Page 47 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“Pretty much,” Troy said. “Those that aren’t even looking for it end up finding it. It hits the Bond family more than anyone else, but I think people come here on vacation trying to get engagements out of significant others.”

She rolled her eyes. “We are friends,” she said. Which wasn’t a lie. “Nothing much to say.”

“Right now,” Troy said, laughing. “And my two minutes are up.”

“Bye,” she said.

“That’s it?” Troy asked. “You’ve got nothing more to say?”

“See you next week,” she said.

She shook her head and went to her car, then drove home.

Garrett was going to come over at seven and they were going to watch a movie. She hadn’t been to his house yet. He hadn’t offered and she didn’t bring it up.

She wasn’t sure why, but it was fine in her eyes too.

She got home, grabbed a pair of shorts and a T-shirt to change into, showered, and then went to the kitchen to put together a tray of snacks. He probably ate dinner, but she’d rather snack on these things.

When her phone rang, she grabbed it off the counter and hesitated when she saw it was her mother calling.

She couldn’t be her sister and block people or just pretend they didn’t exist even if everyone said she always avoided or ran.

“Hi, Mom,” she said.

“Justine,” her mother said. “I haven’t talked to you since your father died. How are you doing?”

That long? It seemed like just yesterday.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“You texted you moved to Boston,” her mother said. “Not sure why you went to colder weather. I’m on the Riviera right now. The weather is stunning.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure it is.”

“You can’t run from everything,” her mother said.

“I’m not,” she lied. “And I’m on an island right now too.”

“You are?” her mother asked all excited. “On vacation?”

“No. I had to be relocated for work. A satellite office on an island off the coast.”

“So nothing nice,” her mother said.

“It’s beautiful,” she argued.

“I mean the weather,” her mother said. “Otherwise, how are you doing without your father? You’ve never been able to be away from him.”

Her mother only said that because Justine hated to be with her mother.

“Mom. That’s wrong. I was a kid and you guys were going through a divorce. You didn’t even want Jordan and me half the time. You got the life you wanted.”

“I love my daughters,” her mother said firmly.

“You love us because we are your daughters, but you had this life you wanted to live and you got it. That didn’t include having kids.”

“You look at it your way and I look at it my way,” her mother said primly. “You and Jordan could have traveled with Pierre and me and you chose not to.”

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