Rolling my eyes, I gave the waiter my coffee order and turned back to my boyfriend. “You’ve seen that movie way too many times.”
Jake looked at me like I was nuts. “There’s no such thing.”
“I guess not.” It was a pretty damn good movie. “How was class?”
“Uh-uh.” Jake shook his head. “None of that. How did last night with your parents go?”
Before I could tell him of the discussion that had left me bone weary, my phone rang. With a sigh, I pulled it out and winced at the caller ID. “You’re about to find out,” I mumbled. “My sister. I’ll be a sec.”
Jake nodded, eyes curious, and I stood, answering my phone. “Hey, Andie,” I said quietly, moving through the small café to an empty spot in the corner.
“Don’t you ‘Hey, Andie’ me,” my big sister snapped. “I just got off the phone with Mom and Dad. When were you going to tell me you were back with Jake?”
“Today. I was planning on telling you today.”
“Oh, now I feel better,” she replied. “It’s not like you haven’t been dating him for the past two months!”
“Five weeks.”
“Yeah, that makes it better.”
“Andie, please—”
“No, listen. I can’t let you make such a huge mistake. What the hell are you thinking?”
My blood heated. “You can’t let me?”
“Don’t get snotty. Charley, you’re not thinking clearly around this guy. Don’t you remember what he did to you? Don’t you remember how heartbroken you were?”
Trying not to get mad in a public place, I bit my nails into my palm. “I’m not a silly child, Andie. I’m perfectly capable of making rational decisions—”
“But—”
“No ‘buts.’ He was seventeen and he made a mistake. I’m giving him a second chance. It would be nice if you’d support me on this.”
“Support you?” Andie’s voice had quieted. “Supergirl, all I ever do is support you. However—and note that was not a ‘but’—I can’t support this decision. I don’t think you’re in a position to think rationally around Jake.”
Not at all happy with her reaction, I felt queasy as well as angry. “Stop being condescending. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Your whole family doesn’t agree with this, Charley. Doesn’t that tell you something? Mom told me how last night’s conversation went down.”
Yeah, that had not gone… well.
Mom and Dad stared at me with completely bemused expressions.
I shifted uncomfortably on my bed, watching the Skype screen.
Finally, I said quietly, “Well?”
I’d just told them about Jake and the police academy in one big rambling speech.
“I don’t even…” Mom shook her head, dazed. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
My dad stood abruptly so I lost sight of most of him. He disappeared off screen and I stared after him in disappointment.
Mom looked in his direction and from the way she swallowed, I knew my dad was all kinds of mad.
“Mom?” I whispered.
Before she could say anything, Dad was back on screen, slamming down on his chair and glowering at me. And Jim Redford gave good glower. “Are you crazy?”
“Jim,” Mom admonished.
“I’m sorry I had to tell you like this,” I hurried to explain, “but I need you to know what’s going on with me. I need you to support me.”
“Support you?” Mom narrowed her eyes. “Support you? All we ever do is support you and up until now, you’ve never given us reason to doubt your decisions. But getting—”
“Back together with that boy is a mistake,” Dad finished for her, his voice rising in temper. “And the police thing? I can’t believe that one hasn’t got to do with the other. A few months ago you were settled about going to law school. He comes back in the picture and suddenly you want to be a damn homicide detective all over again. It’s morbid, Charley!”
Despite the severity of the situation, I struggled not to laugh. He didn’t mean it to be funny, but it kind of was. Especially considering I hadn’t mentioned anything about becoming a homicide detective. Clearly, our discussion about it when I was sixteen had never left my father. And I knew it was purely because he worried about me.
“Dad, Jake has nothing to do with my decision to apply to the academy. I’ve always wanted to be a cop—I just didn’t want to disappoint you and Mom.”
“Then don’t,” he grumbled.
I snorted. “Dad, I’ve got to do what makes me happy. That’s all you and Mom have ever said I should do.”
“Since when,” Mom snapped, “does happiness and mortal danger go hand in hand?”
I released a beleaguered sigh. “Since when did becoming a police officer become such a big deal? Rick is one.”
“Rick’s not my daughter,” Dad growled. “I’ve done everything in my power to keep my kids safe, but you seem intent on thwarting me.”
“Thwarting?” I teased.
Mom gave me a look. “This is not the time to be a smart-ass.”
“When you were five, I caught you trying to turn a coyote into a pet,” Dad reminded me.
“He was wounded,” I argued. “He needed my help.”
“He was a coyote!”
“Jim.” Mom rubbed his shoulder. “Chill.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Chill?”
They glared at me.
“Dad—”
“When you were ten, you almost drowned in the creek trying to save Lacey—”
“Technically, Lacey almost drowned.”
“If Roger Pearson hadn’t been walking his dog nearby, the two of you would’ve gone under! And let’s not forget the time you shoved your sister out of the way of a moving vehicle!”
“Oh, so you would’ve preferred that I let her get hit!” I shouted back, wondering where the hell all of this was coming from.
“I want—” My dad took a deep breath and when he spoke again, his voice had lowered. “I want my kid to be safe. Don’t get me wrong, Charlotte, I am so proud of who you are. But that doesn’t mean I don’t worry myself sick over what situation you’re going to put yourself into because you’ve got it in your damn head you have to save people.”