Читать книгу Who's The Father Of Jenny's Baby? - Donna Clayton, Donna Clayton - Страница 8

Chapter One

She came awake slowly, as if she’d been ensnared for an eternity in the deepest of sleeps. The warm fuzziness threatened to pull her back into the protective depths of slumber; however, the flurry of activity she sensed taking place around her was too disturbing, too confusing, and she was forced to shrug off the dreamy hands tugging at her, enticing her back into oblivion.

With great effort, she raised her eyelids and was immediately blinded by the powerful light shining down from directly overhead. A small unbidden moan passed her lips. Turning her head away from the bright light, she immediately regretted the movement as a giant wave of nausea washed over her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to move.

“She’s coming to. Get the doctor in here. Now.”

The man’s voice sounded unfamiliar to her, but the intense, barely suppressed emotion lacing the rich resonance of his words sent a shiver coursing down her spine. She couldn’t help but wonder who he was.

The query, innocently whispered through the foggy haze in her brain, seemed to pry open a floodgate through which other questions tumbled and churned, one on top of the other.

Where was she? What was happening? What had brought her to this place? Why was every muscle in her body throbbing like an abscessed tooth? And why didn’t someone turn off that glaring light?

“Jenny? Come on, now, wake up.”

A different voice, her mind deciphered. Male, also. But softer than the first. Less angry. However, this one, too, was tinged with emotion. The edginess pervading the second man’s words nearly made her skin crawl, and for the first time since awakening, she felt fear.

It was purely her survival instinct that had her forcing her eyes open once again. If danger was coming, she wanted to see its approach.

What a strange idea to enter her head, she thought, lifting her hand to shield her gaze from the bright light. The dark sensation that she was somehow in jeopardy dissolved, like valley mist burned off by the rising sun, as she focused all her energy on making out the gray shapes moving beyond the light.

“Can’t you see she’s being blinded?”

She knew it was the first man, the angry one, who batted the overhead light fixture aside so it no longer shone directly into her face. Her senses were momentarily overloaded as she tried to take in everything at once.

White. Everything was white. The walls, the bed linens, the uniformed-clad nurses...

A hospital. She was in the—

“Hospital.”

The murmured word, rusty and trembling, came from her lips, but the sound of it was so strange. As if she was hearing it for the very first time. This was bizarre. Why wouldn’t she recognize the sound of her own voice?

Seeds of panic and confusion sprouted in her chest, her heart pounding against her ribs in unison with the pain pounding in her head. She pressed her fingertips to her lips. In an effort to curb the rush of anxiety flooding through her, she forced her eyes to focus on the first object on which they landed.

A face.

The man stood at the foot of the bed, directly in front of her. He was dark, tawny, a man who most assuredly worked outside in the sun. He was handsome, in spite of the tension tightening his hawklike features. The artificial light glistened on his raven hair, and his coal-black eyes were etched with intensity—an intensity that told her, in no uncertain terms, that this was the owner of the first voice she’d heard upon awakening.

“There was an accident,” he told her. “You took a tumble.”

“Ha! Luke, only you would describe what happened to Jenny as a tumble.”

She allowed her gaze to leave the dark, angry man’s face, but not before noting his name.

The man who addressed Luke was standing at her bedside. His was the voice that had induced in her that odd feeling of peril only moments ago, but as she looked at him, she couldn’t help but wonder why she would have had that reaction. He certainly didn’t seem like a person who would invoke fear in anyone.

His sandy hair looked tousled, and a cheery smile lit his brown eyes as he turned his gaze on her. “You slid about two hundred feet down the mountainside, Jenny,” he said. “We didn’t find you for hours. You had us all scared to death.”

There it was again, she noted. That nervous, jittery quality in his voice. Why should that frighten her so?

