“Nope. You seeing Jordyn tonight?”
“No, Pops. You just got home from the hospital yesterday.”
“Don’t use me as an excuse to run scared.”
“It’s not an excuse, and I’m not running scared.”
His mouth quirks in a yeah-right expression. “She’s good for you, Junior.”
“How many times do I have to tell you we’re not like that?”
“Guess ’til you believe it.”
I raise my eyes to the sky, still lit by the sun at six-thirty, and change the subject. “Want to order dinner from that soul food place you like?”
“Sure. Get the collard greens and ask Jordyn to join us.”
“You’re a broken record, Pops.”
“I got eyes. They may not be what they once were, but I saw the way you looked at her.”
“How did I look at her?”
“Like you’re serious.”
“I’m serious about her safety. She received another threat.” I fill him in on the details.
“You think this Bates is behind it all?”
“That’s my leaning, but Jordyn’s convinced Hunt sent the dead flowers to mess with her.”
“Could be. He has motive and opportunity.”
“Max is tracking down leads from the courier. Not much yet. The order was paid in cash, the guy that worked that day is off until this Thursday, and the manager hasn’t agreed to hand over the videotape. Meanwhile, I warned Jordyn to take extra precautions. But I’m not convinced she will. If the intention is to scare her, Hunt or Bates miscalculated. Jordyn isn’t afraid one bit, which makes her more vulnerable.”
“You think she could be in danger?”
“Neither of them has a criminal record or been in any trouble. There’s no evidence of violence, but...”
He nods in understanding and puts a voice to my thoughts. “Gemma Kershaw didn’t have a history of violence either.”
“I missed the signs.”
Pops flips the hose off and wheels around, his eyes lifting to mine. “You could not have anticipated she would get your address and attack Lilah. No one could have predicted that.”
“I cheated.” An admission that sears my soul. “I brought Gemma Kershaw into our lives.”
“What you did was wrong,” he acknowledges matter-of-factly. “There’s no denying that. But what Gemma Kershaw did is not on you; it’s on her. She’s the one who’s responsible.”
“I’m responsible too. I wasn’t holding the knife, but my actions put it in her hand.”
“She wasn’t in her right mind, Junior.”
“And I should have known that. I’m trained to know.”
“You are trained in military tactics. You weren’t there on a mission or as a soldier. You were there as a man. A man who isn’t perfect. A man who made a grave mistake that has eaten away at him for over four years.”
“It’s worse for Lilah. She hates me, Pops. That’s the last thing she ever said to me.”
