and Ginger were gazing out at the grounds, and Justin and the men were talking on the other side of the courtyard. She studied the men for a moment. Tank stood with his thick, tattooed arms crossed over his leather vest, chin low, jaw tight, dark eyes as serious as Rob’s, who stood next to him in a matching stance. Justin and Conroy appeared far more relaxed as they chatted with Mike. Mike, on the other hand, looked to be hovering someplace between the harsh stances of Tank and Rob and the easygoing natures of Conroy and Justin. Mike’s face was serious, but whatever Justin was saying brought hints of happiness. Conroy laughed loudly, and Justin laughed, too, his eyes suddenly catching Chloe’s. Justin winked, and a thrill skated through her. She did a quick visual sweep of the courtyard to make sure the residents weren’t watching her, and then she discreetly blew him a kiss.
Ginger and Reba sauntered over, following her gaze across the courtyard to the men.
“Rob and Tank are so serious,” Chloe said. “Do you think there’s something about the facility that they didn’t like?”
“No,” Reba reassured her. “It’s just who they are.”
“Tank has always been serious, but he hasn’t been the same since we lost his younger sister, Ashley,” Ginger explained. “It was a long time ago, but they were close.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Ginger said warmly, “Thank you, honey. Losing Ash changed us all, but Tank became even more protective of the people in his life. He joined the firehouse shortly after we lost her, and he’s been on a mission to save everyone around him ever since.” Ginger nodded toward the men and said, “Like Justin, Tank and Mike have a special bond. I don’t want to think about what will happen to those two when we lose Mike.”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon,” Chloe said. “I thought Tank was just broody, but now I see there’s much more to it.”
“Oh, he is broody,” Ginger said, gazing lovingly at Tank.
“I’ve always said that Tank should have been Rob’s son,” Reba said, looking at the two men. “And that Zander and Justin should have been Conroy’s.”
“Not Justin,” Chloe said. “I think he’s always needed to be exactly where he was with your family. He told me how everyone has been there for him. This might sound a little strange coming from me, but thank you, both of you, for raising Justin to be the man he is. I’ve never been with someone like him before. I can tell him anything, and I know that if ever I feel overwhelmed, or like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, he’ll be there to soothe my worries or catch me if I fall.”
Chapter Twenty
JUSTIN WAS SURE there was some kind of sin in staring at his girlfriend’s ass as they followed her back toward the lobby after the tour. And if that was a sin, then thinking about absconding with her so he could have his way with her in any one of the offices they’d passed would definitely get him a ticket straight to hell. But he didn’t care. Chloe was always a vision of sexiness, but seeing her in control and taking charge of her professional domain had blown him away—and turned him on. Then again, just about everything she did blew him away and turned him on. Today’s tour had given him a whole new level of appreciation and understanding of just how much responsibility Chloe had on her shoulders and how eloquently she handled it.
Tank nudged him, snapping him from his thoughts as they entered the lobby.
“I have to say, Chloe, I’m impressed. I wasn’t sold on the idea of Mike moving out of our house,” Reba admitted. “But now I can see that he could have a much fuller life here, with people closer to his own age.”
“A lot of people have the wrong impression about facilities like ours. They get scared when they hear terms like assisted living and think it’s the beginning of the end, when really, for many of our residents it’s the beginning of a new adventure. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour and had a chance to see for yourselves how wonderful LOCAL is,” Chloe said sweetly. “Before I get the information packets I mentioned earlier, do you have any other questions?”
“When can I move in?” Mike asked.
Chloe’s gaze softened. “As much as I’d love for you to move in tomorrow, what I’d really