Geek God (Forever Geek Trilogy #1) by Victoria Barbour Read Free Book Online Page B

it’s fun. Even when it’s driving me mental. I now understand something Mom told me ages ago when I asked her how she could stand Dad always picking on her about her book collection.
    “He does it to get me riled up. It’s all good. We have an agreement.” At the time I didn’t get what the glint in her eyes meant. Now, I wish I didn’t know.
    The night Evan met my parents was an eye-opener for me. Turns out Dad and Evan have a lot in common. If I was worried about how they’d react to him, it was once again nothing but my foolish head taking over. All it took was Evan asking Dad if he played chess and they were fast friends. Here’s the thing about Evan. He doesn’t care what game it is he plays, he just likes to play. And although I’m warming up to board games, I have no intention of playing chess with him. Truth be told, I don’t have the head for it.
    While he and Dad spent two hours playing, Mom and I spent the time talking about how much she likes Evan in comparison to my other boyfriends. And then the shoe dropped.
    “You’re not going to ask him to live with you, are you?”
    I hate how she can read my mind sometimes. Not that I was going to ask him any time soon, but the idea had entered my mind. Since the first night he slept over, the only nights we’ve spent apart are Thursdays when he plays D&D, and three nights when I was in Montreal for a conference.
    “Why not?”
    “Because you shouldn’t live with him unless you’re married.” She held her hand up in defence. “Listen, I’m not being old-fashioned here. I lived with Dad for a few months before we got married. Living with a man is hard. And sweetie, you don’t do well with roommates. It’s far better to go through the living together growing pains as husband and wife than it is before you get married.”
    “But isn’t it a good way to know if we’re meant to be together? Why would I marry someone I can’t live with?”
    “You marry someone because you love them. You live with them because you have to.”
    “Well, Mother. What if I don’t intend on getting married? What if I just want to live in sin for the rest of my life?”
    “It’s too soon for this discussion, Jillian, and you’re just saying things now to push my buttons. I’m not rising to the challenge. Let’s go get those two apart and have dessert.”
    That was a real eye-opener for me. My mother never fails to rise to my challenges. Arguing with her is something I excel at. It’s the foundation of our relationship. There is just too much change happening in my world these days.
    I feel like at the ripe old age of twenty-nine, I’m finally growing up. It’s not an entirely comfortable feeling.

About three months in.
    I t’s a sign of how little I get out of the city that I’m this amazed by how beautiful Juniper Cove is. The water is beautiful and it seems like every house has its own waterfront view. I was expecting his parents to live in an old saltbox house, but instead it’s a sprawling ranch with a backyard that could fit my parents’ house in it twice over. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp are teachers up in Gander, which is only about fifteen minutes away.
    The best part is the long deck overlooking the cove. I could sit out here and read for hours on end. Although the constant chatter of the gulls is already starting to get on my nerves. And the sound of the water hitting the shore is making me want to go to the bathroom.
    “Just smell that air. God, I love coming home.”
    You know what I love? The way his butt looks in those jeans as he leans dangerously close to the edge of the railing.
    “You want to go for a row in the dory before supper?”
    “I don’t know. I’ve never been in a boat on the ocean before. Other than on a whale tour.”
    “What?”
    “There’s no need to look at me like I’m a weirdo. I’ll go. Do I need a life jacket?”
    “No, you don’t need a life jacket.”
    “What if the boat turns over?”
    “Jillian, have you never