Page 70 of Steel & Jenna
But unless he won the lottery, he doubted their low opinion of him was going to change any time soon.
“We can’t do anything to change our circumstances right now,” he said gently, reminding himself as much as her. “We just have to endure and just remember that it’s not forever. May 5, 1987, isn’t as far away as it seems. One day, you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours. There won’t be a damn thing that’ll be able to keep us apart.”
Slowly, she sat up. He carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You know, I never used to be so impatient. You’re a bad influence on me.”
Jack chuckled. “I’m just as impatient.” Light caught his attention and he looked over to see the front doors of her house were now open. Her father was standing in a suit and tie, like it wasn’t after midnight. The scowl on his face spoke volumes. “Let’s get you inside.”
Jenna sat up fully. She turned in the bench seat. “Thank you, Mr. Zarin, for coming to get me. I’m so sorry I caused such a fuss.”
“I’m glad you’re safe, Jenna. That’s all that matters,” Mr. Zarin replied. “I’ll see you this weekend.”
Jack opened the passenger door. He could still smell the stench of his father in the cab. His plans to clean the truck before Jenna or Lilly were in it were obliterated by Jenna’s phone call and learning that she was alone at the train station in the middle of the night. At least he’d cleaned out the empty bottles of liquor.
He helped her down. The expensive pavers of her driveway were salted, so there was little fear of ice, but he still wanted to be careful. The bottom of his boots had traction but he doubted her shoes did. They looked warm and fashionable, but not practical. But damned if he knew what they were called other than ‘shoes’.
Jenna got down and he handed her purse to her. When he went to let go of her hand so she could walk up the steps, her grip tightened on his hand. She turned towards him. “Come with me.”
Jack raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He was not afraid of her father, though he did feel obliged to obey the man’s rules to make life easier for Jenna. Was it wrong of him to despise the man simply because he had a larger claim to Jenna than Jack currently did?
Jack moved them aside to close the passenger door. He caught Mr. Zarin’s eye and there was something almost approving in the older man’s gaze.
There were eight steps to get to the front doors. They were at least fifteen feet wide at the bottom and ten feet wide at the top. The rails were gold and were more ornamental than useful. The entire design made Jack think of the flare of a mermaid’s tail.
Her father’s eyes narrowed the closer they got to the top. The last time he’d seen her father he’d been lying broken and bleeding in a hospital bed. The man had seemed larger than life, powerful, and intimidating. Jack wasn’t a coward, but he was pretty sure he would have been quivering in the man’s presence if Mr. Zarin hadn’t been in the room with them.
“Let go of his hand, Jenna,” Mr. Scanlon snapped. “Get inside. Your driver will be here at four-thirty to pick you up.”
Jenna’s mouth gaped open. “Four-thirty? What for?”
“To get you to school on time,” her father barked.
“But, Dad?—”
The man lifted a hand to halt her argument. “Don’t start with me. Be grateful I’m not sending you back now.” He turned his hard eyes onto Jack. Had the man always been so short? Jack hadn’t realized he would be taller than Mr. Scanlon if they ever met again. “And you. Get off my property before I call the police. If you weren’t in her life, she wouldn’t have been at a train station in the middle of the night. Do you even think about anyone other than yourself? You’re so goddamn selfish that you would put my baby girl in such risk?—”
“I am not a child!” Jenna shouted. At the same time, Jack said pointedly, “If you hadn’t sent her to Seattle in the first place, she wouldn’t have been trying to leave the city in the middle of the night. Or have you forgotten that she never wanted to return in the first place and it was onlyyourselfish decision that made her return.”
Mr. Scanlon stood taller, stretching his neck up. “I do not have to explainmyactions regardingmydaughter to you, boy. Get your filthy hand off of her. I won’t tell you again!”
“Dad!” Jenna snapped. “Look, I wanted you two to meet. I know it’sbad timing, but I am begging you, Dad,pleasegive Jack a chance. Get to know him. He’s not a bad person. He’s an exceptionallygoodperson. I need you to see that because I’mdyinginside, Dad. Every time I have to say goodbye to him, every time I have to fight with you or Mom about him, every time I have to go back to that school…” She shook her head. “I hate Seattle, Dad. I hate everything about it. I want to come home.Please, just meet Jack. Can we have him over for dinner and you can get to know him?—”
“No.” Her father never even blinked at the mention of his daughter’s pain. “You are infatuated with this boy, Jenna. Time away from him will break you of it. The only reason you cling to him now is to spite your mother?—”
“I love him!” Jenna shouted at the top of her lungs. The icicles hanging from the roof, which looked so perfect that Jack had to wonder if they were decoration, chimed behind them. “I love him, Daddy. I need you to hear me. This is not some childhood crush or something that will go away with time and space. You tried that, didn’t you? It’s been a year and I am still hereholding his hand. Will youpleasejust listen to me? Jack and I are going to be together. Your time to make my decisions for me will run out eventually and my choice on that day will still be the same. The question is whether you will be standing with me that day or if I will never speak to you again after it. The choice is yours.”
She turned and kissed Jack quickly on the lips. “Goodnight.”
“Night, Jen,” he muttered.
She walked into the house past her father.
Jack and Mr. Scanlon stood there staring at each other for a long moment. The cold breeze stung at his ears.
“She could have been hurt or worse on that train,” Jack finally said. “Her decision to come here tonight was poor, I’ll grant you that, but yours to keep her driver from allowing him to bring her was worse. If you knew your daughter at all, you would know how stubborn she was. Once she made up her mind, she was coming here regardless. Taking away her ability to be driven by your employee and underyour care endangered her life. Maybe think about that before you think about sending her even further than Seattle.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t get you. I’ve offered you money, a car, a house… You refused it all and still you’re here. What game are you playing at?”
Jack stiffened. Both of their fathers thought he was playing some sort of long con with Jenna, some way to swindle her out of her money. And to be accused by both in the same day? He was so fucking tired and irritable. This asshole was causing his daughterpainand he couldn’t see it. And he thoughtJackwas the danger to her?
