Page 11 of Love JD

“Uh, yeah,” Isla agreed hesitantly.

Robert looked her over, and then reluctantly turned his blue-gray eyes to me. “You were there?”

“Zev,” I said, holding out a hand. I kind of wanted Fungus Bob to take his hands off Isla.

Like he’d read the message in my narrowed eyes, Robert let go of her and shook my hand. “Robert.”

“Can I call you Bob?” I asked seriously.

Robert hesitated, his eyes shifting like he wasn’t sure if I was joking. “Er…”

Isla glared daggers at me. “He’s kidding. Rudely.”

I shrugged, but I didn’t deny it. Instead, I gestured to the apartment. “Well, Kid, where do you want to set up? They said you should stay in one place with it elevated for at least three days.”

Isla turned affronted hazel eyes up to me and folded her arms. “Excuse me? Kid?”

“Because you’re a fainting goat,” I grinned.

She fought a laugh. I could see it ripple across her features. “Says the yeti.”

Robert’s gaze bounced between us, and he looked distinctly uncomfortable. Good, I thought savagely. I wasn’t sure why I thought that, but regardless. “Right, so where is the yeti carrying you?”

“Nowhere,” she rushed to say. She hobbled over to the couch and lowered herself gingerly to the cushions. “I’m just going to hang out here.”

I put my hands in the pockets of my slacks and slanted a look at Robert. “You going to be around for a few days?”

His boyish features looked chagrined before settling on Isla. “NerdCon.”

“Oh,” she breathed out, closing her eyes and nodding. “That’s right. I forgot you had that.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She kept it long, falling down to the middle of her back where it curled at the ends like birthday present ribbons. “That’s okay.”

“Not really,” I contradicted. “You need someone here with you, Isla.”

She chewed on her lip uncertainly. Robert sighed like a long-suffering hero and pulled out his phone. “I don’t know. I could ask my mom, maybe. She could check in on Isla.”

The stark fear on Isla’s face almost made me laugh. “I’m sure her brother can arrange something,” I pointed out.

She flitted a grateful glance my way. “I’m sure he can,” she agreed.

“Oh yeah,” Robert said, putting his phone away. He looked me over, bounced his eyes over to Isla, and then returned to me. “Well, thanks for helping her, sir.”

Sir. I’d have laughed except it was true. I’d be turning thirty in two months, and if that didn’t earn me the “sir” title, then I didn’t know what did. I made sure to make him cower with my scowl a little before I left, though. “You’re welcome.”

Robert swallowed visibly, leaning away from me. My inner bear grinned with sharp teeth. To Isla, I gave a little wave. “Stay away from fungus,” I suggested.

“Lichen,” she corrected with a stern kind of teacher voice.

“Sure,” I smirked. I left Isla sitting uncertainly on her couch, and as I opened the door, Fungus Bob shook his head. “Leave it to Isla to fall from a tree. How did that happen, again? Was it that guy you were with?” He sat down next to her, clumsily kicking her boot and causing her to wince.

I hesitated on the threshold. Not my problem. In fact, I’d done more than enough for a stranger I’d just met. Isla caught my eyes, her lashes fluttering softly as she held our shared gaze taut like a tightrope. I turned away, snipping the tether, and pushed Isla from my mind.

The skin on my forearms peeled away from the bar surface as I lifted them, and I glared down at it, offended. Some place for a business meeting. The drinks here were way overpriced, and it reeked of too many bodies shoved inside a greasy bar. The mill-turned-brewpub had come highly rated, but apparently, they were too busy to send someone to wipe away spilled Long Island iced teas.

The bartender, a young woman with thick blond streaks through her unnaturally red-brown hair, tapped the bar with a sparkly smile. “Hey there, handsome. What can I get for you?”

I looked her up and down. She had dull, green-tinted hazel eyes and a perky, tight body under her black, ribbed tank top.

Isla’s eyes are prettier.

---