Chapter 23: Jason

Di shook against him as she cried. Helpless to do anything else, he held her close while she spent her pain against his chest. Her father wasn't the man Jason had assumed at first glance. Gerald had made mistakes and was paying for them, but one comment he'd made stuck in Jason's head. His father was supposed to have taken care of Di.

While they continued to discuss the past, Jason wondered if Tammy had managed to do more than abuse foster kids and defraud social services. What if Gerald's father Jerry had made arrangements for Di, but Tammy had found a way to steal her inheritance like Leanne had done with his Pawpaw's money.

His thoughts returned to Di when she reached for her father's crippled hands. "I wish I'd come years ago. I wish I'd really read your letters. I'm so sorry for wasting so much time hating you."

"Sugar, you don't owe me an apology." Gerald pinched his lips to hold back his emotions.

"No, but Jason's right about forgiveness," she said and gazed up at Jason's face. "You told me I was just hurtin' myself by hangin' on to it. I didn't understand what you meant then, but I do now."

Jason blinked and swallowed hard.

"Daddy, I forgive you for anything I've held against you," she said to Gerald. "I'll always carry my scars just like you'll always have yours, but it's time for both of us to move on."

He gasped out a cry and covered his face again. "Sweet mercy," he murmured.

It was impossible to avoid being caught up in the moment. Jason rubbed his eyes with one hand and continued to touch Di's back with the other. Gerald sobbed with relief as Di squeezed his crippled, scarred hands in hers. In the silence where each were consumed by their own thoughts, Di finally cleared her throat.

"You asked about Tammy. She's part of the reason we're here," Di said as Gerald looked up with a puzzled expression. His face reflected his surprise and then outrage as Di filled him in on the events that led to their arrival. When he heard that Tammy had taken over the family business his eyes narrowed, and at the end he looked at Jason with a nod.

"You love my girl," Gerald said. It was a statement, but Jason nodded anyway. "Gimme that paper I need to sign." After he signed it, he looked to the guard who had stood in the room all this time. "Would you please sign as a witness?"

The guard had tears in his eyes as he signed it as well.

"Now that played-out ruby mine ain't much," Gerald said as he pushed the document back to Jason. "But Paw told me it would go to Di since I'll never see it again."

"We'll look into that when we get back from our honeymoon," Jason said. Sensing the scrutiny from Gerald he added, "I'll take good care of her."

"You better," Gerald said with a frown, then his hidden smile broke through. "God almighty, this is the best day of my life."

Jason shared their address so Gerald could write and his cell phone number as well. They promised to come visit again and he promised to call when he had phone privileges. Just before they left, Jason made sure to quietly add two hundred dollars to Gerald's prison commissary account. It wasn't much, but he wanted to do something tangible to help the father of his bride.

Leaving the prison made Jason feel like he was floating. Di kept taking deep breaths, like she was breathing freely for the first time in her life. They swung their hands together like school kids on a date.

"I'm gettin' married tomorrow," Di sang with a giggle.

Jason swelled with pride and love for Di as they got to the truck. He opened the door to seat her and kissed her gently to express it to her. "And I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

"Let's go get checked into the resort and see if the pool is still open," Di said with excitement bubbling over.

It took almost an hour to get there, but pulling up to the front of the huge hotel resort made both of them stare with wide eyes. A valet opened Di's door and greeted them like they were coming out of a limousine instead of an old truck.

"Welcome," the valet said. "Will you be staying with us?"

"Yes," Jason said as he came around the truck. "Reservation for Jason and Di Peters."

Di beamed at him over her shoulder as she grabbed her backpack from behind the seat. "Di Peters," she said to herself as if trying out the name.

"If you want to leave your luggage we'll bring it up to your room after you check in," the valet said as he handed Jason a claim check. "Just head through the main doors and look on your left for the reservation desk to check in."

"Thanks," Jason said and took Di's hand.

"Would you look at that," Di murmured as she stared around the hotel lobby.

The decor was modern and tasteful, with the everpresent resort logo stamped or painted on almost every surface. Couples and families were everywhere he looked, all wearing branded shirts and hats. He had to tug at Di's hand to keep her moving to the reservation desk.