Broken Bear (6 page)

“Daniella, honey,” Tricia replied. “What a
terrible
idea.”

“Why?”
Daniella asked.

“Do we need to have this discussion?” She asked.

“No, we don’t,” Daniella said. “To begin with, this isn’t a discussion at all. I am telling you what I am doing. Now you can either support me or not. It’s your choice, Tricia.”

“
Daniella, don’t turn this around on me.” Tricia said. “Have you told your mother about this brilliant idea?”

“No,” she said. “I am on my way to her house right now.”

“Ah ha!” Tricia said. “Well, okay, fine… There’s no way she will support this, Daniella. If you won’t listen to me then maybe you’ll listen to her instead.”

“I don’t care what she thinks either, Tricia.”
Daniella replied. “I don’t see why you are making such a huge deal about this. We aren’t getting married for God’s sake!”

Tricia exhaled.

“You don’t even see what you are doing, do you?” She said.

“No,”
Daniella replied. “What am I doing besides helping someone in need? He’s a sweet guy.”

“This isn’t about him,
Daniella, and you know it.” Tricia said. “Ask your Mom!”

“Alright, you know what, whatever!”
Daniella exclaimed. “I’m gonna go. I’ll talk to you later.”

She hung up with Tricia and about fifteen minutes later,
Daniella pulled into her mother’s driveway. Daniella’s parents divorced when she was a little girl. In her entire life, she’d seen her father
maybe
three times. In spite of his absence, her mother Marilyn did the best job she could to raise Daniella alone.

They were close because of it, hell, sometimes too close. Tricia was right. As much as she hated to admit it,
Daniella realized the conversation she was about to have was anything but easy.

A few minutes later, she entered through the front door of the house.

“Mom!” she called out.

“In the back, dear…” her mother replied. “I’ll be right there.”

“Okay!” Daniella yelled.

She took a seat in the kitchen and a couple of minutes later, her mother appeared.

“Daniella,” her mother said as she came around the corner. “Sweetheart, come give me a hug.”

“I haven’t heard a peep from you in a couple of days.” Her mom said. “What’s new? How’s everything coming along with the new job, getting ready for the move and things?”

“Um, pretty good I guess.” Daniella lied.

“Pretty good?” her mother said with a raised eyebrow. “Ever since you got the job, it’s all you’ve been able to talk about and now it’s just ‘pretty good’?”

Daniella shrugged.

“No, no,” her mother said. “Let’s go, what’s the matter?”

“Mom!” she said. “Just… jeez, chill would you?”

“Yes,” she said. “I will chill right in this chair while you tell me what the problem is.”

And so, as succinctly as possible, Daniella walked her mother though the events of the past couple of days. For the most part, her mother listened without interruption, which was quite rare. And except for the odd question for clarification, Daniella managed to get through the entire story with relative ease.

As she finished, her mother nodded and said, “Well, that is…
something
. Honey, I just want to tell you how proud I am of you for what you did to help this man. I am also angry at you for risking your life but considering your history with Slim Chance Pass, it’s not far-fetched.”

“Mom,” she said. “
History
has nothing to do with it. You are starting sound just like Tricia.”

“Well,” her mother replied. “That should tell you something, shouldn’t it?”

“What?” Daniella replied. “What is it supposed to tell me?”

“
Daniella…” her mother said in
that
tone.

“What?”
Daniella said. “God Mom, I hate it when you talk to me like a child!”

She looked at her daughter and said, “I’m sorry, okay. You’ve come so far since Benjamin’s accident and I am concerned, nothing more.”

“I don’t see what Benjamin has to do with anything.” She replied.

“I’m your mother and I love you more than anyone else in this world ever could or would.” She said. “So please keep that in mind. I need you to listen to me
Daniella; can you at least do that for me?”

Daniella
sighed and replied, “Yes, alright.”

“Good,” her mother said. “Now, honey, I know how much the loss of Benjamin affected you, perhaps more than anyone else. Wouldn’t you agree with me?”

Daniella shrugged.

“Well?
” Her mother asked.

“Yes. I would agree.” She replied.

“Even though that is the case, the truth is I will never be able to relate to it.” She said. “Nothing like that ever happened to me in my life. All I could do in the situation was offer you my love, sympathy and support.”

“And you did, Mom.” She replied. “I never would have gotten through all of it without you.”

“Thank you sweetheart,” her mother replied. “It means so much to hear you say that.”

“Of course, Mom,”
Daniella said. “I guess I am confused… Is this conversation about Benjamin or Jett?”

“Neither of them,” she replied. “It’s about you,
Daniella.”

“Me?” she said. “What do you mean?”

Her mother groaned.

“Sweetie, you’ve never come to terms with Benjamin’s death.” She replied. “Perhaps you are using this Jett fellow as a substitute for the loss of Benjamin.”

“What?” Daniella replied. “Mom, that’s crazy.”

“Is it?”

“Yes,” Daniella replied. “Alright, go ahead, tell me why. I’m all ears.”

“Well, let’s look at the facts.” Her mother said. “Benjamin died on Slim Chance Pass. You rescued Jett there. You never got the chance to help Benjamin, nurse him back to health or even say goodbye. He died the same day. You’ve got those things with Jett and you are living out the reality of what you wished you’d been able to do with Benjamin.”

“Uh!” Daniella scoffed. “No way mom, don’t be ridiculous! That’s insane. I’m not an emotionally immature person trying to transfer the feelings I had for Benjamin onto Jett.”

