"I know." She brushed her fingertips along his arm.
He picked up her cane, passed it to her.“Text me when you get home and then text me when you get to work.And then when you’re done work.”
“Okay.”Her laugh made her curls bounce.
“I put the locator app on your phone, so I’ll know where you are.”
“That should make me feel freaked out.But it doesn’t.”
“Have a good day, my pretty girl,” he brushed a kiss against her forehead.
“Bye.”Josie unlocked her door and climbed in.He saw the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and felt some kind of pride that this was as hard on her as it was on him.
“See you later.”She closed the door, waved, and he stood there, until she disappeared through the black gates, out of his view.
This might be their reality today, but not for long, not if he had anything to say about it.
He sent a text to his designer demanding an update.
His phone rang, and he cursed as he answered it.
“Yes Xander?I’m on my way in.”
He snapped his phone closed and, for the first time in decades, wondered why he signed onto his brother’s vision but didn’t make one of his own.
22 JOSIE
“Iamgoingtosee about getting a loan.”Fleur adjusted her scarf, gesturing to Carter’s truck.
“You don’t have to do that, mom.It’s fine.”
Josie focused on unlocking the door, almost wishing she hadn’t told Fleur about Carter’s ambush.Earlier this week, when Avery or Nancy weren’t in the kitchen with her and Carter was in between the lull and busy time, she felt like he was watching her.So, she told her mom.And ever since, Fleur came with her to open, popped in during the day, and Carlos just happened to drop by at closing.
The fact that their overprotectiveness didn’t rankle her, she knew, was a sign that Carter really did unnerve her.
“Avery and Nancy will be here soon.You don’t have to stay.”
“Your coffee is better than mine,” Fleur followed Josie into the kitchen.
“Fine, you win.”Josie turned on the lights, hung up her jacket, and started the oven.
“Can I help?”
“No, you can sit and drink coffee and tell me about your Christmas plans with Carlos while I work,” Josie scooped coffee grinds into the basket and started the machine.“He’s kept you out all week.”
She turned to see the blush on her mom’s face and laughed.
“You mean like Ares has taken you to dinner every night?Are you going to invite him to Christmas Eve?”
“Nice subject change,” Josie poured the coffee, focused on stirring in the cream and sugar to buy herself time from answering.
When she drove home on Sunday, she didn’t want to say goodbye.Ares had sent her a goodnight and a good morning text every day.
When she came to work on Monday, there was a bouquet of roses waiting for her.
Their dinners were quick bites of casual fast food.It seemed Ares’s phone always rang, or she needed to finish one more thing in the kitchen.
But Club Bandit’s holiday party was tomorrow night.
