Close to You (Fusion 2)

“We have a thing?” he asks, his brow raised.

“Yep, we do. And it’s breakfast.”

“Huh.” He seems to think this over before flipping a pancake on the griddle that I’m pretty sure I didn’t have yesterday. The man keeps adding to my kitchen appliance collection. “I thought our thing was hot sex.”

“Okay, we have two things.”

He smirks. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Better. These pancakes were the perfect medicine.” Before I can slip the forkful of sweet pancake into my mouth, Landon grips my wrist and steals the bite for himself.

“Stealing a woman’s food isn’t a smart thing to do, you know.”

“You’ve never seemed to mind before,” he says with an unconcerned shrug, and pours the last of the batter onto the griddle.

“Are you home?” We hear Steven call out before he shuts the front door.

“In the kitchen!” I yell back, and glance down at what I’m wearing, relieved that I pulled on pants before coming downstairs for breakfast.

“I’m just in time,” Steven says with a smile, and sits next to me at the breakfast bar. “You never told me Landon could cook.”

“I didn’t think he could,” I reply around a full mouth.

“That’s polite,” Steven says, but I just smile at him, then open my mouth wide so he can see my half-chewed food. “And classy.”

“I’m a classy girl,” I reply as Landon slips some pancakes on a plate for Steven. “What’s up?”

“I came to find out if you liked your surprise.”

My closet!

I jump off my stool and wrap my arms around my nephew, then gross him out by kissing his face. “I love it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“I should have called,” Steven says, trying to push me away. “Help.”

Landon, laughing, just shakes his head. “You’re on your own.”

“So much for men sticking together,” Steven says, pushing my face away. “Seriously, I’m almost losing my appetite.”

I take mercy on him and bounce back onto my own stool. “I really love it, sweetie. Thank you so much for all of your hard work.”

He shrugs one shoulder, his eyes trained on his food. His cheeks redden under the praise. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“It was a big deal to me,” I reply. “Also, you need a haircut.”

“God, you’re a nag,” he says, and scowls at me, then Landon. “Does she nag you like this?”

“He doesn’t need a haircut,” I say before Landon can reply.

“You’re worse than Mom,” he informs me, but his lips twitch and I can tell that he doesn’t really mind the tiny amount of parenting I dish out.

“No one is worse than your mom, but she loves you,” I say, suddenly missing my older sister, and make a mental note to give her a call later.

“Have you talked to her?” he asks me, his eyes suddenly wary. He glances up to Landon, making me look at Landon too, but he’s not watching us, he’s stuffing pancake in his mouth and cleaning up the breakfast mess.

“Not recently, why?”

“Good.” Steven lets out a gusty breath in relief. “Because I wanted to tell you myself.”

“Tell me what?”

He’s silent as he finishes his food. I’m convinced he’s doing this to me on purpose. All I can think is that he’s gotten his girlfriend pregnant, or they kicked him out and he’s going to ask to move in here, or he’s flunking out of school.

Please don’t let the girlfriend, whom I’ve never met, mind you, be pregnant.

“Killing me here, Steve.”

“Okay, but first you have to promise not to be mad.”

“Was your mom mad when you told her?” I ask, still racking my brain.

“No,” he says, and shakes his head.

“I can’t promise, but I’ll do my best.” I glance over at Landon, who’s now leaning back against the sink, his face impassive, completely calm.

Why do I get the feeling that I’m not going to be calm in about 3.2 seconds?

“I’m joining the Navy,” Steven blurts out, still not meeting my gaze.

I blink at him, then narrow my eyes in confusion. “Excuse me?”

“You know, the Navy?”

“I’m familiar with it, yes, but for a second there I thought you said that you’re joining it.”

“I did,” he says, and looks me in the eyes. “I already signed the paperwork. I ship off to basic in three weeks.”

My mouth won’t work. I’m pretty sure my lips have fallen off because I can’t find them. Steven is leaving?

Finally, Steven rolls his eyes and says, “You’re freaking out.”

“No,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m not freaking out.”

I’m totally freaking out.

“Look, I think it’s a good idea. They’ll put me through school—”

“You’re going to school now,” I interrupt.

“But they’ll pay for it, Aunt Cami. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and when I talked to Landon about it the other day, he had lots of great things to say, and—”

He keeps talking, but my head has whipped around and I’m staring at my not-so-innocent boyfriend, who just holds my gaze with perfect calm.

“What did you do?” I demand, standing up and shoving my stool away.

“I answered some of his questions,” Landon says, and crosses his arms over his chest.