Roxanne sucked in a breath and clasped her hands. “We shall see.”
A few minutes later, Holden came into the kitchen. He immediately looked at her for approval.
“It’s perfect! You look great.”
“Hey, that’s my fucking shirt,” Cord snapped and charged forward. “And my tie.”
She stepped in front of Cord. “And it looks great on Holden, doesn’t it?” Without even asking, she unraveled Holden’s attempt at doing his tie. The room was silent, but she felt all eyes on her. She stepped back, checking out the completed look.
Perfect!
“Where are they taking pictures?”
When everyone remained silent, she glanced around at the brothers. Holden stared at her as if she’d grown another head.
“Pictures?”
She knitted her brows and looked at Jonah. He shared the same expression as Holden, and he shrugged. Did none of them know what she was talking about?
“You’re going with a group, right?” she asked Holden.
“Yeah.”
“So, usually everyone gets together for pictures. Ask your date. She’ll know.”
Holden grabbed his phone, texting.
“The park on Elm Street at seven-thirty.”
She took in the time then veered her gaze to the table. Roxanne had another hour or two of work. If she didn’t get itdone, she’d be dealing with an angry bride the next morning. Then again, Melody would be a pain in the ass, regardless. Usually, Roxanne made her work a priority. Tonight, there was something more important.
“We’ll meet you there,” Roxanne said, cleaning up the table.
“You guys are coming?”
She glanced up, smiling. “Who’s going to take the pictures? Selfies don’t cut it for Homecoming.”
Holden's smile brightened, and he lifted his chin. “Alright, cool.” Then he turned to Cord. “Can I use that cologne you just got? The expensive one?”
Cord scoffed. “First, you steal my clothes and now you want to smell like me?” Cord shook his head, scowling, but she caught a semblance of teasing in his tone. “Come on. I’ll do it so you don’t fucking drown yourself in it.”
When both boys left, she turned to Jonah. He’d said little and stared at her with a look she couldn’t quite place. He didn’t seem mad, but maybe she’d overstepped.
She hooked her thumb over her shoulder, gesturing to the empty doorway.
“Is it okay that I…” Before she could finish, Jonah pushed off the counter and closed the gap between them. He grasped her jaw and kissed her. It caught her off guard, but she recovered quickly when his tongue speared past her lips. She wasn’t sure what’d brought this on, but she wasn’t complaining. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, deepening the kiss.
The floors creaked from above, and he pulled away slightly. They’d never been affectionate in front of his brothers, and she assumed he wanted to keep some distance. But Jonah held onto her, brushing his lips softly against hers.
“Yeah, it’s okay,” he whispered.
Roxanne got the impression it was more than okay.
****
They’d reached the park at the same time as most of the parents. Jonah was completely out of his element and it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“You look so uncomfortable,” Roxanne muttered, playfully elbowing him in the ribs.
