“She did. There was a ‘datus interruptus’ incident with Mimi—”
“Speaking of interrupting . . . how about you let me explain what happened to my sister while you go put some clothes on.”
“My clothes are right here. I’ll get dressed when you’re in the kitchen starting the coffee.”
“You are such a pain in my ass.” Before I headed to the kitchen I said, “I left a toothbrush in the guest bathroom for you.”
“Thanks, my teeth are as fuzzy as my head. How much Diet Mountain Dew did we drink last night?”
“You drank a two-liter bottle by yourself.”
“Better that than a two-liter bottle of whiskey, huh?”
“Word.”
In the kitchen I held Lindsey off until I started the coffee. Then I gave her an abbreviated version of events, including the surprise he’d sprung that we were about to become neighbors.
Oddly she didn’t jump in and voice her opinion, which freaked me out a little.
“What?”
“So all is well between you and Jax?” she finally asked.
“Better than it has been. Why?”
“Because you two are back to doing the bicker and flirt thing that served as foreplay.”
“It’s not foreplay.” Was it?
“Don’t you think it’ll be weird having him living so close? I mean, say Mimi is staying with him upstairs and she forgets her pajamas. Instead of sending Mimi down to retrieve them, Jax grabs the key and pops in here unannounced. What if you’re doing the nasty with your date on the couch? Talk about the ultimate ‘coitus interruptus’ courtesy of your ex.”
“Lindsey!”
“It could happen.” She cocked her head. “I was kinda hoping to show up and see that Damon had spent the night.”
“Why would you say that? You don’t even like Damon.”
“What I don’t like is the fact you’re ignoring your sexual needs. Now that Jax has Mimi on the weekends, you should be reconnecting with your inner slut—”
“Enough. Speak for yourself, ho-bag.” I held my hand out. “And give me my key back. Right now.”
Lindsey grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a hug. “Fine. I’ll shut it.”
No surprise she didn’t return my key.
Jax walked past us, snatched a cup from the mug tree. He filled the cup and slammed it before facing us. “Much better.” He gave my sister a once-over. “Lindsey. You’re looking good.”
“Thanks, Jax. You’re looking mighty fine too, not getting chubby around the edges like most former pro athletes.”
He patted his super flat stomach. “My body is a temple and all that jazz.” He flashed her a grin when she rolled her eyes. “You want a cup of coffee?”
What was up with him acting like the host in my house?
“Right after I pour one for Lucy, of course,” he added, seeing my scowl.
“Sure. I’ll grab the selection of creamers, since Lucy can’t ever stick with just one kind.”
I scowled at my sister’s back. “I like a variety, okay?”
“I’m the same way with cheese,” Jax offered as he filled my “World’s Best Mom!” mug. “Some days I want sharp. Some days I want spicy. Some days I want creamy. Being indecisive . . . it’s easier to have a selection right at your fingertips.”
“You’re talking about snacking cheese?” Lindsey asked, continuing the bizarre conversation about dairy products.
Jax shrugged and grabbed the coconut and almond creamer. “I use it in cooking too.”
I said, “You cook?” and it slipped out like an accusation.
“Now I do.” He studied me as he stirred his coffee. “Meems hasn’t said anything about us eating at home for most meals?”
“I don’t expect a full report on everything you two do. I assumed when she said you ate at home that you’d had takeout or delivery.”
“Really? You have so little faith in me, Luce?”
“Oh, don’t act indignant,” I retorted. “You barely knew how to use the microwave when we were together, say nothing of knowing how to cook a full meal.”
“True. But it’s different now. I took cooking classes in Chicago after I sobered up. I needed a productive hobby to fill my hours off the ice.” He sent me a sheepish smile.
Don’t smile back. Lindsey will think something is going on between you.
But that sweet grin did it for me every time and I smiled back.
Then I noticed Lindsey rooting around in the fridge.
