He snorted. “Thanks for that.”

“It’s the truth,” Gabriela said. “I even told Justine I have a bullshit meter that pings before people open their mouths.”

“Great. Just more I’m going to have to defuse.”

His sister laughed. “Stop. Justine was good about it. She asked how much noise it was making around her.”

“Well,” he said. “How much?”

Not that he cared because he made his own decisions in life.

“None,” Gabriela said. “So maybe that will help ease my guilt. I like her. I think she’s beautiful and totally not your type. She looks like an angel and is even soft-spoken, but when she speaks you listen to what she says.”

“That’s it exactly,” he said.

He was glad his sister saw that.

“Then hold onto it. I hope Justine is okay with me talking to her. She seemed like she was, but I’m sure you’ll find out.”

“I’m positive she will be fine,” he said.

And if Justine wasn’t, then he’d have to rethink things too.

His sister was loud and outspoken at times. Loyal to family to a fault, but never mean with it.

He’d have to hear what Justine’s thoughts were on this.

The last thing he wanted was to be with a woman that butted heads with his family like Taylor had.

He hung up with his sister after that, then finished getting ready, but sent a text to Justine to see if she could call him when she got out of work.

He started to make breakfast and sat there thinking of what to say when his phone rang.

Thirty minutes had gone by without him realizing it and it was almost twenty after six at this point.

“Good morning,” he said. “Getting out a little late?”

“Morning,” she said, her voice cheerful. “I just had to finish something. Can’t wait to go home and put my head on the pillow next.”

“Wish we were putting our heads on the pillow together,” he said.

“I’m off on Friday,” she said. “Not too far away.”

“No,” he said. “And I plan on us being together if you’d like. But you’ve got to go in Saturday night, right?”

“I do,” she said. “Then I’m back on days for two weeks.”

“And we’ve got our weekend in Boston,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said.

She didn’t sound like she was upset over Gabriela’s visit.

“I heard you spoke to my sister last night,” he said.

“I figured that was why you were calling,” she said. He could hear the humor in her voice.

“She called me this morning. Said she wanted to do it last night but ended up on the phone for work dealing with something and then figured I’d be sleeping.”