Page 96 of Steel & Jenna
“Jack… You took the money?”
He nodded, looping an arm around her waist. “I did.”
She looked down at his hand on her hip. Still unsure. “He paid you to break up with me?”
Jack nodded again. “He did.”
She was near hyperventilating. “But you aren’t.”
He leaned down, his mouth just above hers. “Never.” Conviction rang in his declaration.
“I don’t understand. You took his money.”
“I did. I believe it was you who once called me a fool for not taking it before because it could have paid for our wedding.” Jenna blinked; shehadsaid that, hadn’t she? It seemed so long ago now. “Once he finds out that I’m not letting you go, he’ll take back his other offers. But cash?” Jack shook his head. “Can’t take that back and it’s not like I signed a contract stating what the cash was for.”
Jenna shook her head. That didn’t sound like her father. He was a businessman. He got contracts foreverything. But she supposed he also didn’t want a transaction like this in writing. Especially when he was still cleaning up the scandal of her mother’s actions.
“Why would he do that, Jack?”
“Well,” Jack pulled her tight against his chest, “he thinks I’m an honorable man. That I’ll do as I say I will with only a handshake binding my words. Turns out, I’m not honorable when it comes to you, Jen. I’ll burn the world down to keep you at my side and fuck what anyone else says or thinks. Your father tried to pay me to keep me from you. Now, he’s going to pay for our wedding so I can make you mine.”
That said, he kissed her.
4 DAYS – 0 DAYS
After Jack brought Jenna into the house Friday night, they discussed their options with the cash. Mr. Zarin had taken Lilly out for a movie to give Jack and Jenna time to process and talk. They’d gone round and round with the possibilities of what twenty-five thousand dollars could mean for them starting out as a new married couple, but the end decision had been simple: they wanted a marriage, not a wedding. None of their plans were changing and the money would give them a decent nest egg. Jenna would still be applying for financial aid for school but it also meant she did not have to get a job to help make ends meet.
They talked about Jenna coming with him to South Carolina and getting an apartment too, but they ended up talking themselves out of that decision. Jack would have to stay on base regardless and the limited time that he would have would not be worth the expense of Jenna getting a furnished apartment for thirteen weeks. She would remain in Port Townsend with Mr. Zarin and Lilly over the summer.
Once they learned where Jack was being stationed, they would make further decisions then.
On Saturday they went down to the courthouse to register for their wedding license. It had been a bit of a hassle at first because the clerk was confused about Jenna not yet being eighteen, but they finally got all the paperwork in order and filed.
Sunday was spent downtown with Lilly picking out a dress. Originally, Jack wasn’t going to go with them, but decided to because he didn’t want to risk Lilly and Jenna running into Mr. Scanlon alone. Jenna was staying at Mr. Zarin’s house and had no idea if her father had left town or not. Jack had told Mr. Scanlon that Jenna wasn’t arriving in town until Saturday morning, so there was the possibility that he’d left to see her in Seattle.
Either way, after Saturday, it hadn’t mattered. The three day waiting period had started and they would be married on Tuesday with or without the courthouse ceremony.
Monday night, Jack and Jenna went their separate ways. Sinceneither of them wanted the traditional bachelor/bachelorette party, the Cunninghams had offered up an alternative. The ladies, Lilly, Jenna, and Mrs. Cunningham, would have a gathering at the Cunningham house with baking and getting their hair ready for the next day while the gentlemen, Jack, Chief Cunningham, and Mr. Zarin had a poker night at Mr. Zarin’s house. Both Jenna and Jack were happy with this version of a stag party, plus any other type of event wouldn’t be appropriate since Jenna’s Maid of Honor was only nine years old.
Jack was grateful for Mrs. Cunningham’s assistance. Jenna’s mom was in jail and her sister had vanished without a trace. With Mrs. Zarin gone, Jenna didn’t have an older woman that she could lean on and help her with the ‘woman stuff’ that honestly just went over Jack’s head.
He was so fucked if Jenna gave him a daughter one day. He couldn’t even figure out how to braid Lilly’s hair without it looking like a rat’s nest.
Mr. Zarin gave Jack his first cigar Monday night, too. With his dad’s history with alcohol, Jack didn’t think he’d ever be a big drinker, but he appreciated when Chief Cunningham handed him a beer all the same.
“Left my badge at home,” the Chief had explained with a wink.
Jack only had the one beer and the pizza had helped to soak most of it up. He did learn that he liked cigars, though. When Mr. Zarin had first started training him years ago, he’d warned Jack that smoking cigarettes might hinder his lung capacity. Due to that warning, Jack had not started smoking like most of his peers. Mrs. Zarin had not allowed Mr. Zarin to smoke in the house either and Jack was grateful because the smell reminded him of his dad and that fucking trailer he’d grown up in.
But the cigars had been nice. He could definitely see himself smoking those often.
And thanks to Lilly’s warning about his nervous tell, Jack took Mr. Zarin and Chief Cunningham for a couple hundred each in their last game of the night.
Chief Cunningham was too large for Lilly’s bed, which was the only available bed in the house, and ended up crashing on the couch.
Jack felt bad for the man, but the Chief insisted that Jack needed his beauty sleep for his big day and refused Jack’s offer to take the couch. Jack didn’t end up getting much sleep anyway. He ended up looking at the second pillow on his bed and thinking about the fact that this would be the last night it would behissecond pillow. As of tomorrow, it would be Jenna’s pillow.
She’d spent a good amount of the weekend putting her things in his bedroom—theirbedroom after tomorrow. She had a picture of her and Carolyn up on the wall. Her clothes were in his closet and his dresser. Hell, his shoes were currently under his bed to make room for the sheer number ofhershoes.
