“Good luck.” I waved goodbye and watched him take the steps two at a time.
“I was coming to get you.” Jake tightened his arm around my waist, and I found myself swiftly falling into his eyes. “I called Beck and he mentioned you were worried about Melissa?”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. Just guilt. But apparently she’s doing okay.”
His dark eyes looked troubled. “I’m glad she’s okay. But you have nothing to feel guilty about.”
I could see his own guilt in his eyes and instantly felt bad for bringing Melissa up. “Ja—”
My ringtone blasted, cutting me off. Giving Jake a look of apology, I dropped his hand and dug through my bag.
My pulse sped up at the sight of the caller ID. My dad.
Relieved more than I could say but still angry and hurt that he hadn’t called in ages, I hesitantly answered.
“Where are you?” he asked abruptly.
Disappointed by his tone, I huffed, “Last time I checked, I was in Scotland.”
“Smart-ass,” Dad grumbled, the edge chipped off his tone. “What I meant is where exactly are you, right now? Because I’m standing in your apartment after your roommate stupidly let me in without checking my identification first. Does that happen a lot? Because maybe while I’m here, I should hold a stranger awareness meeting with you girls.”
I didn’t hear anything after “I’m standing in your apartment…”
“I’ll be right there.” I hung up, eyes wide on Jake’s curious expression. “My dad is here.”
Jake’s eyebrows squished together. “Here, here?”
“Yup.” I turned and started down the steps.
“Hey, I’m coming too.” Jake hurried to catch me.
Marching into the courtyard of my building, I threw over my shoulder, “Do you think that’s wise?”
“I think he’s here for a reason and I think we need to reassure him.” His hand curled around my arm. “Would you slow down—as in, calm down?”
My breathing was way too fast. “I can’t.” I pushed my building door open and rushed the stairs. “My dad has flown all the way across the ocean to come talk to me. That’s not a good sign, Jake. My parents don’t exactly have the kind of money where plane tickets aren’t a luxury.” I stopped in the middle of the first floor and Jake immediately wrapped his arms around me.
“It’s going to be okay,” he promised. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I don’t want you to get punched.”
“If I get punched, I get punched. It’s no less than what I deserve.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
I gasped at the sound of my dad’s voice, wrenching back from Jake to gaze up onto the next landing. My dad stood above us, huge, intimidating, and not at all happy to see me in Jake’s arms.
“Before anyone says another word,” Jake said, “let’s get inside.”
My dad threw him a disgusted look but turned and headed back upstairs toward the apartment.
There was a great deal of pounding going on in my chest as Jake and I followed.
Dad stood in the middle of the kitchen. His dark hair, speckled with gray, was mussed, and he had day-old bristle on his cheeks. He looked exhausted.
“Your roommate left,” Dad’s voice rumbled. “We’ll have privacy to talk as soon as he leaves.”
I braced for the battle to come, the nerves suddenly disappearing as indignation moved through me. Dad was the one intruding on our lives. He’d flown clear across an ocean to have this out without even telling me, after having shut me out for days.
I was not a child.
“Jake stays.”
Dad opened his mouth to argue and I held up a hand to stop him.
“Jake stays,” I insisted.
Jake was treated to a look that would fell a mountain lion. “Fine,” Dad snapped.
“Can I get you anything?” I gestured to the kitchen.
“Coffee.”
“Jake?”
Jake gave me a small smile but shook his head.
I brushed past my dad to prepare his coffee. “I can’t believe you flew all the way over here. I take it Mom knows.”
“Of course she knows. I had to dip into our savings.”
“You didn’t have to do anything.”
“My daughter is in the middle of making two momentous decisions in her life and she wasn’t even in the same country as I was. Of course I needed to do this.”
“If you’re here to talk, Dad, then we’ll talk. But if you’re here to tell me what a giant mistake I’m making without hearing me out, then you might as well leave now.” I shot him a look. “Which would be crap because I haven’t seen you in two months.”
Dad’s eyes softened. “Can I get a hug?”
I nodded, suddenly feeling like a little girl, trying not to cry. Abandoning the coffee, I strode over to him and sank into his tight embrace. No one gave good hug like Jim Redford.
He held on to me longer than usual and I let him because I knew there was a possibility we were about to have a huge falling-out.
When I pulled back, I shot a look over his shoulder at Jake. His eyes were downcast.
“Jake,” I whispered his name without even meaning to, drawing his gaze to me and causing Dad to pull away.
Dad looked at Jake. “You’re not what I want for her. She’s strong and she’s brave. She deserves to be with a man equal to that.”
“Dad—”
“No, Charley, don’t.” Jake cut me off. When he looked into my dad’s face, his expression was unbending and resolute. “I admit I wasn’t that for her when we were younger. But I’m not that guy anymore, Mr. Redford. I don’t like that guy any more than you do, and I’ve not just promised Charley that he’s gone for good, I’ve promised myself.”
“That’s just talk, Jake. I’m only interested in actions.”
Instantly defensive, I stomped back to the coffee. “What do you want him to do? Don a mask and fight crime?”
“Can we do this without your usual smart-ass commentary?” Dad glared at me.
“Nope.” I shoved a mug at him. “Somewhere you and Mom have lost sight of who I am. Just because my parents have decided to rewrite my whole personality doesn’t mean that the rewrites are going to stick.”
“This is nuts.” Dad shook his head, his tone calm despite his words. “You can’t throw away law school for a job that’s dangerous and underpaid. And you can’t erase the months of shit you went through trying to get over him.”