Can't Get Enough of You (31 page)

Her foster sisters and Leah took turns going home for a change of clothes, a meal and rest. Scott stayed. Mostly, he stood with his shoulder braced against the wall as he silently prayed and watched over her. He only left for nature's call or when the doctors or nurses asked him to step out. He didn't go when Taylor stopped by and urged him to go home and get some rest. Although exhausted, he flatly refused to leave, but he accepted the food and change of clothing she brought for him.

By the wee hours of the third day, they were all displaying signs of strain, even Scott. He was just returning from a bathroom break when Laura and Sherri Ann met him in the hallway with the news. Jenna was awake and asking for him.

Overcome with emotion, weak from exhaustion, Scott's vision blurred. Blinded by sudden tears, he bowed his head. After a silent thanks to God, he nodded, then turned and walked toward the elevators. Lucky for him, he was wearing his jacket with his car keys in the pocket. He left the hospital with Jenna's foster sisters calling his name.

F
rom the moment Jenna had opened her eyes, she'd been surrounded by family and friends. Although only two people were allowed in the room at a time, she was never alone. She'd also been poked and prodded by a team of nurses and doctors and lab technicians. She'd also received a battery of X-rays, blood draws, and medical tests.

She couldn't remember the accident. She didn't remember much beyond getting into the car on New Year's Eve and waking up in the hospital. The doctor had assured her that it was perfectly normal, along with the headaches.

She couldn't quite believe what she'd been told, that Scott had stayed at her side until she'd regained consciousness. She'd struggled to conceal her disappointment when he'd left and hadn't returned. When she'd asked for him, both Laura and Sherri Ann had been quick to say he was getting some well-deserved rest.

Jenna didn't say it, but she hadn't expected him to return, especially recalling the way they'd parted. Yet that hadn't stopped her hopeful glances whenever someone new had entered the room. She was thrilled to see her brother.

“You should try to get some rest, Sis.” Lincoln gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I can't sleep, not with this headache.”

“Why won't they give you something for it? What about the pain in your shoulder and arm?” Sherri Ann asked. “I can go and talk to the head nurse. Maybe the doctor will reconsider?”

“They already said they are holding back on using strong medications because of the concussion. It's not too bad. Besides, I agree with the doctor. I'd rather suffer a little pain than risk going to sleep and not being able to wake up again.”

Lincoln patted her hand. “You're doing so much better than you were twenty-four hours ago. You had us worried.”

“I know. I'm sorry you had to turn around and come all the way back to Detroit.”

“Stop it. I'm just glad you are getting better. That's all any of us care about.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Be good. I'll see you in the morning.”

Closing heavy lids, Jenna promised, “I will. Bye.”

Sherri Ann said, “I'm leaving, too. You get some rest. We want you out of here,” she added, kissing Jenna's cheek.

“Good night,” Jenna said tiredly.

The silence was welcoming. Although exhausted, Jenna knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep easily. She settled for trying to relax her bruised and sore body. More important, she tried not to worry about why Scott had even come and then stayed so long, only to leave without talking to her. Every time she thought about it, her head would pound unmercifully, and she would be forced to push the questions away.

Eyes closed, she shifted, then whimpered from the pain. She lightly pressed fingertips to her aching head.

“Is it bad?”

The deep, familiar male voice instantly caused her heavy lids to lift and her lips to part in surprise. She whispered, “Scott . . .”

Thirty

H
e shrugged out of his jacket, then tossed it over the back of a chair. “Your head, does it hurt?”

“Yeah,” she admitted.

“And the arm?”

“I'm better than I was when you left.” Suddenly she was aware of the way his powerful frame filled the small room. “At least I'm awake.”

“So Laura and Sherri Ann told you I was here.”

“That's right. We ladies have to stick together.”

“You had us all scared with that sleeping beauty routine.”

She felt, rather than saw, his dark eyes moving over her bruised and swollen face. She was grateful that Sherri Ann had brushed her hair, although she was keenly aware of how beat up she must look. She quickly said, “Hardly a beauty, more like puffy and bruised.”

“It's nothing a few weeks of rest won't cure. You were extremely lucky, Jenna. It could have been a lot worse.”

Using her uninjured hand, she smoothed the blanket covering her legs. “They said you were here watching over me the entire time I was unconscious. Is that true?”

When he remained silent, she finally looked at him. It wasn't until their eyes connected that she felt the full force of his personality.

“It's true.”

“But why? We both know how bad things were the last time we talked. You didn't want to stay in the same room with me. Why did you come? And why did you stay away all day and then come back tonight?”

He laughed without a trace of humor. “You don't ask for much, do you? Just put it all out there, why don't you?”

“Why waste time? A brush with death will do that for you.” She tried to ignore the way her heart hammered in her chest and the way her head pounded as she waited for his response.

