Page 61 of Broken Boss Daddy

“No, I don’t. Part of me wants to, sure. But I want Abby, and you. You could come with me. We could be a family there.”

I sucked in a breath at the words I’d only dreamed of hearing him say. Though it was too late. “Our lives are here, Grant. You need to take this job because it’s alreadyyours. But I’m not uprooting Abby from all she’s ever known for some chance at being closer to you. Not if it isn’t a definite thing. You’re only just beginning to know her, to know me—”

“I know you, Jess. I feel like I’ve known you my entire life.”

So do I. Miraculously, there were no tears that time, just a sore heart. “You’ve been in two minds about this ever since you were offered the job. If you really wanted to be with us, there wouldn’t have been a debate about what the answer is.”

Silence followed my speech because we both knew it was true. That was the heart of the situation—he should’ve already chosen us.

“Jess,” Grant looked close to breakdown himself, “I don’t understand why you’re telling me to go.”

“Because you can’t have both and just expect the one to make compromises. We’ve been surviving long enough without you. We’ll be fine when you’re gone.”

And with that, with nothing else for either of us to say, Abby and I drove away.

Chapter 26: Grant

With the noise from my TV in the background, there was no need for my deafening thoughts. The show should’ve occupied whatever tired consciousness I had left. Honestly, no matter what I used to distract myself, I knew nothing would work.

It had just been one of those weeks.

Going through the motions of putting my blue work scrubs on, I eyed the growing pile of laundry in the room’s corner. Every day, I told myself it was time to get shit done, but they all just turned into the same repetitive routine—eat, sleep, work.

Although, that was ironic considering I hadn’t been getting much sleep lately.

I’d be lying if I said I was fine, even though that was what I told people when they asked me how I was doing. I was close to the point of calling in sick at work. Maybe then I’d have some time to find myself again.

An exhausted doctor was a recipe for disaster, and a miserable one on top of that.

Walking out into the living area, I slumped down on the sofa and blankly stared at the moving pictures on the screen. What flashed before my eyes wasn’t the random drama show, but all the times I spent with the Flynns in that very room while we watched who-the-hell-knows-what.

Shit, I was sounding pathetic. To me, it felt like the rift between Jess and I had been going on for the longest time. I just wanted it to end, to stop feeling like I was moping around all day.

Except that was exactly what I was doing.

Who would blame me, though? I had never been happier than when I was with my daughter—and Jessica.

If someone had to ask me what was happening, I wouldn’t have the words to describe any of it to them. There was barely anything that made sense to me.

A week ago, Jess practically walked right out of my life. She pulled back from me completely. Whenever I asked to see them, she constantly had some sort of excuse. At least she let me talk to Abby over the phone, but that was about it. Jess wouldn’t even pick up my call if it wasn’t for Abby.

So, no, I really didn’t have any words for what has been going on. I may not like the way it was, but there was very little that I could do.

Jess told me to go, and I was thinking that it might’ve been the best all around.

But my heart protested, because it already missed them so much.

Yet worst of all, I missed the times I had alone with Jess.

There hadn’t been a day where I hadn’t craved her touch and her body. Not a single day went by without her occupying my thoughts, or my dreams.

Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes and inhaled, thinking back to the time where we could be wrapped up in each other’s bodies.

(Flashback)

We pulled into the ancient drive-in on the other side of town. Jess giggled like a teenager, and the atmosphere around us felt like it did when we actually were teenagers—fun, mysterious, and just a bit naughty.

Only that time, lust overtook almost every fiber in our bodies.

---