Redeeming (12 page)

“No,” Jett replied
. “I don’t think so.”

“Yes,” Kim said as she nodded. “I’m sure of it but damn if I can’t think of it right now. Maybe it will come to me. Will
you both excuse me for a moment? I need to use the ladies’ room.”

After Kim walked away, Daniella turned to Jett.

“What are you doing here?” She said in a frustrated tone.

“What do you mean? Why are you upset?”

“Jett,” she said. “You shouldn’t have come here. Someone will recognize you.”

“What are you talking about? Recognize me? From where?”

“Uh!” Daniella said in a loud whisper. She paused for a moment and looked around to see if anyone took notice of her upset state. She collected herself and leaned in towards him. “Jett, your face was all over the news for a couple of weeks. That’s why Kim is acting so weird. Oh man…”

“What?” H
e said. “Daniella, you need to relax. Everything is fine. No one will recognize me…”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Now what?”

“Victoria and Candi…” Daniella groaned.

“What? Who are they?”

“My coworkers… They are coming this way.” She turned away from him back towards the bar. “Great…”

“Daniella!” Victoria called out.

“Here we go…” Daniella sighed as she turned back around to face them.

The women closed on her and Jett with blazing speed. By the time they reached Daniella they were practically jogging. With huge smiles on their faces, they stopped right in front of the couple.

“Hey Daniella,” Candi began. Her eyes boggled as she leered at Jett. “Who… is… this?”

“Yeah,” Victoria drooled. “Is this Harold? He sure doesn’t look like a Harold to me.”

Poor Jett. However mad Daniella might be at him for keeping her at arm
’s length over Fesser’s Grove, this wasn’t something anyone should suffer through. And, it would get much worse if she didn’t do something about it. Jett smiled at them and leaned in towards Daniella’s ear.

“Who’s Harold?” H
e whispered.

Daniella shook her head.
“It’s nothing, I’ll explain everything later.”

She turned her attention back to Victoria and Candi.
“Guys, this is Jett.”

“Hi there,” Candi cooed. “Daniella, where have you been keeping this one? Oh my…”

“We… just met.” Daniella lied.

With the idea of Harold now a distant memory to the both of them, Victoria said,
“I think this calls for another toast. Don’t you, Daniella?”

“No… I…” Daniella said. “I’m not feeling up to it.”

“Oh nonsense,” Candi interrupted. “You already blew us and our dates off earlier. You are drinking and that’s that.”

Desperate to distract them, Daniella said,
“Where are your dates anyway?”

“Who knows
?” Victoria replied with a casual flip of her hair. “They were outside smoking a minute ago. They’re around somewhere. Why are you so worried about them? Come on now, what do you want?”

Candi was already at the bar. As the bartender made drinks for her and Victoria, Victoria touched Jett on the forearm and said,
“What about you handsome? Whatever you want is on me.”

Jett chuckled at her brazen flirtations.
“Yeah, sure… I’ll have a beer.”

Victoria smacked her lips at him and then looked at Daniella.
“Alright party pooper… What about you?”

“I don’t want anything.” Daniella said
in an exasperated tone. “Really. I’m not feeling well. I think I’m just going to go home.”

“Home?” Victoria said. “What are you talking about? It’s not even nine o’clock yet.”

“I know,” Daniella replied. “But I’m exhausted. I… haven’t been sleeping all that well.”

“What’s going on?” Candi said as she came back with Victoria’s drink.

“Well, Daniella is being super lame is what.” Victoria said as she put her hand on her hip.

“I know, I’m sorry…
I don’t feel like drinking is all.” Daniella replied.

“Okay, then just stay and hang out.” Candi replied. “Don’t you want to enjoy all this hard work?”

“Yes, but I just…. I can’t.”

“Well, okay I guess.” Victoria pouted. “It’s a shame we won’t get to know Jett
here a little better.”

Jett smiled.
“Another time guys, alright?”

The women nodded and
with that, the group said their goodbyes. Daniella gathered up her things and looked around for Kim but couldn’t find her anywhere. Although she wanted to thank her again for putting her in charge of the event, it was probably for the best they didn’t see her. All Daniella needed now was for Kim to remember who Jett was. She didn’t want to have that conversation.

As she and Jett walked across the parking lot towards her car, he said,
“Hey, everything alright?”

Without looking at him, Daniella reached down in her clutch for her car keys.
“Yes, why?”

“I don’t know…” he said. “It seemed like as soon as they asked you to
drink you couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

“What?” S
he said as she continued to avoid eye contact with him. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I’m fine. I just didn’t feel like drinking, that’s it.”

As they neared her vehicle, she looked around.
“How did you get here?”

“I had Owen drop me off.”

“Owen is driving?” Daniella asked. “Already?”

“Yeah, he’s doing great.” Jett replied.
“It’s unreal.”

“That’s good to hear at least.” She said. “Where is he now?”

“At your place…” he said as he kicked at the ground. “We, um, leave tomorrow for Fesser’s Grove.”

Daniella bit her lip and shook her head.

“Are you still upset about that?” he asked.

“You know I am, Jett.” Daniella replied. Super pissed was a more accurate description of how she felt. Still, she knew that the parking lot was no place to get into it with him.

“I just want to go home.” She groaned.

“Okay,” he said. “Here, give me the keys.”

***

They arrived back at her apartment to find Owen awake and sitting on the couch. Boredom must have gotten the better of him because Daniella couldn
’t imagine he had any interest whatsoever in the gossip magazine he thumbed through. As they walked in, he tossed it onto the coffee table and went to stand up.

