Page 63 of Code Name: Atticus

“I’m not nervous.”

“Right. That’s why you’ve checked your phone seven times since we left.”

“I wanted to make sure he wasn’t running late.”

“So, how do we act?” I asked a few minutes later.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve gotten pretty used to fake-marriage role-playing. Should I keep my hands off until we tell him?”

“Now, I am nervous. Why didn’t we just tell him already? Then we wouldn’t have to think about how we should act.”

We arrivedin Glen Ellen with fifteen minutes to spare. A Girl and a Fig sat on a quiet street corner, its windows glowing warmly against the late-afternoon sun. I found parking half a block away and came around to open Brenna’s door.

“Ready?”

She grabbed the cookie box and took a deep breath. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Hey.” I caught her hand and pulled her close. “Luke loves you. He wants you happy. Once he sees you’re happy, everything else is details.”

“You’re right.”

“I usually am.”

That earned me an eye roll, but she was smiling as we walked toward the restaurant. Then she stopped so abruptly I nearly ran into her.

“What?”

“I bet that’s his rental car.”

“Good. If he’s here already, that means we can get the awkward part over with before the wine comes.”

“I was hoping to have a glass before he arrived.”

I took the box of cookies from her hand and set it on a bench near the restaurant’s entrance, then pulled her into my arms. I didn’t say a word, just held her close until she relaxed against me.

“The part where he threatens me with bodily harm if I hurt you? Yeah, that’ll be awkward.”

She laughed despite her nerves. “He wouldn’t.”

“He absolutely would. It’s in the brother handbook.”

Inside, the hostess led us to a corner table where Luke was already seated, scrolling through his phone. He looked up as we approached, and his face broke into a genuine smile.

“Bug! God, it’s good to see you.” He stood to hug his sister, then turned to me. “You too, Perry.”

“Twice in one week. People will talk.”

“Let them.” He gestured at the table. “I ordered a bottle of your favorite—Pinot.”

“Thanks,” she said, sliding into the booth so she was between us.

We settled into easy conversation, the kind that happens when people have years of shared history. Luke talked about his business and the stress of managing a company that had grown faster than expected.

“Trevor’s basically running the entire West Coast operation now,” he said, refilling our wineglasses. “I couldn’t do it without him. He brought in two new investors last month I haven’t even met yet. Guy’s got a gift for networking.”

“Sounds like a good partner,” I said.