Page 19 of Forever Mine

I could tell there was so much he wanted to know. They didn't even know her real name.

“How'd you know to call her Jane? We know it's not her real name, though I suppose using it for eight years now makes it as real as anything.”

I guiltily confessed. “I heard your wife call her that, and figured if she was going by another name, then I should respect that.”

“Don't suppose you'll tell us who she really is.”

“No sir, not without her permission.”

“Just as well. Shows me you can be trusted. Janie needs that in her life. She's had a rough run on things. Hasn't been easy on any of us, as I'm sure you picked up from Oscar.”

“Sir, what happened to her? She was about to talk about it when you guys showed up. That's what she was so upset about. Can you tell me what you know?”

His face softened and there was moisture evident in his eyes. “She was about to tell you?”

“Something, I don't know what, but yeah. She said, 'The day I left home,’ and then Oscar grabbed her.”

“Dammit, I'm awfully sorry. If I'd known, we would have stayed away longer. For eight years we've been trying to get that girl to talk about it. She just locks us out. Locks everyone but the boy out, until you.” He eyeballed me suspiciously. “Annie and I were watching, we saw.”

“Saw what?”

“Oh, it's the little things, son. The way she reached out and touched you without hesitation. Close proximity. Personal space. That's all big issues with Janie, but you seemed to walk right past her boundary and she didn't even flinch.”

“Will you tell me what you know?”

He nodded soberly. “Eight years ago, she was found in a dumpster. Two broken ribs, clothes torn and tattered. She wouldn't talk. A homeless man found her and called 911 from a payphone. Annie was on call the night she came in. She’s a psychologist and was working with child welfare services. She was called in when they found Jane. She'd seen thousands of kids over the years, but something about our Janie just broke her heart.” He stopped and wiped a tear from his eye. “Janie spent three weeks in the hospital. They ran tests. We know she was raped, though she's never admitted to it.”

Raped? Maddie was raped? Oscar was conceived from a rape? I was struggling to breathe, let alone keep my composure. I was grateful I hadn't caved to the desire for a real drink because I wasn't sure what I would have done. My wolf roared in my ears.It was a long time ago. There's nothing we could have done, I tried to rationalize with myself.

Jacob had given me time to let the news sink in. When I turned back to him, he nodded sadly. “That was about Annie's reaction, too. She was labeled a Jane Doe and sent to a girls’ home. She still wouldn't talk. She wouldn't eat. She was practically skin and bones. When they forced her to eat, she'd just throw it all up. Annie was there every day checking on her for three months. That's when she started to suspect. They had given her the morning after pill in the hospital, but apparently it didn't work, because she was pregnant with Oscar.”

I nodded, trying to reconcile his words to reality.

“Annie came home with her that night. The safety and one-on-one care slowly drew her out of her shell. She struggled to bond with the boy at first. That's part of the reason he's so close to me and his mimi. We couldn't love that kid more if he were our own flesh and blood.”

“Thank you for telling me and for caring for them,” I said hoarsely, my voice thick with emotions.

“Oh son, you don't have to thank me for that. That has been my greatest honor and privilege. You should know, Annie and I think of Jane as our daughter. We were never able to conceive ourselves. She and Oscar are our family.”

“Tomorrow, will you all please still accept the trip to Alcatraz? I don't have to go if it's going to upset Oscar. Jane already met Steph, my friend who runs the company. I really don't want him to miss out on that because he's pissed at me.”

“No way are we missing that opportunity,” he said with a smile, “and neither are you. We'll meet you at the docks around 12:30. Don't worry, I don't think Janie is upset with you, and Oscar will come around. He's very protective of his mother. Doesn't like seeing her upset, that's all. If she were truly about to dive into her past and share with you, it's no wonder she was upset. Also tells me, you're exactly the one we need around her.”

He winked at me as he stood and left the bar, and me with my thoughts on all he'd just told me.

Maddie

Chapter 8

All night I tossed and turned, worrying about whether Liam thought I was upset with him. I wasn't. I was worried about my son. Oscar had shown signs of a protective instinct towards me in the past, but never quite so aggressively as he had toward Liam.

When we returned to the hotel, I asked Annie and Jacob for a little time alone with him. I explained how seeing Liam had brought up some things from my past and that some of it made me sad, but that was not at all his fault. I tried to explain that it was important for me to talk to another grown-up and work through a few things. I also made sure to emphasize that he would always be the number one man in my life.

By the time Oscar was bathed and snuggled into bed, I thought we were at a better place, but the next morning we ran into Liam in line for breakfast. I hugged him and apologized for both my and Oscar's behavior the day before. He had tried to brush it off as no big deal, but I had seen his face as we left, and it had been a big deal.

The moment my arms wrapped around him I felt a peace I'd never experienced before, but it was short lived as a small growl erupted from my son in warning for Liam to back off. I was so shocked I didn't know what to do.

Liam didn't hesitate as he knelt down to his level and talked softly to him. “Oscar, I know you don't like to see your mom upset, but you have to understand, I could never do anything to hurt her.”

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