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His words struck Gemma like a blow to the temple. She had never thought of her brother as her friend, but hearing Jack say it made it so obvious, she blinked in realization.
“You’re super lucky too,” he went on. “I’ve never met the guy, but the way you talk about him, and how hard he’s trying to get here for you today, he seems like an amazing person.”
“He is. He’s pretty much the only reliable man in my life. Well, him and my dog Rex.”
Jack leaned back and nodded. “Ah, yes, Rex. You know, I was extremely jealous the first few times you said you had to go home because someone was waiting for you. When I found out the someone had four legs and a tail, I felt much better about my chances.”
Gemma’s face flushed. She tucked her hair behind her ear. She’d had Rex for so long, she had used him as an excuse to bail out on many social events. Depending on who the person was inaccurately assuming he was a human, she often didn’t correct the mistake. The fact that Jack knew the truth about him must have meant she’d trusted him enough to have been honest and had been willing to give him a chance at some point.
“He’s a really good dog.”
Jack smiled. “I’m sure he is.”
“You’ve never met him?”
“No, I haven’t had the pleasure.”
Gemma thought silently about what that meant. She at least knew that in one hundred and forty-six days and eight dates, Jack had never made it as far as her apartment—which would have been a lot after knowing him for only one day. The thought that he had never pushed hard enough for that earned him several bonus points.
She smiled at him. “He’d like you.”
“Who, your brother or your dog?”
Her smile widened. “Both of them.”
Jack’s eyes shone brightly as he grinned at her. “I would be honored to meet them.”
“Well, we can work something out for Rex, but unless you want to hop a flight to New York, I don’t think Patrick is in the cards. Not today at least.” She let out a big sigh and felt the sting of their phone call all over again.
“You know,” Jack said, “based on what I’ve seen, I can’t really see him living on another continent changing anything about your relationship. You guys seem like the kind of siblings who nothing can break apart. You’re lucky to have each other.”
A warmth washed over her. “Well, we were all each other really had as kids. He was a baby when our parents split. I was his babysitter basically from the time we moved to Arizona, and having left all my friends in L.A., he was who I had to play with. Then we just kind of stuck.” She thought fondly of sun-drenched days in their Phoenixbackyard, she and Patrick splashing in their pool while their mother read a magazine in a lawn chair.
Jack smiled at her. “See, I don’t think a few thousand miles has any chance of damaging that. And besides, you can always visit him since planes fly east too.”
She studied his face, noting the sincere kindness. “Are you always so optimistic?”
He laughed a curious sound that went layers deep. Gemma couldn’t decipher it but found herself wanting to dive in. “Today I am. I learned when my dad died that you have to hold on to people. Don’t let anger or distance or whatever else seems so important at the time get in the way, because in the end, it’s not worth it.”
Having never lost a family member, Gemma knew he spoke from a perspective she could not share. The wisdom in his voice was as painful as it was profound.
“Were you close to your dad?”
Jack let out a heavy breath. “Not as close as I wish I had been.”
A silence settled between them, and despite feeling closer to him, given the conversation they were having, Gemma stirred uneasily.
“I suppose this is the part where you lecture me about wasting precious time and tell me I should go visit my father.”
Jack clucked his tongue with a shake of his head. “No. That decision is on you, I’m afraid, though I’m sure you can guess what I would do in your shoes.”
Although surprised, Gemma was pleased to see him refrain from meddling in that particular matter.
“Thanks.”
He nodded as her phone rang from her pocket.
She grabbed it to see Carmen calling. The reminder of the other issue—the primary one—that had sent her running outside came galloping back like a band of wild horses.
