“How do you feel about it?”
Justine didn’t hesitate. “I’m happy for them. I like that Val and Ransome have decided to retire and stay in Divine. I used to miss them and worry about them all the time, since we only saw them on holidays and other special occasions.”
“Why did you worry about them?”
“They were bounty hunters. I think what they did was pretty dangerous sometimes.”
Noah’s eyebrows shot up and he gave weak chuckle. “Bounty hunters? Wow. They could totally make me disappear if I pissed them off, huh?”
Justine shook her head negatively, and then giggled and nodded. “Just don’t piss them off, I guess. To answer your question, I view them the same as my dad. Is that a problem for you?”
“No. I’m cool with it.”
“You talking about the dads?” Beau asked as he brought their food and drinks to the table.
Justine shrugged and said, “Just making sure he understood the new family dynamic.” Beau and Noah dug into lunch with the usual gusto, and Justine had time to think as they discussed their plans for that summer.
After graduation they’d be leaving on a backpacking trip through the American Southwest. A knot of dread tightened in her core every time she thought of them on foot, with nothing but their wits and what their backpacks contained to sustain them.
They were looking at that summer as a big adventure before going off to college in the fall, anticipating what the unknown would bring their way. They didn’t have much of an itinerary and they were taking limited funds with them, planning to work along the way to earn any money they’d need. She preferred having a thoroughly researched plan for any sort of trip and their version of “into the wild” gave her the willies.
Then there was the fact that she would very likely not even see him before he set out for college at the end of the summer. She knew he and Beau had talked about just trekking around until it was time to part ways. Then Noah would head north to Alaska to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Beau would come home before going off to A&M in College Station.
Justine still wrestled with whether it was a good idea to date him. Sometimes she agreed with her Aunt Grace’s advice that she should go out with him and have fun but part of her still worried that she might be better off not knowing what she was missing. She’d gotten used to falling asleep with a fantasy at night. To get any closer to him and then bid him good-bye would be excruciating.
Beau nudged her in the ribs and said, “Noah asked you a question, sis. You worried about something? You’re frowning.”
Looking from her brother to her…what was he? He wasn’t technically her boyfriend, even though he’d asked her to the prom. He was broken up with Maggie, who he’d dated a long time. After all the drama that came along with that girl, he probably didn’t want another girlfriend. This date for the prom was probably just a onetime thing. And given the fact that he was taking off for parts unknown after graduation, it was best if she didn’t read anything into it.
“I’m sorry. I was in my head again.”
Noah smiled at her, his brown eyes warm, and said, “Probably worrying about us again.”
“What?” she asked and scoffed. “I’m not worried. You two men can handle yourselves. I’m not worried about rattlesnakes, or–or the two of you hitchhiking, or running out of money, or getting abducted by human traffickers, or anything. Nope. Not me. What did you want to ask me?”
Noah had grinned as she’d rattled on and finally said, “I just wondered if you wanted to make our prom date a double date with Beau.”
“Oh, sure.” She got along well with her brother most days. When they were younger, they’d bickered like crazy, but when they’d both gotten into high school, they’d come to an understanding and had actually made friends.
“I also wanted to know if you’d go out with me this spring, besides our prom date.”
Well that answers that question…sort of. “Sure. As long as my dads approve.” The answer was out of her mouth almost before she had a chance to mull it over.
As if sensing her doubt, Beau interjected, “So, wait, does that mean you want her to be your girlfriend?” There was a hint of steel in his question. Justine doubted her cheeks could’ve gotten any hotter.
“I guess?”
With a devilish gleam in his eyes, Beau said, “You guess? She’s my sister and you guess? I think this calls for another interview with the dads.”
Laughing out loud, Justine jabbed Beau with her elbow. “It does not.” Turning to Noah, she said, “I’d be fine with you asking me out on other dates. The interview is a onetime thing but…as far as the girlfriend stuff goes, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”