29. Good For My Sister
29
GOOD FOR MY SISTER
“Y ou two look nothing alike,” Garrett said two days later.
“Thank God for that,” Jordan said, looking at Justine. “Do you know how hard it is to be a blonde in my profession?”
Garrett squinted one eye. “Yeah,” he said. “I do. But I’ve seen many succeed at it too.”
Jordan grinned. “With patients, sure. But colleagues, not so much. You know I’m not joking.”
Unfortunately, he’d seen it happen way too much. Especially in the surgical field where there were more men than women.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, putting his hand out. “I should have led with that. I do have manners.”
“He’s got great manners,” Justine said. “Like bringing donuts on the first day of work.”
“Where are mine?” Jordan asked.
He liked Justine’s sister. She was much more outgoing and funnier than his girlfriend.
But he knew he was better suited to be with someone like Justine.
Softer spoken and not so high energy.
He needed her calmness at the end of the day as much as she might need his.
“I’ll have some delivered in the morning,” he said.
“No, you won’t,” she said. “Jordan is just kidding.”
“My sister is right,” Jordan said. “I eat way too much sugar, but there are days I need that and caffeine to get through.”
“I remember those days,” he said. “Glad they are mainly behind me.” They walked into Duke’s and he told the hostess, “Three.”
“Right this way,” the hostess said.
“I’ve been dying to come here,” Justine said. “Many have talked about it. Well, you know they talk about your family and it’s come up.”
“You should have said something,” he said. “We could have come before now.”
“No worries,” she said. “Glad to share it with my sister.”
“Speaking of people not looking a lot alike, you’re nothing like the other men my sister has dated.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh really?” he asked. “Are you going to share more?”
Justine was blushing and he didn’t know what that meant.
“My sister is shy,” Jordan said. “I’ll do it. You’re not scholarly looking. Or what I like to say, dorky, but my sister gets mad at me.”
“That’s not nice,” she said, elbowing her sister at the table.
“See. My sister is no fun. But most of the guys she dates are on the smaller side too.”
“This is the first I’m hearing this,” he said. “Go on.”
“Stop,” she said, nudging him with her hand this time. “Don’t encourage her.”
“Oh yeah,” Jordan said. “Encourage me. You’re good for my sister. I wanted to see you two together to see what is going on. This way I can point out all the things she’s been missing before.”
He leaned back to get comfortable and was going to ask what that was about, but the server came over to take their drink order.
When they were alone again, he said, “I don’t want to embarrass your sister.”
“I do,” Jordan said, grinning. “She’s tougher than anyone gives her credit for and she can handle it.”
“I think she is, but also don’t want to put her on the spot.”
He reached over and tucked a blonde stray hair behind Justine’s ear.
“That’s so sweet,” Jordan said. “Okay. I’m going to just say it once then. I’m not sure who needs to hear it, but I’ve got to say it. Justine understands the need for that.”
He looked at Justine and saw the tender look between the siblings and was willing to bet some bonding or grieving happened in the past two days. He wouldn’t ask and didn’t need to know.
They were entitled to their privacy. If Justine wanted to share, she would.
Justine nodded. “Be nice,” she said.
“All the guys that Justine dated in the past, and mind you, they weren’t much more than a few dates. But she’d tell my father all about them. The negative things. My father would bring them up another time and then next thing we know, Justine was calling things off.”
“So your father was choosy for his daughters?”
He was looking at Justine when he asked that.
“No,” Justine said.
“Justine read more into things,” Jordan said. “I think my father was testing her to see if she’d defend someone or say something nice rather than always negative. The last guy, he made a comment that if all she ever did was point out the negative, why was she wasting her time.”
“That’s a good point,” he said, grinning.
“She hasn’t said one negative thing about you, Garrett. Nothing. I’ve even asked and she struggles to find something.”
He started to laugh. “That is very nice, but I’m positive there are things. She kicked me the other night for snoring.”
Justine blushed. “It’s only been a few times and you roll over and go back to sleep. You’re tired is all.”
Jordan was smirking and he read between the lines, that Justine was defending him.
He was going to take that win and run with it to the finish line.
“What fun things have you two been doing?” he asked.
“We went to the beach on Tuesday. That’s why Justine has a red nose. Her sunglasses kept slipping down and wiping off the sunscreen. We were two babes on the beach people watching for hours and drinking our margaritas to wipe away our worries.”
“Did it work?” he asked.
“For the day, it did,” she said.
Their drinks were brought over and they ordered their dinner.
“That’s all that matters,” he said. “What about today? Do anything fun?”
“We drove around the island,” Jordan said. “She showed me where you lived and we stopped at some shops and had lunch. I want to hit the casino tomorrow. Maybe I’ll win like my sister.”
“We haven’t been since,” he said.
“I’ll play a bit,” Justine said, “but I’m not planning on winning this time. Emma did email me the other day. I didn’t expect that she would.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” he said.
“It was just touching base that she didn’t forget me, and would pick my brain soon. That she had to finish the book she was on now and figure out what she was doing next.”
“You have to be loving that,” he said.
“It was nice of her to reach out. I almost forgot. I mean, I didn’t forget that I met her, but that she wanted my information.”
“Trust me, if Emma wants information, she’ll get it from you. Almost everyone in the family has sat with her or answered questions.”
And no one thought anything of it.
It went back to how they felt about the island. Together things were stronger and that included his cousin’s books and whatever she needed.
“That’s nice,” Jordan said. “So tell me more about you, Garrett. Justine has said a lot, but it’s nice to hear it from the source.”
