“I’m not. It’s not just you. My life is complicated. I travel a lot. Sometimes I’m gone for months at a time. I don’t make good boyfriend material.”
“I don’t believe you. Something tells me you’d make great boyfriend material for the right woman. And I’d feel a lot better if at least someone in this mess was happy.”
With a grin, he swung his arm over her shoulder. The small gesture warmed her. “One step at a time, sweetheart. We’ll get you there. Just have faith.”
***
A little faith would do them all some good.
When Mitch strolled into Ryan’s house later that evening, he found himself in the middle of a war zone.
“I’m not going!” Julia screamed from upstairs and slammed her door.
“Yes, you are, young lady. You don’t have a choice!” Ryan quieted his voice as he yanked open the refrigerator. “If I don’t have a fucking choice in this, you don’t have a fucking choice in it.”
“You can’t make me go! I won’t go!” Julia screamed down the kitchen stairs, then slammed the door again.
“I hope this isn’t about my date with her tonight,” Mitch said as he walked into the kitchen. “Because it’s really going to mess up my plans if she’s bitching like this.”
“Heaven forbid we should cramp your plans.” Ryan scowled, moved to the stove and slammed a pan on the burner. “She’s pissed off about tomorrow. She doesn’t want to go see Annie…or Kate…or whatever the hell she’s calling herself these days.”
“Oh.” Mitch sank into a chair at the bar and popped a grape in his mouth from the bowl on the counter. “And it’s Kate. You call her Annie, it’s going to piss her off too.”
“At this point, I don’t give a fuck if she’s pissed or not.”
Mitch blew out a breath and glanced around. Definitely not a good night in the Harrison household.
Julia stalked into the kitchen, glared at her father, then moved to Mitch. “I’m not going tomorrow,” she said, fisting her hands on her hips. “You can just tell him that, because he’s not listening to me.”
Mitch caught Ryan’s tight jaw out of the corner of his eye. “I think he can hear you loud and clear, sweetheart.”
“I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to have anything to do with her. She’s not my mother!”
“Julia, dammit,” Ryan said. “We’ve been through this a thousand times. I’m not thrilled about the situation, either, but she’s your mother, and she wants to see you. And you’ll just have to get used to it.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. Her little eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to go. I hate her! I don’t want to have anything to do with her!”
Ryan stepped forward, but Mitch saw the fire in his eyes and sent him a warning look. Nothing Ryan had to say was going to get through to her.
“You know what, Julia?” Mitch asked. “I love you. I even like you, a lot, which is pretty important to me because love is a requisite in families, liking each other isn’t. But you’re acting like a spoiled brat right now.” Her mouth fell open in surprise. “You’re talking about my sister there, and I’m not gonna let you badmouth her in front of me. You can be upset and frustrated with this whole situation, just like we are, but you’re going to have to get used to it. She is your mother, and she does deserve a chance to get to know you. And you can glare at me and your dad all you want, but it’s not going to change that fact.”
Tears fell down her cheeks. She turned and ran out of the room.
Ryan braced his hands on the counter and dropped his head.
“Let me go to her,” Mitch said, already pushing off his stool. “I’m the one who yelled at her. I’m the one she’s mad at right now.”
“She’s mad at the whole goddamn world.”
Mitch patted his shoulder. “So are you, buddy. Bad combination.”
Mitch didn’t bother to knock when he reached Julia’s room, just pushed the door open. She was sitting on her bed, arms crossed over her chest, glare of the century on her face.
The full-size bed dipped as he sat next to her. “How long are you planning on being pissed at me?”
“As long as I feel like it.”
He checked his watch. “Well, we’ve got plans tonight. I had to work my ass off to get this playdate for you. I’m trying to put the moves