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“I think it’s time for you to go in and rescue that boy,” Trey whispers.
“Yeah. I guess he failed the first test,” I whisper back.
“Nah. It’s more like a C-minus. He scored brownie points with Brody with his love of gaming.” I can’t help but chuckle.
Squaring my shoulders back, I take a deep breath to prepare myself for whatever I might face. All three heads turn in my direction when I enter the room, but I notice Joe’s look of utter relief first. With the tension thick enough to cut with a knife, I have to wonder what happened or what was said before I started listening in.
They all stand to greet me, and my brothers walk over to hug me. Brody edges Ansel out of the way and leans in, whispering, “We’ll talk later.” When we separate, I subtly dip my chin in agreement.
Ansel shoves Brody out of the way playfully, but his expression is far too severe for my liking. When he hugs me, he quietly tells me, “Not the one,” and leaves it at that. Stepping back, he says loud enough for everyone to hear, “There’s a family dinner at Sebastian’s tonight to discuss the details for next week’s ski retreat. It’s the only night between now and then that all of us can be there, so don’t miss it, Lee. It’s important.”
“There is?” Sebastian says from the doorway, having changed out of his uniform and into gym clothes.
“Yep,” is Ansel’s response. He fist-bumps Bash before walking out. “Let’s hit the gym! Those damsels in distress want big, burly men to carry them to safety, not boys with chicken legs and skinny arms.” Knowing my brother’s kind heart, I’m almost positive he didn’t mean any offense to Joe, whose loose-fitting clothes are most likely hiding such a physique.
Brody laughs but provides his own reasons for needing to work out. “I just want to be in the calendar next year. Hashtag goals, right?”
After my brothers leave and Trey is nowhere in sight, I turn to Joe and give him the biggest smile I can muster. “Sorry about all that. My brothers can be a handful.”
Joe’s smile tightens, but he doesn’t respond to my statement. Instead, he holds out his arm like a gentleman and asks, “Ready?”
Yes. No. Maybe.“Absolutely.”
Joe and I walk the block to #JavaGoodTime for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. When I ask which car is his, he points to a black Astin Martin Vantage. “Oh wow! That’s a beauty,” I say, impressed.
“Thanks. It was a gift to myself when I made my first million. But when I hit the ten-million-dollar mark, I’m going to get myself a Cooper Custom Car.”
“Oh! My roommate, Carter, was the COO for that company before his friend Ben Cooper started Shining Knight Protection Services. That’s where he works now.”
Joe’s eyes widen in surprise. “Do you think your friend can use his connections and get me on the waiting list sooner rather than later? The last time I checked, it was at least two years before even getting a consult and design session.”
I lift my shoulders. “Carter’s not the type to ask special favors of anyone. He doesn’t like the feeling of owing anybody anything. But I’ll introduce you and let you have that conversation with him. Who knows, I might be wrong.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
Joe spends most of the morning talking about himself, his cars, and gaming. The reason why he can afford the Aston Martin is because he designs and develops gaming apps, particularly of the casino variety. He’s living off royalties while he works on the next project.
For a guy who sent a note about giving me whatever I desire, he sure seems more interested in himself than anything I might want or need. At this point, I’d settle for him asking about my day. It doesn’t happen.
Bored, I watch as people come and go, even giving a little wave to Bryce when he comes in for his morning coffee and danish. He waves back but doesn’t stop by the table and chit-chat like usual, opting to sit alone at the back of the café and play on his phone. Typically, I would appreciate the courtesy and the lack of intrusion, but anything that might end this date early would be a welcome reprieve.
I want to take back that last thought when I look up and find Melissa standing beside our table. She looks at me, then at Joe, then back at me again. She introduces herself to my date before returning her focus to me, but not before I notice a spark of interest in Joe’s eyes. Internally, I sigh while outwardly, I smile.
“Hi, Leighla. What a surprise to see you here,” she says as if she isn’t the anomaly in this scenario.
“It’s Leanna, and you shouldn’t be. I’m here often and work a block away at the fire station. I thought Carter would have mentioned that to you yesterday,” I tell her, exhaustion tinging my voice.
“No. He was pretty tight-lipped about you. Carter’s always been that way when it comes to the people he cares about. I thought that maybe you and he…” She lets the implication that Carter still cares about her hang in the air, trying to get a rise out of me. Unfortunately, in my sleep-deprived state, I play directly into her hands anyway.
“Carter and I are just friends,” I say, interrupting her. Waving my hand between Joe and me, I continue, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here on a date with Joe.”
“Oh, that’s great news!” she exclaims with false sincerity.
“Why is that?” I’m not sure if I want to hear her answer.
She places her hand on the table and leans down, bringing her face level with mine. Speaking low enough so only I can hear her, she tells me, “Because I plan to win him back. And just so you know, I play for keeps.”
Chapter fourteen
