Chapter 9 Jane
JANE
They walked into the hospital, and Pamela was there like a vulture waiting to pick at a carcass. She was dressed impeccably as always, but there was something in her posture. It was tense, expectant, and predatory, which made Jane’s skin crawl.
“Jane, darling,” Pamela called out, rising from her seat in the waiting area. Her eyes immediately flicked to Gabe with barely concealed irritation. “So you were serious about bringing…. him.”
“Gabe is here to support me,” Jane said firmly, feeling Gabe’s solid presence beside her as they approached the reception desk.
The next hour was a blur of paperwork and preliminary tests. Gabe stayed with Jane where he could, sitting beside her in waiting rooms, standing just outside examination areas, his presence a constant reassurance. Much to Pamela’s obvious irritation.
When they were finally settled in a small consultation room waiting for the doctor, Pamela, having inserted herself into their presence despite Jane’s clear reluctance, leaned close to Gabe.
“I can’t believe how she’s putting on this act about her concern,” Jane whispered. “It’s so transparent.”
Gabe’s expression was thoughtful as he glanced at Pamela, who was fidgeting with her phone across the room. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings,” he said quietly, “but I think Pamela has a hidden agenda. She wanted you here alone and is clearly not happy to see me here.”
“I know,” Jane admitted, relief flooding through her that Gabe saw it too. “I have the same feeling.”
“Be careful,” Gabe warned gently. “Don’t get attached to whatever picture she’s painting.”
Jane almost laughed. “There’s no way I will get attached. But I do wonder about that side of my family. I never knew anything about Pamela’s family, my grandparents on the other side.”
Gabe shrugged slightly. “If Pamela is anything to go by, maybe you dodged a bullet.”
Jane had to agree with him, but still, curiosity gnawed at her. Who were these people? What was her genetic heritage beyond the Christmas family she knew and loved?
“But maybe now’s your chance to ask her about it,” Gabe said suddenly. “I’ll go get us something to eat and drink. I’ll stay gone for an hour. You can talk to her.”
“I...” Jane’s heart lurched, not sure she wanted Gabe to leave. But he was right. She might get this one chance to talk to Pamela and get some answers.
Gabe excused himself, telling the nurse he’d be back shortly and asking her to let him know if the doctor came while he was gone.
The moment the door closed behind him, Pamela’s entire demeanor changed.
“I thought he’d never leave,” Pamela scoffed, moving to sit closer to Jane. “Jane, sweetie, you can do so much better than him.”
Jane felt instant offense rise in her chest like a wave. “I don’t think they come much better than Gabe. He’s a hero. Literally. He’s a Navy SEAL.”
“Oh!” Pamela looked contrite for a few seconds, but the expression was gone as quickly as it came, sliding off her face like water.
“Well, that’s... impressive.” She waved a hand dismissively.
“So, Jane, I thought after this, you and I could have a family lunch.” She smiled beguilingly.
“You know, catch up. You can tell me about your life.” Her eyes swept over Jane appraisingly. “You look marvelous and so happy.”
Jane stared at her, flabbergasted. Did she just say that?
Pamela was so off track it was laughable.
“You had thirty years to catch up,” Jane pointed out, her voice cold.
“I don’t feel my life is any of your business.
” Her eyes narrowed. “But since you might be responsible for me having a slow, painful death one day...” She saw Pamela’s eyes darken and knew she’d hit a nerve.
“You can tell me about your side of the family. Start with this grandmother who may have handed me a premature death sentence.”
Pamela went rigid in her chair. “My mother left me when I was a baby,” she said, her voice tight. “I was raised by a woman whom my father married to give me a mother. Or a free nanny, more like. Then he left us, and I was raised by her.”
Was Jane supposed to feel sorry for her? “I can relate,” Jane said flatly. “My mother left me, too, when I was three.”
“My real mother died,” Pamela said scathingly, as if that made her abandonment somehow more noble.
“So did mine,” Jane told her, her eyes devoid of all emotion, knowing that her barb wouldn’t even penetrate Pamela’s hard skin, and if it did, she didn’t have a heart for it to hit. “Did your mother die of this disease?”
