Drew ripped the socket from the wall and threw it across the room. The fire and smoke damage was less than he’d expected, but still, he’d failed to keep them safe despite the fact it was his job to protect those around him. He’d failed his mother, and now he’d failed Jenna and Sadie.
Footsteps sounded behind him, but he just wanted to be alone. “James, I don’t want to talk anymore. I’m going to fix this then head home.”
“Drew,” Jenna said.
Her voice jolted him, and he turned to find her at the back door. The sunlight glowed around her like a halo.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I need to talk to you.” Jenna approached with a tentative step, her hands in her pockets and her lips tight.
He didn’t want to hear what she had to say, fearing it was that she was leaving, or that she’d made up her mind they didn’t belong together. For once, he’d be okay with her disappearing, if only temporary. “How is Cathy?” He gripped the damaged wall and yanked plaster out.
“She’s as bossy as usual. As a matter of fact, she ordered me to come talk to you.”
“Did she?” He tossed the drywall on the ground and grabbed another section. Did he want to know, or did he want her to leave so he’d never have to face her rejection.
Jenna’s hand pressed to his back and he halted. “You need to listen to me. This wasn’t your fault, even if the old outlet did cause the fire. You told me not to plug in too many things, remember? Besides, you’re a policeman, not a firefighter. And even a superhero can’t save everyone.”
“It should’ve been taken care of immediately. It’s an old house, despite all the renovations. It’s not safe for you and Sadie to live here, or to let any children of Sweetwater attend an after-school program here.”
“Maverick's going to call in an electrician to inspect the entire house. We’ll make the necessary changes before the school opens. It’s gonna take more than a little kitchen fire to drive me away.”
He spun to face her. “You were right. You should go and do what makes you happy.” Even if it meant never seeing her again, he couldn't stand to see her unhappy or in danger.
She clutched his arms. “Listen to me. Cathy's fine, I’m fine, Sadie’s fine. If Sadie would’ve been hurt because of my stupidity, I don’t know what I’d do. And as for my mother, I’m the one that put her in the hospital, not you.” Her head lowered, her eyes settling on the tile floor. “I said horrible things to her. That’s why she’s in the hospital, not because of the fire.” She sighed. “Maybe I was in over my head with all this, but I wanted to return to Creekside…to you, so bad I didn’t think about the consequences.”
“To me? I thought you’d realized it was a mistake, that you chose to leave me the last time because you weren’t sure how you felt about me.”
Jenna brushed hair behind her ear with a trembling hand. It was chilly and she wasn’t wearing a jacket. He wanted to warm her, to make her pain go away, but he couldn’t. Not any more. The price was too great to comfort her only to have to walk away in the end.
“That’s not why I left.” She took a long breath.
He rubbed his throbbing head. “I don’t understand.”
She gripped his arms and stared him down. “I didn’t leave because I didn’t love you enough. I left because I loved you too much,” Jenna said, her voice rising.
He broke free and backed away.
Jenna threw her hands up in the air. “Listen to me. When my father died, my entire life fell apart. You held me and told me it would be okay, and I tried to believe you, but I couldn’t. I didn’t realize it before, but losing the most important person in my life at the time had changed me. It made me never want to feel that kind of pain again. I should have talked to my mother, or to you more, but everywhere I went in town there was a reminder of my father and that he was gone. That I would never see him again, never feel his warmth. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to lose you, too.” Her voice cracked.
“You left because it was too hard to love me anymore?” He shuffled toward her until they stood toe to toe. “You didn’t leave because you wanted more out of life, because you wanted to live in a big city and marry a rich man and have some fancy career?”
“No, all I’ve ever truly wanted was to return home, to marry you, to be a family again in the one place in the world where I belong. I wouldn’t blame you if you hate me for all I’ve put you through. Trust me, if I could slap the eighteen-year-old me, I would.”
“You’re not…scared anymore?" Was she really ready to open her heart? He willed her answer to be yes, but could he trust she wouldn’t run away again?
Jenna placed her palm over his heart and captured his gaze. “I’m not scared anymore. None of this scares me. My daughter was distraught in the hospital. My mother nearly died, yet the thought of losing her woke me up. Made me realize how many years we’ve lost because I was scared. Drew, I don’t want to lose any more time, not even a minute. I want to live my life, and I want to live it with you.”
Multiple emotions, ranging from fear to elation, all roared through him, but he could only settle on one, the one he’d always known to be true. “I love you, Jenna. It’s always been you and only you.” He took her in his arms and kissed her with all the passion of yesterday, the love of today, and the promise of tomorrow.