Chapter 23

“Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock,” Hannah sang. Her raspy voice carried around the bar over every note of music playing through the speakers. She’d drunk a little bit of the spiked eggnog and could barely contain herself. Jenna kept herself behind the bar, refusing to let people rub her belly for good luck in the New Year. She wasn’t a Buddha statue, and the best way to avoid it was to stay behind the bar. So that’s what she was doing at the holiday party.

Paul was making his rounds, mingling with other business owners from the community. He’d look over to Jenna every few minutes just to be sure she was okay. So long as she gave him the thumbs up, the party could carry on. And so it did as the music played, people danced, and everyone had a great time even though it was winter in Western Pennsylvania.

The wind whipped continuously outside. Jenna was surprised it didn’t blow the doors down. Every time someone walked inside, it would push and shove its way in behind them. Brock had to lean against the door just to get it shut.

The next time the wind blew someone in, she was unpleasantly surprised to say the least. But she’d told her dad she trusted him. So when Sean Hannity stepped inside the bar with a group of guys, she shook her head and pretended to be busy on the other side of the bar. He sought her out anyway, following her newly wide hips to the other end.

When she turned around he was standing there with a goofy grin on his face. He would actually have been kind of cute if she hadn’t known he was a sociopath at heart. She also knew that he wasn’t going away, so she decided to wait on him. “Okay, Mr. Hannity, what can I help you with today?”

“I need the back room for my poker game. Our deal’s still good, right?”

“No! Absolutely not! Our debt is paid, and we’re not getting involved in any more of your business. You’ll be lucky if my dad doesn’t get audited this year!”

“Ooh,” he mimicked ghost noises, “the IRS. Relax and just let me host my game in the back. I’m feeling lucky tonight.”

“Let him go, Jenna!” her dad shouted from a few tables away.

She hated letting Hannity in the back room, but if her dad was okay with it and he said he had the situation under control, she had to trust him, right? She had a bad feeling about this, but there was nothing she could do. Her father refused to kick Hannity out, and perhaps he had good reason not to, but until he was ready to spill the beans, Jenna simply complied.

As usual, Hannity and his party ordered several bottles of whiskey at the bar and carried them to the back room themselves. Watching Hannity’s stupid smile as he closed the door was beyond irritating. She walked away, hating that the man always got his way, but was pleasantly surprised when the door opened and the men filed out just half an hour later. It seemed the poker game had wrapped up early.

Hannity had a smug expression on his face as he dropped a hundred-dollar tip on the counter. “What’d I tell you, darlin’? My lucky night.” Making his way to the door, he turned back to the room at large with an ironic grin and yelled, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” before finally stepping outside.

Jenna sighed. What a jerk. But least he was gone. She grabbed a tray and a rag and headed toward the back room intent on cleaning every trace of him out of her father’s bar.

There was a thin layer of smoke coming from under the door.

Jenna began to panic. Hannity’s crew often lit up when they were back there, but there was no way that amount of smoke was coming from the remains of their cigars and cigarettes. She grabbed the doorknob, but it was so hot she pulled her hand away quickly. Before she could say anything the door itself burst into flames and a large explosion sent the fire shooting up to the ceiling. Jenna began shouting, “Everyone out! Everyone get out, Now!”

The people packed into the main bar area rushed for the front door. Jenna saw her father duck into the kitchen to warn the cook, and her mind jumped to the bathrooms in the back. If there was anyone in there, she had to get them out.

Clutching her stomach, she jostled a few people fleeing towards the rear exit as she raced down the hall to the bathroom. When she got inside, she found that it was empty—and realized that it abutted the back room’s other wall. It was already hot inside, and she saw smoke creeping out from one of the stalls.

“Damn it Jenna! That was stupid! Get the hell outta here!” she scolded herself. She was too late. The door, which had automatically closed behind her, had already swelled into the frame from the intense heat. She pulled desperately at the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. She was stuck, scared and didn’t know what to do. She retreated to the sink and cowered underneath it. She could hear footsteps outside the door, so she called out, “Help! Someone help me!”

But no one said anything she could hear and it was getting hotter and hotter in the bathroom with every passing minute.

The sound of sirens was one that Jenna had never thought she’d love until that night.

“Okay, Jenna, someone’s coming. Someone’s coming to get you,” she murmured to herself.

It was as if her words made her wish come true when she heard a forceful knocking on the door. “Is anyone in there?”

“Yes! Please!” she cried out.

The voice yelled back to her, “Back as far away from the door as you can!”

“Okay! I’m back!” she called out.

The door splintered as the firefighter’s ax split it from its hinges. A few whacks later and the door was out of the way—but the firefighter who came to save her had a set of eyes she couldn’t deny, and she had a pregnant belly she could no longer hide. Scooping her up into his arms, Tanner carried the very pregnant mother of his child out of the burning blaze through the bar’s back entrance. Jenna could feel the baby kicking against her belly the whole way, and she knew that Tanner felt it too.

As soon as they were outside, Tanner took his mask off to look Jenna in the eyes. “Ma’am, I need you to answer some questions for me, okay?”

Jenna was so rattled, so full of worry for her baby and her father’s bar, that it was all she could do to nod.

“Are you experiencing any difficulty breathing, headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, nausea, weakness or chest pain?”

Jenna shook her head weakly. “No, I don’t think so.”

Tanner narrowed his eyes and leaned closer. “Jenna, is it mine?”

Staring into his eyes, trying to imagine what he was feeling, she nodded once.

Tanner let out a long breath. “Okay. Let’s try this one more time.” Holding both of her hands in his, he dropped to one knee.

“Jenna Marie Ferris, will you marry me?”