“Uh...” Pamela’s hesitation gave Jane a creepy feeling, like spiders crawling up her spine. “Yes. She did.”
“I’m sorry,” Jane said, though she felt nothing of the sort. “That must’ve been rough for her.”
“It was,” Pamela said quickly. “But I got a new mother, and she did what she could. My father was a traitor. He didn’t want kids, just needed an offspring.”
“Again,” Jane said, her voice flat, “I can relate. The woman who gave birth to me did the same thing your father did. It must be in their blood.”
Pamela gave her a tight smile. “I know I did wrong by you, Jane. I can’t make up for the past, but I’m trying to prevent you from having a tragic future.”
“Too late,” Jane told her, knowing fully well the woman in front of her had no clue what she was referring to. Too late! She’d already lived through her tragic future. “So what was your father like?”
“Not a very nice man,” Pamela’s voice was filled with venom. “He died a couple of months ago from old age.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jane said again, the words automatic and meaningless.
“I’m not,” Pamela scoffed. “Good riddance. But even in death, he found a way to punish me.”
“For what?” Jane asked, curiosity piqued despite herself.
“He always blamed me for my mother’s death,” Pamela waved it off with her hand. “Having me sped up her disease, but she was adamant she was going to have me.”
“That’s rough,” Jane said, feeling a twinge of pity for her despite everything. “How’s he punishing you from the grave?”
“It’s not your problem,” Pamela told her sharply. “I’m working it out.”
Jane nodded slowly. “So that’s it. That’s all I get. Your father was a mean man, and your mother died when you were young, and then you were raised by a woman your father married to be your new mom.”
“That’s my story in a nutshell,” Pamela told her. “Now, can we move on and...” She glanced at the door nervously. “Jane, there is so much more I need to talk to you about... but alone. This is... private.”
“Anything you say to me, you can say to Gabe,” Jane assured her, not wanting to be alone with Pamela. She was definitely up to something. Jane didn’t like the part about handling things her father was punishing her for from the grave. Something was brewing there, and Jane wanted no part of it.
As if summoned by her thoughts, Gabe came back in.
“Sorry,” Gabe apologized, walking into the room with a bag in his hand. As he stood beside Jane, she instinctively took his hand, drawing comfort from his presence. “I should’ve knocked.”
“You were gone so long,” Jane said.
“I had to call Trinity,” Gabe told her, holding up the bag. “There wasn’t a lot to eat in the cafeteria, so I went to the store across the street.”
Jane dropped his hand and took the bag, digging in eagerly. “You’re a star,” she muttered. “I’m starving.”
“You can’t eat just yet,” a nurse said, walking into the room with a clipboard. “We need to do the blood draw first, and you need to have an empty stomach for one of the tests.”
Jane sighed but handed the bag back to Gabe. “Save it for me?”
“Of course,” he said with a smile.
The next thirty minutes were a flurry of activity. Blood draws, vitals, and a brief physical examination. Jane answered what felt like hundreds of questions about her medical history, her family history, her symptoms, or lack thereof.
Finally, they were back in the consultation room, and the doctor walked in. He was a middle-aged man with tired eyes and a nervous demeanor that immediately put Jane on edge.
“Mrs. Evans,” he greeted her, then nodded to Gabe and Pamela. “Thank you for your patience. We’ve completed the preliminary tests, and we should have results in three to five business days.”
“That’s it?” Jane asked.
“Well,” the doctor glanced at Pamela, then at his clipboard. “There are some forms I need you to sign.”
Jane frowned. “I’ve already filled in my insurance details and signed consent for the tests.”
“This is...” The doctor looked stressed, and his eyes shot toward Pamela again. “This is something else and...”
“Can I see that?” Gabe stepped forward, his voice pleasant but his posture alert.
“What are you?” Pamela gave a nervous laugh that set off alarm bells for Jane. “Her attorney?”
“I went to law school,” Gabe told her calmly. “But then again, you don’t have to have a degree to read forms you’re about to sign.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at the doctor. “May I?”
“This is private, and they’re Jane’s,” Pamela objected, her voice rising slightly.
“I don’t mind,” Jane said quickly, her senses now on high alert. Why didn’t Pamela want Gabe to read the document?
