A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) (26 page)

They ate in silence with a small
candle lit next to them. They were in the back of the restaurant at the single
tables. It was where couples sat to have a romantic evening together. Jess knew
storm of gossip this was going to cause but she didn
’
t have the time to care. In fact, part of her
wanted everyone to talk. She was out with Sullivan.

Sullivan gently placed his knife
and fork and slid his plate to the end of the table. He stared at Jess as she
finished her last bite.

“
I
lived in that house,
”
she
said.

“
You
what?
”

Jess wasn
’
t going to let anymore time slip away.
“
That was my house. Before I came
to Ferry Creek.
”

“
Really?
You should have said something, Jess. I wouldn
’
t
have gone there.
”

“
I
haven
’
t seen that house
since the night I left when I was eighteen.
”

“
And
you came to Ferry Creek?
”

“
I
didn
’
t intend on coming to
Ferry Creek to live,
”
Jess
said.
“
I just needed
somewhere to eat and think. But I had no money when I came so Bob helped me.
Instead of kicking me out or calling the police, he gave me a job. He gave me
somewhere to stay. He helped me start over.
”

“
What
about your family?
”
Sullivan asked.
“
Didn
’
t they care?
”

Jess couldn
’
t believe she was about to pull up all her old
feelings.

“
Nobody
came looking for me,
”
Jess
said.

“
Your
parents didn
’
t?
”

Jess shook her head.
“
No.
”

“
Christ,
you were only a drive away. Not even an hour.
”

“
I
know,
”
Jess said.
“
I thought I was going to go to
New York or something. I don
’
t
know. But I ended up in Ferry Creek.
”

“
At
eighteen,
”
Sullivan said.
“
Jess, that must have been hard.
”

“
That
’
s not all,
”
Jess said.

Could she do this? Could she tell
Sullivan everything?

“
What
’
s not all, Jess?
”
Sullivan asked.

“
I
don
’
t want to be judged,
”
Jess said.
“
Or looked at differently.
”

“
I
never would,
”
Sullivan
said. He reached across the table and took Jess
’
s
hand.
“
Tell me.
”

“
When
I was eighteen, I found out I was pregnant,
”
Jess said. She took a shaky breath to keep from crying.

“
Pregnant?
”
Sullivan whispered.

“
I
told my parents and they wouldn
’
t
have it,
”
Jess said.
“
They wouldn
’
t have me, to be honest. I don
’
t think they ever wanted me
around. In their mind they counted down the days until I was eighteen and could
leave. Not become eighteen and pregnant. My mother and father met and got
pregnant with me. They forced themselves to stay together to raise me. I think
I grew up more of a problem than a kid to them. They demanded I get rid of the
pregnancy and find purpose in my life. When I told my boyfriend I was pregnant,
he wanted nothing to do with me. He played college football, in Florida, and he
told me that when he got signed to a professional team he would send some
money. He told me to hang tight but I knew I
’
d
never hear from him again.
”

“
What
’
s his name?
”
Sullivan asked.
“
I bet I could make a few calls
and end his professional career right now.
”

“
I
don
’
t care about that now,
”
Jess said.
“
I made the decision to leave
home so I packed my car and left home. I was eighteen and pregnant with no
direction at all. I drove to the coast and watched the ocean for a little
while. I got hungry and for some reason, somehow, I ended up in Ferry Creek at
The Pot Diner. I had no money but ordered anyway. Peggie waited on me. I felt
so guilty about not having money, knowing that I would eat and ditch on the
bill, I started to cry and told Peggie I had no money. She sat with me and
calmed me down. Then I met Bob... and that was it. I was stuck in Ferry Creek.
”

“
What
about the baby?
”
Sullivan
asked carefully.

“
I
lost the baby,
”
Jess said.
“
I wasn
’
t very far along. It just wasn
’
t meant to be. I took it as a
sign. I stayed, worked, and loved it. When I was ready to get in touch with my
parents just to tell them where I was and what had happened... they were killed
in a car accident.
”

“
Oh,
Jess,
”
Sullivan said. He
touched his mouth and shook his head.
“
Jess...
that
’
s just terrible.
”

“
It
’
s just life,
”
Jess said.
“
I don
’
t know. Ferry Creek was the place that I ran to and
it kept healing me over and over. Even when I keep hurting myself. Like when
Darryl came to town on his motorcycle. He got to me and he and I were on and
off for a long time. Then things blew up right around the time you came. I
always find myself searching, settling, then running.
”

“
That
’
s what I do for a living,
”
Sullivan said.
“
I never get to settle because
there
’
s always another
project in the works. That
’
s
why I
’
m in no hurry to
leave. I actually like it. I
’
m
sorry for the circumstances that brought me here, but I
’
m sure glad I
’
m
here now.
”

“
Well,
I
’
m glad then,
”
Jess said. She really was. She
never confided in someone like she had just done with Sullivan.

