not trusting her voice, she nodded, even though her world had tilted off its axis and was spinning out of control.
Dare was in his mid-to-late twenties and more gorgeous than she’d imagined Ash. Even with the injuries Dare had sustained. The way his features fit together was perfect.
Her pulse took off faster than the speed of light.
This was who found her bottle? Her BFF? Her…friend?
Susan gave her shoulder a squeeze and then lowered her hand. “It’s so hard to see Darragh like this. He’s always been so active and athletic. Rarely caught colds. He played wide receiver for his junior college football team. He could have transferred to a four-year university, but after he got his associate’s degree, all he wanted to do was enlist and become a ranger.”
Like Rob—only his dream had been to be a marine.
“Honorable,” Jenny said, thinking of both men.
“That’s Darragh.” Susan’s gaze traveled from him to Jenny. “You know my son well.”
It didn’t sound like a question. For that, Jenny was grateful because she wouldn’t have known how to answer.
“He’ll be so happy you’re here,” Susan added.
Jenny hoped so. “He looks young.”
“Darragh always had such a baby face growing up. Even in high school. Now his sisters call him a pretty boy. He hates that.” Susan laughed. “Twenty-six, and his sisters can still get to him.”
Twenty-six. Five years younger than Jenny. Not that she didn’t have friends of all ages. “He mentioned having three sisters.”
“Yes, Kate was here for the first two days. She left yesterday because she had to work. Claire and Fiona just started classes at their respective colleges, so I told them not to come. They’re furious at me for that. At least Claire is in New Hampshire and can check on the house while I’m here. I did what I thought best and what Darragh would have wanted.”
Interesting. All four kids had Irish names. Jenny wondered if Dare had grown up in New Hampshire. She’d never been there. “He’s protective of his sisters.”
“He’s worse than a mama bear. Heaven help the guy who breaks one of their hearts.” Susan yawned. “Excuse me.”
Dare’s mom looked tired. Being on her own with her injured son had to be difficult. That gave Jenny an idea.
“Why don’t you take a break from the hospital tonight?” Missy had guaranteed Jenny’s hotel reservation so all she would have to do was call and say she’d be checking in tomorrow. “I’ll stay here with Dare so you can sleep.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind being here alone?”
“Not at all, and I’m not alone.” Jenny looked at the man asleep in the bed. “Dare is here.”
“Having a night away would be nice.” Susan sounded relieved. “I…I haven’t left the hospital much. I didn’t want to leave him.”
“There’s no reason for us both to stay tonight.”
Susan nodded. “Be warned—that chair isn’t all that comfortable.”
“One night should be okay, but several has probably worn out your back, neck, arms, and legs.”
“Yes. I’m feeling my age.” Susan laughed. “This will work out well. I’m sure Darragh would rather wake up to your pretty face than his old mom’s.”
Jenny’s cheeks heated. She wasn’t so sure since he’d never seen her. “You’re not old. And he looks like he won’t be awake much tonight.”
“In the morning, then.”
She and Dare would be spending their first night together. Well, sort of. Wait until Missy heard. Jenny almost laughed. “Go eat non-hospital food and sleep.”
“You don’t have to tell me again.” Susan picked up a large, lime-green tote bag. She reached inside and pulled out a business card. “Here’s my cell number. I put yours into my contacts yesterday.”
“Okay.” Susan must be the organized type. The only reason Jenny’s life flowed smoothly was because of Missy, who kept track of well, everything, so Jenny could focus on writing. “I’ll call if there’s anything you should know.”
Susan kissed the right side of Dare’s forehead where there wasn’t a bandage or bruise. “I’ll be back in the morning if I don’t hear from you tonight.”
Jenny smiled. “Goodnight.”
“Try to get some sleep. And thanks for giving me a night off.” With that, Susan walked out of the room. The door closed behind her.
Jenny blew out a breath. “It’s just you and me, Dare.”
He didn’t stir.
She walked to his bed, removed her bag from her shoulder, and set it next to the chair. Maybe she could work on outlining her next book, Assassin Curse. She pulled out her spiral notebook and pen but then put them back into her tote. There would be time to work later. All she wanted to do was stare at Dare.
His arms lay outside the blanket. Part of a tattoo showed at the bottom of his sleeve. He was tall and fit, but he looked so vulnerable lying in the hospital bed.
“I’d give anything to make you all better.”
Jenny touched his thumb on the hand with the IV in it. That seemed a safer choice than the arm with the cast.
His skin was warm. Calloused and scarred, too.
He stirred.
She jerked her hand away. “Dare?”
His eyes remained closed. “Jenn…”
Her heart raced. “I’m here. I’m right here, Dare.”
She couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. That should send off warning bells and flashing caution lights, but she didn’t mind.
As Jenny pushed the chair closer to the bed, she kept her gaze on Dare. They had never met, but she felt as if she knew him. His emails and texts had filled something that was missing inside her. That was why she’d kept writing back and getting excited when she heard from him.
Friendship, yes, that had been part of it, but there was more. Jenny liked the Dare she’d gotten to know from his correspondence, and she cared what happened to him. She couldn’t deny her physical attraction, either. Something that made her feel weird given he was injured and in the hospital. She shouldn’t be thinking he was hot.
Sitting, she leaned closer to the bed and released a long sigh.
“It looks like my message in the bottle did bring me my dream hero.”
Jenny didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…because she had a sinking feeling she’d have a better shot at dating Bigfoot than Dare O’Rourke.
- Writer
