As if she’d heard the question in his head, she continued. “My friend Samiah is from the Houston area. She told me about your friend Silas and, well, what happened to him. You should have told me,” she said in an accusatory tone. “I had to find out the full story from Google.”

“Or you could have called or texted me,” he said with a casualness he didn’t feel. He was still trying to process the fact that she knew about Silas and hadn’t said anything. “In the future, if there’s anything you want to know, that’s all you have to do. I’m a much better resource than Google.”

“I don’t think so,” she said. “Google is how I discovered that you ran track in high school. You should have told me that too.”

“It sounds as if Googling me is now a favorite pastime for you.”

She laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself, Twenty-Three. After witnessing the way people go crazy over you, I had to find out what all the hype was about. It was obvious that I was missing something.”

“Ouch.” He slapped a hand to his chest as if covering a wound. “You know, as my trainer, you can do a slightly better job at pumping up my ego instead of taking a sledgehammer to it.”

“You hired me to build up your muscles, not your ego.” The amusement glittering in her eyes dimmed as her soft smile sobered. “I’m sorry about your friend. It must have been so hard to lose him.”

“He was my brother in every way but blood,” Jamar said. “I know there are things I may face in the future that would possibly be harder than losing Silas, but it’s hard to imagine them.”

It wasn’t lost on him just how rare it was to talk about his Houston ties with anyone. He recognized the shift it signified in how he regarded Taylor. He’d never discussed Silas in even the most superficial way with any of the women he’d dated in the past.

Of course, none of his past relationships had been deeper than those kiddie pools they sold at Target, but this revealed a lot about what was happening between them. He felt…comfortable with Taylor. More comfortable than he’d felt with anyone else in so long.

“Anyway,” Jamar continued. “Big Silas—that’s what everyone calls Silas’s grandfather—he needs round-the-clock care, but he’s stubborn as hell. Silas’s sister, Andrea, is looking into hiring a full-time nurse.” He caught her gaze and did his best to communicate how important this was to him. “I want to make sure Big Silas gets the best care possible, not just right now, but for the rest of his life.”

Jamar could tell the exact moment she caught the meaning behind his words. She nodded, then reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his.