Page 74 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“She told me she was going to call you,” she said. “It’s fine. Jordan will do the same thing to you if you meet.”

He laughed. “She told me you’d said that. I just didn’t want her to upset you.”

Justine sighed. “That will not upset me,” she said. “I’m sorry you felt that way. Or think it.”

Which made him wonder if he was having a misstep here.

“I didn’t think or feel one way or another. It’s more like checking in and making sure it was all good. I only heard my sister’s side of it. Maybe she left something out and I want to make sure I know what I need to do.”

“It’s all good,” Justine said. “Gabriela loves you as Jordan loves me. I think those closest to us in life are looking out for us. I can appreciate it and hope I was able to reassure her I don’t have any ill intentions.”

He snorted. “Maybe I wish you did.”

She laughed. “Do I want to know what you mean by that? Am I not wild enough for you in the bedroom or is it something else?”

“You’re everything I want you to be,” he said seriously.

There was a pause on the other end. He was probably pushing it.

“I might feel the same way,” she whispered.

“Might?” he asked. “Why do you sound sad about it?”

“Not sad,” she said. “Maybe confused.”

He sighed. “Going too fast, huh?”

“I’m not sure the speed we need to go. I’m trying to get through one day at a time. I appreciate you allow me to do that, but I do understand it’s not always what you want.”

“It shouldn’t be always what one person wants over the other but rather what works for us. It’s working now and it’s early yet. Don’t stress over it.”

“I’m not,” she said. “But sometimes I thinkyouare.”

“If I’m giving that impression then I’m sorry,” he said.

No reason to deny that he was feeling it.

He just had to remind himself to lock it back up.

22

NO ANSWERS FOR HIM

“How does it feel to be back here?” Garrett asked Justine when they drove off the ferry Friday afternoon.

She shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “I haven’t lived here long enough to know how it feels to be back.”

Garrett was going through the docks to get to Boston. She’d never be able to remember how to do this and on a Friday afternoon with more traffic would have made her anxious.

She had today and this weekend off. She knew it was hard to get time off with the shortage, but she was entitled to the time and put in for it over a month ago.

Garrett wanted her to go to this event with him and she wanted to be there with him.

It was a charity event for his department that the hospital was putting on. Each year, the hospital selects different departments to receive the funds; this year, it chose the oncology department.

There would be a lot of the Mills family here tonight. She’d get to meet more of Garrett’s cousins and see his sister again.

“I guess I didn’t think of that,” he said. “You’ve only returned that once, right?”

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