She piled a carton of eggs, a bag of sharp cheddar cheese, a green onion, a package of crumbled bacon and a gallon of milk on the counter. “Prove it, Jax. Fix us breakfast.”
To him, I said, “Ignore her.”
To Lindsey, I said, “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What? He said he can cook.”
“That doesn’t mean he wants to cook for you on command, dumbass.”
Jax set his hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Luce. I’ll make omelets if everyone is cool with that.”
“Fine by me,” Lindsey piped up.
I sighed. “Some days I envy Mimi being an only child.”
“Hey!”
But Jax was looking at me oddly. Probably because he didn’t know where anything was in my kitchen. While I stacked a cutting board, knife, mixing bowl, whisk and pan on the counter, Lindsey started another pot of coffee.
And I still felt Jax watching me intently. Rather than snapping, “What?” I ignored him. Or tried to. But the man took up a lot of space. After the third time I smacked into him, I opted to sit at the breakfast bar, out of the way.
Lindsey hopped up next to me. “I’m beat.”
“Then why did you show up here so early?”
“I was hoping Damon had spent the night so I could force him into a walk of shame. We both know you’re too nice to tell someone when they’ve overstayed their welcome.”
Thwak sounded against the cutting board.
“Sorry,” Jax said smoothly. “My knife slipped.”
“As soon as you’re done stuffing your face, take off. You’ve overstayed your welcome, sis.” I nudged Lindsey with my shoulder. “See? I’m not that nice.”
Jax might’ve mumbled something too low for me to hear.
“Yay! Go you, showing that bossy side.” She nudged me back. “I’m so damn proud.”
Proud. I snorted. At least drama girl hadn’t knuckled away a fake tear.
“So do you guys have plans today?” she asked Jax.
“We’re having brunch with my family,” Jax said as he cracked eggs one handed.
One handed! Even I couldn’t do that, and I had much smaller hands than he did.
Wait a second . . . I glanced up at him. “I thought we were meeting Nolan, and then you and Mimi were having brunch with your whole family, not me.”
“If I don’t get to skip out on it, neither do you.”
I watched him whip the eggs and milk and deftly pour the lemon-colored froth into the pan.
Without any shame whatsoever, Lindsey said, “I like brunch.”
“You’re welcome to come too,” Jax said, never taking his focus off his omelet.
“Is Nolan going to be there?”
That got Jax’s attention. “Yeah. Why?”
“Uh, have you seen your brother? That man is hawt. Like rawr. There’s a tiger beneath those fancy-ass clothes he wears. I wouldn’t mind rattling his cage a little.”
“For god’s sake, Lindsey. Show some dignity.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Jax laughed. “It’s brunch with the Lund Collective at the club, so you’d have to be somewhat circumspect.”
“All the Lunds?” Lindsey scowled. “Pass.”
He finally looked at me. “We’ll k
eep brunch short. We literally have a lot of ground to cover with Mimi today.”
“Then we’re on the same page.”
“Good.” He sprinkled the bacon, onion and shredded cheese on one half of the bubbling egg circle and folded it in half. After adding a little water, he placed the lid on top. He lifted a brow at me. “Might wanna get the plates out.”
“Ah. Sure.”
As deftly as a professional chef, he slid the omelet onto a plate and added a final flourish of toppings before handing the plate to me. “Enjoy.”
“Looks almost too good to eat, Jax. Thanks.”
He smiled shyly and ducked his head, like he was . . . embarrassed.
Oh fuck me.
I could handle aloof Jax just fine.
I could handle angry Jax just fine.
I could handle asshole Jax just fine.
But humble Jax, who not only cooked, but fed me first?
Resisting that Jax would be impossible.
When he watched me take the first bite and my response was a loud “mmm-mmm”—I swear the tension left his shoulders and he released a relieved exhale. Then I got that gooey melting sensation again, seeing that it’d mattered to him that I’d liked what he’d prepared.
