Roxanne’s hand tightened over his arm, and her nails dug into his skin. She hadn’t said a word but seemed equally uncomfortable with the sudden interruption. This was a first for Jonah. While he had dated, he never brought women home. Forthisreason. He was at a loss, knowing there was no explanation other than the obvious. Holden was too old to accept a lame-ass excuse, even if he’d had the bandwidth to come up with something.
“How was your date?” Her voice hitched, and her chipper tone didn’t match the awkward tension in the room.
Holden grinned. “Not as good as yours.”
Fuck, this kid.Jonah fought against his amusement until Roxanne shook next to him, and he glanced down. Her small giggle rolled into a booming laugh, which seemed to cut the tension in the room. It was exactly what he needed. However, the obvious couldn’t be overlooked. By law, at eighteen, Holden was an adult, but it was still important to be a decent role model.
“Look, Hold …” Jonah drew in a breath.
His brother walked further into the kitchen and continued smiling at Roxanne as he took off his jacket. He slipped into the mudroom, hanging it up.
“So, what did you guys wind up doing tonight?” Holden asked.
Jonah shared a look with Roxanne, who bit her bottom lip and scrunched her nose. There was no mistaking her amusement with this whole scene. Surprisingly, she didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed.
“Well, after we left you, we grabbed burgers and fries and came back here. I nagged Jonah so much, he was forced to let me see his workshop.”
That was a stretch. He had no problem showing her the space.
Holden grabbed the back of the chair and nodded. “It’s a cool setup, right? He show you the double chair he just finished? That’s my favorite.”
“Mine too,” Roxanne said.
“Sweet.” He looked up at Jonah. “So, um …”
Watch it, Holden.Roxanne was playing it very cool, but he wouldn’t allow his brother to say anything disrespectful.
“What?” His tone came out with a warning.
“Did you guys just get enough food for yourselves, or is there extra?”
Jonah shared a look with Roxanne, who was openly smiling. This kid’s brain had two subject settings. Sex and food. Jonah was thankful he was asking about this as opposed to the other.
“We have tons.” She pointed to the seat across from her. “Sit down. I want to hear about your date.”
Simultaneously, Roxanne and Holden pulled out their chairs and sat. Jonah half expected her to go upstairs and put on pants. But the shirt was long enough to pass as a dress and loose enough to conceal her shape. And? She didn’t seem uncomfortable.
Jonah grabbed the food, heating everything up while Roxanne and Holden talked about the girl he went out with earlier.
“Are you dating or just seeing each other?” Roxanne asked.
There was a long pause, and as Jonah went to the fridge, he looked over at Holden, who seemed unable to answer.
“It’s complicated.”
Roxanne scoffed. “I hate that phrase in terms of a relationship. It’snotcomplicated. Either you’re exclusive, seeing each other casually or hooking up.” She shrugged. “See, not that complicated.”
Holden’s lips pulled down in a frown. “Well, I’m definitely not hooking up.”
Jonah bit back his smile but added nothing to the conversation. He had a distinct feeling his little brother was more interested in what she had to say than anything from Jonah. That proved to be true throughout the entire meal. By the time they’d finished eating an hour later, they’d gone from “complicated” to defining Holden's relationship.
“So, I would say, you’re seeing her with the potential of dating in the future.”
Holden’s shoulders sagged. “Pretty much.”
There was an air of disappointment in his tone, which Jonah could only assume had something to do withnot hooking up.
“Is she nice?” Roxanne asked.
