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It’s not like I can tell her I cleared my schedule because I’m planning on meeting Isabella’s twin cousins tomorrow afternoon. That would open up a conversation I’m not willing to have. And again, it really doesn’t concern her.
Isabella and I pick the twins up from school the next day. The girl, Maria, is exponentially more excited to see me than her brother. Matthew keeps looking at me like he’s sizing me up or something, which is absolutely adorable. I talked to them over the phone when Isabella and I watched the Grand Prix together, and according to her, they wouldn’t stop hounding her for a meeting after that. Which is why she decided on today.
The twins are in the back seat of my car and I’m driving to a park not far from their school so we can hang out for a while.
“So… Mr. Steele,” Maria starts, leaning as far forward as the seatbelt can allow her. “How old are you?”
I chuckle at her question. “Why do you want to know? And you don’t have to call me Mr. Steele. You can call me Graham.”
“Okay, Graham. I’m just making sure you’re not too old to be friends with Isa, that’s all.”
“Hmm,” I say, smiling. I look to the side at Isabella, who’s seemingly uninterested in the conversation. Her gaze is fixed on the road and she barely even blinks. My eyes meet Maria’s blue ones through the rearview mirror. “Can you really be too old to be friends with someone, darling? You and I can be friends, right?”
“Of course,” she replies happily. “But you and Isa are really good friends.”
I give her a look to let her know she’s not being overtly sneaky.
“If you must know, I’m thirty years old,” I finally reply.
“That means you’re two years older than Isa,” Matthew says, finally speaking up.
There’s a note of accusation in his voice that makes me smile. He and his sister have opposite personalities. He’s quiet and she’s outgoing, but I can tell they share a bond exclusive to twins. The both of them are completely in tune and it’s clear Maria’s been relegated to their speaker for today.
“Isa’s birthday’s in a month,” Maria informs me. “She’ll be twenty-eight then.”
“Really?” I say, my head swiveling to the woman beside me. “We should celebrate. Where do you want to go, Sunshine?”
“Out of this car and away from all of you,” Isabella quips.
I roll my eyes as we arrive at the park. Isabella asks the twins if they’d like something to eat, and soon enough we’re all walking over to the food truck. Maria keeps trying to get me to tell her my favorite Taylor Swift song, despite my insistence that I don’t have one.
We all order some food and drinks. Matthew and I get tacos, Maria gets a grilled cheese, and Isabella opts for some fries. There’s an empty park bench and we all take a seat to eat. Isabella asks the twins about their school day and that dominates the conversation for a little bit.
When we finish our food, the twins share a mischievous before they turn to their cousin.
“Isa, can I get a napkin?” Matthew asks, gesturing at his hands, which are a little messy.
“I don’t have one here, sweetie, but I’ll go and ask for some at the food truck,” she replies, getting to her feet.
I sigh softly as she walks away, knowing without a doubt that I’ve just been trapped. The twins get to their feet as soon as she’s gone, facing me with their arms crossed over their chests. It would be intimidating if they weren’t so cute.
“So. What’s going on with you and our cousin?” Maria questions without any preamble.
I try and fail to hide a smirk. “We’re friends, darling.”
“No, we’re friends right now. You and Isabella aren’t just friends,” the eleven-year-old says insistently, blue eyes unblinking.
I tilt my head to the side, studying her. “You know, I have a nephew around your age. I bet you’d be like him.”
“What’s his name?’ Maria asks, intrigued.
Her brother coughs into his fist. “He’s trying to distract us, Mar. Don’t fall for it.”
I chuckle. “I’m not distracting you. His name’s Nathaniel. But we call him Nate. Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you sometime.”
“Okay,” Maria says, pleased.
“Back to Isabella,” her brother says forcefully.
