“Stop it. I told you I would beat you if you made fun of me.”
“You shouldn’t be such a puss then,” Evan said from the chair next to her. She laughed.
“Yeah.”
“You both suck. And Evan, I hope you get this in spades when you and May decide to have children.”
Evan leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs out. “I’m made of sterner stuff than that, son.”
Chris rolled his eyes. “So what are you two here bugging me for?”
Jocelyn cocked her head in Evan’s direction. “He’s here because May’s working. I’m here because Cynthia said we were all going to have dinner here.”
Her brother’s skin paled.
“Well, maybe I’m just having dinner. Did she just get sick and that’s why you are?”
He held a napkin over his mouth. “Yeah. The doctor said she was okay.”
She wanted to give him more of a hard time. He deserved it for some of the things he pulled on her, but she heard the worry there, the fear. She reached across the desk and patted his hand. “I am sure her doctor’s right. I worked with a sous chef who spent all nine months sick. It was really hard on her, but she delivered a very healthy baby. Everything will be all right. Why don’t you and Cynthia go home?”
“Yeah. I’ll have dinner with Jocelyn,” Evan offered.
Surprised, she looked over at Evan. “Sure. That’ll be great.”
Chris sighed. “I really wanted to spend the night together, but I just don’t have the energy to do it.”
Fifteen minutes later, she and Evan were sitting in a booth together.
“I didn’t realize he would worry.”
She snorted and put the menu down. “He is a worrywart, but I know that’s normal. She has been sick a lot, although not more than some. I just dread the birth. Can you imagine? He’s going to drive us crazy.”
“Are you going to be here then?”
It was a good question. She had a feeling that her family had been dancing around it not wanting to ask. “I think I might. I’m still not sure yet.”
He nodded. “No reason you have to decide right now.”
She sent him a repressive look. “That’s what you non-planners always say.”
He laughed. “Yeah, Micah gets after me, but then he worries enough for both of us.” He studied her for a second and then said, “If you would like a free pass to Rough ’n Ready, I can give you one.”
She felt her eyes widened then she laughed. “Oh, God, no.”
He frowned. “I don’t want to pry, but Chris told me a little bit.”
Her laughter died.
“Not that much, but if you have issues, you can work them out there.”
She sighed. “Not my thing, really. Even before Greg and the mess. I explored it, but it’s just not my thing.”
He nodded. “Just let me know. We do have a therapist who works on and off there if you need to talk.”
It was so sweet, and again, she was thankful for Chris’s friendship with Evan. It was like getting another brother without all the issues she had with her blood brothers. She leaned across the table and kissed his cheek.
“You really are sweet.”
His cheeks reddened.
“Moving in on my man, Jocelyn?” May said with a laugh.
Jocelyn turned to face her and felt her words dry up in her throat. Behind her stood the rest of the Aiona clan, including Kai.
She swallowed. “Naw. Just thanking him for being so sweet.”
May looked at her husband. “As I live and breathe, are you blushing, Evan?”
He grabbed May by the waist. “Make sure you behave or you will get payback.”
“Only if I’m lucky.”
Evan kept one arm around May and looked at his in-laws. “What are you doing here?”
“Night out on the town,” Mr. Aiona said. “Hello, Jocelyn.”
“Hello again,” she returned with a smile.
“So are you going to buy your family some dinner tonight?” he asked Evan.
The smile Evan gave his father-in-law was filled with affection. Evan had never really known his real father and his mother had been a drug addict. Each time Jocelyn saw him with the Aionas,
“You shouldn’t be such a puss then,” Evan said from the chair next to her. She laughed.
“Yeah.”
“You both suck. And Evan, I hope you get this in spades when you and May decide to have children.”
Evan leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs out. “I’m made of sterner stuff than that, son.”
Chris rolled his eyes. “So what are you two here bugging me for?”
Jocelyn cocked her head in Evan’s direction. “He’s here because May’s working. I’m here because Cynthia said we were all going to have dinner here.”
Her brother’s skin paled.
“Well, maybe I’m just having dinner. Did she just get sick and that’s why you are?”
He held a napkin over his mouth. “Yeah. The doctor said she was okay.”
She wanted to give him more of a hard time. He deserved it for some of the things he pulled on her, but she heard the worry there, the fear. She reached across the desk and patted his hand. “I am sure her doctor’s right. I worked with a sous chef who spent all nine months sick. It was really hard on her, but she delivered a very healthy baby. Everything will be all right. Why don’t you and Cynthia go home?”
“Yeah. I’ll have dinner with Jocelyn,” Evan offered.
Surprised, she looked over at Evan. “Sure. That’ll be great.”
Chris sighed. “I really wanted to spend the night together, but I just don’t have the energy to do it.”
Fifteen minutes later, she and Evan were sitting in a booth together.
“I didn’t realize he would worry.”
She snorted and put the menu down. “He is a worrywart, but I know that’s normal. She has been sick a lot, although not more than some. I just dread the birth. Can you imagine? He’s going to drive us crazy.”
“Are you going to be here then?”
It was a good question. She had a feeling that her family had been dancing around it not wanting to ask. “I think I might. I’m still not sure yet.”
He nodded. “No reason you have to decide right now.”
She sent him a repressive look. “That’s what you non-planners always say.”
He laughed. “Yeah, Micah gets after me, but then he worries enough for both of us.” He studied her for a second and then said, “If you would like a free pass to Rough ’n Ready, I can give you one.”
She felt her eyes widened then she laughed. “Oh, God, no.”
He frowned. “I don’t want to pry, but Chris told me a little bit.”
Her laughter died.
“Not that much, but if you have issues, you can work them out there.”
She sighed. “Not my thing, really. Even before Greg and the mess. I explored it, but it’s just not my thing.”
He nodded. “Just let me know. We do have a therapist who works on and off there if you need to talk.”
It was so sweet, and again, she was thankful for Chris’s friendship with Evan. It was like getting another brother without all the issues she had with her blood brothers. She leaned across the table and kissed his cheek.
“You really are sweet.”
His cheeks reddened.
“Moving in on my man, Jocelyn?” May said with a laugh.
Jocelyn turned to face her and felt her words dry up in her throat. Behind her stood the rest of the Aiona clan, including Kai.
She swallowed. “Naw. Just thanking him for being so sweet.”
May looked at her husband. “As I live and breathe, are you blushing, Evan?”
He grabbed May by the waist. “Make sure you behave or you will get payback.”
“Only if I’m lucky.”
Evan kept one arm around May and looked at his in-laws. “What are you doing here?”
“Night out on the town,” Mr. Aiona said. “Hello, Jocelyn.”
“Hello again,” she returned with a smile.
“So are you going to buy your family some dinner tonight?” he asked Evan.
The smile Evan gave his father-in-law was filled with affection. Evan had never really known his real father and his mother had been a drug addict. Each time Jocelyn saw him with the Aionas,
Similar Books
