Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
“This is stupid,” Joylyn grumbled as she slid out of Garrick’s SUV. “I don’t like board games, I can’t drink and the whole idea is dumb.”
“Monday nights at The Boardroom are a Happily Inc tradition,” he told his daughter. “You’ll have fun.”
She glared at him. “You can’t know that.”
“I can guess. Come on. Anything would be better than sitting home, alone in your room.”
“I hate what you want to watch on TV.”
“I’ve been asking you to pick the shows or movies, and you still want to stay in your room. Come on, Joylyn. Give game night a try.”
She sighed heavily, then nodded, following him inside.
He’d been inspired to invite his daughter to The Boardroom after hearing a couple of guys talk about it at work.
He went every couple of weeks, when he thought about it.
It was always a good time, but was more fun with someone.
His first instinct had been to invite Wynn.
He liked her, he’d liked kissing her and he wanted to spend more time with her.
But even as he reached for his phone to call and invite her, he’d realized that taking Joylyn was probably a better idea.
While his daughter was slightly less sullen than she had been when she first showed up, she still wasn’t anything close to friendly.
He was willing to make accommodations, but he wasn’t going to beg for her smiles or good humor.
He’d taken Wynn’s advice and had assigned chores—something he’d assumed would lead to a fight.
Instead, she’d agreed with only minor grumbling.
Maybe a night out together could move them a little closer to being friends.
He held open the door for her, then followed her inside. As per usual, the place was crowded. The Boardroom always pulled in a lot of locals, but Monday night was a favorite and the tournaments were popular.
Customers were three deep at the bar and most of the tables were full. As he looked around for empty seats, several people called out greetings. His friend Jasper walked by with two beers in his hands.
“Hey, Garrick. You’re welcome to sit with us, if you’d like.” He smiled at Joylyn. “I’m Jasper.”
“Joylyn. I’m, ah, Garrick’s daughter.”
Jasper smiled at her. “I figured. You’re too pretty and smart to go out with an old guy like your dad.” He tilted his head. “Come on. We’re this way.”
They reached the table. Renee was already there, casually dressed in jeans and a green shirt. She smiled at Joylyn.
“Hi,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Renee. Wynn mentioned you were in town for a few weeks. It’s so great to meet you. Natalie is so grateful for all the snowmen you’re making. Without you, she would be in deep trouble.”
“You know about that?” Joylyn asked, sitting across from Renee.
“I’m a wedding planner, so I’m the one handling the wedding.” She passed over a drink menu. “Everything with an asterisk can be made without alcohol. They do a very nice virgin pina colada. It’s not too sweet. About a billion calories, but worth it.”
Joylyn looked surprised by the information. “Thank you. Most people don’t know about virgin cocktails.”
“I have a lot of pregnant friends, or friends who recently had babies. Our little town is in a breeding frenzy right now.”
Joylyn glanced at Renee’s midsection. Renee held up her beer. “Not me. Not yet.”
Jasper put his arm around her. “We’re thinking in a few more months we’ll get serious about getting pregnant.” He kissed the top of her head.
They shared a look that even Garrick understood spoke of love and intimacy and connection.
Joylyn turned away. “It’s good to wait. Chandler and I didn’t want to get pregnant so soon, but it happened and now we’re having to deal.”
Garrick hadn’t known that and felt the pain of her regret. He wanted to reach out and offer comfort, but had a feeling he would be rebuffed.
A server walked by and took their drink orders. Joylyn chose the virgin pina colada. He got a beer.
Joylyn glanced at Jasper. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a writer.”
Joylyn looked confused. “Books?”
“Thrillers.”
“He’s a bestselling author,” Garrick added. “Very famous, but we like him anyway.”
“Oh. I don’t, um, read much.”
Renee shivered. “Don’t apologize. I can’t read his books at all. They’re too terrifying. Serial killers and dismemberment.”
“I don’t always dismember people,” Jasper said with a smile.
“No. Sometimes you shoot them or set them on fire. Your mind can be a dark place.”
“How do you come up with ideas like that?” Joylyn asked.
Jasper shrugged. “I wrote a detective series for several years. Those ideas grew out of what my hero did for a living. Now I’m writing about a former soldier turned investigator. He has a different perspective.”
“Were you in the military?”
“I was, for nearly ten years. Military police. When I got out, I was really messed up. I started writing as a way to clear my head, and it turned into a career.”
“So you use your military experience to help you write your books?”