“The last question is easy. I was exhausted. When I left here, I went home and crashed. I came back tonight for the same reason I came when Sherri Ann called. I had to see for myself that you were alright. We've meant too much to each other, far too long, for me to ever just stop caring about you, Jenna.”

Determined to conceal her relief and keen disappointment, Jenna nodded her head. But she quickly regretted it. Shooting pain had her wincing and cradling her cheek as if to contain the misery. She blinked away tears that temporarily blinded her.

“Sweet thing, are you okay?”

“No, I'm not okay!” she snapped, and then spoiled it by moaning pitifully. “And don't call me sweet thing. It's condescending and sexist.”

“I'll call the nurse. Tell them to get you something for the pain.” He moved toward the door.

“No. Don't call anyone. I'm fine, or at least I will be as soon as they let me out of this place and I can go home.” Aware that she was at a distinct disadvantage, not even close to looking or feeling her best, she took a calming breath before she said, “It's late, and as you can see, I'm on the mend. So there's no reason for you to stay. Goodnight, Scott. Thanks for coming.”

She nearly said, don't bother coming back, but she caught herself just in time. She didn't have to be told that she sounded like a petulant child who'd been denied her favorite toy. She resented it. No, she resented him for not loving her enough to at least try and work things out.

Scott stiffened but didn't leave. Instead he dropped into the chair beside the bed. Leaning forward, he studied her. “Your head hurts, you're tired. And you're upset. Why, Jenna?”

“Just go away, Scott. I'm not up to a debate about anything, certainly not my feelings. You lost the right to question me when you kicked me out of your house.” She absently rubbed her injured arm as she fought the urge to cry. If she wasn't careful, she'd beg him to take her back, to love her again.

“Not one of my finest moments. I was disappointed and angry.” Scott shrugged.

“You were furious! You blamed me and refused to listen to what I had to say. And you were wrong!” she shouted, although she immediately regretted it.

“Wrong about what, babe?” When she refused to look at him, he rose to his full length. “Okay. I'll go. I'll see you tomorrow. I will come in the evening when you don't have so much company. How long will Lincoln be in Detroit?”

“He leaves tomorrow. Scott, I said don't . . .”

“I heard you, but I'm not going away. I'm staying for the duration of your time in this place. And I'm not pretending there's nothing going on between us.”

“It's over. We agreed,” she insisted.

“That was before you almost died, damn it. I love you. That didn't end because of your manipulative twin sister. Nor did it stop when I ordered you out of my house because I was hurting. It almost ended when you crashed your car into that lamppost.” He stood with his feet braced and his hands at his side. “Your accident really got my attention. It hammered into my thick scalp as nothing else could how much you mean to me. Thanks to God, we still have time to deal with our problems . . . but later.”

He placed a tender kiss on her bruised forehead, another on her nose. At the sight of tears pooling beneath her lashes, he sank down onto the bed and tenderly gathered Jenna against him.

“Don't cry, sweet love. It's okay. Whatever is wrong, it's going to be okay. We'll fix it together.”

Overcome by the wealth of her emotion, Jenna cried harder. She made a bit of a protest when he first cradled her against his chest. He still loved her. Would they ever get it right? They'd made so many mistakes.

“Please don't cry. Talk to me, Jenna,” he urged softly.

She sniffed. “I'm crying because you said you still love me despite all that has gone wrong. I love you so much,” she confessed, using her good arm to wrap behind his neck and pull his head down to hers. They shared a long, tender kiss. “I didn't know what to think when they told me you were here but you left just when I woke up.”

“Believe me, you didn't want to see me then. After three days without sleep, I was an emotional wreck. Mostly, I was so darn thankful that you were alive and going to get better. Plus, I was still so angry with you for letting me down, letting me get close enough to realize that I'd never stopped loving you. Then you yanked the rug out from under me, babe, when you refused to believe in me . . . to believe I'd rather cut off a body part than betray your trust by going after your twin.”

He gave her a hard kiss. “When I first returned to the city, everywhere I went I thought of you and what we shared. I was miserable without you. I used alcohol to mask the pain. Then Taylor told me you'd moved back. Suddenly I had a reason to get my life back on track. When I ran into you on campus, I was a goner. I wasn't going to let anything stop me from getting you back.”

He moved a caressing hand down her cheek. “You gave me hope when you agreed to let me go with you to find your family. When you made love with me, the first time, I knew we could make a go of it this time around. You gave me a slice of heaven that night.” He smiled. “I knew we had a future when you agreed to wear my ring close to your heart. I was devastated that morning, knowing you believed the worst and not being able to get you to even hear me out.”

“Scott, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you that way, but I thought . . .” She stopped. “You know what I thought.”