Sullivan insisted on paying for the
meal and when it came time to leave, Sullivan took Jess
’
s hand and led the way out of the restaurant. Once
outside, Jess stopped walking and tugged at Sullivan.

“
What
’
s wrong?
”
Sullivan asked.

“
I
just want you to know that I
’
ve
never really told anyone everything like I just did,
”
Jess said.
“
And
I
’
m not sure why I did.
”

Sullivan turned and faced Jess.
“
It
’
s
okay to feel that way.
”
Sullivan touched her face with his hand. Jess could feel her body melting
already.
“
This hasn
’
t been the easiest time of my
life either. My father turned out to not be my father. My real father is in a
hospital bed, dying. I
’
m
going to have to face him and ask a million questions and have no resolution. My
mother, who I haven
’
t
spoken with since she left when I was a kid, lives in South Carolina. I
’
m thinking about going to see
her. And then there
’
s you,
Jess. This town, the diner, and you.
”

Jess tugged at Sullivan
’
s hand again.

She wanted him closer. She wanted
him to touch her. She wanted him to kiss her.

Leslie hated being outside the
hospital room. She was the one who spent hours upon hours with Bob making sure
he was comfortable. Making sure he was as stable as she could manage. She had
done everything for him... and yet she was in the hall. She could have been
elsewhere in the hospital since there was always work that needed to be done, but
Leslie was stuck outside Bob
’
s
room.

From the second Annie and the two
kids showed up, Leslie had a strange feeling in her stomach. She could see the
fear radiating from Annie
’
s
face and the way she looked around the hospital she acted as though it were a
morgue or invaded with zombies. A small argument ensued a few minutes later
when Annie didn
’
t want the
kids to go into the room. Leslie could do nothing but watch.

Bobby begged his ex-wife and it
made Leslie angry. No man should ever have to beg to take their kids hands, especially
so those two kids could say goodbye to their dying grandfather.

The uncomfortable scene finally
ended and Bobby took the kids into the room. Leslie stood with Annie but could
only stand it for a few minutes before she left to go find work elsewhere. When
she came back ten minutes ago, she could hear Bobby and the kids still in the
room but there was no sign of Annie. Leslie was glad, but she wanted to be in
the hospital room with Bobby and his kids. She could only picture the size of
the smile on Bob
’
s weak
face as he watched his grandkids. Bob knew it would be his last time seeing
them ever and that had to be a heavy burden for both Bob and Bobby.

More than once Leslie touched the
door handle and thought about just popping in to check on things. She wanted to
see Bob happy. She wanted to see Bobby happy. It had been too long. Each time she
thought about going she stopped herself. She didn
’
t
want to break up a moment for the family in the room. That moment would be a
distant memory for the kids, a longing memory for Bobby, and a final memory for
Bob. The complete cycle of life contained in one hospital room.

Leslie put her head to the door and
took a deep breath.

She knew the inevitable was coming
soon.

Everyone had been saying their
goodbyes for a while but each day that came and went brought the end closer.
Life and death were so close in her profession and now dealing with Bob and
Bobby, it just put everything in a whole new light.

Leslie considered another cup of
coffee, but she feared her nerves would become so frazzled she wouldn
’
t be able to do her job. She
didn
’
t feel like talking to
any of the other nurses either or getting caught up in something else. If there
was an emergency everyone knew where to find Leslie.

The truth was that Leslie wanted to
see Bobby when he came out of the room. She wanted the chance to just touch
him, anywhere, and look into his eyes and make sure he was okay. She needed
that at the very least before checking on Bob and getting him settled for
another night which would hopefully turn into another day for him.

That
’
s
why when Annie came walking around the end of hallway, Leslie turned and rolled
her eyes. Of course Annie would come back. She wouldn
’
t let Bobby do this by himself, would she?

“
Are
they still in there?
”
Annie
asked, stopping a good distance from the room.

“
Yeah,
”
Leslie said.
“
I
’
m
just waiting so I can get Bob ready for the night.
”

“
I
wish they would come out soon,
”
Annie said.
“
I really
should be going. Have to drive back, you know?
”

“
You
can go in,
”
Leslie said.
She smiled but cackled on the inside.
“
Let
them know you
’
re waiting.
”

“
Or
you can. For me.
”

Leslie looked at the door. She
heard Bobby talking.
“
I don
’
t think it
’
s right for me to go in right
now. They
’
re talking. I don
’
t want to break up a moment.
”

“
I
wouldn
’
t call it a moment,
”
Annie said.
“
I thought they were just going
in to say goodbye.
”

Leslie swallowed her anger. She
looked at Annie.
“
He
’
s their grandfather. It
’
s hard for Bob. And Bobby.
”

“
But
not for me?
”
Annie asked.
“
I
’
m
going to have to deal with questions now. And then I
’
m going to have to explain to them when their
grandfather finally does die. That
’
s
what
’
s waiting for me.
”

Leslie managed to smile.
“
I
’
m
sorry. I shouldn
’
t have
said anything. This is hard for everyone. Bob. Bobby. Your children. You. Even
me.
”