Dana walked into Hanging Grove Medical, dreading this moment. As she approached her father’s room, Dana didn’t know the first thing she wanted to say to him. Of course, she was still pissed at him for meeting Panther on his own but she understood he didn’t just do it for himself, but also for her.
As she pushed open the door to his room, she found Jeremy lying in a hospital bed, pale and disoriented. At the very least, he seemed to recognize his daughter.
“I’m a terrible father, aren’t I?” he muttered. “I’ve let you down again.”
Taking a deep breath, Dana approached his bedside and gently took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Dad,” Dana began. “We’ve all made mistakes, just promise you won’t do anything that reckless again.”
Jeremy took a deep breath. “I promise, Dana,” he replied. For once, Dana believed him.
“So, what did Cross tell you? Are the Crows still after us?” he asked.
“Cross contacted Smoke directly,” she explained. “He said Smoke wanted to cut his losses and is unlikely to waste any resources coming after us. But...” Dana trailed off. She took a deep breath before continuing, “I don’t think we’ll ever get the shop back, Dad.”
“Dana,” Jeremy said, his hands gently squeezing hers. “When I entered that roadhouse to confront Panther, I realized what a fool I was. The shop, the past, it doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is you.”
He continued, “I know I haven’t been the best father, and I never gave this town a fair chance. But I want you to know that I’m a new man now.”
Dana nodded, though she was still a little skeptical. She had seen the poor decisions he made over the years, and it was natural for her to remain cautious. However, she also recognized that he was trying his best.
As she opened her mouth to respond, a sudden wave of nausea washed over her, catching her completely off guard. She placed a hand on her stomach.. The room seemed to spin around her, and the queasiness became too much to bear. Dana quickly excused herself, barely making it to the nearest restroom in time. Her stomach revolted, and she leaned over the toilet, her body heaving as she emptied the contents of her stomach.
Dana returned to her father, her face still pale from the sudden bout of nausea.
Concern flickered in Jeremy’s eyes. “What’s wrong, Dana?” he asked.
She tried to downplay it, not wanting to cause any undue alarm. “Just a stomach flu, I think,” Dana said. She didn’t want to make a fuss when her father was already going through so much.
“Oh,” Jeremy suddenly said, looking pointedly at her flat stomach.
“What?” she asked. “What is it, Dad?”
Jeremy hesitated for a moment, then said, “Dana, your mother was the same way when...” He trailed off, leaving the statement unfinished.
Dana furrowed her brow, waiting for him to continue. Finally, he found the words he needed.
“When she was pregnant with you.”
The realization hit Dana like a sucker punch. She and Cross had never been shy about sex and they didn’t use protection. Of course she was bound to get pregnant. Dana sat down, processing everything.
“Head to the pharmacy on the first floor,” her father suggested. “Make sure it isn’t a false alarm.”
“Good idea,” she said. “Do you need anything?”
Jeremy shook his head. “I’m good. Go.”
Dana made her way to the pharmacy. She had purchased a pregnancy kit, and as she headed toward the bathroom, she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions.
How would Cross react if he found out she was pregnant? They never discussed the prospect of children before. Would he be mad? Happy?
Dana decided she needed to find out if she was pregnant first before worrying herself to death. Inside the bathroom, she followed the instructions on the kit carefully. As she waited for the result, the seconds seemed to stretch into an eternity. She stood there, her gaze glued to the small plastic device in her hands. Finally, the result appeared on the pregnancy kit.
It was positive.
Dana’s eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat. Feeling numb, Dana retraced her steps back to her father’s room. Sitting down beside her father, she took a deep breath and found the strength to tell him about the pregnancy.
“Dad,” she began, “it’s positive.”
Jeremy regarded her. “You don’t seem happy.”
Dana let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not that I’m unhappy,” she explained. “It’s just that I haven’t processed the news yet. I don’t even know how Cross will react.”
“Dana, you know I distrusted Cross at first, but he’s a good man, and he’s crazy about you. You don’t have to worry about a darn thing,” he told her.
Dana only hoped Jeremy was right.
****
Cross and Priest stepped into the elegant jeweler’s store. He gazed at the display cases of fancy stuff, never expecting he’d be in a place like this one day. At least Priest was by his side and that helped Cross feel less overwhelmed.
“Can’t believe it,” Priest said as they looked at the array of engagement rings. “It feels like it was just yesterday you asked for my help to get Dana and her father away from the Crows. Now you’re tying the knot.”
Cross’s eyes scanned the rings. After getting that important call from Jeremy, he had finally made up his mind.
“She’s the most important thing to me,” Cross said. “And after our confrontation with Panther and his crew, I realized I need her to be a part of my life. I want to build a future with her, Priest. I want her to know she’s the love of my life and I’m committed to her forever.”
Priest looked embarrassed for him, but Cross didn’t care that he came off as a little sappy. Priest was just jealous Cross had finally found a woman worth sticking around for.
After careful consideration, Cross finally settled on a simple diamond ring. “Thanks for your input, Priest. It means a lot,” he told his best friend.
Cross and he parted ways. His next stop was a nearby Chinese takeout restaurant. Dana and he had made plans to have dinner at her apartment. As he exited the restaurant with the bags of food in hand, he couldn’t help but think about the phone call he had with Dana earlier. She had sounded anxious after telling him they needed to talk. He got worried for a moment, but then Jeremy’s call came. Dana didn’t know he knew about her news.
Half an hour later, Cross arrived. He greeted her with a rough and bruising kiss, loving her response.
“You got a lot of food,” Dana remarked.
She helped him take out the containers from the bag but before they could sit down and eat, Dana took a deep breath. She turned to face Cross.
“Cross, I want to get this out in the open first,” she began.
Dana nervously toyed with the hem of her blouse, which was a bit unusual for her. Not wanting her to remain anxious, Cross reached out and held her hands in his.
“Dana, I know,” he told her.
Dana jolted in surprise. “What do you mean, you know?” she asked.
“Jeremy called me earlier. He told me about the pregnancy test,” Cross said. Relief dawned on her face, and he smiled.
“Oh,” she whispered. Cross leaned in, planting a gentler and more tender kiss on her lips, and felt her relax.
“I’m going to be a father. We’re going to be parents,” Cross said with a grin.
However, there was one more step he wanted to take before fully embracing this new chapter of their lives.
Cross knelt before Dana, and she stared at him, shocked. He reached into his jacket pocket and carefully removed a small box, which held the ring he had chosen earlier. Cross finally showed her what was inside.
Dana gasped in surprise, her eyes widening. Cross looked up at her.
“Dana Jane Harris,” he said, “will you do me the honor of being my old lady?”
“Yes,” Dana whispered. “Of course I want to marry you.”
Cross stood up and gently took the ring from the box and slid it onto Dana’s finger. It was a perfect fit. He then pulled her close in a fierce embrace. God. The moment this woman entered his life, everything had changed.
“I love you so much, Cross,” Dana murmured.
Cross stroked her hair. “Love you too, sweetheart,” he said. Cross couldn’t wait to start their new life.
The End
Other Books by Winter Sloane:
www.evernightpublishing.com/winter-sloane