Daniel's Gift (16 page)

Luke followed her. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his body.

"Isn't this wonderful?" Jenny asked, twisting in his arms to face him. "You, me, this fabulous day, this glorious summer. We don't need anything else. We've got it all."

Luke looked down at her. "You make me want to believe that."

"Then believe it."

Jenny kissed him on the cheek, drawing her lips along his jawline until she caught the corner of his mouth. He sucked in his breath. She loved the sound of his breathing. It was often the only sign she had that he was vulnerable to her, not in control as he pretended to be.

Luke turned his mouth fully into hers. He deepened the kiss, pushing past her lips, into the warmth of her mouth. His tongue danced with hers. His hands slipped under her sweater, caressing her curves as if she were a delicate piece of china.

Luke was so much more sophisticated than the boys she had dated. In fact, he wasn't a boy. He was a man. And he made her feel like a woman.

Despite their outward differences, they were completely in tune with each other. She covered her loneliness with boisterous laughter. Luke covered his loneliness with arrogant silence. Together, they chased the loneliness away, found love and joy in each other's arms.

When Luke lifted his head, his breathing was ragged. His pulse beat rapidly in the corner of his throat. But that was Luke, always in a hurry, with places to go, people to see, things to accomplish. Jenny liked speed, but only for the joy of going fast, not the purpose of getting to the next step in her life.

"I'd like to make love to you right here," Luke whispered.

She ran her hand along the back of his neck, sliding her fingers into his hair. "'Why don't we?"

"Are you nuts? We're on the side of a highway."

"Once you start kissing me, I don't think I'll notice."

He grinned. "You're probably right about that." His smile faded. "We're all wrong for each other, Jenny."

"Not in the ways that count the most."

"I'm leaving at the end of the summer."

"We have another month."

"I'll be busy with medical school."

"You'll still have time to think about me, to write a letter once in a while, to pick up the phone."

"I'm not sure I will."

Her heart grew heavy at his words. "Don't be silly, Luke, you'll make time. I love you. You love me."

She waited, wanting him to assure her that he did love her, but he never said the words, he just nodded. Someday, he would say them. She would make sure of that.

"We have to go. My parents are taking me out to dinner tonight," Luke said.

"I wish I could meet them."

Luke stiffened and looked past her. "I'm sure you will. Someday."

"Why not tonight?"

"We're dining with old friends -- boring old friends. You'd have a terrible time."

"I could never have a terrible time with you."

She lowered her arms to his waist and rested her head on his chest, reveling in the sound of his heartbeat. She loved his body, the power of his muscles, the gentleness of his hands, the way he moved against her, inside her. He was her first and only lover. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

"I've never met anyone like you," Luke said quietly. "I don't think I ever will again."

"Good."

"You make me think I can do anything."

"You can do anything." She looked into his eyes. "I believe in you."

He looked at her searchingly. "Why?"

"Because you're smart, and because you care. Sometimes you try to hide it, but I know that deep down you aren't as closed off as you'd like to be."

"Not with you. But you're the only one. I've never had close friends, Jen. Never. Something about you makes me want to spill my guts."

"Then spill 'em. Don't you get it, Sheridan?" She punched him playfully.

"Get what?"

"I'll love you no matter what. You don't have to be rich or important or anything else. In fact, I almost wish you weren't any of those things."

"I am, Jenny. I can't stop being me."

"I don't think you've started being you -- at least not yet. It's almost as if you're afraid to let the real Luke out. I don't understand why."

Luke cut her off with a kiss, and she let him get away with it, because it was tender and passionate, as warm and lovely as the day surrounding them. She skipped out of his embrace and threw her arms out to the sea. "I will never ever forget this day -- or last night," she said, turning back to him.

His eyes reflected the memory of their night together, the passion, the love. "Neither will I."

"Take off your shirt," she said.

Luke's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"We have to throw something into the sea, to seal our promise not to forget."

"My shirt? You want to throw my shirt into the water? This is a Polo shirt, Jenny. It cost a fair amount of money."

"Oh, pooh." She pulled at the edges of his shirt as Luke reluctantly took it off.

"Okay, I've done it. Now you take off your shirt," he said with a wicked grin.

Jenny laughed. "Not on your life."

"Why not? You 're the one who likes to live dangerously."

Jenny looked at the road. It was empty for an early morning weekday. "Oh, what the hell." She pulled her shirt over her head and stood there in her black lace bra.

Luke immediately stepped behind her. "I can't believe you actually did that."

"You told me to."

"I was kidding."

"Too late. Come on." She took his hand and walked to the edge. "Let's do it together."

She held her shirt in one hand and Luke's in the other. They looked out at the sea for a long moment.

"Hurry up. I'm freezing," he said.

"Okay. To us, Luke and Jenny, now and forever."

They tossed their shirts over the cliff, watching as the pink and white floated together, entwined as they themselves were. The clothing drifted into the sea, like a ghostly vision, swallowed by the waves.

Luke pulled Jenny into his arms, and wound his hands through her hair, passionately, desperately, as if he were afraid to let her go. He said her name over and over again.

