All You'll Ever Need (22 page)

His mother reached across the counter and squeezed his arm. “Honey, I’m proud of all of your accomplishments, but just because Shane hasn’t had some of the same successes as you, doesn’t mean he hasn’t been trying. Some people have made poor choices that have taken their lives in the wrong direction. That doesn’t mean they’re not trying, and it doesn’t mean that they’re not hard workers or that they’re all bad people.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

“Zack, you are a helper by nature. Yet when someone disappoints you, you’re quick to cut them loose. You don’t give people a chance to redeem themselves.”

“So you’re saying I should forgive Shane for using me and forget everything he said about Jada even though he hasn’t apologized for anything?”

“I’m not saying that at all. I’m saying don’t give up on your brother. He’s family and sometimes we have to give people a second chance.” Zack looked at her sideways, his eyebrow raised. His mother smiled. “Okay, or maybe we have to give them three, four or maybe even five chances.”

Forgiving and giving second chances had never come easy for Zack, but maybe his mother was right.

“Think about it, honey. And as for Jada, she loves you.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he snorted, “but right now I need her to talk to me.”

His mother walked around the breakfast bar to where he sat. Hugging him, she said, “I think Jada is perfect for you. She’s cute, sassy, and I can tell she has a good heart. I could also tell by the way she looked at you during your party that she adores you. Don’t give up. She’ll come around.” His mother went back to washing dishes. “And if she doesn’t, there’s only one thing to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Find her and convince her that you can’t live without her.”

Zack finished his meal while thinking about all that his mother had said. If opportunity presented itself, maybe he would reach out to Shane, but right now Jada was at the forefront of his mind.

He stood, wiped his mouth, and carried his dishes to the sink. Kissing his mother’s cheek, he said, “Thanks for dinner … and the talk.”

“Anytime, dear.”

His mother walked him to the door and the moment he slipped into his jacket, his cell phone vibrated.
Please let it be Jada
. He dug through his pocket and peeped at the screen.

Craig.

Zack had five missed calls and a text.

GET TO COUNTY HOSPITAL A.S.A.P
.

Twenty minutes later Zack rushed through the hospital’s door, his heart pounding in his ears as fear rattled around in his gut. He still didn’t know why he had been summoned to the hospital since each time he tried calling Craig back, he got his voicemail. All types of thoughts ran through his mind, with Jada at the center of each scenario. If anything had happened to her…

When Zack didn’t find Craig or any of the Jenkins family in the halls or waiting room, he headed to the receptionist desk.

“Zack.”

He whipped around to find Craig heading in his direction.

“What the hell is going on?” Zack spat out before Craig could speak, his stomach churning with anxiety. “Please tell me nothing has happened to Jada. If…” His voice hitched.

“It’s not Jada.” Craig stood two feet away rubbing the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at Zack.

“Craig,” Zack growled and moved closer, “so help me if you don’t tell me what the fu—”

“It’s Leslie.”

“Leslie?” Zack leaned back and put his hands on his waist, his chest heaving as he stared at his friend wondering if Craig had lost his mind.

“Yeah. Another detective and I received a domestic violence call. Leslie happened to be the victim and was brought in a couple of hours ago. Man, she’s in bad shape. Her fiancé beat her.”

“And you called me because of what?”

“Let’s step over here.” Zack followed him to a secluded spot away from the waiting area. “Man, she has no one.”

“
And
?”

Craig’s greenish-hazel eyes darkened. “And I thought your ass would have some damn compassion and help her out. Her fiancé is in custody, and her brother is nowhere to be found. You know better than anyone that she has no one, and we both know that you can help her.”

“Craig, what exactly are you asking me to do here?” Zack heard the leeriness in his own voice. He was sorry about whatever happened to Leslie, but her well-being was not his concern.

“Go in and see her. Talk to her. Listen to her. She can really use a friend.”

“And you called
me
? Apparently you have forgotten the hell that that woman put me through. I almost lost everything because of her. Now you’re asking me to be her
friend
?” Zack let out a harsh laugh and backed away. He ran his hand through his hair not believing what he was hearing. “I can’t do this, Craig. I have nothing to say to her and if that makes me a jerk then, oh well.”