Without warning, a renewed panic blossomed inside her, shooting forth like a wild, fast-growing vine. The trepidation curling in her belly was hot and terrifying. Her eyes widened with this seemingly irrational dread, and for some odd reason, her gaze fled to the face of the dark, angry man—Luke, she remembered—for some sort of comfort, or protection, or something, even though it made no sense to her why she would feel afraid or why she would seek help from this complete stranger.

Evidently, the man named Luke noticed her emotional state because he tossed an irritated glare at the sandy-haired man.

“Shut up, Chad,” he said.

But Chad didn’t shut up. In fact, his nervousness seemed to increase until it no longer showed just in his voice, but in his eyes, too.

“You’ll be fine, now,” Chad went on. “You’ll come home, and everything will be just fine. Won’t it, Jenny?”

She opened her mouth to speak, to ask one of the dozens of questions buzzing like so many bees in her throbbing head, but before she could, Chad snatched up a cup that had been sitting on the bedside table.

“Would you like a drink of water, Jenny?” He offered her the cup.

The confusion swimming in her brain was more than she could bear. Pressing her palms to her temples, she ignored the painful protest of her aching body as she inched away from both men to the far corner of the bed.

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

The question burst from her in a fit of near hysteria, making her head thud all the more. She was vaguely aware that the one nurse who had been in the examination room had slipped silently out the door.

“Calling you what?” Chad said, seeming totally surprised by her outburst. “Jenny? Why, it’s your name, of course. What’s wrong with you, silly?” He then tossed her a knowing look, as though he were on to her. “All right now, this is no time for pranks.”

His thin, jittery chuckle seemed to smack her across the face. Didn’t he see the turmoil she was experiencing? Couldn’t he understand that her whole world had turned upside down?

“Would you shut up, Chad!”

Luke’s sharp order made the younger man go silent, but it only succeeded in frightening her more than ever. She felt like a small, helpless animal, cornered, with nowhere to run.

“Now, listen to me...”

Her attention was drawn by Luke’s calm, commanding tone. Through the drumming agony in her head, she noticed that the anger in his black eyes had been replaced with what looked like deep concern as he gently coaxed her with his soft words.

“The nurse has gone for the doctor.”

He placed his hand on her shin. The thin cotton blanket between her skin and his was inadequate protection against his burning touch. She was unable to keep the panic from her eyes, her gaze darting to his fingertips, and it took every ounce of her control to hold back the whimper threatening to escape from her throat. He immediately removed his hand from her leg.

“I’m Luke,” he continued smoothly, quietly. “Luke Prentice. Your husband. And this is my brother, Chad.”

Her husband? Had he really said that? Why didn’t she know him? She didn’t remember being part of a wedding. She didn’t remember having a honeymoon. She would never forget the happiness of a wedding day! This was some sort of cruel joke. Her eyes welled with tears of confusion and her hands trembled violently.

“This is crazy, Luke.” Chad ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. “She knows who we are—”

“Would you look at her?” Luke’s chin snapped up as he frowned at his brother. “She’s scared witless. She doesn’t even know her own name. She’s looking at us like we’re total strangers.”

He inhaled deeply as he studied her face, evidently forcing himself to calm down.

“It’s okay, Jenny,” he told her, his face filled with concern. “The doctor’s on his way. He’ll help you. You’re going to be okay.”

She felt he was chanting the positive affirmation for his own benefit almost as much as for her. Even though her entire existence had suddenly turned to utter chaos, she still had enough of her wits about her to realize that he, too, was experiencing a shock. And for one quick moment, her heart went out to him as well as to the other man, the sandy-haired man. Chad was his name, she reminded herself.

Then Chad said, “Of course she’s going to be okay.”

The tone of his voice changed to such a degree that she was astounded. The flustered quality that she’d found so frightening disappeared so swiftly, so thoroughly, that she was left wondering if she hadn’t imagined it from the beginning. Or was it that the flash of sympathy she felt for him had made her lower her guard?