Thankfully Lindsey kept up a steady stream of chatter during our impromptu breakfast since neither Jax nor I seemed inclined to talk.
Lindsey tackled the dishes while I changed into appropriate “brunch with the Lunds” attire—a plaid wool skirt, a burgundy Henley, a fisherman’s cardigan flecked with gray, burgundy and black, and a pair of heeled boots. As I debated whether or not to braid my hair, Lindsey showed up in my bathroom.
She whistled. “Lookit you, hot mama. How you can make conservative clothes look sexy is a gift, sis, truly.”
“Thanks. Think I should braid my hair?”
“No. You just need to fluff it up a bit. Here. Let me help.” As she finger combed and rearranged my part, she said, “You put on a dress, did full hair and makeup on a Sunday. You sure you’re putting in the extra effort for the Lunds? Or is it just one Lund in particular?”
Our eyes met in the mirror. Eyes identical to mine, but that was where our physical similarities ended. Lindsey had pale brown hair that she’d dyed a hundred different colors over the years. Right now her short bob was reddish black, as if she’d dipped her head into a vat of black cherry Kool-Aid mix. She topped me by four inches, and she was stick thin with enormous boobs, which she showcased at every opportunity. Luckily for her, her position as manager for a wholesale candy distributor meant a more casual approach to clothing styles.
“Don’t clam up on me now,” she warned, suddenly brandishing a flat iron at me.
“Fine. Yes, I’m dressing up because all of my bosses from LI will be at this shindig and I can’t look like a bum.”
“And that’s the only reason?”
“No. I’m showing up with Jax, who rolls out of bed looking like a million bucks, and I’ve always felt people staring at us, judging me, wondering why he’s with me.”
“Lucy, I don’t—”
“You don’t know what it was like to be the object of pity. I can say his cheating was his issue and no reflection on me a thousand times, but my confidence took a major hit. So I feel more confident when I put in extra effort with my outer appearance.”
“But you’re not in a relationship with Jax.”
“Exactly.”
Lindsey looked confused.
And there wasn’t enough time to delve into my neurosis, so I redirected the conversation. “I haven’t heard from Mom this week. Have you?”
“Yeah.” Snatching the can of hair spray, she aimed and fired, fogging up the entire bathroom in the process. “She and Benny were at the Grand Canyon. They had issues with the motor home, and the part wasn’t coming in until tomorrow, so they were going white-water rafting.” She paused. “Can you imagine?”
“God no. I never imagined Mom would contradict every bit of advice she’d ever given us, fall for a recently divorced guy a decade older than her, buy a motor home with him and flit off to travel the US together.”
“Mom’s relationship advice was based on her relationship with one man, Luce. Dad was a tool. Because of him, she made absolutes about how all men behaved, and stuck by her convictions until she met Benny and he turned them all upside down.”
“I’m happy for her. But I miss her. Mimi does too.”
“Now that Mimi has a cell phone, she can FaceTime with Grandma, right?”
“I’ll have to ask about that since it’s a security thing. And don’t get your panties in a twist if your number isn’t programmed into her phone,” I warned.
“Panties. Puh-lease. No granny panties for me. I wear a thong, sista.”
“Which means your butt floss is always in a twist up the crack of your ass anyway.”
She laughed and hugged me from behind. “I love you, Lucille Evangeline Quade. You’re funny and sweet and patient. You are the best friend a sister could ever have, and I needed a dose of you today.”
I wrapped my arms across hers and leaned back, keeping our gazes locked in the mirror. “What happened, Linds?”
“Just another week where nothing panned out as I’d hoped.”
“A bad date?”
“It has nothing to do with a specific guy and everything to do with the fact I don’t have a man in my life.” She set her chin on my shoulder. “I thought I’d be married by now. Or at least settled in a long-term relationship. So every guy I’m even remotely attracted to . . . I wonder if I really like him, or if I’m so tired of waiting for Mr. Right that I’ll settle for any man who’s not a total jackass. Plus, my biological clock is ticking. I want a baby, but I don’t want to do the whole parenting thing on my own for so many years like you did. And like Mom did.”
