“What?” Lue, who had been reaching for a ss of water, nearly stumbled. "I was talking about dating. What are you talking about, marriage?"


    “Shanley said his life belongs to me," Juniper said with a blink, her beautiful face a picture of sincerity. "In that case, I''ll take it."


    "I don''t approve." Lue couldn''t bear the thought of her best friend belonging to someone else.


    "Shanley is rich,” Juniper said, standing up and walking over to Lue. "Very, very rich. Richer than our entire base. If I marry him, his money bes my money. And my money is the base''s money."


    Lue''s eyes lit up for a second before she quicklyposed herself. "Fine," she muttered. “But I''m going to have to test him first. He only gets my approval if he passes."


    Juniper just smiled and patted her shoulder. "Let''s go downstairs. My brothers are here."


    Her brothers? Lue''s nerves tensed. That meant she''d have to see Jimmie again. Oh well. As long as she wasn''t the one feeling awkward, the awkwardness was all his.


    ...


    When Juniper and Lue arrived at the dining area, they found Jimmie and Melvin sitting on opposite sides of the table, pointedly ignoring each other. Melvin, in particr, looked furious.


    "Jimmie, Melvin," Juniper called out. Both men turned at the sound of her voice, their eyes falling not only on their sister but also on the "childhood friend" standing behind her.


    "This is Shanley''s rival?" Melvin stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief. He''s so young and handsome, with a face that could easily make it in Hollywood. Suddenly, Melvin felt a pang of worry for his own future prospects.


    Jimmie, however, remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lue, as if trying to make sure he wasn''t seeing things. It''s him. No wonder he''d said Jimmie couldn''t run off.


    "These are my brothers, Jimmie Tate and Melvin Steele,” Juniper said by way of introduction. "And this is Lue Langley, my friend."


    "Nice to meet you," Lue said, brushing her hair back. She looked at Melvin with a charming smile. "You look much younger than Shanley. You must have a girlfriend, right? I bet she''s older than our


    Juniper."


    It was a roundabout way of calling Shanley a cradle-robber, hoping to get Melvin on her side against the "old man."


    Melvin, who was also technically robbing the cradle, didn''t dare say a word.


    Juniper covered her face, regretting not having stitched Lue''s mouth shut before they came down.


    "Not much of a talker, are you, Melvin? A bit shy, huh?" Lue chuckled trying to ease the tension before her gazended on Jimmie. "And you must be the eldest brother?"


    "You-" Jimmie began, but Lue cut him off.


    "I''m a friend of Juniper''s," she said pointedly. "A legitimate friend. I don''t make a


    habit of scamming, cheating, or faking idents for money."


    Jimmie looked away, embarrassed. The kid certainly knew how to hold a grudge.


    “A pleasure,” Lue said, extending her hand to Jimmie.


    "You too," Jimmie replied, taking her hand.


    The moment their hands touched, Jimmie felt a crushing grip on his fingers, a sharp pain shooting up his arm.


    ?


    "My hand just got hurt, so yours shouldn''t feel too good either," Lue whispered, her voice low. "I''ll give you a fifty percent discount on medical bill. We''re even."


    Jimmie snatched his hand back, his face turning pale from the pain.


    Juniper watched the strange interaction between Lue and her brother, her


    curiosity piqued, when the sound of expensive leather shoes on the floor announced another arrival.