Page 106 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“Yes,” he said. “I’m not going to lie. I told her the truth. Then I asked her to go on the deck and kiss me so that Vanessa could see and leave me alone.”

His father shook his head. “Garrett.”

“Sorry,” he said, smirking. “She did it, but you know, rubbed it in my face that she had to. I think once she understood she was a good sport about it. I just didn’t want another thing to deal with here. I know it was stupid on my part hoping that Vanessa would go away on her own.”

“You needed your girlfriend to save you,” Gabriela said. “All five foot one hundred pounds of her. That’s hilarious and I’m proud that she did it and gave you crap at the same time. Good for her.”

“Oh, she did. Not as bad as you, but as I said, I think we are good.”

They’d talked for about an hour and then she left to take a nap before work. He hadn’t talked to her since and hoped that the time away didn’t work Justine up again.

He’d find out soon enough.

And about two hours later, when Justine showed up, his sister was the first to say, “I’m glad to know you’ve got a bigger set on you than my brother does.”

“Gabriela,” his father said. “That isn’t ladylike. It’s one thing to say that when it’s the four of us, but not when other people are around.”

“Justine is family,” Gabriela said. “And Garrett already told her what I think of the golden ticket chaser. No worries there.”

Justine laughed. “He told me. I’m surprised he told you what happened yesterday.”

“I don’t want you to think I run and tell my family everything,” he said. Might have misjudged that. “But they asked how we were doing and I was honest. And worried you’d think about it more and decide not to come. I’d have to let them know I messed up by not putting my foot down.”

“You did mess up,” she said, moving closer to him and kissing him on the lips. “But now you know you can talk to me and ask for help if you need to get rid of women crawling all over you.”

Gabriela laughed again.

“He gets this from his father,” his mother said. “I remember a time or two that Richard had the same issues at work. I had to make sure everyone knew he was taken.”

“No one messes with you, Mom,” Garrett said.

“And I get that from Mom,” Gabriela said. “I would have told Vanessa to get lost a long time ago. I even told him I’d tell his neighbor for him, but he didn’t want me to get involved.”

“Problem solved now,” he said. “My girlfriend took care of it for me. Do you need any bugs for me to kill to even the score?”

Justine rolled her eyes. “I can stomp on a bug just as easily as you. Those things don’t bother me.”

“Oh, thank God,” he said. “I don’t care for bugs all that much.”

“Now you’re just playing with me,” she said. “You took care of two spiders for me last week at my place.”

“As long as I’m bigger than them, I’m good.”

“Garrett doesn’t like snakes,” Gabriela said. “Not even the cute garter snakes.”

“There is no such thing as a cute snake,” he said. “What is wrong with you?”

“I’m with Garrett,” Justine said. “But you’re still taking care of a snake if we see one.”

“Deal,” he said. “As long as you forgive me for being a wuss.”

She rolled her eyes and put her arm around his waist. “You’re forgiven.”

32

NEEDED SOMEONE RIGHT NOW

At ten in the morning on Tuesday, Justine was working when her cell phone rang.

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