Page 5 of Rush

“I appreciate it, man. I’ll be there around nine.”

“See you then, brother.”

Linc hung up and tossed his phone on the kitchen counter. That was one day solved. Now, what to do about the rest.

∞∞∞

Pulling into guest parking at Oz’s complex the next afternoon after his photo shoot, Linc turned off his car and got out. Taking a page from Oz’s book, he’d bought himself a child-friendly Escalade, trading in his Porsche 911. Was he sad to see his sporty car go? Maybe a little—it’d been fucking fun to drive—but those days were behind him now. The Escalade was roomy enough for Sophie’s booster seat and had the added bonus of being equipped with a TV. Besides, the thing was a tank which meant it would keep Sophie safe, and that’s what mattered most.

The security door buzzed and Linc yanked it open. Bypassing the elevator, he opted for the stairs up to Oz’s apartment, needing the cardio after missing two days of workouts. His friend was officially a homeowner too, but his house was currently being renovated. Linc had gone to see it a few weeks ago and the place had been a gutted mess. Oz said it would be a couple more months until it was ready, and Linc couldn’t wait to see it once it was done.

“Hey, man,” Oz said, opening the door wide enough for Linc to step in.

“Sorry I’m late. Shit ran longer than I thought it would,” Linc said, as Oz closed the door behind him. That’s when he heard a little-girl giggle followed by a woman-sized one coming from the other room.

“Not a problem. As you can hear, Sophie’s been well entertained.”

Dumbfounded, Linc took a few tentative steps, almost afraid if he made any sudden moves it would disrupt whatever the hell was happening in this suddenly skewed universe. Because in the real one, Sophie never giggled. Hell, Linc had never heard her make a sound at all unless she was upset.

Oz came up to his side, laying a hand on his shoulder. “They’ve been in the bedroom, giggling for over an hour.”

“Emerson?” Linc asked, speaking of Oz’s wife.

“No, a server called out and she had to run. That’s my sister, Nora. You remember, you met her a few weeks ago at the pub when she first arrived.”

Linc cast his mind back, coming up with the image of a young woman, her brown hair pulled up into a haphazard ponytail and wearing baggy sweats, barely remembering the introduction. Sophie had been having a bad day, so when Oz had texted him to come meet his sister, he’d jumped at the chance to get her out of the house, thinking a change of scenery might help—he’d been wrong. Sophie had given new meaning to the word fussy, and he’d left quicker than a linebacker rushing to make a sack. Linc couldn’t recall if he’d even talked to Oz’s sister other than their initial hellos. He cringed at the thought. Man, she must think him a first-rate asshole.

As if reading his mind, Oz slapped him on the back, “Don’t worry, I explained your situation so there were no hard feelings. Come on, let’s go see what they’re up to.”

If Linc had been surprised by the sound of Sophie’s giggles, that was nothing compared to the sight before his eyes now. A fort had been erected using the comforter, one end hanging off the bed with the other end supported by a chair. The two girls were sitting crossed-legged under it, their heads bent together as Oz’s sister painted Sophie’s nails while telling her a story. Linc may not have paid much attention to Nora at their first meeting, but she had his full attention now.

Neither female noticed their new audience standing in the doorway—Sophie too engrossed in the fairytale and Nora intently concentrating on her task.

“And the wolf said, ‘Better to see you with, my dear.’”

Sophie produced a fresh round of giggles as Nora spoke in a high-pitched growl, doing a perfect imitation of a wolf disguised as Little Red Riding Hood’s poor, newly eaten grandmother.

Linc just stood there in awe, becoming as engrossed as Sophie was. Only not in the tale, but in the woman telling it. No longer travel-worn, her brown hair spilled down her back in a thick cascade, the top caught up in a clip. In profile, her small, upturned button nose was her prominent feature but also on display was a full, creamy smooth cheek and long slender neck. His eyes traveled lower, snagging on her breasts, voluptuously displayed by the low vee of her T-shirt.

He quickly jerked his gaze away. What the fuck was he doing practically eye-fucking Oz's little sister. He needed to lock that shit down even if she was the first woman to catch his attention in forever.

“The better toeatyou with!” Linc got pulled back into the action when Nora roared. The nail polish now capped and tossed to the side, she made her hands into claws and went after a now shriek-laughing Sophie who promptly fell to her back, keeping her hands safely raised high as Nora tickled her.

Still bemused, Linc looked over his shoulder at Oz who had a huge smile on his face, clearly enjoying the show.

Linc chuckled when another peal of laughter left Sophie’s lips. The sound must have carried, catching Nora’s attention. Mirth still danced in her eyes as her gaze swung his way, surprise written all over her face. Recovering quickly, she called, “Looks like we have an audience, Sophie.”

His niece struggled to stand, still being careful of her newly painted nails, and Nora took her by the arm to help her up. Then, like always when Sophie saw him, a special smile lit her face.

She rushed over and Linc knelt as she waved her hands close to his face. He gently captured her wrists, pulling her hands down so he could better inspect her nails. “Very pretty and very pink. Let me guess, you picked the color?”

The puff ball of curls at the top of her head wobbled as she nodded.

“Well, you made an excellent choice.”

“She wanted them to match her T-shirt, so I’m afraid she’ll need to wear pink for a couple more days.”

“Yeah, well, seeing as her whole wardrobe is pink, that won’t be a problem.”

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