“Some. I do a lot of research.”
“Especially when it comes to fight scenes and weapons,” Renee added. “I’m forever coming home to the sound of grunting and throwing.”
“I like the fighting sticks,” Garrick added, then flexed his hand. “When you mess up with those, you know it.”
Joylyn spun to stare at him. “You use fighting sticks?”
“Not in real life. We practice with them.”
“I have a few friends who help me out,” Jasper added. “They spar with me so I can get fighting scenes right. Your dad is my resource if I need information on how the police would do something. I know a few private investigators I can call on.” He chuckled. “Sometimes it really does take a village.”
“How did you two meet?” Joylyn asked.
Jasper raised his eyebrows. “I picked her up right here in this bar.”
“You did not,” Renee protested. “I picked you up.”
“You wanted to, but you were scared.”
Joylyn stared at them. “You really met here?”
“We’d known each other for a while, but yup, this is where the magic started.”
“Being picked up in a bar does not sound romantic,” Renee said with a sigh. “We need a better story.”
“Who cares how it started? Look at what we have now. We’ve got the happy love. What else matters?”
She laughed. “You’re right. The happy love is the best.”
Garrick saw longing in his daughter’s eyes and knew she was missing her husband.
He was doing a little missing of his own, he thought regretfully, wishing Wynn was with him.
Not that he wasn’t having a better than expected time with Joylyn, but it wasn’t anywhere near the same.
With Wynn everything was easy. Plus he enjoyed looking at her.
She was sexy and gorgeous and a great kisser.
Yes, having her around was always a good time.
“When is the snowman wedding?” Joylyn asked.
“December 12,” Renee told her. “It’s our second to the last wedding of the year.
I’m practically giddy. We never get the holidays off, but this year Pallas, my business partner, and I were determined to have some time at home over Christmas.
So we blocked out the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
Then the wedding on the eighteenth got canceled, and suddenly we have a huge block of free time. ”
She grinned at her husband. “We’re thinking of going somewhere tropical.”
“You’d look good somewhere tropical.”
Renee lightly kissed him, then turned back to Joylyn. “When are you due?”
“Christmas Day.”
Renee’s expression turned sympathetic. “Mixed feelings about that?”
“A lot. Chandler’s due home on the eighteenth, so he should be here. He says he doesn’t care when our son is born, as long as he’s healthy.”
“A good attitude.”
Joylyn smiled. “He’s a good guy.”
The last of Garrick’s tension about the evening faded. Bringing Joylyn had been the right move. She was able to get out of her head and have a little fun.
“First babies are usually late,” Joylyn continued. “So I’m hoping for after the first of the year. Not that I have any control over when it happens.”
“No, but if your little one waits, you can enjoy the holidays.”
“Including the tree,” Garrick said. “We always get a fresh one. Can’t beat the smell.”
Joylyn glanced at him. “Do you still have all the old ornaments? The ones we hung together?”
“Sure. They’re stored in the garage, in the waterproof bins, just like always.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t think you’d keep them.”
“Why wouldn’t I? We always put up a tree together with all our special ornaments.”
He hadn’t for several years now. Not since she’d started refusing to see him. But this season was going to be different, he told himself. He would figure out what was wrong and make sure they reconnected.
The server brought their drinks along with a board game. Garrick glanced at the color cover and held in a groan. Chutes and Ladders? He braced himself for his daughter’s displeasure.
But Joylyn surprised him by taking the game and laughing.
“This is great. I used to play this with my brothers.” She looked at Renee and Jasper.
“I have three younger half-brothers. My mom wouldn’t allow any of us to be on our computers or phones on Christmas or Thanksgiving, so we had to play board games. ”
Jasper winked at her. “Brace yourself, kid. Sometimes the rules here aren’t what you expect.”
Joylyn turned to Garrick. “What does that mean?”
The bartender picked up a microphone. “Welcome to tonight’s tournament. Traditional rules apply, unless the spinner lands on three or four. In that case, you lose your turn.”
Joylyn’s eyes widened. “But that’s so arbitrary.”
“Welcome to my world,” Garrick said, opening the box.
Beside him, his daughter started to laugh.
***
Tuesday night after dinner, Wynn found herself feeling oddly restless. She knew the cause—her handsome next door neighbor. Since they’d shared that kiss, she’d thought about him a lot. If it was just the kiss, she would be okay with having him on her mind, but there were complications.