Page 21 of Playing A Risk
“You could always go over there and see if you can get her to answer the door.”
“I’ve tried that already. I stood there for fifteen minutes, waiting for her to open the door. If she’s in there, she’s not going to let me in. At least not right now.” A wave of hopelessness floats through my blood.
I flip the steaks over and sear the other sides. Chuck reaches to turn down the heat, interfering with my technique, so I swat him away. Searing is what keeps the juices in. You don’t decrease the heat until the lid is closed.
He backs away from the grill. “Give her the weekend and see what happens after.”
“That’s what I plan on doing. That will give her three days to cool off.”
“And if she needs more time?”
“Then I’ll give it to her.” My chest grows heavy because the longer we go without speaking, the worse it’ll be for me.
“How’s Lauren doing since that night? You said she had a breakthrough of some sort.”
I nod at the one good thing that came from that night. “She finally broke down and cried. It’s like all her anger fell away and she just dealt with the pain. She even started to pull my mom’s ring off her finger, but stopped herself before she did.”
“That’s good news. See, it’s like I said. She just needs more time to get used to the lost dreams of the family she thoughtshe was building with you. Give her that and you’ll get the ring back.” He sits on a stool next to the grill.
I adjust the settings, flip the steaks, and lower the lid so they can cook. “You’ve been right so far, so I can only hope.”
“I know her better than you. You’re making headway, so keep the faith. She’s not a bad person like you say she is.”
“I don’t think she’s a bad person. I think she’s manipulative and plays games. She tends to use people until she gets what she wants.”
“Enough about her. What are your Christmas plans?” He gestures to the tree that’s visible through the window.
Emptiness fills me. “Well, I was going to surprise Dori with a quick trip home to see Aiden so we could talk to him about our relationship, but I don’t see that happening now. That means I’m watching football and eating takeout in my apartment.”
“Come over here for dinner. We can watch the games and share a drink or two.”
“Consider it done.” I check on the steaks and flip them.
“What about asking Lauren to join us? It could help your situation.”
My shoulders tense. “How?”
“Show her you don’t want to sever all ties. Show her how you can be friendly. She needs to see you two can work out the issues around Aricin in an amicable way.”
I place the spatula down and fold my arms. “I’ve tried that route before and it didn’t work.”
He raises his brows. “But you said she had a breakthrough the other night. Maybe she’s ready to deal with this as an adult. You’ve got to remember, Jamison, she’s only twenty-one.”
“I know. You wouldn’t know by looking at her she’s that young, but her maturity level shines a light on it.”
“Yes, it does. Now, what do you think about asking her to join us?”
I want to roll my eyes, but I don’t. “What about her family?”
“I can’t imagine they’re doing anything, considering they’re divorcing and she’s their only child. But you’ll never know unless you ask.” He slides off the stool and starts toward the back door.
“I’ll consider it.” I finish cooking the steaks and take them inside to rest while we prepare the rest of our meal.
We set the table and I serve the food, twisting with confusing thoughts of Lauren and Dori.
Why did I think it was a good idea not to tell Dori about Lauren?
I thought I should fix my problems first and then let Dori in.