Was the fear she had felt illogical? she wondered. Darting a fleeting look at his face, she again saw nothing frightening in Chad’s friendly smile. She crossed her arms, hugging herself tightly, and let her gaze light momentarily on Luke. What made her think she was any less vulnerable to this onyx-eyed man?

Her head whirled with pain and bewilderment. Smoothing her fingertips across her forehead, she murmured, “My head hurts.”

“Where the hell is the doctor?” Luke turned and took a step toward the door.

“He’s coming,” Chad assured them both.

An elderly man came into the room, his lab coat pristine white but terribly rumpled.

“It’s about time,” Luke growled at him.

“Hey, Doc Porter,” Chad greeted him breezily.

The doctor ignored both men and moved directly to her side.

“Well, Jenny Prentice,” he said, “the nurse tells me you’re having a little trouble with your memory. Seems you might be suffering from a touch of amnesia.”

A touch of amnesia? If her head hadn’t been thumping like the devil was dancing a drunken jig on her brain, she’d have laughed right out loud, despite the jumbled state of her memory.

“Let’s have a look at you.” The doctor took a small penlight from the pocket of his coat and proceeded to shine it first in her right eye and then in her left. “Good pupil reflex,” he said. Tucking the pen away, he leaned back and looked into her face. “So what can you tell me about yourself, Jenny Prentice?” he asked.

She got the distinct impression that he’d stated her full name twice in order to get her used to the sound of it. But everything around her seemed so foreign, so unfamiliar, that she simply remained mute.

“Can you tell me how old you are?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“The name of our town?”

Again she shook her head.

“What state do you live in?”

This time she didn’t bother to answer. She just drew her bottom lip between her teeth in an effort to keep her tears at bay. How could her memory be so... empty?

“How about these rascals here in the room with us?” With a small jerk of his head, the doctor indicated the two men standing at her bedside. “Do you recognize them?”

Her breathing grew shallow, and she felt sure she would lose all control. Using every ounce of determination she could muster, she forced back the anxiety.

“I know their names are Luke and Chad,” she said slowly, her voice a grating whisper. “And Luke told me—” Her breath caught in her throat. She took a moment to steel herself, then began again. “He said he was my husband.”

“Well,” Doc Porter said, patting her shoulder in gentle consolation, “that’s a start.” He turned his attention to Luke. “I want to keep Jenny overnight. I want to keep an eye on her.” His face wrinkled with a smile. “I’m happy to report some good news. The X-rays show no sign of concussion, and the fall she took doesn’t seem to have hurt the baby.”

The room grew utterly still and quiet.

“The what?” Luke’s features had gone lax with pure, unadulterated astonishment.

She sat motionless. The doctor was saying she was pregnant. This was all just too much to take in.

Her name was Jenny Prentice. She repeated it silently, slowly. She was married. And she had a baby growing inside her. The weight of all this staggering news had her reeling. It was a wonder she didn’t faint dead away. But she didn’t.

Maybe it was a strong sense of survival, maybe it was a deep, innate maternal instinct, but whatever the cause, she found herself zeroing in on one single word.

Baby. Instinctively, she smoothed a protective hand over her lower abdomen. She was going to have a baby.

“My God, Jenny,” Luke said, disappointment in her showing plainly in his eyes, “why didn’t you tell me?”

All she could do was look at him helplessly. This was all news to her, too. But as she looked at his devastated expression, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman would keep such wonderful news from her husband?

“Maybe I didn’t know.” Her tone was weak, even to her own ears, and she looked at the doctor, hoping for a confirmation.

The old man shook his head. “You came to my office for the test two weeks ago, Jenny. You’ve had the results for a while.”

“I don’t understand,” Luke said.

His midnight gaze threatened to bore a hole right through her. But she couldn’t help him, because she didn’t understand any of this, either. She could give him no answers, offer him no solace, not when she was so overwhelmed by the total blank that was her memory.

“I might be able to shed some light on this situation.”

Every eye in the room was on Chad, and they all waited, seemingly breathless, for him to explain himself.

