Page 42 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

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WHOLE WORKPLACE THING

“Donuts,” Justine said on Wednesday. “Are you trying to get me and the staff here fat?”

Garrett grinned when he set the box down.

It was early and he knew Justine was alone so they could chat for a few minutes.

“I’m not sure that is possible,” he said. “You’re tiny.”

She laughed and opened the box, her hand hovering between a jelly and a Boston cream. He’d make a mental note of that while she took the jelly one out.

“I’m always the smallest in the room. At least it felt like that for most of my life. Kind of annoying.” She took a bite and it left white powdered sugar on her lip. “Are you going to have one?”

“I’ve got a box for my office,” he said. “I’ll have one then.”

“So it wasn’t just for me?” she asked, taking another bite.

He looked around and reached his hand out to wipe the white residue off for her.

She grinned. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he said. “And it was for you. A reason to come down and see you. Then I bought some for my staff too.”

“You don’t need a reason,” she said. “Or do you? Yeah, maybe you should. You know how I feel about this whole workplace thing.”

One of the things they’d talked about on Saturday on their way back to Amore Island.

She wanted to keep it quiet that they were somewhere between friends and dating.

She had his head spinning, but he also understood that she didn’t want to put a label on it. No reason for him to push either.

Which was why they had one brief text on Sunday with them both saying they had fun. Monday he felt it was too soon to come down and see her and they didn’t talk at all.

It killed him not to reach out, but he didn’t know what her limits were and it was best to not test it.

Tuesday she was off, and she texted him. It made him feel better she reached out first.

It was nothing more than a picture of her on the beach in shorts and a sweatshirt. She’d gone for a walk and sat in the sand to relax.

The fact she seemed to get comfortable with island life warmed him up some because, a few months in, he realized he knew what his future plans were going to be.

But would he give them up if he found someone and they didn’t want to be here?

He’d always said that he would do what was best for the person he was with in his life. But that didn’t mean giving up his job.

This was a tricky situation because technically he had a job and a place in Boston. But he had one here too.

So did she. Both places.

He was getting way ahead of himself for four dates, a few light kisses and one that was more romantic.

She probably wasn’t counting the first three times they’d been together as dates, but he was.

McKay’s, Easter, and then dinner at her place.

Saturday was the fourth to him, but she could think the first.

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