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“What does that mean?”
“You have a smart, beautiful daughter who, regardless of how shitty you’ve been, still wants a relationship,” Leo answered, shaking his head. “She could have cut your toxic ass out of her life years ago, and nobody would have blamed her, but instead, she’s still trying to make you happy.”
“We never intended—”
“Give me a break and be honest with yourself,” he bit out, becoming more frustrated the longer Jazz’s father denied his lack of parenting.
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but nobody talks to me this way,” Reginald growled, showing more emotion in that one sentence than Leo had ever seen him display in all his days.
“I’m the man who is lucky enough to be loved by the woman that you’ve ignored for the last twenty-six years,” he answered evenly. “Your daughter is one of the most amazing souls I have ever met. She’s kind to everyone. She goes out of her way to show the people in her life how much they mean to her and she’s more forgiving than anyone deserves. None of that is thanks to you either, it’s because ofmymom. She’s the one that raised her. She taught us both what was important in life. Hell, why do you think I became a firefighter? She made sure I knew what the bigger picture was and how helping others madememore. I thought that maybe when my mom retired, you two would step up to the plate, but you’ve had her to yourself for years now and still don’t know the woman Jazz has become.”
“I know my daughter,” her dad argued stubbornly.
“You think you do, but you don’t.” Leo stood up from where he was sitting, unable to stay still any longer with the anger burning a hole in his belly. “You’re going to lose Jazz if things don’t change.”
“Is that a threat?” Reginald blustered, standing up as well.
“No, it’s the truth.” He pointed to the closed door leading to the rest of the house, trying to keep his tone as calm as possible. “Your daughter isn’t going to let you manipulate her any longer. She’s a nurse and not a doctor, so what? Why is that such a bad thing? She’s doing something she loves.”
“But she could have so much more,” her dad argued, his stance less aggressive than before.
“She doesn’twantmore. She’s happy,” Leo told him flatly. “Don’t devalue what makes her happy.”
“What about you?” Reginald asked with a snort. “You think you can make her happy?”
“Yes, sir, I do,” he promised without a second of hesitation. “Jazz means everything to me. She’s my forever.”
“Well,” the other man blinked, some of the bluster leaving him hearing that. After a moment, he sank into the chair behind him with a tired sigh. “Where does that leave us?”
“Hashing it out,” he said with a shrug. “Jazz loves you too. All she wants is for you to love her back.”
“I do,” Reginald assured him softly. “We do.”
“Then you need to start showing her that. You need to have her back.”
Her dad nodded and stood once again. He moved to the sideboard against the wall and pulled out a bottle of scotch. “Would you like one as well?” he asked, tipping the bottle toward a second glass.
“Yeah, I think I might need it.”
“Me too,” Reginald replied with a nod before pouring a second glass and walking back to where Leo was sitting. Instead of taking up his previous position, he sank into the chair next to him.
“Tell me about my girl,” Reginald asked, his voice low with emotion. “I have a feeling I don’t know her as well as I thought.”
“Where do you want me to start?” he asked, more than a little stunned at the complete turnaround he was witnessing.
“I’d like to start at the beginning, but I don’t think we’ll have enough time before the girls come knocking.” Reginald took a large sip of the alcohol in his hand.
“Probably not,” he agreed, a little surprised Jazz hadn’t already made an appearance.
“Is she really happy at that job?”
“Yes. Every night she tells me funny little stories about her day.” Leo smiled. “It’s perfect for her.”
“I didn’t realize she was so unhappy. We gave her everything she ever wanted.” Reginald took another drink. “She always did what we asked, and never complained about any of it. The dates, the dinners, the conferences. She showed up with a smile.”
“Jazz knows she was part of the problem, and she’s trying to fix it. You raised a strong daughter that’s finally decided to stand up for herself. It was hard for her. She’s always tried to make you happy.”
“What happens next?”
