Chapter 36 Strong And Stubborn
STRONG AND STUBBORN
“Morning,” Jocelyn said to the few staff who were standing near the front when she walked in.
Her phone was buzzing, but she was ignoring it. She’d seen the text from Victor and had no intention of replying to him. She didn’t know how he found out she had a boyfriend and she didn’t care.
The text checking on her weeks ago should have given her a clue he wouldn’t go away and she’d have to deal with this.
“Morning,” they said back.
She was walking to her office when she heard voices and her shoulders dropped, her head going with it.
It’d been weeks since she’d talked to anyone with the last name of Fierce, but there was Garrett in her father’s office.
“Jocelyn,” her father said. “Just the person we were talking about.”
She popped her head in. Her bag was on her shoulder and she’d like to get her jacket off also.
“I can only imagine the words out of your mouth.”
“Your father always has wonderful things to say about you,” Garrett said. “But in this case, we are talking about another venture. He said you’re more involved in the business and didn’t know if you wanted to sit in on this.”
“Oh,” she said, perking up. “I’d like that. Give me a minute.”
She dashed to her office, pulled her jacket off and hung it on the back of the door. Throwing her bag in the chair, she then went back to her father’s office.
“You’re fast,” Garrett said. “I might pop a muscle if I moved like that.”
“Just eager. Are you thinking of a third building?”
“A medical arts building,” Garrett said. “Since we are getting more medical tenants in the second building, we are discussing having one solely for that.”
“I’m assuming you’ve got clients already?” she asked.
Her father and Garrett smiled at each other. “I’ve talked to a few,” Garrett said. “Right now, there is a medical arts building already for sale that is half full. It needs some work and that’s part of why there are some vacancies.”
“Doing renovations isn’t easy with people working,” she said. “Those already there.”
“No,” her father said. “But it won’t be the first time either.”
“How come I’m here and not Gabe or anyone else?” That thought just hit her.
“Gabe is busy this morning,” her father said. “I need to check out this building and what work it needs, then we’ll run the costs for that.”
“Which is why you need me?”
“That’s part of it,” her father said. “Plus, with the grandkids and all, we know you and Gabe want a bigger part in things. You told your mother you were willing to learn. Got to start somewhere, unless things are too crazy right now?”
Her father was putting her on the spot in front of Garrett. Not just in her work but her personal life.
It was best to get this out anyway.
It’s not as if they didn’t know she had something in the works almost a month ago.
“I can handle it,” she said.
“Strong and stubborn just like my Jade,” Garrett said. “She’ll never back down from anything.” Garrett turned toward her father. “You said grandkids. Is Elise having twins?”
“No,” she said. Jocelyn answered because she knew the comment was directed at her. “It has to do with me and the man I’m dating.”
“Are you pregnant?” Garrett asked, his eyes lighting up brighter than a full moon on a clear night.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “But the man I’m seeing has a child.”
She didn’t know how deep to go with this. “Kids are great things. Who is the lucky man if you don’t mind my asking? This way I can take you off our list.”
She shook her head, not surprised he put it out there like that. “Do you really have a list?”
“A mental one,” Garrett said, tapping his finger to his forehead.
“And we know you’re sharp as a whip,” she said. “Something tells me that who I’m dating won’t surprise you.”
“Even better,” Garrett said. She ignored her father’s cough.
“Chance Drummond. I know that is who you wanted to set me up with. Bet you couldn’t figure out how to do it and got lucky we managed it on our own.”
Garrett laughed. “All that is true. He really would be a good fit for you and I’m glad it’s working. Though I hadn’t been aware he had a child.”
“Neither was he until about a month ago,” her father said.
Thanks, Dad! But it’s not like it wasn’t a fact.
“Oh,” Garrett said. “And that’s where things get tricky.”
“It’s long and complicated. Or not really. I don’t know. But we are working it out and I’ve got his son Maverick at night when he’s at the firehouse. That is where my father was going with the grandkid comment.”
Her parents had been around Maverick a few times. Once when Jocelyn stopped at their house to visit and once when her parents came to her house. Both times she was watching Chance’s son for him.
She had no problem doing it. Even enjoyed and looked forward to it.
If it meant that she and Chance weren’t doing anything fun or going out alone anymore, she was fine with it.