“We just need your signature, and we can proceed,” the doctor said, holding the clipboard against his chest as if to shield it.
“Proceed with what, exactly?” Gabe asked protectively. “You just said you were done.”
A nurse walked in, having apparently overheard the conversation. “That’s okay, Doctor. Mrs. Evans has already signed everything.”
“Uh...” The doctor’s eyes shot to Pamela, confusion and something that looked like fear crossing his face. “Has she?”
He looked nervous to Jane, and now she was even more sure there was a lot more to this test than she’d first thought. “Can I look at the forms, please?”
“No, it’s fine,” the doctor said quickly, too quickly. “If the nurse said you signed everything, we have everything we need. We’ll let you know the results in a few days.”
“Okay, thank you,” Jane said slowly, but her suspicion was growing by the second. She could see that Gabe was equally wary, his body language tense and protective.
“Will you all leave and let Mrs. Evans get dressed, please?” the nurse said, shooing them all toward the door.
Gabe and Pamela walked out, leaving Jane alone with the nurse.
“What forms was the doctor trying to get me to sign?” Jane asked directly.
The nurse’s smile was pleasant but revealed nothing. “I’m not sure. It was probably just a miscommunication.”
Jane smiled back but didn’t believe her for a second. She quickly dressed after the nurse left, her mind spinning with questions and suspicions.
When she came out of the room, only Gabe was there, leaning against the wall with his crutches.
“I guess it’s no surprise that Pamela is not here,” Jane said dryly.
“She said to tell you she will be in touch for your mother-daughter day,” Gabe told her, and Jane could hear the skepticism in his voice.
Jane rolled her eyes. “Nope. That’s not going to happen.”
“Maybe you should go,” Gabe suggested as they walked toward the exit. “Just to see what she’s really after.”
“Maybe,” Jane said noncommittally.
As they walked through the parking lot, Gabe misplaced his crutch on a slight curb. Jane reached out to help steady him, and their hands entwined. Their eyes met, and suddenly the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them.
They started to draw toward each other, pulled by some invisible force, until a horn honked in the distance, startling them apart.
“Uh... are you okay?” Jane asked, her heart pounding.
“I’m fine,” Gabe’s voice was hoarse. “Thanks.”
They stared at each other for a long moment and then turned awkwardly toward the car. “We’d better get back.”
“Yes,” Gabe agreed, and they walked toward the car in charged silence.
As they reached the car, Jane was about to unlock Gabe’s door when he stopped her.
“Jane...” Gabe’s voice was soft, hesitant.
She turned. He was so close she could feel the warmth radiating from him.
Then he grabbed her and pulled her to him, crushing his lips to hers.
At first, Jane was startled, her mind going blank with shock. But then she melted against him, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck, returning the kiss with everything she had been feeling for days.
A few minutes later, they drew away, both breathing hard.
“I... I’m not going to say sorry for that,” Gabe said, his voice rough. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment we met. I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone so badly in six years.”
Jane swallowed, her heart racing and her lips tingling. “I don’t want you to apologize,” she admitted breathlessly. “I’ve wanted the same thing for just as long.”
She didn’t want to deny it, didn’t want to pretend or be careful. She stepped up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and crushed her lips to his again. The world melted away—the hospital, Pamela, the disease, everything. There was only this moment, this man, this feeling.
When they finally came up for air, Jane rested her forehead against his. “Don’t take this the wrong way. I want to explore what’s going on between us...”
“But you want to take it slow,” Gabe guessed, reading her so well it was almost frightening. “I agree,” he added before she could respond.
“I knew you would,” Jane said with a smile, and she really did. That was the amazing thing about Gabe. He understood her in a way no one else ever had.
They stood there for another moment, just holding each other in the hospital parking lot, both knowing that everything had just changed between them, and both willing to take the time to let it unfold naturally.
Finally, they separated and got into the car. The drive back to St. Augustine was quieter than the drive to Jacksonville had been, but it was a comfortable silence, their hands occasionally brushing on the center console, small smiles passing between them.
Whatever Pamela was up to, whatever the test results would show, Jane knew one thing for certain: she wasn’t facing it alone anymore. And that made all the difference.