“Continue,” Randal urged.
“When Sheila from the office called, I didn’t burnallmy bridges. I told her I was going to reassess my position, and I’d let her know in a few days if I was still interested in the job. But…”
“But?” Randal grinned. He knew her too well.
“But I might have also had her write down a message for Trask.”
“Which said?”
Jett coughed. “I told him to go fuck himself.”
Her father wheezed a time or two before breaking into hysterical laughter.
After that had gone on for far longer than Jett thought the incident merited, she shut him down.
“Pops. I know it’s amusing as hell, as is everything I’ve told you, but I’m asking for your advice here.”
Randal wiped a few tears from the corners of his eyes. “You want to know what I think?”
Jett rolled her eyes. “If I didn’t, we wouldn’t have been having this conversation.”
“Okay. But you asked for it.”
Butterflies in Jett’s belly fluttered nervously.
“I think you’ve finally met your match,” he told her astutely. “You’ve always been headstrong and flighty, and no man in my memory has been able to keep up with you, let alone curb your more…dangerous impulses.”
When she would have rebutted, he held up his hand.
“I’m not saying that your lack of fear and filters hasn’t aided you in your career. It most certainly has. What I’m saying is just that nobody, not even your superior officers, have ever been able to snuff out your propensity to jump first and think later.”
Jett grumbled. “I’m still alive, aren’t I?” she asked a little snappishly. “I’m not so foolish that I’ve gotten myself or any of my fellow servicemen killed.”
“No. But that’s only because as well as being impulsive, you’re damned smart. Still, that doesn’t mean your luck won’t run out at some point in the future.”
He suddenly looked older to her. More careworn.
Was she responsible for that? Had her father figured that someday he’d get a call that her fortunate streak had ended?
Jett sent a hand across the table to cover his.
“Dad. I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing to be said,” he gruffed. “I came to grips with what might happen a long time ago. But if there’s someone who you’re attracted to who might at least be able to contain you a bit moving forward…”
Jett let out a choked laugh. “Oh, Trask would try to ‘contain’ me, alright,” she admitted, and even though she’d never thought she could fall for someone who wanted to slap any type of restraints on her, in more ways than one, the thought of Trask caring what she did and didn’t do, made her feel…a little giddy.
She huffed out a frustrated breath. “So what do I do now? I’ve pissed the man off by leaving, and probably burned anyremainingbridges by telling him to fuck off.”
Her father snickered. “I disagree.Ithink you’ve given him a kick in the ass that he’s probably needed for quite some time. The man sounds far too uptight, and if I had a guess, he’s probably wondering right now what he can do to get you back to Maine.”
Jett brightened. “You really think so?”
Her father nodded. “At my age, I’ve been around the block a number of times, and I’ve come across all types. That being said, having met this man’s brothers, I’m confident that he comes from a very good family and iscapableof being a team player and bending those strict rules he’s set for himself. Years in the military have clearly hardened him up, but who better than my baby girl to apply a little softener?”
A new resolve slowly built inside of Jett, accompanied by a spark for Trask that hadn’t been extinguished.
Her father had given her new hope.
