Jackson
I stare down at the text and swallow hard. He really is here. Harper has to be terrified. She barely slept last night because she was so scared of him showing up at my house.
Harper: Evan’s here and poking around the bakery.
Harper: No. You need to work. Mason, Peck, and Dad are keeping an eye on him. They have cameras everywhere.
Harper: Yes, he will. He told you when you took off to come to Pittsburgh that you couldn’t miss any more work.
Jackson: He’ll understand this, Harp.
Harper: I’m ok. They’ll keep me safe. Mason thinks if you show up it might make Evan more unpredictable. Stay at work. I’ll see you at your game tonight. Mason will be bringing us to the stadium.
Jackson: I thought if I couldn’t come, Peck was going to bring you.
Harper: He was going to, but he’s nervous with Sophia. I don’t want her being in the middle of all of this.
Jackson: Ok. I’ll keep my phone with me. Let me know if anything changes.
Harper: I will.
Harper: I'm scared, Jackson.
Jackson: I am too, baby.
I blow out a long breath and scrub a hand over my face. The last thing I want to do is take the field and practice or play our game tonight.
I want to take my girl home and hold her in my arms to make her feel safe and protected. Anything to get her mind off the psycho who’s stalking her.
“Mason called me,” Owen’s deep voice rumbles from behind me.
“Yeah, Harper just told me what’s going on.”
“I'm supposed to keep you here.” Owen winces.
“I heard.”
“Are you going to give me trouble?” He arches a brow.
“No,” I whisper. “It sounds like if I show up it will only get worse. I don’t need to complicate things anymore. I just want her to be safe.”
“The hardest things in life are standing by and not getting involved while someone you love deals with the most difficult challenges in their lives and knowing there’s nothing you can do to help.” Owen pats me on the back.
“How do you do it?”
“I’ll let you know when I figure it out. I think I still get involved and mess it all up, but I'm trying to be more hands off.”
“He’s not hands off at all! He’s constantly poking his nose into my business on a daily basis,” Covey grumbles.
“You knew what you were signing up for when you started a relationship with my daughter.” Owen rolls his eyes. “If you don’t like it, you can break up with her.” He smirks.
“Do you really think that would work out well for you?” Covey arches a brow. “Do you remember how things worked out the last time you tried to interfere with my relationship with Cici?”
“Not very well,” Owen murmurs to himself.
“Exactly. Don’t try anything. And, stop acting like you don’t love me. I make your daughter happy and that’s all you really care about.”
“Yeah, I’ve become a softy,” he grumbles, stomping back to his office without another word.