“I want to see Alyssa,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound crazy, too.
“How do you know our daughter?” her father asked.
“We met months ago . . . and she works for me now, but there’s more to it. It’s . . . uh . . .” He didn’t want to lie to the two of them, but he didn’t know how to finish that sentence, because he really didn’t know what was going on between him and Alyssa.
Her father looked at him for several long assessing seconds. “Donald Gerard,” he finally said, sticking out his hand. “And this is my wife, Teresa.”
“Jackson Whitman,” Jackson answered, too tense to say anything else.
“Are you one of Martin’s boys?”
Of course they knew the name. Everyone in Sterling, and half of Billings, knew the Whitman name, since his family was the largest employer in the town.
“Yes, sir, I am,” Jackson replied.
Her father continued looking at him, obviously trying to size up the young man. Jackson didn’t know what the verdict was going to be, but one way or another he was getting into this house to see Alyssa. He’d been the first one on the scene. He’d been the one to hold her when she’d been knocked to the ground. He had to see her, had to assure himself that she was fine. And he had to get some answers about the baby she carried.
“You can come in,” her father said just when Jackson was figuring the man wouldn’t speak again. “I work for your dad. Your father is a fine man.”
“Yes, he is,” Jackson said, but he had to grit his teeth. He didn’t want to make small talk about his father; he wanted to see Alyssa.
“Well, then, I guess it would be okay for you to visit.”
Jackson thanked her parents and then went up the stairs after they told him her door was the second on the left. Stopping before he entered the room, he took a deep breath. He needed to be calm before speaking to her. For that matter, he didn’t understand why he was so upset. Sure, he’d watched that asshole pull on her hair, and had seen the blood on her face. He would be concerned about anyone who’d gone through something like that. But what he was feeling was beyond concern. Jackson just couldn’t figure out why.
Enough of this. Her door was open, so he stepped up to it and then felt his stomach churn when he saw how pale she looked. When she turned and saw him standing there, her eyes widened, but no words came out.
He walked slowly to her bed and took a seat in the chair her mother must have been warming earlier. Then, carefully, he picked up her hand. “Are you feeling any better?”
Her fingers trembled against his, but she didn’t pull them away. “I’m just scared, but I’m not hurting anymore.”
“Everything will be fine. Hank is in jail, where hopefully he’ll stay for a while. He was cursing at everyone the other night, but the next morning was a whole other matter. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. It doesn’t excuse his behavior, but I think he’ll stay far away from you. My dad is friends with the judge, and I think he’s going to have to take mandatory rehab.”
“That’s good to hear,” she said. “Some people just shouldn’t drink.”
“I should have had security out in the parking lot. I’ve already called, and starting last night, there is a guard on every night shift.”
“Jackson, this is in no way your fault. I’ve worked there four months and nothing like this has happened before. Hank just got out of hand . . .” She trailed off at the gleam in his eyes. It was obvious there would be no changing his mind about this.
Jackson sat there a few moments longer, debating whether or not to mention the baby. She just looked so fragile right now, that he didn’t want to upset her. But he needed to know what was going on.
“Is the baby’s father still in your life?” he blurted out. What if the guy came through those doors now? Jackson wanted Alyssa desperately, but he’d bow out if she was in love with another man and having the guy’s child. It was the right thing to do. But he hoped to heaven the man wasn’t in the picture, though he didn’t want to think about how selfish that made him.
She gaped at him, and Jackson held his breath. It looked as if she didn’t even want to talk about the guy. That meant he was long gone, right?
“Um, no. He’s not a part of my life,” she finally said, her cheeks turning pink.
“He’s a fool, Alyssa. A real fool. I wouldn’t leave your side if you were carrying my child.”
“I thought you said you would never marry again, Jackson.”
“What does marriage have to do with it?”
“So, if you got a woman pregnant, you would do . . . what?”
Jackson squirmed in his seat. It wasn’t something he’d ever thought about. He didn’t plan on getting a woman pregnant. He always used protection, so it was a moot point, wasn’t it? She was silent, though, waiting for his answer.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I just wouldn’t get someone pregnant.”
Alyssa let out a sad sigh. “Not everything is that simple, Jackson.”
“Well, is he stepping up or not? If he made a baby with you, he should be here.”
She shifted nervously. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, her voice just above a whisper.
“This isn’t something that goes away just because you don’t want to talk about it.”
“I can take care of myself, Jackson. I’ve been doing it for a long time.” She clearly didn’t like his patronizing attitude. She wasn’t a weak female and she didn’t want him to think she was.
“Yes, of course you can. But it’s not easy to be a single mother.” He paused, then something inside him seemed to blossom and he sat up a bit straighter. “I’ll take care of you, Alyssa.” He was almost as shocked as she was when he said those words.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Hell, even he didn’t know what he was talking about. How was he going to explain it to her? What he should be doing was backing out of her room and running as far as he could. His fascination with her should have stopped the moment he found out she was pregnant.
“You need to be taken care of. I can’t seem to stop thinking about you, wanting you, so really, it’s a simple solution,” he said, as if that solved all their problems. A lightbulb seemed to have flashed on in his brain.