Page 11 of Rush

“Really? I didn’t realize you were looking for one.” Nora knew that tone. She’d heard it every time she’d ever disappointed her mother.

“I wasn’t. It kind of just fell into my lap. One of Oz’s friends needed help babysitting a few days a week. Just a part-time thing,” she stressed, being sure to impart the job wasn’t a major career choice.

“Oh, is he a football player too?”

“Yes.”

“And the wife works? That seems odd.”

Nora cringed at her mother’s inference that a woman should stay at home with the kids if the man made good money.

Nice way to set women back into the stone age, Mother.

Her mom kept right on talking, switching topics like a pro tangential thinker. “Have you thought any more about school? I got some paperwork in the mail from the college yesterday. I still have some money left from Dad’s insurance. I can afford to pay for it.”

Just when she reached the end of the rope with her mom, she would always go and say something sweet, pulling her back. “Thank you, but you know I won’t accept that money. You need to save it for an emergency or retirement.”

Nora heard a scoff over the line as though what she’d said was the most ridiculous thing her mom had ever heard and not the absolute truth. “Now don’t you go worrying about stuff like that.”

Nora rolled her eyes again. She found she did that a lot during most conversations with her mom. “I’m not worrying,” she reassured, so it wouldn’t again be the topic of next week’s phone call. “Just being practical.”

The conversation veered again—thankfully off of her—to the cooking class her mother started taking on Wednesday nights with her best friend Betty and then on to the new show she discovered on Netflix that Norajusthadto watch.

Nora hung up a half hour later echoing I love you and sporting a sore ear.

Chapter Five

A shadow fell over Linc as he kept his elbow firmly planted on his thigh and raised the dumbbell in a concentration curl. He looked up after finishing the rep, and seeing Colt, set the weights down.

He stood, grabbing a towel off the workbench to wipe his face, and gave his team’s quarterback a grin. “Hey, stranger.” It’d been a few weeks since Linc had seen him as he’d been holed up with his girlfriend, Ivy.

He got a rare smile in return. Linc was still getting used to the new,happyP. Colton. After his scare with Ivy and then the team winning the Super Bowl, he was a changed man. And by that he meant changed for the better. No more Mr. Serious to a fault.

“How’s things with you? Is Sophie doing okay?”

Linc’s smile faded as he set the towel down and reached for his water bottle. Though nowhere near as close with him as he was with Oz, Colt still knew enough of Sophie’s backstory that he didn’t need to explain when he said, “Yeah, she’s doing good. The therapy is helping and she’s more engaged lately.”

Which Linc could only attribute to Nora. He’d seen Sophie open up and smile more in the past two weeks now that Nora had come onto the scene than she had in the last six months since she’d come to live with him.

Showing Linc he’d actually meant it when he’d said he wanted to work on being a better person as well as a better friend, Colt thoughtfully nodded. “I can’t imagine any of this is easy on either of you. I know I’m not Oz but if Ivy and I can help in any way, we’re here for you. Hope you know that.”

Linc offered his hand and they shared a bro handshake in silent acknowledgement that they had each other’s back.

Colt, obviously sensing a change of topic was needed to lighten the mood and most likely one of the reasons he’d stopped by, mock-groaned, “Man, Ivy and I are going crazy trying to get this year’s fundraiser together.”

“Oh yeah, it is about that time isn’t it?”

Colt nodded. “Ivy suggested a talent show. I’m planning to hit you and the other guys from the team up to participate. A bunch of brawny football players singing and dancing, or trying to at least,” he chuckled. “Ticket sales will be through the roof.”

Linc was always up to help raise funds for Colt’s Kids, the non-profit Colt started a few years ago to help raise awareness and give support to the victims of child abuse. “Just name the time and place and I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, man, I appreciate that.” He gave Linc a clap on the shoulder. “I’ll let you get back to your workout and text you when I have more information.”

“Sounds good.”

After Colt left to talk with another teammate, Linc did a few sets of bench presses and after that moved to a new machine to do leg presses.

He was half-assing his workout, anxious to get home not only to Sophie but also to a certain green-eyed minx that had been driving him crazy since coming to work for him. He should feel guilty about that, for so many reasons, but he didn’t. Nora made him smile more. Made him laugh. Hell, he was even excited to get out of bed every morning, wondering what the day had in store. And that was something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

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