Page 103 of Family Bonds- Jarrett & Andi

“He’s on his way,” she said. “He got held up. And now I’m going to have to tell him this.”

There was silence on the other end. “He knows,” Jack said.

“What!? You told him before me?” She turned and saw Jarrett walk in the door. He had a key because the one day she left it unlocked knowing he was on the way he flipped out on her. She’d never seen him so angry before.

Maybe she was letting her guard down and shouldn’t have, but she couldn’t help it. This place just felt like...home.

Jarrett cringed. “Is that Jack?”

“It is,” she said. “He just told me that you knew the news he’s breaking to me. I want to know why?”

“Finish your conversation with him and then we’ll talk,” Jarrett said.

“Oh,” she said. “It’s going to be that way? More men telling me what to do?”

“Hey now,” Jack said. “No one is telling you what to do like you think. And didn’t you tell me that you loved that Jarrett was so protective like your father?”

Andi turned her head to see Jarrett taking his boots off and hanging his jacket up.

“Yes,” she said.

“Then stop. Be mad at me but not him. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Why did you call him and tell him first?”

“Maybe I needed some help with this.”

“Help to tell me orcalmme?” she asked.

“Both,” Jack said. “I don’t want you to think there is any reason other than a promise to your father and for myownpeace of mind. There is no danger and I thought you’d appreciate that I called to assure him too.”

She couldn’t fault Jack for that when he explained it that way.

“I hate how reasonable you’re sounding.”

“Because it’s the truth. Listen, Andi. Nothing about your life in the past two and half years is simple or easy. But this, this is simple. No one is lying to you and everyone is trying to keep your interests in mind. I’m not going to just show up and surprise you. I learned my lesson last time. There is no bridge for me to cross to get there either. With the time it would take me to get through Boston traffic, then catch a ferry and unload a car. Consider me hours away.”

He made a point. He could get a helicopter over if he had to and she knew that.

“You’re not going to show up without telling me first?” she asked.

“No,” Jack said. “I promise. Go talk to Jarrett. Call me later if you want. Or text me. I’ll be around.”

“Bye,” she said and hung up.

She turned to see Jarrett on the couch. He lifted his palms in surrender. “I’m not happy to be in the middle of this, but I appreciate that he called me. You can be mad at him, but it was out of my control. He wanted to ease my mind that there was no threat. The last thing I want is a fight with you while I put a front line of troopers on the docks if I’m not informed of what could be happening.”

She saw the grin on his face but knew he wasn’t joking. “I know it’s not your fault. I’m not mad at you that you knew first. I’m just annoyed over this whole situation. I feel like I’ll never have any control or say over anything in my life again.”

“That’s not true,” he said. “All of us are answerable to someone in our life. No one just does what they want. There are rules and laws in society for a reason. This is just an extra layer in your life.”

“It’s more than an extra layer and you know that,” she said. You could put all the sugar you wanted on a lemon, but it would still make you pucker when it hit your tongue.

“You’re right,” he said. “But there isn’t anything anyone can do about it now. Or we are doing what we can. Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Do you trust Jack?”

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