Page 131 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“I’m finding that out when I get emails in the middle of the night,” she said, laughing. Justine was enjoying it too. “I wanted to tell you what we did to honor my father, though you might know.”

“I’m not aware of anything,” Roark said.

Rex Knight, Hailey’s husband, was handling it for her, so she wasn’t sure if he might have said anything, then she reminded herself, he really couldn’t.

“Jordan and I took Elise’s share of what she would have gotten from my father’s will and put it in a trust for scholarships for students who are victims of domestic abuse. Male or female. We’d like it to be more toward students in the medical field, any medical field. We are working on that.”

“I think that’s a beautiful gesture,” Roark said. “I bet your father would be proud.”

She wasn’t so sure about it and grappled with the decision.

When the truth came out, Jordan said there was a lot of talk about her father being an idiot for putting up with what he had, but just as many had been supportive.

Deep down she knew there was a stigma to it for a man and she was hoping what her father went through might give others the courage to speak up. Domestic violence wasn’t always in one form.

“I think he would be,” she said.

“Why don’t we go in?” Garrett said. “There are a lot of people coming in and trying to move around.”

She nodded and they moved forward but were stopped several times to be introduced to others.

She knew that would happen and tried to be prepared, but trying meant nothing by the sheer number of family members here.

“Phew,” she said. “I can’t wait for the ceremony to start so I can stop trying to remember who everyone is.”

Garrett laughed. “Good thing you’ve met so many already. It’s overwhelming. Even I have a hard time now with people’s spouses. Some of them I’ve only met at weddings and they normally look different dressed up than every day.”

She laughed. “Like me.”

He leaned down. “If you want me to be honest, I’ll say that I like you best with nothing on at all.”

She winked and kissed him on the cheek. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Two hours later, they were sitting at their tables and the first course was being brought out. The ceremony had been quick, then there was an hour of hors d'oeuvres while wedding pictures were taken and the guests mingled.

“Is the island living getting to you?” Gabriela asked.

She saw Garrett frown, but she didn’t care.

Maybe the two of them weren’t talking about it much, but she would not shy away from it.

“Only in a good way,” she said. “Or I wouldn’t have extended it to the end of the year. Hard to believe I’ve been here seven months now. Almost.”

“One more week it’s seven months,” he said. “The best seven months of my life.”

She squinted one eye at him. “I’m not sure I’d go that far.”

There was a lot of laughter around the table. “Geez, thanks.”

Her face flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Just that I doubt dating me is the best seven months of your life.”

“Fine,” he said. “It contributed to it. But it’s been a great period of time. I didn’t know how I’d feel living here either, but it’s nicer than I thought. Not that I couldn’t go back.”

“Relax,” she said, putting her hand on his thigh under the table. “I know how you feel. You know how I feel right now. I’ll decide soon enough, but I’m leaning a certain way.”

“You are?” Gabriela said.

“Maybe let us talk about this,” he said. “And not be so nosy.”

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