“If you decide to go that route, you know I’ll be here and eager to help out any way that I can.”
Lindsey teared up. “Thank you. That’s still one of my biggest regrets, following dickhead to Milwaukee after Mimi was born and not being here for you.”
“I know. We’ve moved on from that. Put the past in the past, where it belongs.”
“Are you doing that with Jax for Mimi’s sake? Or for you on a personal level?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that.
“I don’t know Jax well. I never did. It was easy for me to hate him and his behavior in solidarity with you.” She paused. “But you never hated him, did you? Not even when he pulled all the bullshit with custody and fighting you on child support payments.”
“I was mad and hurt and worried about Mimi’s future, but no . . . I never hated him. How could I when the person I love most in the world shares half of his DNA? It’d be like hating half of my daughter.”
“You’re so much nicer than me,” Lindsey groused. “I hold a grudge forever. That little fucker Mikey Speerbraaten? If I saw him walking down the street, I’d jump outta my car and dick-punch him for cutting off my braid in second grade.”
I snickered. “I’d pay money to see that, sis.”
“Sorry for that digression. I’m just asking you to be careful, okay? Jax is hot and he’ll be living in your damn building. It’d be convenient to start up with him again.”
I started to deny it.
But Lindsey steamrolled right over me. “Don’t deny your attraction to him—I saw how you two were together. The man is sex on legs, and when he turns that charm on you, it’d be easy to get sucked in. He may act differently, but who’s to say that he has changed? But the good news is if he does hurt you again I know where he lives and I’d have no problem dick-punching him.”
“You’re welcome to try,” Jax drawled outside the bathroom door.
Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.
I couldn’t freaking believe that Jax had heard all that.
My cheeks flamed, my heart sped up and I wanted to tit-punch my sister for having zero filter and kick my own ass for forgetting—once again—that there was another person in my apartment.
“Oh, hey, Jax. We were just talking about you,” Lindsey said without missing a beat.
“So I heard.” He leaned against the doorjamb.
“Is eavesdropping a new skill you’ve practiced too?” I asked, somewhat crossly.
Jax’s eyes met mine in the mirror. “I wasn’t listening in. I just got off the phone with Nolan, and it seemed to be taking you for fucking ever to get ready, so I came to see what the holdup was.” His gaze traveled over my face, then he gave the rest of my body a thorough once-over before those stunning eyes reconnected with mine. “You look incredible, Lucy.”
I wasn’t expecting that or the way my body heated from his sexy perusal. “Thank you.”
“We’ve gotta get going. I still need to stop at my place and change before we check out those facilities. I figured it’d be better if we met Mimi early and talked to her together about what happened last night before we see the rest of the family.”
“Good idea.” I brushed past him. If Jax could ignore the elephant in the room, I could too.
But of course my sister couldn’t. I heard them speaking in fierce whispers, followed by Jax’s sharp bark of laughter.
I truly didn’t want to know what had transpired between them, so I didn’t ask.
Ten
JAX
The next couple of hours were so busy I didn’t have time to obsess about the conversation I’d overheard between Lucy and her sister. It wasn’t Lindsey threatening to dick-punch me that’d stuck in my mind; it was that Lucy hadn’t denied her attraction to me. Nor had she refuted her sister’s accusation that it’d be “convenient” getting intimately involved with me again.
On one hand . . . that was insulting.
On the other hand . . . I’d be anything Lucy needed, including convenient, if I had even the tiniest opportunity for a second chance with her. Now that I suspected that she wouldn’t slap me, knee me in the balls and yell, NO FUCKING WAY, WE’RE NEVER, EVER, EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER, if I let her know how I felt when the time was right, my outlook was vastly improved.
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