Technical Threat (Westin Force #4) - Julie Trettel Page 0,64
girls take off with you.”
“Mom’s in, well, rehab,” I said figuring that would be the best way to explain it. “I don’t know for how long. She doesn’t know and I really don’t care to tell her. She already disposed of me. Still, I set her up with a small nest egg in trust so she can’t spend it all at once. She’s going to hate that, but it’s for the best.”
“You’re too good to her, you know that? She never deserved a daughter like you.”
I shrugged. “We can’t exactly choose who our parents are. Just have to deal with the hand you’re dealt.”
Jimmy hugged me just as Tarron rounded the corner. He stopped in his tracks when he saw us, and I suspected he could feel no threat from Jimmy because he didn’t even growl this time.
Nonna gave him a little push of encouragement and he started to move again.
Jimmy offered him his hand. “You take care of this girl. She’s one of a kind.”
Tarron relaxed and even smiled as he shook Jimmy’s hand. “She definitely is that.”
“Are you telling the others now?”
“If Sage hasn’t already announced it.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow,” I said. He sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t argue. “You’re going to be fine without me. We want to get out before Mom has a chance to come back and stop it.”
“You’re right to do that, but your dead wrong if you think this place is going to be fine without you. I always imagined you’d be here working by my side without the pressure of a 24/7 job.”
“Honestly, I hate the restaurant business. I’m hoping to go back to school and finish my degree so I can find a job that I’ll truly enjoy.”
He nodded. “I can’t fault you that one bit. This has always been my dream, and if it wasn’t for your generosity and encouragement, I never would have bought the place. I owe you a lot, Susan. If there’s ever anything you need that I can help you with, don’t ever hesitate to call, okay?”
I hugged him. “Thanks Jimmy.”
We walked inside and joined my sisters. As suspected, Sage had already spilled my secret. Not everyone even knew Jimmy had bought the restaurant, but they were excited to hear it. There were lots of tears and laughter as stories were shared late into the night as we ate. It was almost like a going away party.
I was emotionally done by the time we made it back to the hotel.
Sapphire and Sage shared the extra bed in Nonna’s room giving Tarron and I some time alone.
He stripped out of his clothes the second we walked into the room leaving them in a pile on the floor.
“You look exhausted. TV? Talk? Something else?” he said giving me a heated look. “Or ready for sleep?”
I removed my own clothes not feeling self-conscious in the least and pulled the covers back on the bed. I patted the space next to me. He turned off the lights slid into bed with me.
I pressed myself against his side and rested my head on his chest.
He ran his fingers through my hair and over the bare skin of my back, but he didn’t press me for anything more.
“Are you okay? It was kind of a big day.”
“I’m fine. How are you holding up with all this crazy?”
“Me? I’m loving it. Are you kidding? My girl is moving home with me. I would have stayed here for you and made it work, but I kinda feel like I’m having my cake, and eating it too, you know? I feel bad that you’re giving up so much for me.”
“I wouldn’t have wanted to work there after selling the place. Being an owner, I put everything into it, but my heart was never part of that deal. It just wasn’t for me. Kind of like what you were saying about your company.”
“I definitely understand that. So what is it you want to do, Susan? If you could do absolutely anything in this world.”
“Hacking,” I said without hesitation. “I can’t really explain it, but I just love the hunt and the challenge of it all.”
He laughed. “I can certainly relate to that.”
“Really anything in coding would be great too. That’s what I was studying when Sonnet disappeared.”
“That was four years ago, right?”
“Yeah, I was in my second year of college.”
I could feel him calculating the numbers in his head.
“I’m about to turn twenty four if that’s what you’re hunting for. How old are you?”