“I’m sorry you have to find out like this, Luke,” Chad continued. “But I think that Jenny didn’t tell anyone about the baby because...” He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his tan shorts, heaving a sigh before continuing. “Well, to put it bluntly, I think I may be the baby’s father.”

Jenny Prentice slipped into the pair of well-worn jeans. She’d have sworn on a stack of Bibles that she’d never laid eyes on them before, yet as she fastened the metal stud and zipped the zipper, she couldn’t deny the fact that the soft blue denim fabric fit her body to a T.

Everything felt so strange. Every action seemed new and never-before-performed. Her whole world was an alien place.

Yet, she knew what blue jeans were when the nurse’s assistant brought them to her, telling her the clothes had been left for her by her husband. She’d known what the toothbrush was used for. And the brush and comb. However, even though she’d been told these items belonged to her, she’d felt as if she’d been seeing them, using them, for the very first time.

Her overnight stay at the hospital had turned into four days. After the horrible scene that had taken place between the Prentice brothers the day she had awakened after the accident, Jenny had begged Doc Porter to give her some time. Alone. And thankfully, the elderly doctor had complied.

The truth was, she’d been frightened witless by the argument Luke and Chad had had after her pregnancy had been made known. Not that the men had come to blows. Doc had made himself a physical shield between the brothers before that could happen. But the anger and hurt and accusations that had flown back and forth between them had painted a terrible picture in her mind.

What kind of woman would have an affair with her husband’s brother right under—

Don’t think about this, she urgently ordered herself. But the trouble was, there was nothing else in her brain on which to focus her thoughts. Her memory was simply... gone. So her mind kept coming back to the hideous insinuations made by the brothers. But she just couldn’t make herself face the situation, so she’d used that same silent order over and over during these long, lazy days. Don’t think about it.

Every day, Doc came to visit her. He checked her scratches, her bumps and bruises. Then, every day, he’d ask her if she had any questions about herself, her life, her existence before the accident. And every day she’d answered firmly, negatively.

Jenny wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to know who she was, what she’d done, who she’d hurt. The implications she’d gathered from the fight the brothers had had were enough to make her terribly afraid of learning the truth. No, nothing was said outright, but the fact that Chad had declared that he was her baby’s father had been more than enough.

Realizing she’d once again become lost in dark dread, that she hadn’t yet finished dressing, she reached into the bag that contained her clothes. The white, sleeveless top she tugged over her head smelled faintly of honeysuckle. Tucking the hem into the waistband of her jeans, she was extremely aware of the soft fragrance wafting around her.

Was this delicate, flowery perfume what she normally dabbed on her wrists and behind her ears? Was it a fragrance that Luke found alluring?

The unbidden question startled her. She shouldn’t be concerning herself with what Luke Prentice might or might not find desirable. Not with so many unanswered questions bombarding her every second since she’d awakened into this new, unknown existence. Like an unconscious sleepwalker, she found herself moving toward the large window, staring out at the view.

Her gaze traveled to the farthest point on the horizon. The mountains in the distance were covered with a thick layer of dense, green trees. She didn’t know the name of those mountains. Hadn’t even allowed herself to ask Doc or the nurses that simple question, let alone any of the others that plagued her constantly. All she did know was that the mountains calmed her, and she’d spent hours standing here, thinking of nothing, taking solace in the sight.

Staring off at the horizon, she hugged herself and waited for that comfortable, serene feeling to overtake her. But her racing thoughts refused to be arrested, despite the lush green of the mountains. How could she have thought they would, she wondered, when she’d been told just this morning that she would no longer be allowed to take refuge here?

Jenny pressed the flat of her hand against her stomach to quell the rising panic as she pictured in her mind’s eye Doc Porter’s gaze as he’d accused her, in his gentle, fatherly manner, of using the hospital as a hideout. She hadn’t been able to refute Doc’s accusation.

