Page 86 of Cross + Catherine: The Companion

The Date

Cross POV

“Uh … Cross?”

Cross glanced up from the work he had spread out on his desk. Plans for an outgoing shipment of illegal cigarettes and liquor to Canada. It was a damn good money maker, as far as that went.

He hated being taken away from his work, but someone was always doing that to him, anyway.

Cross found Juan standing in the doorway of his office—an eighteen year old with eyes for Cross’s sixteen-year-old daughter. Although to be fair, Juan had never really stepped out of line with Cece, so to speak.

The two’s interest in each other was quite clear. It had been that way since Cece was about thirteen, or so.

Juan had been raised by a decent man, though. Being that he was two years older than Cece, he didn’t put holds or anything on her. He didn’t pressure her, either.

Still, it was clear …

The signs were there …

It was all leading to this.

Cross knew it.

He’d been waiting for it.

“Come in, Juan,” Cross said. “I didn’t know you were in town.”

Juan shrugged his broad shoulders—in his relaxed features, the biracial Latino-American man looked a look like his father, with just a touch of his mother, too. Handsome, definitely. He was a confident young man, and driven in his business.

He took that from his father, too.

Catherine’s right-hand man, Miguel.

“Came down from California when I had a weekend off,” Juan said as he took a seat across from Cross’s desk. “Dad never gives me time off, so I figured I might as well take it while I could.”

“Mmm, I know,” Cross replied. “Cece knows it, too.”

Juan’s gaze drifted to the window, and then back to Cross. “Yeah, I guess.”

“She misses you quite a bit when you stay gone for long periods of time.”

“Don’t really have a choice.”

“You could try to make it a choice.”

Juan glanced at Cross who only cocked a single eyebrow, and then nodded. “I will definitely do that, then.”

“Good. Now, what can I do for you?”

“Do you remember when I came to speak to you last year?” Juan asked.

“I have practically watched you grow up, Juan, so yes.”

“Specifically, when I asked about taking Cece out.”

Cross cleared his throat. “I remember that, too, yeah.”

He was not going to make this easy on the kid—well, kid was kind of insulting, considering Juan’s age. But what Cross said still stood, too. He watched Juan grow up. He was always going to be somewhat of a kid to him, regardless.