It was more quality time when they were together now. Important talks and the things that a couple in a serious relationship would have.
Did she miss going out with him and the time they had together? Yeah. But it wasn’t as if it was much.
But she couldn’t even really go sit at the pub with him at night while he was working because she had Maverick.
Though he was at the bar less and she knew it bothered him.
Nettie couldn’t really handle Maverick. And she heard the worry in Chance’s voice when it was brought up. He didn’t want his son returning to that trailer.
Nor would she complain about not having time alone with her boyfriend.
“Long and complicated issues normally strengthen a bond,” Garrett said. “Especially when two people want it badly.”
There wasn’t much she could say about that. She didn’t know how badly Chance may or may not want things.
She wouldn’t assume either.
“We can only see how it goes,” she said. “But, back to work. I’m all in.”
“Glad to hear that,” her father said. “We’ll let you know when we are ready for the costs. Garrett is still in the talking phase and I’m going to check the building out with Gabe once we get to that point.”
She was fine with that. There was no reason for her to walk around looking at structural things that she wouldn’t understand.
“Sounds good,” she said, standing up.
She walked out of her father’s office and then popped her head into her mother’s.
“So you got it out there to the Fierces?” her mother asked.
“Isn’t that what this was all about?”
Her mother laughed. “I told your father you’d figure it out.”
She shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. It’s been over two months. He’s coming to a holiday dinner tomorrow. The fact that he has a child isn’t a secret either, but I’m not volunteering any personal information. I hope you and Dad didn’t either.”
“We wouldn’t consider it,” her mother said. “Don’t worry too much about it. How are things going with you and Chance?”
“Good,” she said.
“Only good?”
She sighed. “It’s been a rough few weeks. I think we are getting into a routine now. At least Chance and Maverick are. He’s actually an easy kid but very high energy. I think I’ve lost a few pounds and I’m not even working out as much.”
“That happens when you have a child. You’re getting out of work, picking him up several times a month, cooking and entertaining and then putting him to bed.”
“It’s tiring but not that hard. He can entertain himself for short periods. I’m more worried about him getting into something. I’ve got the spare room as childproof as I can make it and put the gate up if I need to go to the bathroom or can’t see him while cooking dinner.”
“See, you figured it out.”
“He’s in bed by eight, so I’ve got a little bit of time to unwind and he sleeps through the night. He’s not always easy to get up in the morning, but during the week he has to get up.”
If Chance was off and had Maverick that night, she knew the toddler got to sleep in longer and it gave Chance time to get things done in the house without Mav underfoot.
“All things every parent deals with. I can’t wait to see him tomorrow.”
“Has Jayce asked questions about Chance?”
“He knows who you are dating,” her mother said. “You’ve talked to him a few times, right?”
“Nope. I called him a few weeks ago and he never returned it. Just a text here or there. Nothing more. He’s been on the road and busy.
” Which she was fine with, as she didn’t want to get into her relationship with her twin.
But hated him asking her questions about it and then not returning her calls.
He could get protective out of the blue and it drove her nuts.
There was a time when she talked to her twin more, but once he moved, it was less. Maybe if she had a twin sister it’d be different, but Jayce was closer to Gabe than her.
“He can’t say he doesn’t know,” her mother said. “And he knows about Maverick.”
“He does. Again, he has said little to me about it. I haven’t gone into details about that situation because it’s not something to do over text. Have you? I know Gabe hasn’t.”
“I haven’t talked to Jayce much either. You know how crazy he gets at the beginning of the season.”
The end of September to the end of April, her brother wasn’t around much dealing with the media and communications for the team. If they got a text a week it was brief, more to say things were good.
She couldn’t distance herself like that from family, but Jayce had always differed from the rest of them.
“At least he makes the time for the holidays,” she said. “How long is he home for?”
“I think for the weekend,” her mother said.
“Where is she?”
Jocelyn turned her head. “Is that Jayce now? Why is he yelling?”
He better not come in here and get in her business, but something told her that was going to happen and he couldn’t even wait to do it in private!
“He must have come in last night,” her mother said. “He could have stayed at Gabe’s.”
She shrugged, got up, and popped her head into the hallway hoping to deescalate the situation. “There is my twin. Wow, talk about an early visit. Did you miss me?”