“Ask away,” he said.
“Hmmm,” Jordan said. “Let’s see. I know better than to bring up what the future holds with you two. As I told my sister, lots of options and she shouldn’t close her mind to anything.”
Justine frowned, but Garrett was appreciative that Jordan said what she had.
Seemed he might have an ally there.
“I’m pretty much an open book on most things,” he said.
“Got it,” Jordan said. “I know your sister talked to her about not hurting you. It goes without saying that I’ll hunt you down and find a way to break a few bones if you hurt my sister.”
He laughed and Justine said, “Jordan!”
“I’d be scared if I were you, Garrett.”
He turned his head to see his cousin Duke walk over as he’d said that statement. Garrett expected to see him at some point but didn’t think it’d be before dinner came out. Or that Duke wasn’t dressed in his chef’s gear.
“Justine and Jordan Keller, this is Duke Raymond. Owner of the establishment we are in.”
“Nice to meet you,” Duke said. “I’m on my way in right now. I wasn’t supposed to be working today, but someone just got hurt. Don’t worry, no blood or anything.” He leaned down. “Tripped outside while on their break and fell and landed on their hand. They are back there with ice on their wrist waiting for me to fill out some paperwork.”
“I can look at them,” Jordan said. “I’m a surgical resident. Just to make sure there isn’t anything else wrong.”
“Sure,” Duke said. “I’ll be sending them to the ER soon, but they said they were good to wait.”
“I’ll be right back,” Jordan said and got up to follow Duke to the back.
“Does your sister do things like that often?” he asked. “Offer her medical services.”
“I don’t see her much other than at family gatherings,” she said. “But she’s a very giving person. I hope you aren’t offended by what she says.”
“Not at all,” he said.
Her phone rang. “I’m not sure what this is,” she said. “I’m sorry.” She pulled her phone out and frowned and then answered, “Hello.”
He couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end, but the shock on her face was evident. “Can you send me those recordings?” Her head was nodding and then she frowned. “Okay,” she said. “You’ve got my email, please send me all the information and paperwork and we’ll get it back with what you need.”
She hung up after that and Jordan returned.
“Looks like a sprain to me,” Jordan said. “But I’m not diagnosing it. Just wanted to make sure she wasn’t bleeding or anything. There was a bruise on her forehead and she admitted she hit her head, so another employee is driving her there against her wishes.”
“Accidents happen,” he said. Duke would have come to get him if he was concerned enough over a head injury. Most likely just being cautious.
“The security company just called,” Justine said.
Jordan looked at her watch. “It’s after hours, right?”
“Don’t know,” Justine said. “Get this. Dad had a security system in the house. Cameras.”
“What?” Jordan asked.
“Can someone tell me what is going on?”
“Jordan picked up the mail on her way here Monday. There was a notice of increased rates for a security system. An annual bill for something we knew nothing about. I called and left a message to find out what it was and if I could cancel it. It’s for cameras in the house. It’s a private firm that is very selective about what they do.”
“I’ve never seen cameras in the house,” Jordan said.
“Me neither,” she said. “They wouldn’t give me any information. They won’t release anything to me. Only Dad, and obviously Dad isn’t with us anymore, as I told them. They are emailing me what we need to send to get everything released, but even then, it might not be enough.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because the will is being contested and we don’t know who is liable for those things. Being left money and investments is one thing. I had medical proxy over my father,” Jordan said.
“I had power of attorney,” Justine said. “We didn’t know our father changed those things to give us those roles in the past few years. Which is something Elise is contesting too.”
Interesting, but he didn’t say anything.
The fact that was done and the cameras installed led him to believe that Justin Keller did know things weren’t right and took measures, but he was positive the guy couldn’t have predicted this.
Maybe he only wanted to cover his butt if his wife tried to pull any stunts.
“So you think no one knows about these cameras?” he asked.
“I don’t know what to think,” she said. “I’m not asking Elise. If she doesn’t and there is something on it, that might be it. End of the trial and it’s over with. If there is nothing on them worth seeing, then it’s useless.”
“I’m not thinking that way,” Jordan said. “There has to be something. Even if there are previous fights or anything to discredit Elise’s character.”
“The problem is,” she said, “if there is something there to discredit Dad that will help her.”
“I can’t believe you of all people think that,” Jordan said, frowning.
“Listen, I don’t know your father, but can I say something?”
“Yes,” Justine said. Her eyes were troubled and he could see how anxious she was over this topic.
“From a man’s point of view. I’d do something like that if I thought I ever needed to defend my honor without someone knowing. If I thought there was something that could be used against me, I’d never have cameras in my house. I wouldn’t set myself up that way. I’m not trying to get your hopes up, but think about it logically and not emotionally for a minute.”
“Thank you, Garrett,” Jordan said. “Justine, I’m going to think this is what we need.”
“We just have to hope we can get it,” she said, her shoulders dropping.
“That is what attorneys are for,” he said. “If the DA doesn’t do it, then you get your own.”
“I’m with Garrett.” Jordan picked her wine up and downed it fast. “I want answers now and know we aren’t going to get them, but I have hope and maybe I need that more than anything.”
“We all need hope,” he said, looking at Justine.
She returned his gaze and smiled softly.
“I’m so glad I came,” Jordan said. “That look gave me everything I needed to know.” Jordan flagged the server down. “Can I get another drink?” When the server was gone, Jordan said, “This one is to celebrate life. We need this, Justine. You know it.”
She nodded and then looked at Garrett. “I do.”
She reached for his hand under the table to rest on her thigh because it was what he needed too.