Craig gripped Zack’s shoulder and squeezed. “You forget that I know you. This jacked up uncaring attitude is not you. Listen, man, I know I’m asking a lot here, but I really think she’s changed. She wants to make things right with you. Give her a chance.”

Minutes later, Zack pushed open the door to Leslie’s hospital room, still not comfortable with his decision to see her. Tension gnawed at the back of his neck as he stood just over the threshold and inhaled deeply. Slowly releasing the breath, he took in the soft yellow walls, the single window with the closed blinds and the bed holding the woman of his nightmares. The bandage covering the right side of her face and the cast on her left arm didn’t soften his feelings toward her.

Damn, I can’t do this
. He stood rooted in place, flashbacks of what she’d done to him, clouded his mind.

“Zack?” Leslie’s soft voice interrupted his musing.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally took a step forward. Zack had no idea what he’d say to her. What could he say? For months, the thought of her made his blood boil and seeing her not too long ago hadn’t helped his feelings toward her.

“Thanks for coming,” she said and pushed a button that raised the head of the bed. “I know you hate me, but I needed to see you.”

Some of the anger toward her subsided, but was replaced by a sense of guilt seeing just how bad she’d been beaten. Her swollen eye and busted lip stood out like a bright neon sign.

“How?” He spoke the only word he could form, sickened that someone could do something like this to her. No one deserved to be beaten, not even her.

She started shaking her head but stopped and shrug. “He got angry and this time was worse than the times before.”

“He’s done this before?” Zack growled but reined in the sudden anger swirling within him. “Did you report his ass? Why didn’t you stay away from him if you knew he had a problem?”

Raw hurt glittered in her eyes. “Where else was I going to go? I have no family unless you count my worthless brother,” she snapped. “Zack, this is not why I wanted to see you.”

“No? Then why did you ask to see me?” He braced himself for her to ask for money or worse, for them to get back together, which would never happen.

“When Craig showed up, I knew this would be my only chance to make things right with you since you wouldn’t answer any of my calls. Zack, I wanted to apologize.”

“For?” He knew he was acting like a jerk, but he couldn’t help it.

“For everything,” she huffed. “The lies, the betrayal, and everything else I did to you. I’m not the same person I was back then. I know my past is no excuse for all that I’ve done, but I need you to understand that I grew up with nothing. I had to hustle for everything I got and unfortunately I hurt people along the way, especially you.”

Sometimes we have to give people a second chance
, his mother’s words darted across his mind.

“Zack, you were the best thing that ever happened to me. No one had ever treated me as kind and was as generous as you were. And going through what I went through today, I’ll never forgive myself for accusing you of beating me. I can’t apologize to you enough for almost ruining everything you’ve worked so hard for.”

For the very first time, the anger that Zack felt toward Leslie wasn’t there. He didn’t know if he could forgive her, but he no longer wished her a life in hell. By the way she looked, she had already been there.

“I’m not sure what to say to you.” Zack leaned against the wall near the side of the bed, exhaustion suddenly taking root in his body.

“Craig told me you had moved on and was seeing someone,” Leslie said staring at her hands before her eyes met his. “I’m happy for you. I’m glad you didn’t let what I did to you keep you from finding happiness.”

So much for happiness considering Jada isn’t speaking to me.

“Zack, please tell me that you can forgive me. I swear to you I’ll never contact you again. All I need to know is that you forgive me.”

Zack studied Leslie. Maybe Craig was right, maybe she had changed.
Or maybe we have to give them three, four or maybe even five chances
, his mother’s words played around in his head.

Zack pushed away from the wall and approached the bed. “I forgive you … and I’ll see what I can do to help you get back on your feet.”

Chapter Eighteen

Jada sat at her grandfather’s desk, needing to be in a place that always brought her peace. Stopping by her grandparent’s house for a short visit after work seemed like a good idea initially, but her whole visit had been filled with thoughts of Zack.

