Page 40 of Our Sweet Destiny
She smirked. “And tell them what? Um, hi, Dad. I’m at a hotel with Rex Braden, and I’ll be back in the morning?”
He touched her leg, and his body instantly heated up. “Not exactly that. Where does he think you are tonight?”
“Out with Riley, in Preston visiting girlfriends.” Her eyes lit up. “I’m so stupid.” She called her father. “Hi, Dad. I’m going to stay over at Joanne’s tonight. We’re having too good of a time to break it up just yet. Okay. Yes, sure. Love you, too.”
She came back around the couch and sat down. “That was way too easy. I feel so much better.” She snuggled in beneath his arm. “It’s crazy to think I’m a grown woman and I need to check in with my father.”
“He loves you, Jade, and that’s a good thing.” He ran his hand through her hair, thinking about what his father had said to him. “You know, if you were Savannah, you’d have more trouble dealing with me, Treat, or Dane than our own father. He’s protective, but we’re the ones who always kept our eyes on her.” He had an overwhelming urge to share with Jade—his life, his thoughts, his touch, his beliefs.
“I remember. You beat up Steve one time because of something he said about her.”
“Yeah, and I’d do it again now if someone bothered her. Family knows no boundaries.”I’m breaking everything I believe in with Jade, but she feels like family to me—or like she should be family.
“I love that about you. My father says that same thing—family knows no boundaries.”
“I thought my father made that up,” Rex admitted.
“They were so close when they were younger. It probably came from one of their fathers. I know my father loves me, but he can have a heavy hand when it comes to his kids, and I guess I’ve been staying there because it’s easy and safe.”
“Safe from what?” he asked.
When she didn’t answer, he moved a little closer to her.
“Safe from what?” he asked again.
She dropped her eyes. “Don’t you know why I came back home?”
“I heard rumors, something about a breakup, but that was the extent of it.” Now he wondered what would possibly have scared his strong, capable girlfriend.Girlfriend. Wow, that feels good.
“That’s true. I did break up with my…the guy I was dating.”
“And?” The muscles in his neck tensed.
“He turned out to be a bit of a stalker. He went nutty after we broke up, and he wouldn’t stop calling and coming by my house. It just got to be too much.” She shrugged. “So, I packed up and came home, where it was safe. He’d never follow me out of Oklahoma. He’s not that brave.”
Rex pulled her close again. “You must have been frightened.”
“I wasn’t at first, because I just thought he wasn’t over me, you know. But then he’d show up at all hours, and when I went out, he’d be there, in a dark corner of the restaurant, waiting in the parking lot. It was pretty creepy.”
His mind was running down all sorts of protective paths.
“I know that look. Listen, Superman.” She splayed her hand on his chest. “You’ve already saved me once from the guy in the parking lot. There won’t be a reason to save me again. Let’s talk about something else. Tell me about your mom.”
He touched the charm beneath his shirt. “My father says he still talks to her. Actually, he even argues with her. I’m not so sure he isn’t really talking to her.”
“He could be,” she said. “I believe that those that are really, truly loved never leave us completely.”
He kissed her head, chalking her belief up as just another thing to love about her. “You’re just like my mom. My father told me today that she was worried about me. And then he said something to me that worried me a little.”
“Dads always do that.”
“He told me to be careful where I tread. I had the feeling he knew about us, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how he could.” He took off his boots and set them beside the couch, then removed his belt and loosened his shirt.
“Striptease?” Jade asked with a flirty smile.
“Comfort,” he answered, also with a flirty smile. He sat beside her. “You’ve already stripped me bare and made me obey your commands.”Let me.Just thinking about it gave him chills.
“You call that a command? Where have you been all my life?”
