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She laughed. “She’s not the bitch I’m worried about right now.”
Lenny sat down in front of Junie, his face pained. “There’s no one you need to worry about.”
Lucky leaned back and stretched his arm across the back of Junie’s chair, grinning at Lenny.
“Move, asshole.” Lenny stood and pointed at Lucky.
“All right, all right,” Lucky chuckled and switched seats. Lenny pulled his chair closer to Junie and put his arm around her. She stiffened under his arm, and he called her on it.
“Hey, I don’t know everything about your past, and I’m fairly certain you have one. Don’t punish me because mine showed up unannounced tonight and I’ll extend you the same courtesy when we cross paths with yours,” he said evenly, his eyes steady on hers the whole time.
He watched the emotions skitter across her face, landing finally on respect and Junie relaxed against him.
He grunted, “Better.”
Junie laughed. “I love me a straight-talker.”
Lucky grumbled good-naturedly, “I’m supposed to be the lucky one.”
Chapter 27
One of These Days
Willa
I loved this, getting in the car, and just driving. We headed out to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a favorite destination of mine, but one I didn’t venture out to often. I hated driving over the Skyway Bridge. Lucky for me, Barrett loved driving.
“It eases me,” he explained, “I’m concentrating on the driving, and the scenery, and whatever problem or annoyance I’m trying to work out stews in the background. Usually by the time I get back, I have a solution.”
“Did you come up with a solution for me that way?” I teased.
He glanced at me with a rare grin. “I did a lot of driving, not a lot of solving.”
I laughed. “I almost feel bad.”
“Don’t,” he shook his head, “don’t ever feel bad. You are worthy of every effort.”
I looked down into my lap. I wasn’t so sure about that.
“You are,” he repeated.
He reached across the seat and snagged my hand, holding it on the seat between us.
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, we walked. We walked past the theatres, we walked along the river, we ventured into a few neighborhoods, and eventually stopped for a late lunch. Afterwards, we window shopped through the downtown, my hand snuggled into his. We passed some stores, peered in the windows of others, entered the few that caught my interest, like the Christmas store where I bought ornaments for everybody that I’d put away until December. It was interesting going into the Christmas store when the summer sun was high and hot in the sky.
He pointed out a window displaying engagement rings.
“One of these days I’m going to buy you one of those.”
“What? You want to talk about marriage?” I panicked.
“No,” he looked at me with kindness and concern, and murmured, “Look at all your freckles standing out. Don’t panic. I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to do it. Marriage, kids, dog, house, you. Not in that order. You are first. You will always be first.”
He turned away and continued walking. He gave my hand a squeeze. After a moment, I squeezed back. I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye.
I smiled too.
We headed straight to my place after eating dinner. We unpacked my bags on the counter, separating the treats we bought for the kids, and I put the Christmas ornaments in the closet in Olivia’s room. He filled two glasses with water while I did that and downed his before handing me mine.