He lifted her hand and placed a kiss in the soft center. “You had every right to be upset. You were also hurting. Neither one of us asked for Leah's interference. But man, did we suffer because of it. I kept thinking this looks so bad, but we can get past it. I believed that until . . .”

“Until what? You started believing that I didn't trust you because of the past?”

“Yeah,” he reluctantly admitted. “I was so angry, I couldn't see past it.”

“You were wrong about me not trusting you,” she insisted softly, lacing her fingers with his. “It wasn't only about you. I didn't believe in myself. I was shattered when I saw you with her. I needed time to get past it . . . to think. But you weren't backing down. You insisted I listen to you right then. I couldn't! It hurt too much, like a nightmare that was never going away.”

He nodded, kissing the back of her hand. “Logically, I accepted that, but I also knew that if I didn't reach you then, I'd lose you. I was right. Your sister really did a number on us. And for what?”

Scott swore bitterly. “Jenna, it was all about the money. It was never really about me. She didn't even know me. She should have told us straight up what she wanted. Believe me, I would have made it clear that there was only one woman for me. And that was you. I didn't want a look-alike, a poor imitation, or any kind of substitute for you, my sweet love. I want you . . . only you, Jenna Marie Gaines.

“When she realized she couldn't have me”—he paused, his voice brimming with disgust—“she should have asked for cash. Leah wants the easy way. If I'd only realized that it meant so much to her that she was willing to destroy us to get it, I would have gladly dropped a million on her sneaky behind.” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that, she would have been gone. Problem solved.”

“No way,” Jenna hissed.

“Oh, yeah. I would have. And it would have been worth it, especially if it could have saved us the heartache. Look what she did to us! Just look how you are laid up in a hospital, all battered and bruised.” He gently kissed her swollen cheek. “I can't stand that you're suffering this way.”

Jenna smiled. “I know, my sweet man. But you can't blame Leah for the accident. That had nothing to do with her. If I had anything to say about it, you would absolutely not be giving her a red nickel. She doesn't deserve to be rewarded for bad behavior. At least now she finally gets it. She hasn't been happy with the way things turned out.”

“How do you figure? She wanted us to break up. She won!”

“She didn't win. She didn't want me to hate her. She didn't plan to get thrown out of the house. In fact, she didn't plan any of it. From what she told me, it was an impulse that she quickly regretted. You should have seen her at Christmas. She was as miserable as I was.”

“That makes three of us. I don't want her anywhere near me. You better believe that I was watching her when she sat with you while you were unconscious. Leah caused this, and I can't see myself forgiving or forgetting that. When I saw her in the waiting room, I really wanted to tell her a few things. We should have left her in Vegas. Hell no, I'm not interested in how she suffered,” he snarled.

Jenna pressed closer to him, smoothing her cheek against his cashmere-covered chest. “I know.”

“When I think of all you did to welcome her into your home, to help her in every way to build a better life for herself. . . . You used your savings just to find her and then spent your hard-earned money to bring her here so that your family could be together for the holidays. You could easily have left her dancing topless in that club and living with a man who steals from her. You were willing to help her get a college education. And she didn't thank you for any of it.” Scott scowled. “She had the nerve to go after what was yours for no good reason. No, I'm not likely . . .” He stopped talking abruptly.

He raised her hand to place a kiss in her soft palm. “Enough about Leah. The more I talk about it, the angrier I get. Tonight is about you and me finally finding our way back to each other.”

“Finally . . .” she repeated around a yawn. “I'm sorry.”

Scott smiled down at her, smoothing her cottony-soft hair away from her face. He kissed each of her eyelids. “I can take a hint. You need your rest. When are they letting you out of here?”

“I have no idea, but it can't be soon enough to please me.” When he shifted, she begged, “Don't go. The nurses will let you stay. The females on staff are already half in love with you,” she teased.

“What made you say that?”

Jenna giggled. ”Laura told me how often they came in here to get a good look at you, my brother. Then when Lincoln showed up, you told them I was your fiancée.” She kissed the side of his dark throat. “Please stay. I want you here with me until they put you out. Promise to stay?”

He smiled. “I promise. So you heard about the fiancée thing, hmm?”

“Oh yeah, I heard. There are no secrets, especially with ‘eagle-eyes' Sherri Ann and ‘nose-to-the-ground' Laura around,” she giggled.

“And you're not upset because of it?” he quizzed.

“No, why would I be?”

“You've forgotten the way you threw that ring at me? Babe, you tried to take my eye out.”

“I did,” Jenna readily agreed, jutting her chin out proudly. “I'd do worse if I ever caught you near a bed with any female. Got it?”

“Got it,” he echoed. He moved until he could look into her beautiful hazel eyes. “I want to put this behind us. I want us to make that final commitment to each other so there will be no doubt in anyone's mind about how we feel about each other and that we belong together.” He hesitated, and then said, “. . . including your own.”