Page 114 of Family Bonds- Jarrett & Andi

“Something you don’t have anymore,” Jack asked. “But you do. You’ve got it with Jarrett. You had it with your father. You have it with me.”

Jack didn’t normally try to make her feel better. Not like he was now.

“What’s going on, Jack?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re sticking up for Jarrett and hadn’t before. He’s trying not to be clingy, but I almost think he is. Then he backs up when he thinks he might be. A few weeks ago his eye was twitching when I said I was taking the ferry over to visit you. I appreciate that you picked me up at the docks and brought me back so I didn’t have to drive my car on and off, but I wondered if you did that because Jarrett asked you, or because you don’t want me alone off the island?”

“No reason for me to be worried,” Jack said. “I did it because I know you don’t like to drive in heavy traffic areas and haven’t had to do it since you moved to the island. You’ve said before you rarely leave and the few times you have you’ve been with Jarrett. I did it to be considerate, not for protection.”

She was trying to read his tone of voice and nothing was telling her that he wasn’t speaking the truth.

“There is nothing to be worried about then?” she asked. “Because if I find out there is after the fact, I’m not sure I’m going to forgive you.”

There was silence on the other end. “Andi. I swear to you, I don’t know anything. Or anything to cause alarm. I know how pissed you were when you found out more on New Year’s Day and I wouldn’t keep it from you now if I was allowed to tell you.”

She didn’t appreciate the words “allowed to tell you” but also understood that too.

“So there is nothing at all for me to be worried about?” she asked again. “Nothing new on the Dustin Family?”

“Nothing,” Jack said. “I told you the reason I was leaving town. I don’t see them bothering with me and in their eyes you’re dead. They had no knowledge that you knew anything.You don’t know anything.What Luke had, we used. There wasn’t anything more he had that we don’t have, so you’d be of no use to them.”

She believed what he was saying. There was no reason not to. From what she knew—which might not be much—it made complete sense. What her father had on the family led to arrests but didn’t touch the head of the family. That was someone else’s headache now.

It seemed there might not have been a reason for her to even go into Witness Protection if she’d just stayed in the safe house for a few months and then came out to see what was going on.

Nothing she could do to change anything.

“Okay,” she said. “I believe you. I guess I don’t have much of a choice in the matter either.”

“We all have choices,” Jack said. “We might not like the ones we have, but we’ve got them.”

“Tell me about it,” she said.

“Is everything okay with Jarrett?” Jack asked.

He’d never inquired about that before. “Yes,” she said. “Why?”

“You said he’s trying not to be clingy. Has he changed or are you just looking for something that isn’t there?”

She let out a sigh. “I don’t know. I might be doing the second thing. Maybe I’m the one looking over my shoulder so much that I’m waiting for something to happen that might not. It’s hard to break that habit.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Jack said. “It’s not anything I can change. I know if I offer to talk to Jarrett?—”

“Absolutely not,” she said.

“Which is what I figured you’d say. If it helps you any, I’ve had little to no communication with him since I moved here. There is no reason for it.”

It did make her feel better. “Thanks for that. I think he sees what his brothers have and wants it.”

“So he’s pressuring you?” Jack asked.

“No. Maybe I want it too.”

“But you’re scared because you think you’re going to have to pick up and leave for some reason and then lose it? Soyou’reholding that last little bit back?”

“I’m sure that is it. I love him. He knows that. But that doesn’t mean I have control over my life now.”

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