37. Dial Things Back

37

DIAL THINGS BACK

S ix weeks later, Jarrett was at his brother Mac's house for Easter Sunday with Andi.

He thought of her words on their weekend away about nothing being perfect, but he didn't feel that way when he looked at his brothers and their families.

His mother offered to cook the holiday dinner here because Reign and Parker were only three weeks old and it'd be too much for Sidney and Mac to pack the kids up and everything they'd need along with Jace and his things for the day.

The twins were sleeping in a playpen together in the living room while Jace ran around showing everyone the eggs he'd found earlier.

Jennie was sitting on the couch looking fairly pregnant though she still had two months to go before another nephew was added to the bunch.

"Do you guys have a name picked out?" Andi asked.

"Finally," Alex said. "It's been getting hard for Jennie to like any of my choices."

"He wanted something that meant fire," Jennie said. "I'm not naming my son Blaze or Ashe."

Jarrett rolled his eyes. "I can see her point. So what was decided?"

"Aiden Griffin," Jennie said. "Aiden means little fire. That was my compromise and I like the name."

"What my wife doesn't understand is that I wanted our son named after fire because she makes me hot and that is how we conceived the little man."

"Alex," his mother said, coming over to swat at his arm. "That's enough. Though I do love the name. Aiden Bond. We've got lots of boys coming, though it does seem to be mainly girls in the family for a while."

"I'm done," Sidney said. "We always talked about a second child, just hadn't planned on when. Guess things on this island do happen for a reason and maybe it was fate, no clue. But I don't think my body could carry any more. It's going to take me months to feel normal again. I don't even mean looks, just feeling like I'm not carrying two other humans inside of me and worrying I'm going to hurt one."

"You were more worried one was going to hurt the other inside of you," Mac said. "You know that."

Sidney laughed. "I did worry about that. My mother said my sister and I always fought in her stomach too."

"When are your parents visiting?" Jarrett asked.

"They are coming at the end of the month for two weeks. They knew I was in good hands now and my father said he'd help Mac update the kitchen for those two weeks and my momwillhelp out with the twins and Jace. The weather will be nice enough for us to get out of the house too."

"Go stay at my place," Jarrett said. "It's not like I'm home during the day."

"Seriously?" Sidney asked and looked at Mac.

"I'm dead serious. There is only so much you can do with the twins. Even in nice weather. You might needpeace and quiettoo."

"I offered for them to go to our house," his mother said. "But I understand our place is small and your father and I would be around."

"I'm going to be helping Mac that week too," his father said.

"Me too," Alex said. "On my days off. We'll get the kitchen done in no time."

"I think it looks great in here," Andi said. "I didn't see it before so have no idea what it looked like."

"The walls were this nasty brown," Sidney said. "If it wasn't brown then it was tan or cream. I wanted something brighter."

"The kitchen is too dark," Mac said.

"Are the cabinets going to be on time?" he asked. Jarrett knew his brother wasn't rearranging anything, just keeping the layout and replacing all the dark wood cabinets with white and then adding an island in the center of the massive kitchen. It looked odd to him having nothing in there, but he supposed back in the day a table sat in the middle like most homes used to have.

"They said they would be in the week before, so if they have to deliver them and storeinmy garage that is fine. Counters are all set too. The quartz that we picked is on the island and they assured me they'd get me in the day after I called."

He grinned. Sometimes having the last name of Bond helped, but he suspected it had more to do with being the chief of police that his brother would get everything on time.

When Jarrett was working on his house, he didn't have too many delays either. Businesses liked to know that the local law enforcement knew who they were and were willing to be accommodating.

This island meant everything to him and his family and he liked to know that so many who lived here felt the same way.

"It's so exciting," Andi said. "My father was pretty handy. I used to help him as much as I could, but it ended up being painting more than anything."

"Because you're a klutz," Jarrett said. "I'm sure he didn't want you dropping a hammer on your foot."

She gave him a playful shove where they were sitting next to each other on one of the couches. His brother had big massive rooms in this house and needed more furniture than he had.

"I want to be mad you said that, but I think that was probably the case."

He didn't want her to be upset on the holiday. She'd told him her father and she didn't do much for Easter. In hismindthey'd gotten through Christmas and that was probably the hardest one.

"What's Jack doing today?" Mac asked.

Other than Mac, his family just knew that Jack was a US Marshal and her father's old partner. No one brought up the fact that he most likely wasn't Andi's cousin.

"He had to go back to Tulsa for a case. He flew out yesterday and will be back on Tuesday," she said.

Jarrett had offered to have Jack come to the island for the holiday. He knew that was one thing Andi was concerned with. Jack being so close and alone on the holiday.

He wondered if Jack planned this trip when he had fora number ofreasons.

He hadn't had much conversation with the guy since he moved to Boston. Nothing more than Jack thanking him for the help with finding an apartment. Andi went over on the ferry one day to visit Jack and have lunch but nothing else.

He wanted to go with her and then told himself he couldn't watch her like a hawk just because he knew the truth of her life. That she was going to be seeing Jack who had watched out for his girlfriend for more than a year before she showed up on this island.

Jack had picked her up at the docks and brought her back. There was no reason for Andi to even drive her car on or off and navigate Boston traffic.

He knew he had to dial things back, but he couldn't for some reason and wasn't sure why.

There was this nagging in his gut and he wondered if it would ever go away.

He'd had more than one conversation with Mac about this and been told he had to figure out a way to move past it or he was going to push Andi away.

He didn't think he was overbearing with it as much as it was eating him up inside and he was keeping it to himself.

Which wasn't any better either.

And at the end of the day, he brought her back to her place. "Did you want me to stay tonight?" he asked.

"No," she said, grinning. "Jack is going to call later and check in on me. Unless you need to be here for that call?"

It was the smirk on her face. "I don't. Just thought you might like some company. Could be I've gotten used to being with you."

She put her arms around his neck and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I've gotten used to being around you too," she said. "But we talked about this. It's been less than five months we've been dating. It's too soon to move in with each other or even spend more than a few nights a week."

"I know," he said. "It's just when you know, you know."

"I get it," she said. "But there is no reason to rush anything either. When people rush it doesn't always work out. It's better to let it play out the way it should."

He knew she was thinking of her parents. She rarely talked about her mother and he could guess why.

He might not want anything to do with a parent who abandoned him either. Not to mention her mother thought she was dead and only wanted to know if there was any life insurance.

"Maybe I'm getting old and don't think time is on my side."

Her eyes got a bit sad. "Don't say that. I already struggle with the fact my father died too young and that your job is dangerous. But I don't want to rush either. I don't want to feel pressured to do something for that reason."

He let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't or shouldn't do that to you." At least on purpose. It hadn't even occurred to him she'd feel this way.

"I know and I didn't say that to make you feel bad. Jarrett, I'm in a really good place in my life. I didn't think I'd ever be able to say that a few years ago. Maybe there is a tiny part of me that is afraid if I make another big change it will hurt what I've got with you."

"Never," he said.

"You're probably right, but I also need to work that out on my own. I worry that my life will never be stable. Do you know how hard it is to let yourself go and fear that something is going to happen to yank it all away again?"

"I do," he said. More than you realize. "But it's not going to happen. I'm not going to let it."

"I know you believe that. So does Jack. I just need to believe it myself. Give me time."

"You've got all the time you need," he said, giving her one more kiss and then walking out the door.

He just had to hope he was convincing when he said that and realized that maybe his brother was right and he needed to get a grip on things.