“No.”
He grimaced. “That was very definitive.”
Sighing, I propped my hands under my chin. “I want you to be safe, so if you want to call him and have him over at Dueling Dragons, I’m in full support.”
“But?”
“But Garden of Delights is a safe space for people. The thought of some guy hovering, even if he stays outside the store, makes me uncomfortable. And if I feel that way, I imagine a lot of my customers might also feel the same, and then I’m setting myself up to lose business right as I’m just getting into a groove.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” he admitted, “but I see your point. Okay, we’ll hold off on that. Can we agree to leave the stores together when it’s dark out? I’ll come over after I close up and walk you out?”
“That I can absolutely agree to,” I said, smiling down at him.
“So, tell me what’s on tap this week.”
I rattled off the schedule—game night on Tuesday, Addie’s support group Wednesday, self-defense seminar on Thursday evening. Though I didn’t sit in on Addie’s groups, Milo felt uncomfortable even being in the store to keep me company in the break room, given the nature of the meetings. For this week, the same would go for self-defense, though I wished he could be there to see me do some ass-kicking.
“I might have to show you my moves at home,” I warned him.
Milo laughed. “I look forward to seeing what you know. I’ll stay over at Dueling Dragons until you’re done, but text me so I can come walk out with you.”
It wasn’t strictly necessary, but as February wore on, it was still pitch black outside by the time I closed up even on a regular day. The reminder that it might not be safe for either of us to wander around alone after dark was sobering.
“Hey,” he whispered against my ear. “Everything is okay. We’re taking care of each other. Besides, you’re a certified badass, so we’ll be even safer, right?”
“Certified, huh?”
“Absolutely. The baddest badass in town by my side, what could go wrong?”
A lot.
I didn’t speak the words aloud, just burrowed deeper into Milo’s chest. Neither of us paid any attention to the movie playing across the room. Between the slow stroke of his fingertips through my hair and Jiji purring against my spine, my body relaxed, but my mind kept going back to that one question.
Why was that warning directed at Milo?
Chapter Thirty-One
Milo
“AmIcodependent?”Iasked my brother on Wednesday evening when he came to pick up Carter. He’d needed to work late, so Carter and I had closed up the store and eaten pizza while we debated the relative strength of Superman and the Hulk.
Maverick lifted his hands up and down like he was weighing the possibility. “I don’t think it’s codependent to miss your girl when you’ve been apart all day, bro.”
Carter finished his final slice of pizza and chimed in, “Besides, Aunt Eden misses you when you’re apart. I can tell.”
“You can? How?” I demanded.
“When she comes over, her eyes light up. Instead of brownish, they turn gold like in the dragon painting. Yours don’t really turn silver, though. They look darker, like…wet stone.”
Maverick and I stared at his son for a beat before I said, “Thanks, buddy.”
Carter grinned. “So are you two going to get married?”
“Right, time for you to go home,” I replied.
They both laughed as Carter grabbed his backpack and stuck his paper plate in the trash can under the counter. Before they left, though, Maverick grabbed me by the back of my neck and dropped his forehead to mine.
“So happy for you, baby brother.”