“Owen,” Daniella said. “How are you feeling? Better I hope…”

“Yes, I reckon I am improving.” He said as they embraced. “Course, I ain’t never been shot before so it’s hard to say if I’m healing slow or fast.”

Daniella smiled at him as Jett closed the front door behind them.
“I wish there was something I could do for you.”

“Oh,” Owen said with a wave of his hand. “You’ve been more than kind to me. I couldn’t ask anything of you.”

“Can I get you something?” She asked. “Maybe a bite to eat or a drink?”

“No,” Owen began. “Can’t say my appetite has returned all that much. Not yet anyway.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “It’s part of the healin’ process I suppose.” He sat back down on the couch and winced a little as he tried to find a comfortable position. “Funny what you miss in a situation like this…”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” he said. “The little things mostly… L
ike being able to do for myself… although that’s getting a little better every day. Also, miss my dogs… They’re the closest thing I’ve got to family these days.”

Daniella felt so bad for him. Poor old guy.

“Well,” she said. “At least they are in good hands for now. Billy’s got a friend who kennels dogs. It’s a nice place from what I understand.”

Owen smiled.
“And I sure am grateful for him doing that. I know I’ll see ‘em again before too long but just in case…” his voice trailed off.

“What?” Daniella said with a concerned tone. “Just in case of what…?”

“Nothin’…” he replied. “I guess I just think of them as my young ins. I always have when it came to my dogs over the years. You know, seein’ as how I never had any offspring of my own. Not that I didn’t want to but with the human wife…”

“Yes,” Daniella said. “I’m sure that was hard for you.”

Owen nodded as he looked at her when Jett appeared out of the corner of Daniella’s eye.

“Hate to break up the little family reunion here but I’m gonna hit the sack.”
Jett said.

“Okay,” Daniella replied
. “I’ll be right there.” She turned back towards Owen. “Did Jett get you setup in the other bedroom?”

“That he did.” Owen nodded. “Miracles never cease.”

“Hah, hah… funny.” Jett replied. “Get some rest old timer. You need it.”

“I will,” Owen replied. “You go on now. Let me chat with Daniella here for a few minutes.”

Jett nodded, leaned in towards Daniella and kissed her on the cheek. “See you in a bit.”

“Yeah,” Daniella replied. “I’ll be right there.”

After Jett disappeared into the bedroom, Daniella and Owen made small talk for a few minutes. It was mostly about what the doctors told him to expect as the days went on. Daniella knew better than to bring up the topic of Fesser’s Grove. She wouldn’t get anywhere with Owen on the subject. Instead, she sat down next to him and began a line of questioning that required an equally pressing resolution.

“Owen…” she began. “Why is it that humans can’t have shifter offspring?”

“Hmm?” He said. “What’s that?”

She leaned in his direction and spoke a little louder.
“I said why is it that humans can’t have shifter offspring?”

Owen smiled and leaned back. He didn
’t respond. He just smiled at her and nodded his head. After several seconds, Daniella started to feel awkward, even a little uncomfortable.

“What?” S
he said. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He lifted his chin up and narrowed his gaze in her direction.
“I would imagine you are pretty concerned about that right now aren’t you?”

Daniella
’s face flushed. She hesitated for an awkward second and then feigned ignorance. “What? I don’t know what you are talking about. What do you mean by I’m ‘concerned’?”

He nodded.
“Simple. You’ve got a baby in that belly of yours…”

“What?!” S
he screamed. She covered her mouth as fast as she could and leaned over towards him. “What…” she whispered. “What makes you say something like that? That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it now?” H
e replied as he crossed his arms at his chest. Again, he smiled and nodded.

“Yes,” she said with frustration. “I am
not
pregnant.”

“You are.” He said with conviction. “I can sense it.” His features turned solemn as he unfolded his arms. Owen leaned toward her and as he did, his seat groaned underneath. “You’re lucky
he
can’t yet…” he said as he pointed towards the bedroom where Jett slept.

“I…” Daniella whispered.

Owen grew angrier by the second. “Daniella, you know what happened to his mother. Why would you run off and do a damn fool thing like this?”

Her eyes began to fill with tears. She did her best to stifle them and her voice.
“I didn’t… we didn’t… It happened before we knew about Jett’s past or what happened to his mom. I swear…”

Stone-faced
, Owen stared at her without a word for what seemed like forever. At last, he shook his head and leaned back. Daniella got up and sat down next to him.

“Please,” she said as she grabbed him by the upper arm. “You… you can’t tell Jett. Not with everything that’s going on. Please…”

He turned to face her. “Forget about him for a second. Listen to me. Your life is in jeopardy. This child, it could kill you if you bring it into this world. You understand that don’t you?”

Deep down Daniella knew it yet somehow she
’d played a game in her mind. Maybe on an unconscious level, she hoped it would work out, and maybe for once something beautiful would find its way into her life. But his words cut into her. Blades of truth ripped at her soul as the gravity of what she’d done started to sink in, at last.

Without thinking, Daniella collapsed into the old man and started to weep. At first, his body felt hard from his anger but as her emotion continued to spill out, he softened. A few moments later, he put his arms around her. She continued to cry as the grief bore into her soul. For several minutes, Owen did his best to comfort her until
he began to speak once more.

“Shh…” he said. “Daniella, listen to me.”

“What?” She said as she sat up from his tear-stained shirt and wiped away the rivulets of moisture from her cheeks.