The Son He Never Knew

Regardless, he vowed to stand by Jess, come hell or high water. After what he’d done to her all those years ago, it was the least he could do for her now.

ALONE WITH HER CHILD in Chase’s sparsely furnished guestroom, Jess claimed a space next to Danny on the twin bed. She pulled the covers over his thin shoulders and whisked a kiss across his cheek. And when he turned away from her, she felt her heart shatter one painful fissure at a time.

Still, she rested her face on the pillow, hoping that he found a measure of comfort in her presence. But since the moment they’d arrived at Chase’s house, he’d refused to look at her, refused to speak a word. She couldn’t really blame him after what he’d endured, both tonight and throughout his nine years on earth.

She smiled at the slight curl at the nape of his neck, remembered how she’d been terrified to hold him after he was born and then soon found it hard to put him down. She recalled his baby-soft smell, how little time it had taken to bond with him. He’d been such a joy from the beginning, the brightest part of her day.

Jess’s life had been littered with what-ifs and regrets, of foolish decisions she’d wished she could take back, but having her son had never been one of them. She should have left Dalton a long time ago, when Danny had been too young to understand the ongoing battle between his mother and father. Before Dalton had begun to demean both son and wife.

Her precious baby, who’d been quick with a grin and fast on his feet, had become withdrawn and doubted himself, just as she had since the day she’d married Dalton Wainwright. Yet over the past two months since the divorce, he’d begun to smile more often, talk more freely and even his grades had improved. Now this horrible, horrible incident could scar him beyond repair.

Jess leaned over to see if Danny was sleeping, only to determine he still seemed wide awake. “Do you want some water?” she asked.

He shook his head no.

“Do you want me to stay in here with you tonight?”

Again, another negative response.

She couldn’t blame him for his anger. After all, what had happened tonight had been entirely her fault, and he was going to suffer the brunt of her decisions for years, if not forever. Mothers were supposed to protect their children, and she’d failed miserably.

Jess was torn between staying a little longer with Danny and having a serious talk with Chase. She didn’t dare discuss all the details with him. She wouldn’t involve him more than she already had. But she could attempt to reestablish their friendship that had been damaged a decade ago, thanks to another error in judgment. That could be asking too much, but she had to try. Like it or not, she needed Chase’s support more than she ever had before.

She pressed a kiss against his cheek. “It’s going to be all right, honey. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll take care of you.”

If only she could believe her assertions. As it now stood, if Dalton didn’t survive his injuries, nothing would ever be fine again. Danny might never be fine again.

But for now, it might be best if Danny wasn’t talking, at least until Jess could come up with a plan. Otherwise, her beloved son’s words could destroy them both.

CHAPTER TWO

SEATED AT THE SMALL DINING TABLE, Chase glanced up from the mug of coffee when he heard the sound of footsteps. Jess approached him slowly, and considering the way her shoulders sagged, the fatigue in her eyes, she looked liked she’d been ambushed.

He shoved the chair across from him with his boot. “Sit before you drop in your tracks.”

After she slid onto the seat, Jess crossed her arms around her middle like she was cold. He’d made a point to turn up the heat soon after they’d walked in the door even though he’d felt like his skin had caught fire.

Chase lifted his mug. “Want a cup?”

“No, thank you.” She eyed his gun resting on the table where he’d unloaded it a few moments before.

He hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward the guest room. “How’s he doing?”

“As well as can be expected, I guess. He’s not saying much but I’m sure he’s still in shock. I know I am.”

Chase really wanted to ask Jess how Dalton’s injuries had come about. She could either clear things up, or incriminate herself. He wasn’t willing to take that chance because he’d be damned if he’d speak one word against her.

“You look like you could use some sleep,” he said when she yawned.

Jess folded her hands together and rested them on top of the pine table. “I’m not sure I could sleep if I wanted to. Every time I close my eyes, I see these awful images.”

Chase could seriously relate to that scenario. He couldn’t remember a time in the past few years when he drifted peacefully off to sleep. Couldn’t remember the last time he had any real peace.

“If you decide to try and rest, you can take my room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

She brought her attention back to him. “I’m not going to put you out of your bed. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

No point in arguing with Jess. He’d learned that a long time ago. But he’d also learned how to skirt her objections. “You sure you don’t want some coffee? Maybe a beer? I’m fresh out of whiskey but I could sneak into the main house and see if Dad still has that seventy-year-old-bottle that belonged to my great-grandpa.”

Jess shuddered. “I can’t even stand the smell of whiskey, much less drink it. I have Dalton to thank for that.”

“He always did like his booze.” And women. Chase had heard from friends that the demon had been scouring the bars and cheating on Jess for years.

When Jess continued to stare blankly across the room, Chase scraped his mind for some way to lift her spirits as much as possible. “Do you want to call your folks?”

Her gaze snapped to his. “No. They just left two days ago on a cruise with Gary, Becca and the kids for the holidays. I don’t see any reason to bother them while they’re on their first real vacation in years.”

Chase could think of one reason—giving her family advance notice in case Jess wound up in jail. “Fine. Is there anyone else I can call for you?”

She drummed her fingertips on the table, a purely nervous gesture. “Yes. I need you to call the hospital and find out how Dalton’s doing.”

He’d like to think she wanted to know because of Danny, but he wondered if there might be more to it. Either she still cared for the jerk, or she felt responsible for his wounds. Maybe both. “I could call but I won’t get anywhere. The hospital won’t release any information unless you’re a family member or the family gives permission. I doubt that holds true for either of us.”

She rubbed her temples like she had one hell of a headache. “You’re right. I’d just hate to read about it in the paper if something happens to him.”

More than likely the event would be front page news no matter what the outcome. “I have Rachel’s cell number. I can try to reach her.”

Jess didn’t look too keen on that idea. “I wouldn’t want to disturb her.”

He fished the phone from his pocket and hit the speed dial. “She’s probably on her way to Jackson, if she’d not already there.”

After two rings, Rachel answered with a harried “Hello.”

“Hey, Rachel, it’s Chase. Are you at the hospital?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

At least she didn’t sound too distraught, a good thing. “I answered the call.”

“Of course you did. I keep forgetting you’re a deputy now.”

Sometimes Chase wished he wasn’t. Tonight happened to be one of those times. “How’s your brother doing?” He tried to sound concerned but his tone was noticeably dry.

“He’s undergoing tests right now and he’s still unconscious,” Rachel said. “Do you have any idea what happened?”

He had a few, but none he cared to share. “Jess says it was an accident, but that’s all I know.”

“Where is Jess now? I tried to call the home number and her cell but I didn’t get any answer.”