“Juni, are you okay?” Her brother’s words snapped her back into the present, and she nodded.
“Yeah, sorry. I drifted off for a second there.”
“I could tell, space cadet. Listen, I know you’re old enough to make your own decisions, but I’m always going to worry about you. Just promise me you’ll be careful, and I’ll do my best to back off.”
“I’ll be careful,” she said. I’m guessing now isn’t the best time to tell you Oliver is ten years my senior.
“So we’re good?” he asked.
“We’re good, Le. You know I love you.”
“Love you too, little sis. Now since I’m over here, how about you make me dinner?”
“Smooth.”
He flashed her the boyish grin that never failed to charm everyone and she mocked annoyance as she stood.
“Steak, baked potatoes and broccoli sound good?”
“You are a goddess among women.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
She smirked as she moved about the kitchen, defrosted steak and prepped the baked potatoes. Things were settled between them for now.
“Since we’re being intrusive, what’s going on with you and Jen? You’ve been dating for over a year now.”
Leo cleared his throat and she smirked as the look of discomfort that crossed his face. It wasn’t fun to have the shoe on the other foot.
“We’re good.”
“Just good.”
“Umm… yes?”
“Come on, you don’t have any plans to move in together, or ask her to marry you?”
If possible her brother’s caramel-colored skin seemed to blanch.
“M-marry, did she say she wanted to do that?”
“No, but doesn’t every woman?”
“I-I don’t know… Juni, you’re freaking me out here.”
“Not a nice feeling, is it?”
“Panic?”
“No, interrogation.”
“Okay, brat, message received loud and clear.”
She smirked, but bit her tongue as they fell into a familiar banter.
Chapter Five
It took him a full week to work up the courage to call Juni, but here he was on his way to meet her at the local aquarium. There was an irresistible spark of joy that attracted him to the younger woman, and he knew if he let her get away he’d go to the grave a saddened old widower. It would sound dramatic if he voiced his concerns out loud, yet it rang true to him. After two miserable years of mourning his wife, no other woman had caught his eye, until now. Not that he’d forgotten Hannah; he was just… ready to live again. Or at least attempt it. Some days he had his doubts he would ever be a fully functioning man again. He buried the thoughts of his sleepless nights in the back of his brain and made his way inside the glass building.