She spun around in the chair and faced the large window behind the desk. Staring out into the darkness, her gaze landed on the plot of land where her grandmother planted her garden each year. Jada knew she’d never be able to look at a garden, fishing equipment or Timberland boots without thinking about the last few months with Zack.

A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly swiped it away with the back of her hand. Zack offered her everything she’d ever wanted, and she had walked away from him.

“Jada?”

She swung around in the chair at the sound of her grandfather’s voice. A strip of moonlight shining through the window guided his path to the desk. At over six feet tall, with a solid build, Steven Jenkins had an impressive presence.

“What are you doing in here by yourself, and why are you sitting in the dark?”

Jada sighed and rested her head against the high-back desk chair. “Just thinking.” When she decided to hide out in her grandfather’s office, a place of serenity, she hadn’t bothered to turn on any of the lights.

Her grandfather flicked on the desk lamp and sat in one of the upholstered chairs in front of his desk.

“Anything you want to talk about?” He crossed his legs and interlocked his hands over his knee. “I’m a good listener.”

Jada smiled. “You’re the best listener.” The smile slipped from her lips as she tried to zone in on her problem. “Zack asked me to marry him.” She played with one of her dangling earrings as she stared down at the desk, not looking at anything in particular. “I’m not sure I can.”

“Why not? Do you love him?”

“I love him very much, but I’m not sure it’s enough.”

“What do you mean by you’re not sure if it’s enough?”

“I’m not sure if I’m enough for him.” She dropped her hands into her lap. “Grampa, I have nothing to offer him.”

“Honey, what are you talking about? You are a sweet, smart, and amazing young woman. Any man would be lucky to have you. Did he say or do something to you?”

“Oh no, nothing like that. Zack has always been a perfect gentleman. He is the sweetest man I’ve ever met,” she said on a sob. “He’s too good for me.”

Steven stood and walked around his desk and pulled her into a standing position. When he wrapped his arms around her, the tears that Jada had been holding at bay for the last couple of weeks, fell freely. “You said yourself that I only think about myself.”

Her grandfather leaned back and lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him.

“When did I ever say that?”

“You said that it’s not always about me.”

He chuckled and pulled her back into his strong arms, rubbing her back. Jada soaked in the love from his embrace. She didn’t know what she would do without her family, especially her grandparents.

“Honey, when I said that it’s not always about you, I wanted you to understand that you have to think about others sometimes. You are one of the most loving people I know, but there are times when you get on a tangent with only
Jada
in mind.”

He was right, and the truth wasn’t easy to hear. If only she were more like Christina and Toni, her cousins who had more compassion in their pinky fingers than she had in her whole body.

Jada pulled away from her grandfather and went to stand at the window, gazing out into the darkness. “Zack is … absolutely wonderful, Grampa. Not only is he successful on the football field, but did you know he has a degree in finance, and a MBA?” She turned to face her grandfather, folding her arms across her chest. “If that’s not enough, he gives millions to charities and probably does more volunteer work in one week than I have in all of my life. Unless he needs someone to tell him the difference between a Gucci and a Versace handbag, I … I have nothing to offer him.”

“Did you talk to Zack about this?”

She shook her head. She’d been avoiding him, but if she knew him as well as she thought she did, he was going to come looking for her soon.

“I can’t speak for Zack, but let me tell you what I was looking for when I decided I was ready for a mate.” He leaned against the corner of his desk, facing her. “I wanted someone who I could trust and depend on. Someone who would stand by me when no one else would. Jada, most men want a woman who will love and respect them. If we’re lucky she can cook and enjoy some of the things we enjoy, like sports or fishing.” A smile played around his lips and Jada knew he had heard about some of her horrific dates with Zack. “Honey, Zack doesn’t want to marry you for what you can do for him, or for what you have. He wants you to be his wife for the way you make him feel.”

Her grandfather had never steered her wrong before, but could it be that simple? Could Zack love her with her flaws and all? Would he still love her if he knew she’d been on the prowl for a wealthy husband?