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“I took them down as soon as you asked. How did you even know?”
“That’s not the point.” He deserved better.
“You don’t have to get all serious. Just have a little fun. If you need a date for the wedding . . .”
“I’m good. I’m trying to make better choices. Maybe you should do the same, because I’m not the right guy for you, Britney. I hope you find a guy who is.” He ended the call rather than give her a chance to play him.
After tossing the ball again, he pulled up his contacts to block her. He probably didn’t need to do that; however, he was changing her ringtone. The question was, what did he change it to? “Heard it Through the Grapevine?” Nah, she wasn’t worth crying over. There was some song about a cheating heart, but after that call, “You Broke Up with Me” fit perfectly.
Though there was no way he was taking Britney to the wedding, he wanted a date more than ever. Elizabeth planned to have lunch with Jillian today. Maybe his luck would change to keep him from singing the blues.
John played with Boss while waiting for Elizabeth to get home. He gave her a few seconds to park. “Take it to Elizabeth.” He sent the ball sailing toward her house.
Only Boss didn’t follow orders as he trotted back in John’s direction. “Come on, boy. It’s a simple command. I bet Elizabeth has treats. Take it to her.” He tossed it again, trying not to appear obvious or desperate. Having heard the magic word, Boss chased the ball, then disappeared from view. Good boy. John ambled that way too.
Boss had done his job, effectively delaying Elizabeth, who rubbed his head. He took in the sight.
“How did your lunch with Jillian go?”
“Lunch was fine, but I’m afraid she said no go being your date to the wedding. She doesn’t want to risk making her new girlfriend jealous.”
“I didn’t know she had a girlfriend. I would never have had you ask her,” he stammered. Why had Elizabeth even suggested it?
“I didn’t know until today either.”
Part of him was relieved, but he wasn’t going to put Elizabeth on the spot and ask her again. “I’ve faced terrorists. I’m sure I can figure out how to evade a singing beauty queen for a few hours.”
Or maybe he wouldn’t dodge Shelby. They were adults. They could hook up. Hell, Elizabeth had even suggested he get laid. He’d be upfront with Shelby. They’d have fun in the sack. He wouldn’t expect more, so he wouldn’t get emotionally invested, or get hurt when Shelby pulled a Britney and moved on with someone more in her league.
Why didn’t it feel right? Maybe because it crossed his mind while standing in front of Elizabeth?
“Not to change the subject, but we heard from the prosecutor for Ariana’s case. We have a confirmed court date.”
“She’s not going to drop the charges?”
“Not exactly. The prosecutor said most likely J.R. would get a max sentence of thirty days and a fine of one thousand dollars, which isn’t much. However, it could still piss him off enough to create problems in the future. But if she dropped the charges, the judge might not grant a restraining order. She suggested we wait until the trial date and offer to drop the charges if he admits his guilt. At that time, she could ask for the restraining order as part of the agreement.”
“Makes sense. And if he doesn’t agree to plead guilty, then she still has to testify and hope the jury finds him guilty?”
“Right. He may roll the dice in hopes of keeping it off his record, since the sentence is minimal and may not involve jail time.”
“When is the court hearing?” John asked.
“Next Wednesday.”
“You’re going, right?”
“Yes. She’s going to need moral support.”
“Text me the time and courtroom information. I’ll be there too.”
“You don’t have to go.”
“I want to be there. It’ll be a reminder to J.R. that Ariana is not alone. Hopefully, she can put this in her rearview mirror after next week.” It also meant that he’d be moving on soon, though he had another mission to finish the deck. Even if Elizabeth wasn’t going to the wedding with him, he wasn’t going to bail and leave her with an unfinished project. He had a couple hours of daylight left with nothing else to do.
He headed back toward Hope Harbor, but Boss whimpered and raised his snout to Elizabeth. Oh yeah, treat. Boss had the memory of an elephant, if not quite the size.
“Come on, boy.” He snapped his fingers, hoping Elizabeth didn’t deduce he’d resorted to bribing his dog to have an excuse to see her. “I’ll get you a treat at our place.”
