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“Of course, I love you. Don’t be ridiculous,” her mom snapped back. “I’ve always loved you.”
“Then show it, because honestly, I don’t think you even like me half the time,” she said, her throat tight with the tears she was trying to hold back.
“How?” her mom whispered, a lost expression on her face.
Jazz sniffed. “Be there for me.” It was a simple answer that encompassed a lot.
Her mom gave her a hand squeeze. “I’ll try….”
“That’s all I ask.” She pulled her mother into a hug that was stiff at first, but softened the longer they held it.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Give Leo a break while you’re at it,” she included for good measure. If her parents really wanted what was best for her, they’d see the man she’d chosen was a perfect match. “He makes me happy.”
Victoria stepped back and sighed. “A firefighter? Really, Jasmine?”
She gave her mom a grinning shrug. “He isn’t what I expected either, but we fit.”
“If you say so,” her mom hummed, the corner of her mouth quirking into a smile.
“Can we go save Leo now?” Jazz gestured to the door. “I don’t want to leave him alone with Dad for too long.”
“I have a feeling that he is doing just fine on his own,” her mom chuckled softly but followed along. “Even as a young man, Leonard had strong character. I wouldn’t have picked him for you, Jasmine Jane but if he makes you happy, we will adjust.”
“Thank you. Also, would you mind not using my full name all the time?” Jazz wrinkled her nose. “I always feel like I’m in trouble.”
Victoria nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. “You know when you were little, I used to call you JJ.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“You were around five years old when I stopped. You were getting ready to start school and the teacher was a stickler about nicknames,” her mother admitted. “Would it bother you if I called you that again?”
“I’d love it, Mom,” she answered, her chest feeling lighter than it had in years.
Chapter 25
“It’s good to see you again, Reginald,” Leo said as he walked into the study.
“Leonard,” Reginald responded with a stiff nod. “I would say it was good to see you but we both know that would be a stretch. No offense.”
“None taken and please, call me Leo,” he shot back with a grin.
“And please call me Dr. Kingsford,” the older man replied.
Leo took a seat in the large leather chair facing Reginald’s imposing wooden desk and looked around. Everything in this house was formal, almost untouchable.
Including the two people living in it.
“Reginald,” he began. “Let me start by saying that I understand your concerns.”
“Good.”
“That being said, your concerns are shit.” Leo smiled at the look of shock on the good doctor’s face. He had a feeling it had been a long while since anyone had talked back to him and it was long overdue. “Your daughter is an adult.”
Jasmine’s dad shook his head and sighed. “When you have children, maybe you’ll understand—”
“Reggie—is it okay if I call you Reggie?” Ignoring the other man’s squawked protests, Leo continued, “First, any future kids I have will be raised in an environment that is the exact opposite of what I witnessed in this house. My mom helped raise Jazz the entire time she worked here, and you know what? For a long time, I was pissed off that I had to share my mom with a spoiled little rich girl. It wasn’t until I saw how starved she was for love and attention that I realizedwhymy mom was stepping in. Do you even realize how fucking lucky you are?”
