my eyes. And when the mirth starts to fade, I realize the annoyance that’s been simmering from the shit show of the day is gone.
“Clearly, your laughter is an acknowledgment that I’m right,” Jo says.
“How does that work?” I ask, biting into my food.
“You’re laughing because you have nothing to say.”
I snort, then laugh again.
Her phone rings. She goes to her purse and digs it out. Her face falls when she sees the screen.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“It’s my dad.” Her shoulders tight, she bites her lower lip like a kid about to get into trouble.
“I can talk to him if you want,” I say. Her dad seemed like a conservative guy who doesn’t shy from saying what’s on his mind.
“No. I should.” Inhaling once, she answers with an overly bright smile on her face. “Hello, Papa.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Edgar
Jo listens for a moment, her lips pulled in.
Is she getting reamed?
The urge to intervene grows stronger, but I know inserting myself in the situation won’t solve anything. I’ve learned that over and over again with my family.
“Yes. Okay,” Jo says finally, then puts the phone on the table and sits down.
Her dad’s voice comes loud and clear through the speakers.
“Edgar, are you there?” he demands.
“Yes, sir.” Perhaps he’ll yell at me instead. I’m okay with that. I make a better—and sturdier—target than Jo anyway.
“I heard everything from Jo’s mother. Both of you should know better than to try to keep the problem hidden until you solved it. You should’ve told me as soon as there was an issue.”
I cock an eyebrow. He wanted to be involved? Whatever for? Isn’t it better that I took care of it so he and Jo are spared of any embarrassment?
Jo cringes. “Sorry.”
I highly doubt Jo would’ve appreciated me ratting her out to her parents, but I keep that to myself. Her dad’s not in the mood to hear it. “I apologize, sir. I hope my solution was acceptable to you.”
He harrumphs. “Someone like him won’t just go away so easily.”
“He has a bigger thing to worry about, like his inheritance, Papa.”
Jo’s attempt to placate her dad doesn’t seem to work. I can still hear his breathing.
“He won’t be a problem anymore,” I add. If he remains a problem, I’ll make sure Korvid regrets having ever been born.
“You’re that determined to marry my daughter, is that it?”
“Of course.” Surely he doesn’t think I’m doing this for less than marriage.
Whispers come through the speakers. Jo mouths, That’s my mom, to me.
We wait for her parents to finish their little conference. They weren’t that impressed at the dinner, but I only had a ring and some answers as to what I bring to the table. This time I’m showing them, which hopefully will be enough to nudge them in the right direction.
“If you’re so insistent, why don’t you come to the family dinner this weekend? We can talk in more detail,” Jo’s dad says.
Further inquisition. But I’m fine with that. A second-round interview is a step closer to the goal. “Yes, sir.”
“Jo, you bring him, okay?” her dad says as though he’s worried I didn’t mean what I just said. “Your uncle’s going to serve something new.”
She fakes a smile, not that he can see it. “Yes, I will.”
“And Jo, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Her shoulders scrunch together tighter.
“And by that,” he continues, “I mean don’t try to solve everything on your own. Family exists for a reason.”
Even though he’s speaking to Jo, his words create a small pang in my heart. I can see my own father saying something similar, although not out of love. It’s always about the family reputation. And power.
Her dad continues, “We’ll see you on Sunday. Now I need to go finish grading some quizzes.”
“I love you, Papa.”
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
The line goes dead.
Jo sighs, her whole body relaxing like heated wax. “That went better than I thought.”
“Does your dad yell at you often?”
“No. I just thought he’d say he was disappointed. I hate disappointing my parents.”
Don’t we all…until we start to wonder if it’s worth the mental energy, and then eventually quit caring. “Do you do that a lot?”
“Do what?”
“Disappoint them.”
“No. I mean, I sometimes do things that I think might be upsetting for them, but they’ve never said they were disappointed.”
I reach over and hold her hand. “Then perhaps you should consider the possibility that you can never disappoint them as long as you try your best.” Her parents seem too nice to want the impossible.
She gives me a small smile. “Maybe