Page 22 of Legacy

I’m still wrapping my head around the club and everything Tempe and Luna told me, but again, I get that sense of family I didn’t expect.

Maybe Margaret is right. She knows Jesse. She’s worked for him for five years. If she thinks I should give him a chance, I will. After all, it’s either that or return to Glendale.

My spine tingles with the thought.

“Everything okay back home, dear?” Margaret’s eyes narrow, and I swear she can read my mind. “Are you taking care of yourself?”

“I’m fine.” I force a smile. “It’s fine.”

She nods, humming, but I sense her seeing more than I want her to.

Patting her hand, I stand up. “Get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Of course.” Margaret watches me cross to the door. “Thank you for helping me out, Reagan. I hated to ask but—”

“No thanks necessary.” I cut her off, forcing a smile. “You know I’d do anything for you.”

For the one person who was a constant in my childhood. The woman who held my hand at my father’s funeral when my mom was too brokenhearted to do it. Margaret didn’t live with us, but she was there in every way that counts.

A sad smile climbs my cheeks as I watch her sink back into the covers. I’m used to Margaret’s energy filling an entire room. Her smile cutting through the stormiest days. But right now, she feels so dim and fragile.

And what hurts worse than seeing her like this is knowing things aren’t going to get better.

We’ll keep her comfortable.

That’s what the doctor told me when I called to inquire about her prescriptions this afternoon.

There’s nothing else they can do.

I quietly close the door and pause facing it, schooling my expression. Tears burn behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Crying won’t do any good right now. Margaret was strong for me, so that’s what I’ll be for her.

Resilient.

Present.

Whether it pisses Jesse off or not.

Walking down the hallway, I hear movement in the kitchen.

Jesse was putting Bea to bed when I checked on Margaret, but he must be downstairs again. I turn the corner and try not to notice how casual he looks now that he’s stripped off his cut. His gray T-shirt hugs his thick shoulders and molds to every muscle. His back is to me, giving me a clear view of how his jeans hug his ass, and I quickly spin toward the living room the second he starts to turn so he doesn’t catch me looking.

This man’s muscles are obscene.

It’s so damn irritating.

Dropping my chin, I hope my hair hides my cheeks so he can’t see how easily affected I am by the look of him. I grab my book as I drop onto the couch and hold it to shield my face from him. But just as I do, my phone pings with a text.

Lincoln: Where are you?

Lincoln: Your car is gone, and your neighbor said they haven’t seen you since yesterday.

I knew it was only a matter of time before he checked up on me, but it’s been less than forty-eight hours, and he’s already interrogating my neighbor.

My teeth clench as I swipe away the text, not responding. I’ve made my intentions clear, but he’s not accepting it. And instead of getting the hint that there was nothing more than our single date, he’s escalating by the day.

“Everything okay?”

Jesse’s sudden nearness makes me jump. I shove my phone underneath me as he circles into the room, hoping he didn’t see my screen. He strikes me as someonewho will ask questions if he senses trouble, and I don’t need to give him any more reasons to kick me to the curb.

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