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Sarah and Amanda stare, speechless at me. “You said no?” Amanda questions. “What’s wrong with you?”
Leaning on the bar, I whisper to my sisters, “There isn’t anything wrong with me. I was trying my best to stick to my no-dating-while-in-school rule.” I stare down at the bar. “I don’t think it’s going to work anymore because one day he wasn’t there, or the day after that. He was just gone and I worried that he was sick…I realized that I was stupid. He’d gotten under my skin and I missed him.” I look up and offer my sisters a wry smile, but their attention is behind me.
My eyes close as embarrassment washes over me. I slowly turn and opening my eyes, I gaze at Leo who has a serious expression.
“We need to talk, Robin. I mean really talk. Can we have coffee away from here? Sometime soon?” Leo asks.
The heat from his body wraps me in a blanket of warmth that I don’t want to leave. “Yes.” I smile. “I’d like that.”
His face completely lights up. “Really?”
I laugh. “Yes, really.” I bite my lip. “I can’t tomorrow though. I promised my brother and Callie that I’d go to their place and mind Ben while they finish sorting their dining room out.”
“Take Leo with you,” Sarah suggests.
All I can think about is Reece’s reaction if I turn up at his house with Leo. I took too long with my answer as Leo hardens his jaw and turns to go back to work.
I react quickly and grab his arm to turn him back around to face me because I need him to understand where I’m coming from. “I’d love for you to come with me. It’s just my brother.” I sigh. “He’s a bit overprotective, okay? I’m afraid that you turning up with me tomorrow will set him off.” I reach out and intertwine our fingers together.
Leo squeezes my hand. “I’ve seen the looks he throws at me, so I guess I can accept that, but I’m not going to let him keep you away from me, Robin. It’s taken months to get you to agree to coffee, so I’m not going to let anyone or anything prevent it.”
I make a split-second decision. “Come with me. Callie will be there and she’s good at distracting him. I have a feeling you’re going to be around a lot so we might as well get the Reece part over with.”
He grins and whispers, “Okay,” before he places a chaste kiss to my cheek. “Tomorrow, you’re mine.”
My hand covers the kiss on my cheek as I watch him go back to work.
Reece & Callie
Callie
Dropping my cell to the kitchen table, I bite my lip as I walk through the house to find Reece. He’s lying out on the floor with our three-year-old son, Ben. They’re playing with Ben’s train set that we got him for his birthday the week before. He eats and sleeps that train set.
I lean against the doorjamb and watch them. Their heads are together, Reece wearing a dark blue beanie, and Ben with his blond locks. He sometimes gets mistaken for a girl with his hair, but as of yet, I haven’t been able to bring myself to have his hair cut. Reece teases me that he’ll take him if I don’t, but I know he’s only joking beca
use he loves his son’s hair just as much as I do.
My heart is full as I watch them together. Ben is so focused on what his father is doing that he hasn’t paid any attention to the train passing him by. His concentration is absolute.
I know that the minute I interrupt and tell Reece whom Robin is bringing with her, he won’t be able to settle. It annoys me sometimes how obsessed he is with protecting his sisters. We’ve had a few arguments over the years because of that, and I can see us getting into it about Robin.
I sigh and smile when Reece looks over his shoulder and meets my eyes. His gaze drops to my bare feet and slowly makes its way up my body until he holds my gaze. “What’s wrong?” He frowns.
My husband knows me so well and nothing gets past him. “Nothing much.” I smile.
“Hmm.” He shakes his head and kissing Ben on his forehead, whispers something before he stands and prowls toward me. “You aren’t telling me the truth.”
When he reaches me, his hands cup my face and slip to massage the back of my neck.
“Callie?”
I know that I have to tell him, but I can make it more difficult for him to give Robin’s friend crap. “I’ll tell you, but please remember that you will be sleeping on the sofa if you overreact…and I mean it this time. Regardless as to how many clothes you take off, it will be the sofa.” I hold his gaze until I’m sure that he knows I mean business, and then I admit, “Robin is bringing Leo with her this morning.”
His eyes widen before he closes them and breathes heavily, as though he’s a bull ready to charge. “Why?”
“Look, you might as well know the whole story. Apparently, Robin and Leo know each other from school. Leo has been asking Robin out for a few months.”
“So he’s harassing her?” Reece growls.