Doc had gone on to recommend firmly that she return to Prentice Mountain, saying that the once familiar surroundings of the ski resort might help to jog her memory. Of course, he hadn’t been able to promise anything with regard to her amnesia. Brain injuries, he’d explained, were peculiar things that continued to stump modem medicine.

So, Jenny Prentice—as she’d learned to call herself over the past few days—was forced to realize that she might never recover from her amnesia. However, she did have to admit that Doc’s parting statement had intrigued her.

“You were never one to hide your head under the covers, Jenny,” he’d commented. Then he’d left her alone, intent on finishing his hospital rounds before going to his office to begin his full schedule of patient appointments.

Doc had told her, in no uncertain terms, that the old Jenny was no coward. And as she stood gazing out the window, she knew she liked the idea that she was strong. However, the thought wasn’t enough to spur her into any kind of rush to find out more about herself. What might she discover? That she was an adulterer? A betrayer of trust? Someone who lied to and deceived the man with whom she’d chosen to spend the rest of her life?

The questions were daunting. Almost as daunting as the painful expression Luke had leveled at her during their last meeting. Never in a hundred million years would Jenny forget the hurt reflected in her husband’s black, staring gaze as Doc had ushered both of the brothers from her room.

She hadn’t seen either of the Prentice men since then, at her own request. But that request was no longer being honored. She was being forced to face herself, her life and her past behavior. It didn’t matter that she remembered none of these things. There were still deeds that someone needed to be held accountable for.

For the thousandth time in the past four days, her baby came into her thoughts. Her stomach felt flat and firm as she slid her hand across it. Who had fathered the delicate life growing inside her? The question prompted the vivid image of Luke, and his tormented gaze.

His agonized expression had been clear evidence that he’d never even suspected that his wife and his brother might have slept together, let alone the fact that Chad would claim to be her baby’s father. Her eyelids closed as she ran headfirst into a solid wall of guilt. What kind of woman would do such a thing? What kind of woman could do such a thing?

Don’t think about it, she silently ordered herself.

If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that Luke wouldn’t be the one who came to pick her up. It would be a wonder if the man ever spoke to her again.

“Jenny.”

She recognized the sound of Luke’s voice, its rich resonance causing her eyes to fly open with surprise as she turned to face him.

Well, he was here, she thought. Surprise number one.

Then she noticed something else. He didn’t look angry. Or hurt. In fact, Jenny didn’t think anyone would ever be able to tell that, just four short days ago, he’d been totally humiliated by her. Surprise number two.

Surprise number three came when he actually smiled at her. It was small, as smiles went, but at the same time it was staggering. Way down deep inside, she felt a spark strike to life.

When she noticed that he was staring at her feet, she asked, “What is it?”

His dark eyes found hers. “Doc said that bump you took on the head might have taken away the old Jenny for good. But she’s not far off.”

Jenny was surprised by the hope that spurted up inside her. But there was an undeniable dread there, too. Unable to stop herself, she softly asked, “What makes you say that?”

“Your bare feet.”

His smile widened into an all-out grin, and the spark grew hotter, licking and dancing deep within her.

“I never could get you to wear shoes,” he explained further. “Especially in summer.”

Identifying the pure, unadulterated physical attraction for what it was, Jenny was stunned silent. How could this be happening? Why would she feel such a strong pull to Luke when she was supposed to be having an affair with his brother?

The implications made her face flame, made her avert her eyes from his.

Did the old Jenny Prentice have such loose morals that she could sleep with two men? Her insides churned with disgust. What kind of woman was she? she wondered yet again.

“Come on, Jenny,” Luke said.

The tightness in his voice told her he’d noticed her embarrassment. She cast him a furtive glance. Sure enough, his smile had disappeared, and his eyes were cool chips of shiny coal.

“Put your shoes on.” He moved to the bed and picked up the small bag that contained her meager personal belongings. Turning his back on her, he said, “Let’s go home.”

She had no choice but to follow him.