Page 29 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“Sorry,” he said. “Ignore me. I’m used to encouraging people.”

“I can see that. And it wasn’t in a bad way. It’s just that my father used to say that to me and maybe I needed to hear it. Okay. I’ll say yes now, but don’t be surprised if I change my mind before Sunday.”

No way he was letting her.

9

A FRIENDLY MEAL

“Idon’t know how you talked me into this,” Justine said late Sunday morning when Garrett picked her up. “Are you sure it’s fine?”

“Totally fine,” he said. “Everyone knows you’re coming. My mother all but yelled at me when I said that you might change your mind.”

She laughed. A nervous one on top of it.

“Why is that?” she asked.

She moved to his SUV and climbed in. Nothing fancy or flashy. A white Audi, mid-sized. It was a common enough vehicle and there were many that would cost a ton more. She knew, Elise had the highest priced one you could get.

Her stepmother always had to have the best.

“Because once she found out you were alone on the island, she’d have my head if I let you stay that way.”

She climbed in and turned to him. “What did you tell her about me?”

“Relax,” he said, patting her leg.

If she felt some heat moving through her body, she was going to tell herself it was nothing.

Not that she was attracted to him.

Or that she found him extremely easy to talk to.

She was here for less than six months at this point and there was no way she was going to get involved with anything or anyone.

She just wanted to focus on her career.

But he was going back to Boston too.

Or maybe not.

He said he was trying to figure his life out and because she knew that all too well, the last thing she needed to do was get close to someone else that might have the same amount of drama or confusion in their life as her.

“I’m trying to,” she said. “I don’t always do so well in large gatherings.”

“You know me and you know Hudson. We are all pretty similar personality-wise. I know Hudson and Delaney will be there with their kids. I found out that Carson and Laine flew to her father’s in Rhode Island yesterday with the twins. So four fewer people.”

“Guess I don’t get to meet that doctor,” she said.

“He’ll come down to say hi, I’m sure. But he doesn’t send too many scripts your way.”

“Sure, he does,” she said. “Contrasts get ordered with MRIs, not to mention other things for scans that people need to take prior.”

“You’re right. Missed that. I don’t think much of it.”

“No reason you have to,” she said. “What about Ava?”

“She’ll be there,” he said. “I’ll give you a crash course.”

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