Ron held his hands up and looked at Sofia. “I didn’t know you were fifteen.” His eyes roamed her up and down and with a smirk he added, “You sure don’t look fifteen.”

“Get out.” Alex spoke through his teeth.

Ronald smirked. “I’ll see you at school.”

He walked out, but of course, Alex went after him. Eric and Romero followed. Sofia forced a smile and greeted the customers.

*

The guy hadn’t stopped when Alex asked him to, instead picked up the pace and got in his car. Alex warned him as loud and as obscenely, as only Alex could, about staying away from Sofia.

Eric and Romero walked back in the restaurant behind a fuming Alex. This complicated things. Sofia turned heads now more than ever. The guy was eighteen, for crying out loud. Alex could only do so much to keep the guys away. Next year, like Sal, he’d be gone to college, too. It would be up to Angel.

Eric had to make some kind of move, but how could he, with Alex and Angel so dead set against their baby sister dating?

Alex stalked through the restaurant to the back. Sofia saw him coming and walked to the empty bar area, carrying a basket of chips. Normally, Eric would’ve stayed back and let them speak privately, but this conversation he needed to hear. Was Sofia involved with this guy somehow?

“You wanna explain why there’s an eighteen-year-old guy bringing you gifts?”

“Oh, my God, Alex.” Her exasperation was usually warranted. Alex did tend to overreact, but Eric was with him on this one. “I mentioned to him the other day at school about my turtle collection. He’s just a friend.”

“That’s not what he said to me.”

Eric took his eyes off Sofia to look at Alex for a second, then his eyes were back on her.

She blinked as she and Eric exchanged glances, then she turned back to Alex. “What did he say?”

“He said he was here to ask you out, Sof.”

Sofia glanced back at Eric. Her big brown eyes seemed to almost speak to him. “I don’t know where he would get the idea I’d be interested. I only talk to him during track practice.”

“Well, you’re not anymore.”

Sofia winced. “I can’t even talk to him? Do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds? He’s just a friend.”

“Don’t be naïve, Sof. There’s only one reason he’d be talking to you. Did you not see the way he looked at you?”

“I saw.” Romero finally spoke. Eric thought Romero had been quiet too long.

Alex turned around to look at him. “I should’ve kicked his ass,” he muttered, walking away back into the back office and then turned back. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Sofia. I see you around him at school, he’s dead.” To Eric and Romero he added, “I’ll be right out. Just let me grab my keys.”

Sofia held out the chips to Eric and Romero. “You guys want some?”

Romero went right to them. “Yeah, I’m starving.”

Eric took advantage of Romero’s distraction and stared at Sofia. She didn’t look away. Instead, she said, “I really never gave him the impression that I might be interested. I promise.”

Romero didn’t look up from the chips. “Oh, I believe you, Sof. You got any salsa?”

Sofia was still looking at Eric. “It’s in the kitchen. You can grab a bowl.”

Romero walked away into the kitchen. Eric smiled. “You promise?”

Her face flushed. She smiled and nodded. “Promise.”

Subtle as it had been, Sofia officially made the first move. This was all Eric needed. He’d get around her brothers somehow. Alex walked out of the office.

“All right, let’s go. Where’d Romero go?”

Just then, Romero walked out of the kitchen with a small bowl of salsa. Alex made a face. “Can you wait ‘til we’re done unloading my truck? You guys can order whatever you want.”

Eric had to stop staring at her before Alex saw him. She was almost sixteen. He’d think of something.

CHAPTER 3

Sweet 16

Alex and Sal were hardly ever around, and Angel was utterly distracted with a girl he’d met a couple of months earlier. Eric and Sofia were able to hang out together more than ever. Since his brothers were away in college most the time, it had become Angel’s responsibility to chauffer his little sister anytime his parents couldn’t. With this new girl keeping him busy, he’d come to rely on Eric to help him out with the rides. Angel trusted him completely, and of course, Eric was more than willing to oblige.

Though they’d been alone many times, Eric still wouldn’t allow himself to try anything. Sofia had made the first move by caressing his hand in the car when she spoke to him. They’d graduated to holding hands during their rides alone. His insides scorched too many times when he’d been near Sofia. The guilt of what Angel would say if he betrayed him by doing anything more than hold his little sister’s hand now outweighed the fear of what her brothers would do. To be able to touch her and kiss her like he fantasized for too long would be more than worth a beating. Even from Alex. But the guilt he couldn’t handle.

Angel texted Eric asking if he could pick Sofia up at the restaurant and take her home. As usual, he was out with his girl and he needed the favor. Eric sat in the car behind their family’s restaurant. His heart thumped when he saw her come out the back door. She smiled big when she saw him.

He took her scent in—soft and sweet—as she slid into the passenger seat. For years he’d come to love the smell, but lately, it had taken on a more womanly hint. Lately, too, he couldn’t help thinking of her as his little Sofie.