Page 46 of Jag

I started toward the bathroom, and a knock on my door stopped me. When I reached the door and opened it, Dom stepped forward, and I made room for him to enter. That’s when I noticed he held his bag.

“Dom, why do you have your bag?” I asked. My face had to hold the look of confusion, I’d seen him go in the other room.

“I want to stay here. With you,” he said and set his bag on the spare bed beside mine. Then he sat on the edge of the other bed and rested his arms across his lap.

“Dom, your dad. He—”

“Is capable of sleeping by himself,” he said, finishing my sentence.

“You got a lot on your mind, Dom. Not sure us sharing a room is the answer,” I said, as I stood by the bathroom door. With the look on his face and the slump of his shoulders, all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and tell him it would work out.

“Yeah, and the next little bit is going to add to it. So, I need to be with you to balance it out. River, I know you’re confused on why I wanted you here. I’m confused, too. Do you think I don’t know it is moving fast between us? Christ, a couple run-ins, and a couple days together doesn’t mean we know each other. So the fact that I feel I need to have you near makes no sense. As a lawyer, I follow a set of rules. As the VP of the club, I follow a set of rules. As a man, I follow my set of rules. But with each, you also have to follow your instincts. And my instincts lead to you.”

“I bet when you walk into a courtroom, the opposing attorney cringes.” My words received a half smile. “We probably won’t spend a lot of time here anyway. So, okay.”

“It doesn’t matter. When we are here, I want to be with you.”

The way he said it was simple, but my mind said it was anything but. When less than six months ago, my world started to crumble, two months ago I literally ran into the man, and in three days—with him in front of me—I felt content. How can anyone trust that?

“I want to get to the hospital as soon as we freshen up,” he stood and moved to his bag and unzipped it.

“I won’t be long,” I said, then walked into the bathroom, tired, confused, and no closer to an answer to my feelings for Dom.

Jag

The hospital doorsopened with a swish, and I walked through. On our way to the hospital, Mr. Blankenship called to let me know he had approved my visitation, and a badge would be ready at the waiting desk for the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). It drove home that I had a daughter with no legal claim to her.

That would be rectified soon enough.

I informed Simone’s dad there would be two others that needed to be added to Poppy’s visitation. After I gave him my dad’s and River’s names and received his word he would take care of it, I disconnected the call.

We made our way to the floor where the PICU was located. Once we had our badges, a nurse led us to where Poppy was. When we walked in, Mr. Blankenship sat in a chair by the crib-shaped bed that held a small form.

“There was no change through the night. No worse, no better. They say that is good, means the meds in her IV are working.”

I heard my dad’s voice as he talked with Mr. Blankenship, but I didn’t care what was being said. My attention was on my daughter, Poppy. Her head had a small bandage wrapped around it, leaving the top uncovered. Short, dark brown curls could be seen. Her skin was golden like mine. With her eyelids shut, I had no idea what the color of her eyes was.

In her facial features, I saw parts of Simone and me combined. God, I wanted to lift her and hold her tight and take away every hurt she had.

“She is beautiful, Dom,” River said as she moved beside me, placing a hand on my arm.

I couldn’t speak, so I nodded. I touched the one arm that wasn’t bandaged, careful not to hit the tube taped to her skin.

“Dom?” At my dad saying my name I looked up at him, but his eyes were on Poppy. I felt my emotions, but my dad’s showed on his face, telling me he felt as I did.

“I know,” I whispered, then gathered my thoughts, and turned to Mr. Blankenship.

“I’m sorry, Dom. This isn’t the way a man should meet his daughter for the first time. I know you are angry, and I will answer any questions you have.”

“Damn straight you will,” I snapped, and River squeezed my arm.

“Don’t let Poppy’s first time hearing your voice be because you are angry.”

“Yeah.” I leaned and kissed the top of River’s head, and I caught the question in Simone’s dad’s eyes. “River is my ol’ lady,” I answered his silent question.

I could feel River’s eyes on me, and when I looked, her brows were furrowed.

“Don’t panic, it was the easiest explanation,” I said in a low voice by her ear.

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