Leo met my gaze and shrugged. “What do you think?”
What I thought was that I was fucking starving, but I wasn’t about to admit that my grilled chicken and arugula lunch hadn’t quite hit the spot today.
When I didn’t respond, he patted my thigh. “Let’s eat. We’ll order something for her.”
He leaned on his cane and slowly pushed to standing, perfectly positioning his ass right at eye level. My crotch tightened as I followed him inside.
I hadneverhad such a strong reaction to another man. The other day, Lucy had made pointed comments suggesting she knew about my attraction to Leo. She hadn’t seemed upset…but that didn’t mean she would be okay with Leo and me getting together. Forming a pack was hard as it was. Wouldn’t this just complicate it? Besides, I didn’t even know if I wanted him like that.
My cock fucking twitched. Well, maybe Ididknow.
I was so preoccupied with my tangle of confused emotions, I barely realized that the hostess had already seated us in a booth.
“You doing okay?” Leo asked.
“Yeah, sorry. Just a long day.”
Our server came over with menus and waters. I recognized him from Summer’s bakery grand opening.
“Hey, Alvin,” Leo said, reaching out to grasp his hand. “You’re a busy man. Still saving up for a car?”
The teenager grinned. “Yeah. I’m getting close. Hopefully, I’ll have enough by my birthday.”
“Hell, yeah.”
The few times I’d seen Alvin at the bakery or around town, he seemed pretty reserved and introverted, but Leo effortlessly brought him out of the shell. He’d only lived in town for a few months, but the way he talked to people, it was like he’d been here his whole life. I’d learned to wear a serious, professional mask in all social settings, but maybe I wouldn’t have to with Leo around. He and Lucy were the definition of social butterflies, dragging a reserved Wilder and me through life with them.
We put in our orders, letting Alvin know we would put in a to-go order for Lucy if she didn’t arrive in time to eat with us.
“How was your day?” I stretched out my legs under the table, accidentally brushing against Leo. He didn’t move his leg and neither did I.
“It was good. I had PT this morning and headed over to my parents’ house to harvest some flowers from my grandma’s greenhouse.”
“How’s PT going?”
Leo’s eyes were fixed on his water glass. “It’s fine.”
Should I press him? Make him talk about it?I was no stranger to avoiding the shit I didn’t want to deal with, which meant I knew what an unhealthy coping mechanism it was.
“You go several times a week, right?” I risked asking.
“I have been. But Cassie said I can start coming in just once a week.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
His jaw clenched, and I had the urge to pull him into my arms.
“It means she doesn’t think I’ll see much more significantimprovement. At this point, it’s just about maintenance and preventing further damage.”
Immediately, my mind started whirring with ways to problem-solve. “Have you gotten a second opinion? What about a different specialist?”
It wasn’t like Starlight Grove was some hub for medical care. Maybe there were experimental treatments or trials I could get him into in New York or Boston. I didn’t give a fuck if he used a cane, but I hated that he was in pain—both mental and physical.
Leo’s face shuttered and I caught a slightly burnt edge to his scent that put me on edge. “I’ve already gotten a second opinion.”
“I’m sure you have. It’s just I have some connections that could be helpful—”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
