I clear my throat. “Um, Sam wants to meet you. I promise he won’t hurt you or ask super invasive questions. He’s just worried about Ben and me.” I look over at Sam. Nico must have returned to his office, and Sam is staring at Win again.That doesn’t bode well.I refocus on Win. “He’s staying in Rios for a bit, but he’ll go home once he’s sure Ben and I are okay. It’s not like he’s eager to go back to his parents’ basement, and Ben will miss his uncle, but it’s just a flying visit.”
“I’m a little busy right now with—” Win blinks at me. “Uncle?”
“Sam is Simon’s brother. Didn’t I…” My voice trails off. I was ambushed with a hug the moment I walked into the diner, and Ben was ecstatic to see him. We must have looked like one big, happy family. “I didn’t tell you that Simon had a brother, did I?”
Seeing the warmth return to his face reminds me how much I missed his smile. “Nope.”
“Simon has a brother,” I explain. “Sam is a couple of years younger and a carpenter. He moved back in with his parents after he quit his job in New York to figure out his life. He was really there for me after Simon died, and Ben adores him.”
Win tilts his head. “And you want me to meet him? Not Murph.”
“He can meet Murph and Joel later. Maybe we could have dinner tonight? I want you to meet him now. He thinks he has to watch out for Ben and me, but once he meets you, he’ll know that we’re safe with you.”
His expression softens. “You really think that?”
“I know that.” I hop off my stool and lean over the counter to touch my lips to his. “He can look intimidating, but I promise he has a soft heart.”
“That beats for anyone in particular?” he asks, licking his lips, wanting another kiss.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind either, but with Sam watching and Win working, an extended kiss probably isn’t not a good idea.
I smile. “If that’s a subtle way of asking if there are any romantic feelings, then there are not. I don’t see Sam that way, and he views me as the sister he never had.”
He nods. “Let me ask Nico to take over for a bit.”
I linger by the counter until Nico has swapped places with Win and walk back to the table with Win.
Sam watches us approach, and while his expression isn’t threatening, it’s definitely not friendly or welcoming—at least toward Win.
“This is Win.” I glance at Win, who seems a little nervous, so I take his hand. “Win, this is Sam Hayes, Simon’s brother.”
Sam’s gaze bounces from me to Win, then to our joined hands. I probably shouldn’t have taken it, but I don’t want Sam to go on the attack. Win doesn’t deserve it.
“Hey, man,” Sam says coolly.
“Hey,” Win responds.
They eye each other warily.
I snort. “You’re like two dogs on the street right before they start sniffing each other’s butts. Let’s sit.”
Both men stare at me.
Both are trying not to smile.
Both are failing.
I pull Win into the booth.
Sam starts to ask Win something when Ben rushes over and clambers onto Win’s lap, giving him the biggest puppy-dog eyes. “Win, can I have a chocolate milkshake?”
He clearly expects a yes from him and a no from me.
Smart kid.
Win ruffles his hair. “Ask your mom,” he says, gently deflecting the question to where it should have gone before.
Smart man.
