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“Then let’s go back to the house. Your mother made a pot roast.”
“I’m not leaving until the babies are here, but you go ahead.”
“Jolie.” He stared at me, his jaw working in obvious frustration.
“Dad.” I stared right back.
I hated this pissing contest I’d been drawn into, but this was about more than just Boone and me. This was about my life. He couldn’t continue to manipulate me like this. It wasn’t fair and it was ruining our relationship. Somehow, I had to make him understand that.
The situation was also reinforcing the idea of my leaving St. Louis.
Maybe it was time to set up an interview in New York.
Once Boone was gone, the only thing keeping me here would be Grandma G, and as long as she was healthy, she and my mother would come visit me wherever I wound up.
As for my father, he was going to have to make a choice.
Either he let go of the control he seemed to need to wield over me, or he wasn’t going to be a part of my life anymore.
It was that simple.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Boone
“Where is she?”
Joey was bouncing in his seat, surveying the parking lot of The Oaks Residential Treatment Center for Emma. I opened my mouth to answer his question, but he spoke again.
“I can’t see her,” he said. “Where is she, Uncle Boone?”
“She’s inside the building, bud. I’m sure if it wasn’t so cold, she’d be standing out here waiting for you.”
Today was family day at the rehab center. Emma had told me over the phone that she didn’t want to break down in front of Joey, but she missed him a lot. I didn’t know why, but I was nervous. Joey and Emma needed to see each other, but it was going to be hard for both of them to say goodbye. And what was hard for them would also be hard for me.
I’d always wanted my sister to want more for herself, but now that I knew Joey, there was more at stake. If she chose to go down a bad path again, I wouldn’t be able to look away.
“What’s my mom doing here?” Joey asked as I parked.
He’d asked me that question no less than twenty-five times, and my answer was the same every time.
“She’s working on herself. That’s something strong people do.”
“My mom is strong. She carries heavy boxes all the time.”
I smiled at him in the rearview mirror. “I’m talking about a different kind of strong, Jojo. Strong on the inside.”
“Oh.”
The Oaks was set on a sprawling, modern campus surrounded by woods. It was a private setting away from the city. My agent Evelyn had found it for me, and she said it was highly rated. Hiking, music, and art therapies were emphasized, though I doubted Emma was doing much hiking in winter.
“How long can we stay?” Joey asked as we walked to the front entrance.
“A couple of hours.”
“How many is that?”
I ruffled his hair. “Two, kid.”
