Page 45 of Steel & Jenna
Looking back at Mrs. Zarin, she whispered, “Can we talk?”
Mrs. Zarin nodded. She made a signal to Mr. Zarin and then guided Jenna down the hall a little way. They were as alone as they were going to get without going outside to the car. “What is it, sweetie?”
Praying she wasn’t breaking Jack’s trust and confidence, Jenna confided in a low voice, “Jack had money on him today. He said Mr. Zarin took him to his dad’s trailer to get Lilly’s and his belongings. By the way, whatever cardboard box Jack gave to Mr. Zarin is everything they own. There’s nothing left at his dad’s trailer for them.” Mrs. Zarin’s face fell at that news, but she didn’t interrupt. “Anyway, the money my mom is accusing Jack of getting from dealing drugs is that money. It’s not from drugs,” she insisted quickly. “I swear. Jack would never?—”
“I know,” Mrs. Zarin put a comforting hand on her arm. “I know. Keep going.”
“Well, my mom tried to take it from Jack. Jack got it back, gave it to me, and told me to run. I didn’t think, I just ran. I knew that if my mom actually got her hands on it that Jack was never going to get it back. I…left him,” she confessed. Her voice cracked with shame. “I couldn’t have stayed and kept his money safe, but now that I know what my mom was doing to him when I ran, I feel like I chose his money over him.”
Mrs. Zarin’s brows drew down and her lips pursed in disappointment. Jenna assumed it was at her until Mrs. Zarin spoke. “Honey, no one blames you. Jack won’t either. Your mother was the adult in this situation and she was the one who acted inappropriately.” She looked around Jenna’s person. “Can I ask, where’s the money now? Did the police take it?”
Jenna shook her head. “I hid it, but…” She winced. “I forgot about it when we left to bring Jack here. It’s…still there.”
“Is it safe? Do you think anyone will find it?”
Jenna wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking, but she nodded. “I think so. I mean, it was a last minute effort to hide it and I don’t even know if the police will be looking for it.”
“Then we’ll leave it where it is for now.”
Jenna hoped that was the right decision. “What if they arrest Jack?”
Mrs. Zarin’s face darkened and the look in her eyes made Jenna think of a lioness protecting her cubs. “Then we deal with it and I remind Chief Cunningham that I know his mother’s phone number.”
Jenna blinked in surprise. She wasnotexpecting that answer. Over Mrs. Zarin’s shoulder, she saw Mr. Zarin stand and pick up Lilly. He was coming towards them.
In a hurried voice, she leaned close to ask, “I need to know. Are you serious about taking in Jack and Lilly? Does this change your decision at all?”
Mrs. Zarin looked surprised at Jenna’s intrusive questions but still answered. “If anything, this solidifies it.”
Jenna let out a grateful sigh. “Well, if you’re looking for more kids to adopt, I’m volunteering myself.”
Mrs. Zarin laughed as Mr. Zarin reached them with Lilly. She looked to her husband, who put his hand at the small of her back like it was the most natural gesture in the world. Jenna thought of how Jack did that to her, and thought Mrs. Zarin had a point. While they were not related, Mr. Zarin and Jack were cut from the same cloth.
“Timothy just came out. The doctors are ready to see us.”
It took Jenna a moment to recall that Timothy was Chief Cunningham’s first name. With the familiarity Mr. Zarin used it andhow Mrs. Zarin claimed to know his mother, Jenna could only assume the two of them knew the Chief on a personal level.
“Can I come?” Jenna asked, worried they’d say ‘no’.
Mrs. Zarin took her hand. “Pretty sure you and Lilly are the ones he’s going to want to see first. Let’s go.”
The diagnosis was worsethan they expected, but nothing time wouldn’t heal fully. Jack had a broken nasal bone and deviated septum, a ruptured cornea in his left eye, a concussion, split lip, three loose teeth, a sprained shoulder, and two bruised ribs. His chest was wrapped to help support his ribs, gauze was taped under his nose, his arm was in a sling, and a bandage was taped over his eye.
Due to his ruptured cornea, the doctors wanted to keep him for the next two to three days. They were hesitant to do surgery because of Jack’s age and wanted to wait to see if surgery was necessary.
The first thing out of Jack’s mouth upon seeing them enter his room was begging Mr. and Mrs. Zarin to take care of Lilly until he was out of the hospital and could figure out where they could go next.
Mrs. Zarin walked up to his bed, kissed him gently on the forehead, and called him a dumbass. Then she fluffed his pillow like a mom would.
Mr. Zarin gently put Lilly at the foot of Jack’s bed. His legs were really the only part of him that didn’t hurt right now. With his arm in a sling and his face battered to hell, it was the best place for her.
“Are you okay, Jackie?”
“I will be, Lillypad. I need you to be good for Mr. and Mrs. Zarin while I’m here for a few days.” His voice was low and didn’t sound like himself. “Where’s Jenna?”
Mr. and Mrs. Zarin turned towards the doorway in unison. Jack’s good eye landed on Jenna, who was hanging back as if she wasn’t sure she was welcome.
“Don’t make me get out of this bed to get to you,” Jack warned her.