His voice got louder and louder. Jenny blinked her eyes open and lifted her head. The ocean was gone. The convertible was gone. The cliffs in front of her were replaced by the white sheet of a hospital bed, and she was no longer eighteen and in love.

The voice came again. She straightened in the chair next to Danny's bed and turned her head toward the door.

Luke
. He was standing at the end of the bed. He wasn't looking at her, but at Danny -- his son.

She had imagined the moment a thousand times, but never like this -- never like this.

His blue eyes filled with pain. His face tightened until his jaw stood out in stark relief.

"My God, he's real. He's real," Luke said in wonder.

She stood up. "Luke -- "

He held up a hand. "Let me look at him, please. I just want to look at him."

Jenny swallowed hard, taking a step back so Luke could move closer to the bed.

It was disturbing to see Luke now, and difficult to deny him anything. The vivid dream had taken her back to a time when she had loved this man more than life itself. Now and forever, she had promised.

The now, of course, had vanished. Forever had been a pipe dream. Which left only the present to contend with.

"He's so still," Luke muttered.

"He's in a coma. I'm sure you already know that. You're a doctor after all."

Luke wasn't looking at Danny like a doctor. He was looking at him like a father.

When Luke touched Danny's shoulder with gentle tenderness, Jenny wanted to burst into tears. For years, she had dreamed of telling Luke he had a son, of seeing them together. But she had always been afraid.

In the beginning she had been hurt and angry. Then Luke had married Denise, and she had known it was too late. He had his life, and she had hers. Luke didn't want children, or at least not her child. He had made that abundantly clear.

But Jenny had never completely let go of the thought of Luke and Danny having a relationship -- being father and son. Maybe that's why she had wavered when Danny started pressing her to see Luke. Part of her was afraid that Luke would try to take Danny away, and part of her was afraid he wouldn't care at all.

Now, Luke was here. Danny would be so happy -- if only he knew. A tear escaped her eye and drifted down her cheek. Danny had wanted to see his father so badly. And now it was too late. He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't ask Luke the questions that were burning a hole in his heart.

"Oh, Danny," she whispered. "Wake up, baby. He's here."

She looked over at Luke, not sure what to say or do next. The air between them came alive. Every sound in the room got louder, including the beat of her heart.

Luke slowly and illogically opened his arms. Slowly and irrationally, she walked into his embrace.

Jenny leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes. She had come home.

Luke rested his chin on the top of her head. His arms locked around her waist. She didn't speak. Neither did he.

The minutes passed. There was so much to be said, yet neither one was inclined to speak. Finally, Jenny stepped back. Luke shoved his hands into his pockets. Jenny crossed her arms in front of her chest. She reminded herself that this man was not the same man to whom she had pledged her undying love. He had changed, gone on to medical school, a career, and another woman. She was different, too, older, not as carefree, not as trusting or naive.

"How long are you going to pretend I'm not Danny's father?" Luke asked.

She glanced over at Danny to see if he showed any sign of recognition. He didn't move, not even at the sound of his father's voice. Still, she didn't want to take the chance that Danny could hear their conversation. "I won't talk to you about this in here, Luke."

"Then come with me."

"I want to be here when Danny wakes up."

"Five minutes in the hallway. The nurse can call you if he opens his eyes."

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"Don't you? Come on, Jenny. Talk to me. I'm not going away no matter how much you want me to."

Jenny debated her options. Luke was as stubborn as a bulldog. When he wanted something, he went after it until he got it. "Fine. Five minutes." She spoke to the nurse. "I'll be back."

The hallway outside of ICU was empty. Jenny glanced down at her watch. It was ten o'clock at night. Visiting hours were over except for those with relatives who were critically ill. She walked down the corridor, avoiding the waiting room. At the end of the hall was a window seat that overlooked the hospital parking lot. It wasn't much of a view, but it reminded her that there was another world outside the hospital.

Luke leaned against the wall. Now that he had her alone, he seemed in no hurry to speak.

"Can we get this over with?" Jenny asked. She didn't want to deal with Luke right now. She wanted to stay focused on Danny.

"What's he like?" Luke asked unexpectedly.

"Danny?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just tell me."

"Well, he's a great kid. Wild sense of humor, mischievous, reckless sometimes." Jenny smiled fondly. "He's smart as a whip, gets good grades even though it is definitely not cool to do so. So far his greatest passion is baseball, but I don't think girls are too far behind."

"You're close -- the two of you?"

"Very. More than just mother and son. In some ways, we've grown up together."

"You were awfully young to have a child, weren't you?"

"When God hands you a gift, you don't send it back."

Luke looked directly into her eyes. "You didn't get an abortion."

"No," she whispered, unable to turn away from him. His reaction was a mixed bag, confusion, anger, frustration, and what looked like joy. But it didn't last long.

When he spoke his voice was filled with anger. "You should nave told me," he said. "Dammit, you should have told me. All these years, I never knew I had a son. You had no right to keep that from me."