Hell, he’d been the first one to use it that night in Atlanta when they’d conceived their son.
“Ready?”
“I guess.”
“Chin up, Rissa. We’re a team now and I don’t think one determined reporter can defeat us.”
She smiled at him and he felt ten feet tall. He climbed out of the truck.
“Mr. Danforth, I’m Jasmine Carmody with the Savannah Morning News. Can I have a few minutes of your time?” the stunning African-American woman asked.
“For what?”
“To discuss the circumstances of your recent marriage.”
“What do you want to know?” Jake asked.
Larissa got out of the truck and walked around to his side. Jake pulled her close to his side and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“Very touching,” Jasmine said. “I’m curious about something.”
“What’s that?” Jake asked.
“How does it feel to know you’re the second generation of wealthy Southern gentlemen to be deceived by a Nielsen woman?”
Larissa stiffened under his arm.
“I didn’t deceive Jake.”
“Of course, you didn’t, Ms. Nielsen.”
“It’s Mrs. Danforth,” Jake said. “And Larissa didn’t trap me into marriage, Ms. Carmody. I trapped her.”
“Do tell,” Jasmine said.
“That’s private and personal. I don’t think we have anything further to say.”
“I’m not giving up,” Jasmine said. “I’m going to write this story with or without your cooperation.”
“Then write this—Larissa and I have been friends for over ten years and our marriage has brought us the kind of happiness neither of us thought possible.”
Jake lowered his head and kissed Larissa, hoping she’d understand from his embrace that he meant those words. Their marriage wasn’t a temporary media fix, as it had started out—it was real and lasting. Because with Larissa, he’d found a place in his family. And a family of his own.
Peter stirred in the back seat of the car, coughing and crying out. Jake opened the back door and lifted out his son.
“Where’s Mama?”
“Right here, sweetie,” Larissa said, rubbing her hand over their son’s head.
Peter squirmed in Jake’s arms, leaning over toward Larissa. Jake let the boy go though he didn’t want to. Peter coughed again and Larissa cradled him close to her.
“We better get him inside,” Larissa said.
Jake closed the door and put his arm around Larissa. Jasmine continued to watch them and Jake had the feeling that they hadn’t seen the last of her. But it didn’t change the way he felt. He wasn’t going to let a reporter hurt Larissa. She’d carved out a life for herself the only way she knew how.
“I didn’t think she’d find out about your dad.”
“Reilly Peyton isn’t my dad. He was a sperm donor.”
Jake laughed. She didn’t sound angry with Jasmine. “You’re okay that she found out.”
“I’d rather she hadn’t. But when you came to my defense I realized something.”
Peter coughed again and Larissa rubbed his back. “I hope he’s not getting sick.”
“I’ll call the doctor when we get inside,” Jake said. He knew he should focus on Peter, but in the back of his mind her words lingered. “What’d you realize?”
“That having you by my side made all the difference in the world. Even if she prints her article—and I’m sure she will—it won’t be me standing in front of Savannah society by myself. We’re a family and together we’ll decide what makes us Danforths. I’ve never really felt like I could fit in at home, either.”
“Why not?”
“My father put a lot of pressure on me to be the responsible one. That eldest sibling thing, I guess. I’ve dropped the ball a lot, Rissa. You know I’m not perfect, but I’m not going to drop the ball this time.”
“I know, Jake,” she said. She reached up to touch him with her free hand.
“Let’s get this little guy into his pajamas and then finish this conversation,” Jake said.
“Mama?” Peter said, his breath rasping in and out. His chest was heaving with the effort to breathe.
Jake didn’t like it. “Has he done that before?”
“No. Call the doctor,” Larissa said. Though she tried to keep her voice calm, he saw her hands tremble.
Jake grabbed one of Larissa’s laminated index cards and dialed the doctor’s number. Larissa sat on the couch holding their son close and murmuring softly to him. But Peter kept struggling to breathe and Larissa finally stood up. She paced around the room with their son in her arms. Jake was suddenly afraid that now that he’d found the happiness he’d always sought, he wouldn’t be allowed to keep it.
Jake got the doctor on the phone and described Peter’s symptoms. Dr. Gold instructed Jake to take Peter to the hospital, saying he thought Peter might be having an acute asthma attack.
Jake got his family out of the house and into the car, his heart pounding as he raced to the hospital.
Larissa had never been so scared in her entire life. Peter was hooked up to a drip IV and a nebulizer. His entire chest heaved with each breath he tried to take.
She clung tight to her son’s hand and willed him to breathe easier, but she knew that wasn’t possible. Jake rested his big strong hand on her shoulder, and she sensed he was urging her to share her burden with him but she couldn’t.
She wouldn’t be able to relax until Peter was off this machine and breathing easier, though she appreciated having Jake and his family around her. And she knew that Peter did as well.
Tonight she’d had her first taste of what being a Danforth meant. Instead of sitting in the waiting area until it was their turn, they’d been given a private room and admitted with little trouble. Dr. Gold had seen Peter once and this was the second breathing treatment that Peter had taken.
