“Just that she was back, and had spoken to you on the phone about it. She knew you live here now, and offered to bring yourfavorite chili over.” I was proud to keep the wobble out of my voice, that I was able to get it all out before melting down. He reached for my hands, his large ones encasing mine completely.
“I’m so sorry, Sunshine. She shouldn’t have gotten anywhere near you. I don’t know where she got all that information, but the only true thing she said was that we spoke on the phone.” I gasped and tried to pull my hands away, but he stayed firm.
“It was for less than a minute. She called from a number I didn’t recognize. As soon as I realized it was her, I told her I wasn’t interested in seeing or hearing from her. Theonlyreason I didn’t tell you was because I forgot. She called me right before Lou’s accident. With everything that happened after, it just slipped my mind. Not because I wanted to hide it, but because it meant so little to me. My focus was on you and Lou, making sure my girls were okay.” I looked into his eyes, which were unwavering, begging me to believe him. Every part of his body was taut, lined with anger and stress.
“Okay,” I replied.
“Okay?” he asked, looking confused.
“I believe you,” I told him, because I had no reason not to. He was out of his chair and moving toward me in an instant. Crouching before my chair, he pulled me into his arms, surrounding me completely.
“I would never cheat on you. Can’t imagine looking at another woman. You’re all I think about when we’re together and when we’re apart. I’m so sorry that something from my past touched you, and I will figure out what she’s up to. Whatever you need from me, so you feel comfortable knowing nothing is happening, I’m happy to give,” he whispered into my hair, a slight tremor in his hands.
“I love you, Linc. And I trust you. I don’t need to see anything. You don’t have to show me receipts. That being said, I don’t know if I trust Lindsey. If she contacts you again, I need to know so I’m not blindsided.”
“Of course. I won’t fuck up again. I promise,” he swore, the anger at himself written all over his face. I cupped his cheek andpressed a soft kiss to his lips, enjoying the feeling of comfort and safety that he surrounded me with. I shared a bit more of my concerns—ones I was hesitant to say out loud.
“Something about this feels wrong, and I can’t figure out exactly what it is. She wasn’t threatening or anything. The whole meeting was just weird. Am I being paranoid? Maybe all of this drama with Max and Natalia has me seeing things that aren’t there,” I muttered, my mind going to the repressed concerns I’d had since my divorce. That my perception was permanently skewed, that I couldn’t trust my instincts.
“Sophie, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, and I will let you know if I so much as smell her. We’re a team. We make decisions together. Thank you for coming to me, for believing in us enough to talk to me about this. Anything that comes up, anything you’re worried about or afraid of, please tell me. I want to know. I need to know so I can be the best man possible to support you. To make sure you don’t have any reason to doubt us, to doubt my love for you.”
Lincoln
As soon as Sophie went upstairs to help Lou with her homework, I called Mason.
“Detective Carson,” he answered, all business.
“Need you to look into Lindsey. All of a sudden, she moved back to town, and her first play was cornering Sophie. I don’t like it.”
“Damn. Nothing’s easy with you, is it bro?” Mason jested, but I knew he was the best person to handle it.
“I want to know everything. Finances, cell phone records. All of it. I need to know the real reason she’s here. She swore she would never come back,” I told him, trying to keep my voice low so I didn’t give in to the anger radiating under my skin.
“Alright, I’ll get my guy on it. He’s a PI. Former police, knows how to work the gray area. Will call you as soon as I have anything. Want me to drive by and check on the house when I’m offmy shift?” he asked, and I paused.
“Not yet, but I might take you up on that if Lindsey tries to approach either of my girls again,” I told him.
“Your girls? Goddamnit. Quinn is gonna win the bet.” He cursed, and I frowned.
“What bet?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know what my siblings were getting into.
“How long it would take you to admit you were in love with Sophie. Quinn said you’d get your head out of your ass soon. I thought you might be stuck a bit longer.”
“Fuck off, both of you. Now, do what I asked and help protect my family. We clear?” I told him, wanting him to focus on the real threat.
“You got it, Papa Bear. I’ll call you later.” He hung up before I could reply, and I took a breath. I needed to shake it off, go up, and say hello to Lou without letting Lindsey taint our time together. I was starting a forty-eight-hour shift that night, and I didn’t want to ruin what little time I had before that.
It was spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, Lou failing miserably at keeping her pasta on the fork, insisting on using the arm with the cast. It was a simple meal, but I loved every moment of it. The soft looks Sophie shot me as I helped Lou actually eat some of her food instead of wearing it. Lou chatting away about her day. It was what I wanted. This is what I would fight to protect.
The first night of my shift was kind of quiet. We were only called out twice; once for a minor traffic accident, and the second for an overheated generator. Once back at the firehouse, I tried to get some sleep, but my mind wouldn’t turn off. Worry about Lindsey, Max, and Helen whirled around me. There was an early call for a standard safety inspection, then it was back to the station house. I was starving, and since Robbie was on kitchen duty, I wanted first dibs. Shedding my gear, I headed through the station house with only food on my mind.
“Linc!” a high-pitched voice cooed, a hand with long fake nails latching onto my arm. I turned quickly and had to blink as Irealized it was Lindsey standing before me. It was strange how someone could look so different but still exactly the same.
As if she were stuck in a time capsule, Lindsey was dressed exactly like she would have when we were in high school. In a tight shirt that looked like it belonged to a toddler, her belly button ring was visible and dangling. Her overly blonde hair was lighter than it was when we grew up, almost white now. There wasn’t enough sun on the entire West Coast to give her the orange tan that seemed layered on top of her skin. It felt like I was looking at a drawing of her, a memory.
“What is this? How did you even get in here” I asked, eyeing her with distrust. She batted her lashes, her smile faltering for a second before she pasted it back on.
“Linc, baby, come on. I just told one of the guys that we were old friends and he let me right through” Before I could realize what she was doing, her hand was sliding down my chest as she stepped closer to me. She was standing on her tiptoes, as if leaning in for a kiss, when I finally stumbled back, detangling myself from her tentacles.
