He gazed at her for a moment. “From what I can see, you look terrific, Jade. Exactly the same.”
“Thank you.”
There was an awkward pause. Finally Hutch said. “Donna Dee said you’ve got a son.”
“That’s right.”
“A teenager.”
“He’ll be fifteen his next birthday.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced as though in pain. When he opened his eyes again, he had no trouble focusing on her face above him. “Is he mine?”
“How would I know, Hutch, when three of you raped me?” He groaned like a man in spiritual torment. “He’s mine,” she stressed. “I don’t want to know who his father was.”
“I can’t blame you, I guess. I’d just like to die knowing.”
“That’s not going to happen if you live for another fifty years.”
He wheezed a mirthless laugh. “I don’t reckon that’ll be the case.”
“Ms. Sperry, I must ask you to leave now.”
Jade signaled to the nurse that she understood. Quietly she said, “Goodbye, Hutch.”
“Jade?” He raised one needle-bruised arm to detain her. “Donna Dee got this harebrained notion. She was going to ask your son to donate a kidney to me.”
“She’s come to me twice.”
Again he looked pained. “I told her not to. Hell, I’d rather die than involve that boy. If he is my son, I wouldn’t put him through an ordeal like that. Don’t let her talk you into it. Don’t let her bother the boy.”
His vehemence surprised her. The tears that filled his eyes were incongruous with his masculine face. He swallowed convulsively several times. “If he is my son, I never want him to know about me… about what I did to you.” Tears rolled down his gaunt cheeks. “I wish to hell I could undo it, but I can’t. All I can say is, I’m sorry, Jade.”
“It’s not that easy, Hutch.”
“I don’t expect you to forgive me. I don’t even want your pity. I just want you to know that our lives were never the same after that night.
“My daddy knew he’d done wrong by you and never got over it. We didn’t talk about it—I just know. Lamar was sure as hell punished. That train got even with Ivan and Neal for you.”
“Neal?”
“He’s sterile. Can’t have kids. Nobody is supposed to know. Even Donna Dee doesn’t know. Neal told me by accident one night when he was drunk.” He took a moment to garner breath and strength. “What I’m saying, Jade, is that we all suffered for it.”
“You may have suffered, but Gary died.”
He nodded remorsefully. “Yeah, I gotta die with that on my conscience, too.” He blinked more tears out of his eyes. “I never planned on hurting you like I did, Jade. For all of it, I’m damn sorry.”
They exchanged a long stare.
It was broken when Donna Dee burst into the ICU, looking flushed and breathless. She stumbled to a halt when she saw Jade at her husband’s bedside. “If you came to gloat, you’re out of luck,” she said defiantly. “Hutch has got a donor.”
She rushed to the opposite side of Hutch’s bed and raised his pale hand to her chest, cradling it. “A twenty-year-old male had an accident on his motorcycle just before dawn this morning.” She smiled down at him through glad tears. “The tissues are a pretty good match, so your doctor has given the go-ahead. They’ll be in shortly to start prepping you for surgery. Oh, Hutch,” she whispered, bending down to plant a kiss on his forehead.
He seemed too overcome by the news to speak.
Donna Dee straightened up and glared at Jade. “We won’t be needing your son after all.” Her beady eyes glowed maliciously. “And I’m so very glad. I’ll never have to thank you for saving my husband’s life.”
* * *