“I never said you were emotionally immature,
Daniella.” She replied. “But, what if it’s an unconscious coping mechanism?”

“Mother, please!”
Daniella groaned. “Spare me the armchair psychoanalysis.”

“Damn it,
Daniella Jennifer Tanner!” her mother exclaimed. “You will not speak to me like that!”

Her mother stood up and walked away. She started to sob as she headed toward the kitchen.

Daniella lowered her head in regret for a moment.

“
Mom…
” Daniella said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I don’t know. Maybe you are right but, so what if you are? Is it such a bad thing I am helping someone out?”

Her mother did not turn around to face her but continued to look straight ahead.

“There’s more going on here than mere help, Daniella.” Her mother said. “I just don’t want you to wind up getting hurt, especially not now.”

“Hurt?”
Daniella said. “What are you talking about, mom? Hurt by whom, Jett?”

“Yes,
Daniella,” She replied.

“Why on Earth would Jett hurt me and what do you mean by ‘especially not now’?”

Her mother turned back to face her. As she did, Daniella could see the pain in her face. She was well aware that the tears she cried came from a place of concern and love.

“What I mean is, you are about to embark on a new chapter in your life.” She said. “It was one I had hoped would take you away from the pain you’
ve experienced here and get a fresh start.”

Daniella
nodded.

“As for Jett, well, I suppose I will just be as blunt as possible.” She said. “Do not get involved with him,
Daniella.”

“Mom, I’m not…” she said. “
There’s nothing going on between us. But, even if there was something happening, why are you against him? Don’t you trust me?”

“
Daniella, honey, this has nothing to do with you,” she said. “It’s
him.
”

“You don’t even know him!”
Daniella exclaimed.

“I know
his type
, Daniella.” Her mother replied. “People don’t just wind up in ditches, half-naked, for no reason. Nothing about his presence is an accident.”

“Now you sound just like Tricia and Billy.”
Daniella said.

“Well shouldn’t that tell you something?” Her mother said. “Aren’t you the least bit suspicious of this whole thing?”

“No, mom, I’m not. Okay?” she replied. “Everyone here has got something in for him because of a bunch of random circumstances. Meanwhile, I am the only one who’s spent time with him alone. What if someone did something to him? Did you ever stop to consider that possibility?”

“
Daniella, listen to yourself. What difference does it make?” She said. “They found the man bloody and unconscious by the side of the road. Those things don’t happen to everyday folks. It isn’t normal. Now for the last time, please, please, please just let him go.”

Daniella
chewed her lower lip and in that instant, chickened out.

With a reception like this,
Daniella had a better chance of an ultra-marathon finish the next day than she did of her mom being convinced it was a good idea for Jett to stay at her house. Besides, with any luck, Jett’s memory would be back sooner than Dr. Wilson expected and her mother would be none the wiser.

“
Daniella!” her mother exclaimed as Daniella sat there lost in her thoughts. Daniella shook her head and refocused her attention.

“Okay, Mom,” she said. “I hear you, loud and clear. I’ll deal with it.”

***

After
Daniella left her mom’s house, she spent the rest of the day in preparation of Jett’s arrival. It had been about a week since the accident and time had passed faster than she could have imagined.

Her hope was the din of activity would squelch her constant inner dialog, but if
anything it served to aggravate it. Daniella’s rational thoughts and her emotional needs tore her in two. Logically, what everyone said made perfect sense. It was hard to disagree with it at all but, her heart told her something her thoughts couldn’t.

It was her essence as a person; she was someone that helped others. Admittedly, this worked to her detriment on occasion but she
couldn’t deny her identity in this situation.

She
wouldn’t.

And besides
, Dr. Wilson seemed thrilled with Jett’s recovery so far. If he said Jett’s memory would return, well then the chances were very good it would. There was little at risk for her when she looked at it that way. In fact, it might be closer to no risk whatsoever.

Right?

Those thoughts carried her through the next day as well. Daniella picked Jett up from the hospital as planned. Before the two of them arrived at her place, they stopped off to buy him something to wear. She argued with him about it being her treat but he insisted he wouldn’t stand for it.

And anyway
, she had an ulterior motive for the shopping spree. As part of the deal, Daniella got to pick his jeans. Of course, she had to ensure every pair made his butt look even hotter, if such a thing was possible. So, as far as she was concerned, that alone was worth the money she spent.

Overall, it was a fun first day together.

At least it was that way until he crossed the threshold into her house for the first time. Once that happened, she realized she’d underestimated the gravity of what she’d undertaken. As they entered, time slowed. A tidal wave of doubt crashed into her. Daniella realized she had no clue if this guy was a boy scout or an ax murderer.

She questioned herself…

What if everyone was right about
him?

The truth was she
didn’t know anything about him or his past, and for that matter, neither did he.

Sure,
they’d spent time together and gotten to know each other a bit but it’s not unheard of to know someone for twenty years and have them still surprise you. If Daniella was honest with herself, there was no way to tell what kind of man he might be.

She had
hope
he was normal but that was it.

On the other hand, what if everyone was right about
her?

If
Daniella misjudged Jett, that was one thing. She didn’t even want to begin to consider what it might mean if she lied to herself about her own motives. She mulled it over for days on end and searched her feelings for any clue she wanted to fix the past. The emotions weren’t there or if they were, they hid from her just as Jett’s past hid from him.