Chapter 7 #2
“You think he’s not ready?” Beth asked.
“I don’t know.” Blake shrugged. “I figured he’ll tell me when he’s ready.”
“I bet he’d be thrilled if you asked him to set the date,” Cate added.
As a former FBI profiler, her assessment carried a lot of weight.
Blake sat up straighter. “Do you think so?”
Blake was the youngest among us, and at times like this, it showed.
She was rich, like stinking filthy rich, but didn’t care about the money.
She used her law degree working for The Wyatt Foundation, the charity organization my parents founded after Beth’s husband died in the line of duty.
She’d personally funded the first two scholarships last year.
“I do,” Cate said.
“So do I,” Meg added. AJ was Jack’s best friend and stood up as his best man when Jack married Meg.
Glad the conversation was no longer focused on me, I relaxed and enjoyed my wine and the company.
Before long, the conversation turned to Natalie. Then Emily’s pregnancy. She’d declined the invite tonight, saying she was too pregnant to venture out of the house.
“Let’s call Emily. See if she’s up for a video chat so she won’t feel excluded,” Ashley suggested, her thumbs flying over the screen of her phone.
“Hey guys,” Emily said as soon as the video connected.
As a group, we returned the greeting.
“We miss you,” my mom said.
“I miss you guys too. Did you already talk about the fire at the clinic?”
Great. The focus was back on me.
“We did. There’s nothing to tell,” I answered.
“Jamie wasn’t thrilled he had to call Matt to watch out for you,” Emily said.
I’d left that part out, but now that Emily had brought it up, I couldn’t avoid it.
“Matt was your bodyguard?” Ashley asked, her voice oozing with eager excitement.
“It was no big deal; he stayed out front and made sure nothing else happened.”
“You know, I fell in love with my gorgeous SSI bodyguard. It could happen to you.” Ashley was relentless.
I wouldn’t fall in love with Matt, or anyone else. It wasn’t part of my plan.
I wanted to buy the clinic when Carol retired, so I had to focus on learning the business. And bringing it into the current century. I didn’t have time to fall in love.
And I sure as hell didn’t want someone who’d be as obnoxiously overbearing and obsessively protective as my brothers.
“The last thing I need is a guy like my brothers,” I said, closing the subject.
“Why? What’s wrong with your brothers?” Emily asked.
“They’re overbearing and obnoxious and refuse to butt out of my life.”
“They care about you,” Mom said.
“They’re worried,” Cate added.
“They want to make sure you’re safe,” Beth said. “That’s why they asked Doug to draw up a proposal for Dr. Greenfield.”
“I know, but I don’t like them trying to dictate my life. How do you guys deal with them always wanting to control your every move and driving you everywhere like you can’t do it yourself?” I hadn’t meant to blurt the question out with so much venom, but it was too late to take it back.
Surprisingly, it was Blake who spoke up first. “I like it when AJ gets protective and wants to drive me around; it makes me feel cherished.”
I’m an ass. Blake’s father had treated her like an asset and had put her life in danger because he wanted access to her inherited millions to cover his gambling debts.
“I like having a sexy chauffeur,” Ashley said. “Nathan likes driving me around, and it gives us extra time together. What’s not to like?”
“Don’t you feel like you’ve given up your independence?” I asked, this time with less attitude. I was genuinely curious to hear their opinions.
“I’m with Madi,” Cate added.
“Thanks.”
“That’s because you’re both badasses. Those of us who aren’t enjoy being treated like precious cargo,” Ashley said, making everyone laugh.
“Jamie doesn’t drive me around because I’m incapable, he does it because he wants me to feel special. I like it when he takes care of me.”
After almost dying at the hands of her abusive ex-boyfriend, it made sense she’d like being treated like a princess.
Was I looking at it all wrong? Maybe I should judge less? I’d never needed someone to save my life, nor had I ever been neglected or abused. Which meant I didn’t understand the unique bond they’d formed with the men in their lives.
I still didn’t want that for me, but I needed to remind myself we all had different wants and needs. Hell, even Cate let Jay drive her around.
Wait.
“Cate, you work at SSI, you’re a trained bodyguard, and an all-around badass, so why didn’t you drive yourself?”
Cate chuckled. “Because Jack asked Jay to escort you and Meg.”
I raised an eyebrow. Cate was already coming to craft and booze night; she could’ve easily escorted us.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t agree with all their choices, but I pick my battles.” Cate shrugged. “Sorry.”
“They could’ve asked you.”
“They could have,” Cate agreed. “And it might’ve saved everyone a lot of frustration, but they didn’t.”
“Madi, your father always drives when we’re together. Recently, he’s wanted to drive me everywhere because he’s still haunted by what happened.”
So was I. So were we all.
“I draw the line at him taking me to and from work, but if it helps ease his stress by driving me to the grocery store, then I’m willing to let him do it.”
Damn, she’s good. She’d just put down an entire lesson in one sentence, without sounding like she was scolding me.
“Alright, I get it.”
“Your father and brothers don’t think you’re incapable, Madi; they’re scared and being obnoxiously overprotective is their love language,” Meg added. Her half-joke was exactly what we needed to break the tension. “Now, I’d like to go home and see my daughter, so if you don’t object to calling Jay…”
“I’ll text him,” I said. “And politely ask him to escort us home.”
“Thank you.”
Everyone agreed the night was over, so we packed up and said our goodbyes while we waited for the guys.
“Madi, I know it’s hard to understand, but they’ve been through a lot.” I didn’t need my mom to clarify who they were. “You haven’t been here for most of it so you didn’t watch them fall apart when they felt helpless to protect their wives, but I was. Cut them some slack.”
I’m a bitch.
Nodding, I said, “I think I can do that.”
“Good, because I seem to recall a certain nurse practitioner being overly protective when her parents got home from the hospital.”
Busted. “I guess it runs in the family.”
“There are worse traits.”