Page 10 of Hartley

“Oh yeah,” JJ said. “How’s my suit coming along?”

A smiled bloomed on my lips. Talking about what I did for a living made me happy. “You’re going to love it. The cut will do wonders for those muscles you improved upon working out with Greer.”

“Can we circle back to why you’re here?” Greer asked and stood. He kept his hand in JJ’s. “What would you like us to do?”

“I came here to talk to JJ. I didn’t expect to be pulled into a full Altair meeting, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Now you know and can support Jordan.”

That got Perry to lift his head. “You want me to support my uncle? He’d never allow us to help him out. You should know that.”

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t say invite yourself over for dinner and spend an hour hugging him. I meant stop avoiding him like he’s out to get you. There’s no excusing the shit he’s put each of you through. However, when was the last time he asked for something from you?”

“He wants me to stop by more often,” JJ supplied.

“That doesn’t count. You’re his son. You should do thatanyway. Besides, I’ve seen how Jordan and Greer are getting along. Spending more time with us will only build upon that.”

“You can’t be serious,” Perry said. “Greer and my uncle are what? Friends?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Greer cut in. “We’re just not in the ‘let’s see who can kill who first’ stage any longer.”

“Give them time,” I said. “Before you know it, Greer and Jordan will share grilling duties the next time we’re at their house.”

Greer gasped. “He’s not sharing my grill.”

“You’re right, but only because Jordan doesn’t cook. Can we focus?” I was just as guilty of drifting off track as they were, but I really had to get to work.

Peyton stood and crossed his arms, his eyes solely on his brother. “How much else are you withholding from me?”

“It’s not like that,” Greer said calmly.

“I think it is.”

“Okay, let’s look at this another way. If Dom’s sister came to you and told you something so deep, so personal, that it was like ripping her soul apart to share it, would you have run to tell me what you know?”

“When you put it that way…”

“I thought so.”

JJ sighed, ignoring the others, focusing on me. “Come over for dinner this weekend.”

“Ava is still adjusting. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“We could introduce her to Livy eventually,” Greer offered. That wasn’t a bad idea, but Ava still had to get used to us before we introduced her to others. Plus, she was still mourning the loss of her mother.

“Is she in school during the day?” JJ asked.

“Yes. She’s going to the same school she did before. Jordanhired a guard for her, who is driving her to and from and staying nearby.”

“What if I stop by tomorrow morning before I head here?”

“And say what? You were driving past on your way to work?” I asked. Jordan would see right through that lie, especially since JJ lived in the suburbs and didn’t go anywhere near East Dremest unless it was to check in on his shop.

“I’ll tell him I had to handle something at the garage and figured I’d stop by. That way he can tell me about Ava if he wants.”

I chuckled. “The moment I get home tonight, he’ll know something is going on. I can’t lie to him. And honestly, I don’t want to. He needs to understand you don’t hate him and want to be in his life. That having Ava in ours isn’t the same. We all make mistakes. We learn from them and are better for it. Jordan has to find his way but having you, his only child, there to support him, that’s the thing no one can give him but you. I could stand there and tell Jordan over and over how amazing he is and that he shouldn’t worry, but he needs to hear it from you.”

“God, I’m really going to need fucking therapy after this.”

“Jordan hired a therapist.”

---