Page 37 of Until Bax

“Okay.” I keep my smile in place. “Sorry about all the trouble the past few days.” There is no reason to avoid the topic. She lives across the street and has probably seen the police here over that time, or she’s at least heard they were here from someone else who lives on the street.

“Bax sent out a text to everyone letting us know what happened. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Hopefully, nothing else will happen.”

“Hopefully,” I agree, and she smiles kindly.

“Well…” She glances over her shoulder. “I’m going to finish putting a few final touches on the front yard for tonight, but if you ever need anything, I’m just across the street.”

“Thank you, and it was nice meeting you.”

“You too.” She smiles again before wandering back across the street, then waves as I head up the walkway to Kourtney’s. While I’m putting my key in the lock, my phone begins to ring, and when I take it out, I frown, seeing a local number I don’t recognize.

“Hello?”

“Olivia, it’s Lincoln.”

“Hey.” I smile as I let myself inside. “How’s it going?”

“Good. I might have overstepped, but I asked my mom to get your number for me from your mom.”

“That’s okay.” I laugh. “Sorry I didn’t send you a message yesterday.” I make my way down the hall to my room. The truth is, I didn’t even think about him yesterday. The only man on my mind has been Bax, and he’s taking upallof my headspace.

“That’s okay. I know you’ve had a lot going on. I just wanted to see if you’d be down for lunch or even a coffee this afternoon? Or if not, maybe this week sometime?”

“Sure.” I go over my schedule in my head. “I think I have about a forty-minute gap between clients around eleven thirty this morning. It’s not really enough time to sit down anywhere for lunch, but we can grab a coffee and a pastry from that café on Main Street.”

“That works for me. You have my number, so just let me know if the time changes, and if not, I’ll just see you there.”

“Okay, see you then.” We hang up after saying goodbye, and I drop my phone on the counter in my bathroom, then go about getting ready for work with a smile that has nothing to do with having coffee with Lincoln.

CHAPTER10

Olivia

“Oh my goodness. He’s so adorable,” I whisper as I look through a reel of photos on Lincoln’s phone, all of them pictures of his son, ranging from newborn to now. I don’t know what they put in the water here in Tennessee that turns men into great fathers but between Bax’s family and now Lincoln bragging about their kids and showing off pictures, there must be something.

“Don’t let his cuteness fool you. He’s always up to something or trying to bring some stray animal home.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“You’d think so, but a week ago, he came across an injured vulture when he got off the bus and brought it home.”

“He didn’t.” I start to laugh.

“He did, then he expected me to nurse the damn thing back to life,” he says as I laugh so hard tears fill my eyes.

“Sorry, but I love that.” I wipe away the tears from my cheeks. “What did you do?”

“I took it to my parents' house and let them deal with it.” He smiles.

“Oh Lord, I bet your mom loved that.”

“Mom’s just as bad as my son, which is where he gets it from. The bird is still recovering in her backyard.”

I start to laugh again. “Your mom was always so sweet.”

“She’s still sweet.” He takes his cell phone I hold out to him and sets it on the table between us. Picking up his coffee, he studies me, shaking his head. “It’s so crazy seeing you after so many years. I really never thought I’d see you again.”

“We probably would have run into each other at some point when I came to visit, even if I didn’t move back.”

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