Page 96 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“That good kid is going to be a bitch right now. I should have confronted her when I noticed she’d been physical with him the first time. Garrett said Dad was probably embarrassed.”

“Yep,” Jordan said. “I’m sure he was.”

“Dad,” she said, looking up. “What the fuck was wrong with you?”

She slapped her hand in front of her mouth and Jordan burst into a fit of giggles. “Let it out, Justine. Shout it.”

“Fuck Elise,” Justine yelled. “Oh my God. That felt so good.”

“Do it again,” Jordan said. “Like this. Fuck you, Elise, you blood-sucking drunk. Hope you like your new cell that you’ll be living in soon.”

The two of them laughed and then just cried.

29

GOOD FOR MY SISTER

“You two look nothing alike,” Garrett said two days later.

“Thank God for that,” Jordan said, looking at Justine. “Do you know how hard it is to be a blonde in my profession?”

Garrett squinted one eye. “Yeah,” he said. “I do. But I’ve seen many succeed at it too.”

Jordan grinned. “With patients, sure. But colleagues, not so much. You know I’m not joking.”

Unfortunately, he’d seen it happen way too much. Especially in the surgical field where there were more men than women.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, putting his hand out. “I should have led with that. I do have manners.”

“He’s got great manners,” Justine said. “Like bringing donuts on the first day of work.”

“Where are mine?” Jordan asked.

He liked Justine’s sister. She was much more outgoing and funnier than his girlfriend.

But he knew he was better suited to be with someone like Justine.

Softer spoken and not so high energy.

He needed her calmness at the end of the day as much as she might need his.

“I’ll have some delivered in the morning,” he said.

“No, you won’t,” she said. “Jordan is just kidding.”

“My sister is right,” Jordan said. “I eat way too much sugar, but there are days I need that and caffeine to get through.”

“I remember those days,” he said. “Glad they are mainly behind me.” They walked into Duke’s and he told the hostess, “Three.”

“Right this way,” the hostess said.

“I’ve been dying to come here,” Justine said. “Many have talked about it. Well, you know they talk about your family and it’s come up.”

“You should have said something,” he said. “We could have come before now.”

“No worries,” she said. “Glad to share it with my sister.”

“Speaking of people not looking a lot alike, you’re nothing like the other men my sister has dated.”

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