Free Justice Is Always Ready (A Graham Family Story, 1) by Aliyah Burke

water.”
    “ I’ll take you out some
morning to watch the sunrise.”
    “ I’d like
that.”
    “ Come on, let’s grab a
bite.”
    After a moment of discussion, Justice
held the door of his car open for her. He wasn’t ready to end their
time and had a feeling if she were in her own car she’d be leaving
after breakfast. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was barely
0730.
    “ Do you have plans for
today?”
    Her question shocked him. Why he
wasn’t entirely sure. “What’d you have in mind?”
    “ Lunch with my
parents.”
    Out of the corner of his eye he could
see the tension in her body. Did the thought of having him meet her
parents scare her that much?
    “ Kassidy, look at me.” She
did. He took one of her hands in his, using his thumb to rub
circles on the smooth skin. “I would love to meet your parents, but
I have to tell you, the way you’re sitting here all tense just at
the thought has me worried. Do you not want me to meet them?”
    “ That’s not
it.”
    “ Then what? You look like
you would rather be marched to your own execution.”
    “ I…I…”
    “ I don’t want you to do
anything you’re not ready for, Kassidy.”
    “ The last guy they met… he
was—”
    “ I don’t need to know,
Kassidy. I’m not going to pry into your past. That’s not how I am.
You want to talk about it and I’ll listen, but you don’t owe me any
explanations.”
    “ My past relationships
have been failures.” There was a gut-wrenching agony riding on that
admission.
    “ Mine, too,” he said
kissing the back of her hand. He pulled into the parking lot of the
restaurant, shut off the engine, and faced her. “Look, Kassidy. I
figure they failed because I wasn’t with who I was supposed to be
with. A thing that I hope won’t happen again. I know the parking
lot of an IHOP isn’t very romantic but who cares. I’m falling in
love with you, Kassidy. So your past relationships, in my mind,
weren’t supposed to be a success. Because if they were then we couldn’t
be.”
    Her eyes were wide as she stared at
him and he reached over to stroke two fingers down her
cheek.
    “ And I, for one, like the
idea of we. ” He
kissed her. “So, while we eat, decide if you want to do lunch with
your parents, because I’m game.”
    Over breakfast he stared at her.
Kassidy’s face gave away the indecision that swarmed her over the
thought of the luncheon. He mulled over the information she’d given
him about the previous man in her life before him. Some man named
Alex. Somehow he bet there was more, a whole lot more, to the
failed relationship than “he was a loser.” He bet that contributed
to why she kept part of herself private.
    “ I’ll give them a call and
set up a time when they want to do lunch.”
    Her admission, while expected,
surprised him. He stared across the table and met her gaze. Deep in
the depths he could see her nervousness but they were
steady.
    “ If you’re sure you’re
ready, Kassidy. I don’t—”
    “ I’m ready, Justice. I’m
just nervous.”
    He smiled at her, reached for a hand,
and laced their fingers. “I’ll be on my best behavior. I promise.
No references to how I love the feel of your naked skin on mine.”
Her eyes grew large and he chuckled at her expression. “I’m
kidding, beautiful.”
    “ That’s not nice,” she
snipped.
    “ Sorry. Badly done. I’ll
be a perfect gentleman.”
    She stuck her tongue out at him and
withdrew her cell phone. While she talked, he continued to stroke
the back of her hand. She ended the call and looked at
him.
    “ What’s the
verdict?”
    “ Two.” She glanced down at
her wrist and back to him. “I have to get going so I can change and
get to church.”
    “ Let me join
you.”
    “ Of course. Visitors are
always welcome.”
    Waving for the bill, he pressed his
lips to the back of her hand. Silence reigned until their receipt
arrived. He paid at the register and they walked out hand in hand.
At the harbor, he parked near her