Page 13 of Laying His Claim
Jalissa liked to think that she’d done a better job of reading aloud. She certainly was better at doing all the little voices!
Justin had returned with lunch and dismissed Lorena early. The nanny had looked none too happy about that. Now, as Seb crawled around at Jalissa’s feet, she had the feeling that everything was going to be all right in her world… as soon as she got her memory back. She heard a sound behind her and didn’t even bother to turn around. “I love your view, Justin.”
He came to stand just inches behind her. Jalissa could feel the warmth emanating from his body, but resisted the urge to lean back against his chest.
“Would you like to see it up close?”
Jalissa twisted around to look into his face. “What?”
“Let’s go for a walk.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to handle the rough terrain,” She whispered.
But, as always, Justin was encouraging. “You’ll be fine. We’ll stick to the beaten path. It will help bring strength back to your legs and put some color in your cheeks.”
“Are you saying I have sallow cheeks?” she teased him.
“Not at all. But a breath of fresh air will make you glow.”
The rolling expanse of land on Justin’s property gave her a ripple of excitement. “Yes,” she agreed enthusiastically. “Let’s.”
Shouldering Seb, he offered the other arm to Jalissa. She took it gratefully, only mildly embarrassed to admit that she still needed the physical support, but not looking forward to the prospect of pratfalling in front of him.
The freshness of the air hit her as soon as they entered the garden. She paused, closing her eyes and inhaling. “Lovely,” she said dreamily. She opened her eyes to catch him staring at her.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed emphatically.
Jalissa had the feeling he wasn’t taking about the scent in the air.
They walked side by side, comfortably in step. Several times, he asked if she was okay, or if she needed a rest, but her pride wouldn’t let her stop. “I’m just a poor old coma girl,” she joked, “but I’m not an invalid.”
“I’m glad,” he said. “I’m glad you survived all you’ve been through. I’m glad you’re okay.”
Instead of answering, she lapsed into contemplative silence, mulling over his words.
Justin led the conversation, reminiscing about growing up in Ottawa with Finn and his twin sister, Violet. He talked about what it was like to have Finn as an older brother, and she was surprised to learn that Finn was their mom’s biological child, but that Justin’s father came into the picture when Finn was a few years old. But, a good man and a loving father, he’d adopted Finn immediately upon marrying their mother and made him his son.
Jalissa had the feeling that he was subtly trying to re-introduce himself to her, to recreate the memories of stories he surely had shared with her before. She was grateful to him for trying.
“My family has always been in the restaurant business,” he said. “Most of them are in Ottawa, but we have a couple under management in a few other cities, including Montreal. We grew up in the business, the three of us. We learned all aspects of it from a very young age. Our dad insisted that we learn to do everything, including bussing the tables and working the grills.”
“I guess that means you make a mean burger and fries,” she joked.
“I honestly do,” he smiled at her. “From scratch, too. Even our pretzel buns are homemade.”
“And do you plan to go into the business full time? I mean, when your parents retire?”
A shadow passed over his face and for a moment she wondered if she’d put her foot in her mouth. “I guess I will, eventually, even though Dad intended to hand the business over to Finn…”
“Finn!” she said, surprised. “How come?”
He shrugged. “I guess because he’s the eldest. But he’s so deep into the business with his in-laws, that he’s said he wants no part in it. So, it falls to me.”
Jalissa wondered briefly how Justin felt, knowing that his father had offered something of such real and sentimental value to his half-brother, rather than to Justin, his biological child. But she knew better than to ask. It would do no good to pry where she was probably going to be unwelcome.
Instead, she decided to change the subject, to steer the conversation in a lighter direction. She turned to him, smiling. “Did you—” It must have been nothing more than a pebble, but in her weakened state, it was enough to turn her ankle. Jalissa felt nothingness underneath her and knew she was falling. Sky and grass spun into a blur—and then a strong arm held her fast.
“There you go,” Justin said soothingly. He made sure she was steady on her feet, but even then, didn’t release her. Instead, he pulled her closer. She could feed the solid expanse of his chest against hers and the warmth of his body, even through his light jacket.
