Page 65 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“I could argue I’d do it myself, but you’ll just do it anyway and then your father would yell at us both if he found out I did it.”

“That’s right, so save your breath. It won’t take me long.”

He went into his room first, pushed the bed away from the wall enough that his mother would be able to get on a small ladder to do what she needed to, then did the same with the dresser and everything in his sister’s room.

“All set?” his mother asked.

“Yes,” he said. “I’d offer to help you, but I’m working and you paint better than me anyway.”

“I do,” his mother said. “I enjoy doing it and I have a steadier hand. You have no patience with it. When there is something you don’t want to do, you rush.”

He laughed. “I don’t rush with much in life.”

Not like he wanted to rush with Justine but knew it was best not to.

Just like he didn’t want to tell her why he came to the island but felt by opening up about some of it, she’d have a better understanding.

And she might appreciate that he was sharing since he did know so much about her life.

If he wanted more out of what they had, he had to be willing to give more.

He appreciated she was trying.

“You don’t,” his mother said. “How are things with Justine?”

“Jumped right into that,” he said. “I think that is the reason you decided to paint the rooms. An excuse to come here and get me to yourself to check in.”

His mother laughed. “I’m not going to deny it. But I do want to see how you’re doing with my own eyes. I was hoping maybe she could have come to dinner too. Or are you just more or less friends?”

“I know you heard about her win at the casino on Saturday,” he said, closing one eye at her. “And that I was with her.”

His mother pulled the pork loin out of the oven and let it rest while she finished with the mashed potatoes. He was going to eat like a king tonight.

“I did hear those things,” his mother said. “I also heard that you seemed close with her too. Not like friends at all.”

“We are more than friends but taking it slow.”

“You want to take it slow or she does?”

“You’re being pretty nosy,” he said.

“That is what a mother does. If I want to have grandkids someday I’ve got to find out what is going on in my kids’ lives.”

He thought of seeing his cousin Coy Bond and his new wife, Angel, at the doctor a few days ago. They had a fast destination wedding and seeing them going into the gynecology office together gave him a clue as to why the wedding was so fast.

Good for Coy, as both of them seemed thrilled with the news.

And maybe he was wishing he could get to that point in his life too. Especially with so many of his cousins marrying and having kids in the past few years.

Maybe it was this island, but he knew better than to say that to Justine.

She’d finally admitted that Troy told her about the legend and she thought it was a joke.

He laughed with her.

What more was he going to do?

Say that he felt it might have hit him too?

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