Page 22 of Jenny
Jenny stepped forward in the line. Three people were ahead of her to get cars.
“It’s just…” Missy paused. Silence filled the line. “Neither of us had the chance to be with Rob after he was injured. He was gone too soon. But you spent days at the hospital after your parents’ car accident. You’ve lost your entire family. Stuff might come up when you’re with Dare.”
“It’s been a couple of years since I’ve had any nightmares or panic attacks. I’ve visited people at the hospital and been fine.”
“Yes, but you need to be prepared in case something happensthistime.”
“I will.” The concern in Missy’s voice touched Jenny’s heart. She didn’t know what she would do without her. “But just so you know, I haven’t lost my entire family. I still have you.”
“We might be sisters-in-law, but we’re also sisters of the heart.” Missy’s voice was full of love.
“For sure, and I’m glad you brought this up, but…” Jenny tried to put into words what she was feeling. “This is going to sound bizarre and I can’t explain it, but I feel like I’m supposed to be here with Dare.”
“I could tell when I dropped you off at the airport this morning, but please, be careful. He’s still someone you don’t really know, and you’re a long way from home.” The kittens got louder. “I need to fill more bottles with formula. Call me later.”
“Will do.” Jenny imagined the bundles of fur running around the kitchen. “Have fun with the kitten brigade.”
Soon, Jenny had her rental car. She ate fast food—a burger and fries with a chocolate milkshake—for dinner, and then drove to the hospital.
Coming to San Antonio felt like the right thing to do, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what Missy had said.
That’s all you know.
Jenny gripped the steering wheel.She liked how she and Dare wrote each other. No last names. No details of what they did. Not a lot about real life. Just fun, advice, and some heartfelt sharing. Had they gotten closer over the weeks—almost two months of being in contact? Yes. Without a doubt. But once she met Dare face to face…
Her worst-case-scenario writer brain went into overdrive.
What if the man she’d gotten to know through his emails and texts hadn’t been real? What if he’d crafted a persona the way she created characters in her books? What if…?
At Fort Sam Houston’s visitor center, Jenny presented her ID to receive a pass before driving to the hospital. She’d received a text—most likely from his mom—with Dare’s room number. As she walked along a brightly lit hallway, Jenny’s stomach felt fluttery, more nerves than anxiety, but she’d forgotten that feeling of uncertainty that seemed to hang in the air in hospitals.
She checked the room number of the nearest door. Not quite there yet, so she kept walking.
People spoke in hushed voices. A phone rang. Nurses entered and left rooms.
Jenny reached Dare’s door, but she didn’t go inside. What-ifs wracked her brain. Not bad ones like before but good ones. What if Dare turned out to be exactly the man she thought he was? What if her feelings for him got stronger once she saw him? What if she fell for him?
Being friends had been enough for her. It wasn’t until the past couple of weeks that her feelings for Dare had been growing…changing. It made her wonder what he would think about her.
Interacting online was different from real life. With a keyboard to communicate, she could use words to her advantage to be funny or entertaining. In person, she came across as introverted and shy. He might not want anything to do with a quiet, boring author.
The thought poked her heart.
Jenny pushed her shoulders back.
Didn’t matter what he thought about her.
That wasn’t why she was here.
Come to me.
When?
Now.
It was time to stop procrastinating. Jenny knocked on Dare’s door.
