Page 32 of Until Bax

“The police have their information, and I sent my cousin Cobi a message this morning, letting him know what happened. He’ll make sure they are looked into.” I look toward the living room when the doorbell goes off, then glance at Olivia when she gets up.

Setting my plate aside, I follow her to the door. When she swings it in, annoyance causes my hands to flex at my sides. I should have guessed Lincoln would be back at some point. From his questions last night, it was obvious that he wouldn’t let seeing Olivia again be an opportunity he’d pass up.

“Lincoln, what are you doing here?” Olivia asks with a happy smile, holding the door open for him to come inside.

“I was on my way to work. I just wanted to swing by and check on you.” His eyes come to me briefly before he dismisses me and focuses on her once more. “How are you doing today?”

“Good. Great, actually. Bax and his brother got the window replaced, and my dad and brother are putting up some motion lights outside.”

“Good.” His tone is soft, and so is his expression.

“Lincoln?” Amy comes around the corner into the living room. “What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Mrs. Gannon.” He smiles as she gives him a hug. “Just checking on Olivia.”

“You’re always so sweet.”

What the hell is happening to my insides right now? I swear I either need to puke or punch something.

“Is Keller with you?”

“No, he’s with his mom today. I’m on my way to work.”

“Keller?” Olivia asks.

“My son.” His gaze becomes laser-focused on her, like he’s watching for her reaction to finding out he has a kid.

“You have a son?” she asks, smiling.

“Yeah, he’s seven.”

“Wow.” She shakes her head, never losing her smile. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” He laughs, and if I weren’t in my feelings about this whole situation, I would laugh too, because she’s a total dork. “Well…” He glances out the door. “I should get going. You still have my card, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Call me or send me a text, and we’ll schedule a time to catch up.”

“I’d like that. I’ll send you a text later this evening,” she replies.

“Sounds good.” He takes his eyes off her to look at her mom, dipping his chin. “Mrs. Gannon.”

“Bye, Lincoln.” She smiles as Olivia shuts the door. “I adore him,” Amy tells Olivia, linking her arm through her daughter’s, and I wonder if she’s ever said the same thing about me in that tone.

I grew up with her son, which means he and I got into trouble together, and she knows about my history with women. Maybe not all the details, but I know she’s heard rumors since she sat me and Liam down more than once to talk to us about “being safe” when we were younger.

“I didn’t know he stayed in town,” Olivia says, walking back to the table with her mom and joining Talon and Liam there while I go to the kitchen counter and pick up my plate.

“He just moved back a couple of years ago after he got divorced.”

“Really?” Olivia asks.

“Yeah, it was messy, but things have gotten better over the past year,” Amy tells her.

“That’s good.”

“Are you going to go on a date with him?” Talon asks, and the pizza sitting in my stomach sours as I wait for her to answer him.

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