AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I groaned. “Seriously?”
“I’d nodded off on the couch, so they thought I was asleep. Your mother suggested he not do anything until after you defended your dissertation, but your dad said that would be too long, that Jarvis wouldn’t wait forever.”
“He’s going to have to,” I muttered.
“Well, your dad said something like, ‘she’s academically brilliant but has no idea about men. We have to do something to make sure she’s taken care of by the right guy.’ I almost snorted but managed not to since then I wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop anymore.”
That sounded like something my father would say. “You think he knows about me and Boone?”
“He must have an inkling. He sounded desperate to get you and Jarvis back together.”
“I guess now I know what’s going on.” I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, annoyance washing over me.
“What?”
“He’s gone radio silent. Boone, I mean. Which means Dad got to him.”
“You don’t know that for sure, so let’s not jump to any conclusions.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind. Jarvis still calls me a couple of times a week, even though I never pick up, so I’m sure Dad is hounding him to keep trying while simultaneously doing something to scare Boone off. Dammit.”
“I love my son, but he’s standing on my last nerve,” Grandma G said, her voice laced with irritation.
“Tell me about it.”
“Do you like him?”
“Who? Boone? Of course. He’s…amazing.”
“Then don’t let your father do this to you. Take control of your life, Jolie. That’s why you walked out on your wedding, right? So you wouldn’t be forced to settle for a man you weren’t in love with. If you think Boone will make you happy, fight for it. Fight for him.”
“But at what cost? He’s trying to get traded to Nashville, and Dad can prevent it. I don’t want to be the reason he’s stuck here. Then he’d resent me.”
“He’s leaving the team?” Grandma sounded surprised. “But why?”
“I don’t know for sure. Something about family being there. We, uh, well, we haven’t talked about any of that stuff. It’s been casual, you know? We’ve been getting to know each other. I figured we had time until we had to worry about the future.”
“You know better than anyone how stubborn your father can be. If he got wind of what’s going on…” She lifted a shoulder.
I did know how stubborn Dad was.
But there was something he’d apparently forgotten.
I was his daughter, and my own stubborn streak was a mile long.
* * *
Boone didn’t respondto my text the next day either and I was pissed. If he truly didn’t want to see me anymore, that was okay, but he should have been man enough to tell me to my face. The team was coming home tonight, though, and I planned to be at Hadley’s when he got there to pick up Joey. I could understand his hesitance to get in touch if my father had somehow intimidated him professionally, but the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. And I refused to be manipulated again. I’d allowed my father to set me up with Jarvis because I’d been too buried in schoolwork to give it much thought.
I’d never let that happen again.
I was going to have a conversation with Boone and then, depending on what he said, my father and I were going to have a heart-to-heart as well. I loved my father, but he was gruff, opinionated, and often completely self-absorbed. It was his way or the highway, and while my mom had always been a bit of a buffer between us growing up, I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I didn’t need anyone to fight my battles.
“You okay?” Hadley asked me after Joey, Annalise, and Benny had gone to bed. “You’ve been quiet tonight.”
“Sorry.” I scooped up a handful of sippy cups that had been abandoned in the playroom. “Just a lot on my mind.”
“Boone?”