Jake’s parents had arrived and were now in the waiting area. Jake hadn’t left her side the entire time. He held her hand or Peter’s and made sure they were very aware of his presence.
He was a solid support for Larissa and she realized she loved him. Watching him talk quietly to their son, and handle every detail that came up in the hospital had shown her what she’d secretly been afraid to admit all along.
Jake wasn’t just her husband, he was her love. She also realized, when he’d talked to his family, that Jake kept the depth of his feelings a secret. It was humbling to know she might be the only one who realized Jake was so much more than the easygoing, successful businessman that he presented to the world.
Peter finished his breathing treatment and lay back against the pillows. He looked so small. Jake tucked Mr. Bear and Peter’s worn blanket up next to him. Larissa leaned down and kissed him.
“Mama? Can we say our poem?”
“We sure can, baby.”
Quietly she started Frost’s poem and Jake and Peter joined in. By the time they’d gotten to the last line, Peter’s eyes drifted close.
Larissa turned to Jake. “I feel so helpless.”
“Me too.”
She felt like crying. When she’d made her decision not to tell Jake about Peter, she’d only had Reilly Peyton as an example—a man who’d never wanted to be a father. But from the first moment Jake had known about Peter, he’d proved that fatherhood was a natural part of him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jake asked.
She didn’t want to let him know how desperately she was coming to need him. “Like what?”
He shrugged and looked uncomfortable. “I’m not sure.”
She slid off the bed and sat on his lap. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him tightly to her. God, she didn’t think she’d survive if he left her.
“Thank you,” she said against his lips.
“For what?” he asked, running his hands down her back and hugging her to him.
He smelled good. His cologne was spicy and woodsy, a d
irect contrast to the sterile scent of the hospital. “For being here. I’m so glad I didn’t have to deal with this on my own.”
He looked at her. His brown eyes were serious and she remembered all the promises he’d made her. Promises that she’d been afraid to believe. “That’s my job now.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, still afraid to accept his words.
He squeezed her tight and then tucked her head under his chin. “Hell, yes. I’m not letting either of you out of my sight.”
“Oh, Jake.”
Jake kissed her with a passion that she sensed concealed hidden depths. She clung to him. For the first time in her life she really needed someone by her side and it scared her. Almost as much as her fear of being left alone. She watched Peter sleeping. Each exhalation wheezed a little.
Someone cleared their throat and she glanced up to see Harold Danforth in the doorway. Jake’s dad was dressed in chinos and a button-down shirt. He looked tired and tense but his face filled with love when he glanced at his sleeping grandson.
“No need to ask how things are in here,” Harold said.
Jake stiffened under her. Larissa got to her feet and walked over to the hospital bed to check Peter. She rested her hand lightly on his chest to feel each breath he took. “You know me, Dad. Can’t keep my hands off a pretty girl.”
“I do know you, son,” Harold said. There was a pride in his eyes that Larissa realized Jake didn’t see.
“Your mom and I wanted to check on Peter before we went home for the night.”
“He’s sleeping,” Jake said.
“I’ll go get your mother,” Harold said.
Jake cursed under his breath and pushed to his feet, joining Larissa by Peter’s side. Jake settled his hand over hers on their son’s chest. “God, I hope he beats this thing.”
“Dr. Gold said there’s a chance he could outgrow the asthma.”
Jake said nothing, but Larissa felt some of her anxiety wane. She knew that with Jake by her side there was nothing they couldn’t handle.
“What’s up with you and your dad?”
“Nothing,” Jake said, pacing across the room.
“Jake?” She turned to face him, but he wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to her.
“Leave it be, Rissa.”
She crossed the room to Jake and wrapped her arms around him.
“Talk to me,” she said at last. She’d been so caught up in her own feelings of inadequacy that she hadn’t noticed the tension between Jake and his father before.
“I don’t want to get into that. You’ve got enough on your mind with Peter.”
She tilted her head back and met his eyes. “Peter’s resting now. Tell me about your dad.”
“It’s nothing,” he said, moving away. It seemed he couldn’t stand still. “I’ve never been able to please the old man.”
She stopped his pacing with a hand on his arm. “I don’t get that from him. He seems really proud of you.” That was the truth. Harold had taken her aside earlier and told her when the chips were down there was no better man to have by her side than Jake.
“Yeah, right. What dad wouldn’t be proud of a son who can’t keep his hands off his wife while his grandson struggles to breathe?”
“I’m sure your dad understands that we need each other now.”
Jake shrugged.
Larissa wasn’t sure what else to say. She thought Harold was probably relieved that their marriage wasn’t just for the media, but she didn’t want to open that topic of conversation. “It wasn’t like that. And I think your dad knows it. You should talk to him.”
“I don’t think so.”
She raised herself on tiptoe so they were almost eye-to-eye. “Well, I do. I think you should do it. And I’m not going to stop bringing the subject up until you do.”
“We’ve only been married two days and already you’re nagging me.”
For the first time since they arrived at the hospital she felt like smiling. “Start out as you mean to go on, I always say.”
“Good thing I know how to keep you quiet.”
“How?” she asked, smiling teasingly up at him.
