Page 63 of A Lonely Road
Pausing, I grabbed both her hands and pressed my lips to each palm before waiting for her to meet my eyes. “Sam said absolutely not when I offered. It’d be an insult to ignore her direct orders. In fact, it might even put my life in danger. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but we own a restaurant. Food is kind of what we do.”
Nora gave a strangled laugh, but she relaxed a little and I kept her hand wrapped tightly in mine. The driveway opened to a tidy little yard with a beautiful stone patio—I actually had a bit of patio-envy, though my deck was nice enough after sanding and refinishing it last summer. Casey, dressed in skinny jeans and a gauzy floral button-down, was busy flipping burgers on Sam’s impressive chrome grill.
When she let out a wolf whistle at the sight of Nora’s dress, I laughed and Nora blushed, then bobbed a cute little curtsy.
“Hey, lovebirds!” Casey called out. “Our illustrious hostess is just freshening up. No parental units have arrived just yet.”
Though her cheeks were still aflame, Nora laughed at the phrasing. “There’s a throwback,” she said. “Nice to see you again, Casey.”
The other woman saluted with her spatula. “It’s nice to see you too, Nora. You look very fetching this evening.” Her hazel eyes twinkled when I wrapped a possessive arm around Nora’s waist.
“Get your own woman, this one’s taken,” I growled.
“What do you think I’m doing here? I’ve got my own,” Casey said, smirking as my jaw dropped.
“That’s enough caveman for today,” Nora sang as she slipped away. “I’m going to see if Sam needs any help. Casey, maybe you two can arm wrestle or whatever it is Jake needs to work off that extra testosterone.”
Our laughter followed Nora as she opened the back door and called Sam’s name. When the door closed behind her, I joined Casey at the grill. She arched a brow, grinning at me, and I gave her my darkest scowl.
“What do you mean, you’ve got your own? Don’t tell me youfinallyasked my sister out on an actual date.”
Casey smirked. “Look, Lincoln, you know I don’t kiss and tell. You want details, ask your twin.”
“That is one thing I will absolutelynotdo.” My horrified expression melted into a smile. “But I’m happy for you both if there’s any kissing to not tell me about. It’s about time.”
“You know, buddy, not everyone can take one look at their soulmate and fall immediately, ridiculously in love,” she teased, but the words were filled with affection—and more truth than she could even know.
As I gazed toward the door where Nora had disappeared into the house, Casey reached over and squeezed my shoulder. I caught her hand and squeezed it in return, then yanked her into a headlock, which lasted all of three seconds before she broke my hold and brandished the spatula like a sword.
Whatever the evening had in store for us, we’d all weather it together. The night would end with Nora in my arms—with the promise of that kind of bliss, I had a feeling we could make it through anything life threw our way.
Chapter Thirty
Nora
“Hello?”
“In here,” Sam called.
I followed her disembodied voice up a few steps that led into a bright, compact kitchen. Our hostess was fussing with a fruit tray and wearing a red polka dot dress with a frothy petticoat underneath. When I appeared in the doorway, she beamed at me.
“Nora! I’m so glad you’re here. You look great,” she gushed.
“I love your dress,” I said with a smile. “I’m ashamed to admit this is the only one I own. I was hoping you might be up for another shopping expedition sometime soon. This time, I promise I’ll keep it together. I think it’s time to expand mywardrobe a bit.”
Sam popped a chunk of watermelon between her very red lips and blasted me with the full force of her dimple. “Need more clothes to fill a bigger closet over at Jake’s?” she asked, lowering her voice dramatically as she fluttered her lashes.
“I didn’t move in with him,” I protested, then I paused, frowning a little. “Okay, I mean, I sort of did, but not in an official kind of way?”
“Right. You’re just staying there indefinitely, sleeping in my brother’s bed, and keeping all of your stuff over there,” Sam deadpanned.
I choked on a laugh. “Okay, fine. That sounds accurate, yes. Regardless, I’d definitely like to freshen up my wardrobe. While we’re on the subject, do you and Casey always hang out this much?”
Sam shrugged, but her eyes twinkled. “We’ve all been friends a long time.”
“And by that you mean you’re dodging the question?”
“Absolutely, I am,” Sam replied. “Now, if you’ll grab that stack of plates, we can bring these out and get this party started.”
