Page 47 of Jenny
Jenny hiccupped. Her breath stuttered, and she wiped her tears before continuing.
“Dare took me to meet one of his guys earlier. Carlos. He’s a corporal. In his early twenties. Nice guy, who might be paralyzed, but as soon as Dare walked into the room, Carlos lit up. Watching Dare be there for and interact with Carlos showed me how special Dare is. I never thought about dating someone in the military after what happened with Rob, but that wouldn’t stop me from being with Dare. It’s part of who he is, and he gives so much of himself. Oh, Missy… I wanted some of that. I thought I had it.”
“Let’s figure this out.” Missy sounded like a woman with a mission. “Maybe you misunderstood.”
“Dare said it’s over. He used those exact words.” Jenny sniffled. “It’s so crazy. I always thought men only wanted to be with Jenna Ford. I never thought I’d be dumped because Iwasher. Losing him… It hurts so bad.”
“I’m so sorry. That’s what sucks about love. It’s inherently risky. There’s zero control. You may get hurt a little or a lot, but in the end, loving another person is worth it.”
Jenny stiffened. “How can you say that? The way I feel isn’t worth anything except a bunch of heartache. And losing Rob almost destroyed you.”
“Yes, it did, and I wish with every beat of my heart that he were still here, but loving him was worth the pain and grief. Even knowing what would happen to Rob, and that there’d be this gaping hole where my heart should be, I wouldn’t change anything.”
“I haven’t even known Dare long. But the feelings seem real.”
“They are real. You told me grief has no set time frame. Neither does love. Once it’s there, you know, but you also can’t force another to love you back.” A long exhale sounded. “Maybe you need to walk away and let Dare figure out what you mean to him.”
Jenny almost laughed. “You mean the ‘if you love them set them free’ routine.”
“Yes, he may come back.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“There’s going to be one spoiled kitten in Berry Lake, and you always have Ash.”
Ash.
But for the first time, Ashton Thorpe wasn’t enough. He had been before because he was safe and did whatever she wanted. So what if Ash was make believe? He’d been all she needed.
Until receiving that email from DOR.
Dare, however, was everything Jenny wanted in a man. She’d believed his finding her message in the bottle was meant to be.
Fate, kismet, serendipity, whatever this was called.
She loved Dare.
The last man she’d said the words “I love you” to had been Grant. He’d never put anyone first, including Jenny. She’d thought she understood what love was, but her feelings—her love—for Grant had never been this strong or felt so right as it did with Dare.
What was she going to do?
Nothing.
A boulder settled in the pit of her stomach.
Missy was correct. Jenny couldn’t force Dare to love her in return. He had told her to leave, and that was what she would do.
But first, she needed to cry and then sleep.
****
The next morning, Dare was so tired from not sleeping he wondered if the nurse could give him an IV of coffee. He couldn’t stop thinking about the emotions that had crossed Jenny’s face last night—confusion, hurt, anger. But he’d done the right thing.
“We can play a game of cards,” Vince said. He’d been trying to be supportive, but Dare wished his roommate would read a book or something. “I have an occupational therapy session soon, but when I get back.”
“Sure.” When Vince returned, maybe Dare would be asleep.
Vince left, and Dare’s mom entered the room with muffins and coffee from the cafeteria. She set them on his bed tray. Two cups, not three. That made him shift.
