Page 66 of The Coffee Bar on Camellia Court

Alex's thumb traced circles on her palm, sending tiny shivers up her arm. "And how are things at the shop? Really?"

Juno took a long sip of her lemonade before answering. "Good. Busy. I’ve got my dad coming in for a couple of hours in the afternoons now, and he’s actually been a big help with the afternoon rush. And the bussing and cleaning. Trevor says it's the cleanest the shop's ever been."

Alex nodded, his expression carefully neutral. "That's great."

"But?" she prompted, unable to keep the edge from her voice.

"No but," he said quickly. Too quickly.

"Alex." She started to pull her hand from his, but he held on, not letting her withdraw. "Just say what you're thinking."

He sighed, rubbing his other hand across his stubbled jaw. "I just want to make sure you're being careful, that's all. I’m glad things seem to be working out with Leonard. I really am."

"I am being careful," Juno countered. "People change, though, you know. He's been clean and sober for two years, now."

"According to him."

"Yes, according to him," she said, heat rising in her cheeks. She tugged her hand free of his and scooted to the edge of her chair, but she resisted the urge to get up and start pacing. "But also according to the way he carries himself, the steadiness of his hands, his clear eyes. I know what to look for, Alex. I grew up with an addict, remember? With that particular addict. People change, and you, of all people, should understand that. Why do you deserve a second chance, but he doesn’t?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Alex nodded in agreement, but his injured expression told her that her words had hit home. “I’m not Leonard,” he finally said. “And I’m asking for your friendship and affection, not for you to provide for my welfare.”

"I'm sorry," she said immediately. "That was unfair of me."

Alex touched her elbow, and said, "Don't be sorry. Be safe."

Juno's cheeks warmed at the familiar words. "I know. I just... I need you to trust my judgment on this. I'm not being naive."

"I do trust your judgment," Alex said. "It's him I don't trust.”

Juno leaned back in her chair, trying to quell the defensiveness rising in her chest. She knew Alex's concerns were valid. Even Claire had made a point twice now to ask gently if Juno was sure Leonard wasn't working some angle. Claire hadn’t met her father back in high school, but Juno had told her everything after returning to Autumn Lake, and Claire, too, was worried about Leonard’s motives for Juno’s sake.

"Has he asked you for money?" Claire had inquired, her expression wary. "Beyond his paycheck, I mean?"

"No," Juno had answered truthfully. "He hasn't asked for anything. I pay for his room at the Sleepy Time, but that was my idea." It wasn’t the whole truth, though. She’d planned to pay only for the first ten days until he got his first paycheck from her and could foot the bill himself, but he’d told her he’d needed to stock up on a few necessities, and hadn’t had enough to cover the room for another week.

Claire had looked unconvinced. "Just be careful, Juno. I know you want to believe he's changed, but..."

But what if he hasn't? The unspoken question lingered between her and Alex now, just as it had with Claire.

"Did you know," Juno said after a long pause, "that he's been attending AA meetings in Evansville? Three afternoons a week, after his shift.”

“Is he? Why not attend the one that meets right here in town?” The skepticism in Alex’s voice rubbed her the wrong way.

Juno had asked her father the same thing. "He said that group only meets once a week and he still feels like he needs to attend more often." At the time, it had made him sound honorable, acknowledging that he needed accountability like that.

“How’s he getting there and back?”

It was a fair question; she’d told Alex her father didn’t have a car. “He takes the bus,” she said, wondering why she hadn’t bothered checking the bus schedule to see if there actually were bus routes that ran at those times.

“Well, I’m glad he’s taking the initiative.” He still sounded doubtful, but she could tell he was trying to come to middle ground with her.

"You know, I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, to not let the past dictate everything."

Alex reached for her hand again, and this time she let him take it. "I know you are. And I admire that about you, Juno. Your capacity for forgiveness is... it's extraordinary." His eyes searched hers. "I'm just afraid you'll get hurt."

And there it was—the truth beneath his concern. Not judgment, but protection. She felt the last of her irritation dissolve.

"I might," she admitted quietly. "But I'd rather risk that than miss the chance to have him in my life, if he really has changed. That may make me sound naïve, but I have to at least give him a chance, right? Can you try to understand?"

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