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Again, Joe nodded. “I did. But as for making it right?” He blew out a breath, his mind drifting back to earlier this morning. Passion and mind-blowing sex were one thing. Trust and true intimacy were another entirely. “I’m trying to. I have a long way to go, but I do want to make it right with her. I have to.”
“For you or her?”
“For her. And for everyone—Quinn, Alex, you. But mostly for Rox. She didn’t deserve any of my shit.”
“What about you, son? What do you want?”
Joe shrugged. “I started this mess. It doesn’t matter what I want.”
His dad stared at him for a quiet moment. “You did start it all, Joseph. However, it’s in the past and can’t be changed. Now, what have I always told you?”
Joe’s lips twitched. “The only things you can control are your actions and reactions.”
His father’s blue eyes twinkled. “And how have your actions and reactions been so far?”
He scoffed. “They’ve been shit. You know that.”
“Yes, son. Yes, they sure have. But do they need to continue to be shit?”
Joe considered the man across the table, the man who was a million times smarter than him. He needed to heed his words. “Message received, Dad. Message received.”
“Good. Because you need to set aside your differences, Joseph. You need to look out for her.”
“I know. We’re working on it.” He hoped to hell he wasn’t blushing, but he knew it was hopeless. He could feel his face heating.
“Are you sure? Because with her calling in sick in light of what’s going on...”
Joe shook his head. “She didn’t call in sick. She just took the morning off. She’s at the café as we speak.” He held up his hand as his father opened his mouth. “Seriously, Dad, Rox is fine.”
“Is that so?” His dad’s voice dropped low, and his tone turned sharp. “You’re saying she’s completely fine with having a stalker?You’refine with some deranged person harassing her?”
Joe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Jesus, how the hell had he forgotten about that?
Because you’ve only had sex on the brain this morning, dipshit.
He met his dad’s angry gaze.
“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking.” And he wanted to kick himself for it. Roxie’s safety should be front and center. Not them tearing up the sheets. If he didn’t stay vigilant, she could get hurt. Just like last time.
Joe grimaced.
He’d dropped the ball, and Roxie had gotten a gun pressed against her head as a result. Thankfully, she’d ended up in the hospital and not the morgue. Still, he would never forgive himself for causing her to get hurt.
“So, Joseph, I’m going to ask again. Is Roxie okay?”
“She’s handling the photos as best as—” He frowned and set his menu down on the table. “Wait. How do you even know about this?”
“I ran into Quinn.”
That made sense. Quinn trusted his dad completely, and he knew the good Doctor Buchanan cared about Roxie as if she were his own.
With a nod, Joe continued, “As I was saying, she’s handling it the best she can. Right now, there’s not a lot she can do except be careful. Quinn and I have both spoken to her about not being alone and not putting herself in any risky situations.”
“What about this morning?”
“What about it?”
“She was late to work this morning, and that’s very unlike her. Do you know where she was or what she was doing?”