“Like this,” he said, lowering his head and taking her mouth in a kiss that said things he’d never say with words. That embrace said thank-you and I’ll be there for you. She clung to his broad shoulders and kissed him with the same intensity.
When his parents returned to the room, he reluctantly let Larissa go. A storm raged inside him. He’d never felt so helpless as he had on the drive to the hospital. He was used to focusing on a goal and achieving it. And tonight had shown him that life with Larissa and Peter was going to be anything but predictable.
Since they’d landed back in Savannah, he’d realized that the only thing he wanted was some peace and quiet with his small family. He wanted what his folks had always had, but he didn’t know that he was worthy of that kind of bond. He’d played around with women for so long that, even though Larissa made him feel things that he’d never experienced before, he wasn’t sure he could be the kind of man she needed.
She moved across the room toward his mother and Jake wondered how Larissa felt about suddenly having an extended family. He wouldn’t give up being a Danforth for anything, he realized.
“How’s Peter doing?” his mom asked.
“Better. He’s finally sleeping,” Larissa said.
“I hope this attack wasn’t brought on by anything at our house.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t, Miranda. He had a great time visiting with you.”
“We enjoyed having him there. God, I miss having a little boy in the house.”
Jake loved his parents, but he wanted them to go so he could hold Larissa in his lap again and keep an eye on both her and Peter. “It’s been a long night.”
“Yes, it has,” his dad said.
“I’m thirsty, I think I’ll go down to the vending machine and get a Diet Coke. Want to go with me, Miranda?” Larissa asked.
“Sure, dear. Do you want anything, Jake?”
“Coke would be great, Mom.”
Larissa followed Miranda toward the door. At the entrance, she paused and looked at Jake. Talk to your dad, she mouthed. Bossy woman, he thought as she disappeared.
His father leaned over Peter, brushing back his hair. “He looks so much like you.”
Jake crossed to the other side of the bed and leaned down over his son. “Yeah, he does.”
“This takes me back. Remember that summer you broke your arm?”
“Do I. I couldn’t play soccer for six weeks.”
“That’s right. You missed out on winning that MVP trophy you’d had your eye on.”
“I got it the next year.”
“You were always good at winning.”
“Yes, I was.”
“You okay, son?”
Jake shrugged. It didn’t matter that he was over thirty and owned a successful business. He still felt like a boy in his dad’s presence. His father was a man who had it all and made it look easy. Not even the disappearance of his youngest sister, Victoria, had phased Harold. He’d still held the family together and kept everyone focused on finding her. Jake didn’t think he’d ever be the man his father was.
“Having a kid is a double-edged sword,” his dad said suddenly.
“What do you mean?”
“Just that you do your damnedest to protect them and then out of the blue something you can’t control happens.” His dad reached out and touched Peter’s forehead. In that moment he saw on his father’s face the same vulnerability that Jake felt toward his son.
“Like with Victoria,” Jake said. He’d never really gotten over the guilt he’d felt at her disappearance. And he’d never shared with his dad the responsibility he bore toward the incident.
“Yes,” his dad said, running his hands through his hair. “Good news on that front. The body in the attic at Crofthaven isn’t hers.”
Jake felt a sense of relief at the news. No
one in the family had given any credence to the theory that the body had been Victoria’s. They all knew she’d disappeared in Atlanta, not in Savannah. “I never believed it was.”
“Me either. God, I wish I knew where she was,” Harold said. Another crack appeared in Jake’s image of his dad. His old man had always appeared so capable and confident. Jake hadn’t realized that underneath was a man who had as many vulnerabilities as Jake had.
“Me too. You know I’ve never forgiven myself for not attending the concert with her. I shouldn’t have bought her those tickets.”
His dad gave him a sad smile. “You never could tell her no.”
That was the truth. He’d loved having younger sisters who looked up to him. Jake had always been indulgent with the women in his life. “It scares me sometimes to think that I might screw up with Peter that way.”
“I wish I could tell you it ends, son.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No.”
“How do you do it, Dad?”
“I lean on your mom. That woman is the best thing that ever happened to me. And you kids…well you’re extensions of her.”
Jake looked at his dad and for once didn’t feel like a failure. “I hope I’m half the dad you are.”
“I know you will be.”
Before he could respond, the women returned with some cold soft drinks and a couple of bags of snacks.
“How’s Peter?” Larissa asked.
“Still sleeping,” Jake said.
Larissa crossed to his side and slipped her arm around his waist. He held her close and watched their son sleep. A moment later, he glanced across the bed at his dad.
His dad winked at him and for the first time, Jake felt like a man that his dad was proud to know.
Twelve
The next evening Peter was doing much better, but Dr. Gold wanted to keep him one more night for observation. Larissa was tired—she hadn’t slept in more than twenty-four hours. She was emotionally drained. Jake’s family was wonderful, but they could be a little overwhelming. Jake’s sister Imogene had breezed in on her lunch break wearing a power suit and looking totally gorgeous. Larissa had felt unkempt and frumpy by comparison.
Sin City Wedding (Dynasties: The Danforths Book 3) Page 11