“You have every right to be angry.”
“You’re damn right I do. My relationship with Jessa aside, you hurt her. You made her feel like I was more important to you than she is. I don’t give a shit how you treat me, but nothing, no one, is more important than Jessa.”
TJ’s back went rigid, his jaw clenched. “I accept that I didn’t handle things well, but Jessa is my daughter. She knows what she means to me.”
“Does she? No offense, but from where I stand, there seems to be some confusion.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Let me draw you a fucking map then. How many times have you taken Jessa shopping?”
“What? What does shopping have to do with anything?”
“How many times?” Garrett forced his voice to calm. “Or to get her nails done? Or any other girly thing?”
“Jessa doesn’t do those things. We spend a lot of time together. So, I don’t take her to the spa —”
“Where do you spend time with her? At a ballpark? At work? At home? And Jessa does do those things.”
“What are you getting at? I’ve always treated Jessa like —”
“A son?”
He scowled. “I was going to say like she was the most important thing to me.”
“Ah, if Jessa really believed that, then we wouldn’t be in this situation, would we? How can you not know this?” Garrett shook his head in shock. “She’s always wondered if you’d wished she was a boy. Someone you could raise to be like the men who play for you.” He held his palm up, not interested in what was about to come out of TJ’s mouth. “It’s my turn to talk. Jessa said you blamed her for our relationship. That she was distracting me from my job, which we’ve already determined is utter bullshit. But did you, even once, give Jessa any indication her welfare was more important to you than my ability to play baseball?”
The idea that TJ believed Garrett wouldn’t give his all to the team insulted the hell out of him, but he’d get over it. This wasn’t about him.
Confusion, followed by denial, dawned in the man’s eyes as Garrett’s words hit their mark.
TJ spun away from him, moving across the room. Garrett watched his knuckles turn white as he gripped the edge of the counter, leaned in as though it was the only thing keeping him on his feet. Silence hung heavy in the air as Garrett gave the man space to draw his own conclusions.
“Jessa loves the ballpark.”
“She does. But, did you ever give her the choice not to?”
“It’s who I am.” His voice was so low, so quiet, Garrett almost missed it.
TJ’s fist slammed into the counter before he turned back to Garrett, his face filled with regret.
Garrett made an effort not to look smug as he relaxed against the counter. “Exactly. You love her, but you ensured the destruction of your own plan by ignoring her feelings. She walked away from me because of it.”
“I’d always worried I’d mess up Jessa’s life. Kids don’t come with a manual, you know. I tried to be a good father. I should’ve trusted her. And given her more reason to trust me.” TJ slumped into a chair and leaned forward, cupping his face in his palms. “Now, she’s miserable.”
“Yeah? Well that makes two of us.”
TJ looked at him, studied him. “Do you love her?”
“All due respect, sir, any feelings I have or don’t have for your daughter are between me and her. Jessa deserves to be the first to know.”
Garrett was still pissed. He didn’t know if he and Jessa had a future together. But if they did, he was setting the boundaries now. This relationship, whatever it turned out to be, was not a threesome. Garrett would give the man his due as her father, but he wouldn’t tolerate any more interference.
TJ scowled. “I respect that. Don’t say I like it much, but I respect it. You’re a good man, Garrett. I’ll trust my daughter is in good hands.”
Yes, well. That remained to be seen, didn’t it?