Page 40 of Leo and His Love Bunny

Thankfully I don’t have to hold it long.

“Sure. I’d love to.” Her face says what her words don’t, and I feel the joy all the way to my bones. Tomorrow, I skate with Nora for the first time, and for some reason, that makes me very, very happy.

Chapter 17

Nora

What was I thinking?

I don’t know how to skate! I live in Virginia, for crying out loud. I’ve barely ever even seen ice.

Okay, that is an exaggeration, but seriously, I want to be my best when I’m around Leo, not fall on my face a million times in front of him.

But I was so excited that he had decided to take a step toward his family. It had been obvious to me that he loved his father, and whether or not his stepmother is a gold digger, it doesn’t matter. If she is married to his dad, she is family.

So I answered him without thinking.

Or maybe I was just so excited that he asked me to do something, even if it was most likely that he asked because he wanted me to buffer him with the kids. Or maybe since it was my idea, he wanted me to suffer too. After he left and I was able to think about it, I realized that he might not have asked because he likes me and wants to spend time with me, which is what I thought at first.

Regardless, it’s 7:25 am, and I am waiting for him now. I thought we might meet on the way down, so I’m standing here and trying not to be nervous. I can’t skate, and I am not sure what is going to happen today, but I’m happy to get to spend the time with him.

“Hey, there. You beat me.”

“Someone is way too competitive.” I turn with a smile, relieved. I didn’t expect him to stand me up, but for some reason, I am extremely relieved that he has shown up.

He laughs as he comes over and stands beside me. We’re out in front of the apartment building, next to the parking lot.

“Guilty.” He gives a self-deprecating grin.

“And that’s a good thing.” I don’t want him to think that I don’t appreciate that part of his personality. I do. He wouldn’t be nearly as successful as he is if he wasn’t competitive.

Our eyes meet, and we share some kind of personal communication. I’m not sure what we’re saying. But I love that moment of connection. It makes me want to move closer to him.

A car pulls up, and rather than parking in the lot, it pulls around to where we’re standing. I assume it’s his stepmother, and I’m correct.

She gets out, a tall, blond beauty with big, dark sunglasses, dressed stylishly in loose pants and a pink shirt under a cropped jacket, every hair shiny and in its place.

I’m not sure how she’s so put together as the back doors open and her boys basically erupt from the car. They’re wearing expensive, sporty clothes, but the blond’s shirt is askew, and both of his shoes are untied. The smaller boy with the dark hair sticking up in every direction doesn’t even have one shoe on. There’s a big rip in his pants, and the woman seems surprised as she questions him about it.

“What have you done to your pants, Carson?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs as he reaches back into the car and grabs a bag.

“He pulled on that string you told him not to pull on.”

“That’s Briggs,” Leo says to me in a low tone while the stepmother gives Carson a hard time for doing exactly what she told him not to do. Carson and Briggs. I can remember those names, I think.

The woman straightens and looks at Leo and me.

He introduces us. “Addison, this is Nora. She’s going to spend the morning with us.”

I could be wrong, but I feel like I’m giving Leo strength, somehow, as he moves closer to me, putting his hand on myback. I wouldn’t have thought that he was afraid of anything, and I wouldn’t exactly say that he is afraid. But I just feel like I’m bolstering him somehow.

The woman’s brows lift, and although I can’t see her eyes through her sunglasses, I can feel that she’s judging me and found me wanting. I try not to allow that to bother me. She can think what she wants.

“You have a girlfriend?” Addison says, and her words sound frosty.

Leo’s lips tighten, but to my surprise, he doesn’t answer. I almost deny it and say that I’m just a friend, but I don’t exactly know what the underlying current is and I don’t want to upset whatever Leo is trying to do. I know he’s not comfortable.

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