Page 4 of A Case of You
Brandon was also big enough not to sayI told you so. “Thank you. I’m glad we can be friends now. It’s best for Emma.”
“I know.” She slowly shook her head. “I should have stood up to Pat from the beginning. It doesn’t excuse my behavior, but he was really insecure. I can see all of that now, and it’s so stupid when I look at it in hindsight. I should have called him out on it.”
Brandon had figured that out long ago, but didn’t say anything, choosing to let her get this off her chest.
“How did I give birth to a daughter who is so much freaking smarter than me?” She stared at Brandon in the dim light from the instrument panel. “I mean, let’s face it. I’m an idiot.”
“No, you’re not. Your family is a bunch of assholes who talked you into thinking that. Are you a rocket scientist? No, but neither am I. You’re lacking self-confidence more than anything. And I’m sorry me divorcing you contributed to that. But I wasn’t going to raise my daughter living a lie. It wasn’t healthy for any of us.”
“I know,” she quietly said.
“If you repeat the same mistakes over and over, sure,thatmight make you look stupid.” Fortunately, he got a smile out of her for that. “But Emma’s wicked smart, Trace. Set a good example by improving yourself. That’s what’ll make the difference in the long run, and she’ll respect you for it.”
“I was looking into a program they have at work for store managers and assistant managers. They’ll pay for college classes. Our regional manager said I should apply for it, because I’ve been there long enough. I’m eligible. It could mean advancement, finally.”
“That’s great. I think you should try it.”
“I just hope I’m smart enough.”
“Stop. Seriously. You’re an office manager. They wouldn’t have put you in that position if you couldn’t do it, right? There’s nothing to say you couldn’t learn what you need to be a store manager. Have a little faith in yourself.”
“Promise me something, please?”
“I’ll try, but I have to hear it first.”
“If you see me being stupid again, like I was with Pat, tell me, okay?”
“You sure you want me to promise to do that?”
“I do. I wouldn’t have listened to you about Pat, but it’s obvious to me now that I need a second opinion.”
“Fair enough. You’ll get five opinions, though.”
“Five?”
“Yeah.” He smiled, ticking them off on his fingers. “Me, Jeff, Stuart, Em, and Grace.”
“Nowthatgirl is scary-smart. Emphasis on the scary sometimes. Do you think they’ll stay together for the long haul?”
“I don’t know, but I’m kind of glad Grace is a girl and not a guy.”
“Why?”
“Because can you imagine the kind of uber-supervillain those two could give birth to?”
At least he could still make Tracey laugh.
Chapter Two
The tow truck finally showed up and loaded Tracey’s car, taking it to the mechanic Brandon recommended she use.
At least Tracey was listening to him again.
The only thing he worried about was her trying to lean on him too much, rely too heavily on his opinion and try to slip back into a submissive role with him. Yes, they’d had somewhat of a BDSM dynamic in their marriage, with him absolutely the Dominant partner, but nothing as formal as what he had with Jeff and Stuart.
Brandon had already spoken with the “Frightful Five” at Venture, the group of women handpicked by Tilly to help play matchmaker and keep people from making boneheaded relationship decisions. Once Tracey started dating again, they would help her navigate the treacherous dating waters and hopefully prevent her from hitting a reef.
Again.
