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Jerk.
Her shoulders shook, and he soothed her, murmuring words I couldn’t make out against her hair.
Don’t touch her.
Instead of ripping her out of his hold like I wanted to, I gripped the arms of the chair, and shifted my position to a more casual stance by putting an ankle on my knee.
I focused on Penelope, though I kept an eye on them as they continued to embrace.
Wasn’t it inappropriate to take advantage of a woman in JoJo’s state?
She’d run to him, well, practically, so I supposed he wasn’t taking advantage.
Finally, after ten years of my life were shaved off, JoJo dropped her arms.Neilwas much more reluctant to do so.
Enjoy that, buddy, because that’s all you’re going to get.
My instincts apparently knew exactly what they felt about JoJo.
My brain knew that it hatedNeilanywhere near my girls.
He barely looked at me as he approached the bed. I glared at him as if he were the one who’d put Penelope in this position.
I couldn’t deny the flash of pain on his face as he took her in. Her condition was shocking, and I’d had days to adjust to it. I’d never get used to seeing her so fragile.
“Hi, Pen,” he said gently.
Pen.
I cringed. Jealousy was a foul and ugly thing. And I was full of it at the moment.
This man knew my daughter well enough to have a nickname for her. Well enough to look at her with fatherly love. Well enough to think he had a place here in this room.
“I’d hoped that bump you had on your head when you were ten was the worst you’d ever have.” He smiled fondly. “You handled that bicycle fall like a champ. And you’ll do no different with this.”
Just how long had Neil known my daughter? How much of her life had he been there for?
I must have made some sort of noise because he and JoJo both looked at me.
I said nothing.
I wanted Penelope to have all the support she needed, but Neil’s presence was testing my patience.
Maybe he meant more to JoJo than I’d realized. She’d insisted she hadn’t been with anyone. Penelope had helpfully supplied she hadn’t dated.
But seeing JoJo and Neil stand next to one another, comfortable in a way only people who’d known each other a long time, who’d been through things together . . . he needed to disappear on a long crusade in a remote part of the world where there were no phones.
The farther away the better.
JoJo pulled up a chair for him.
He’d said hello, showed his support for Penelope. There was no need for an extended visit.
No need for JoJo to want him to stay.
I grimaced as I thought of those flowers. A man didn’t send flowers to a woman he wasn’t interested in. More than interested.
Obviously, he hadn’t gotten the message when he saw the arrangement on the reception desk.
