Page 23 of The Pilot

“I have the video,” Harper said.

“What? You do?”

“Yup. He got a camera for the front door when Kash and I moved back home. He said he wanted us to feel safe. I downloaded the video from my phone and saved it. It’s priceless. Here, I’ll show you.” Harper slipped her phone out of her back pocket and walked over to where Linc stood in the kitchen. She pulled up the video and leaned toward him so they could watch it at the same time.

It wasn’t until Evelyn’s voice was echoing through the room that Harper realized just how close she and Linc were standing. He’d put his arm around her waist, seemingly without thought, and she was leaning into him. Since they were the same height, their cheeks were practically touching as they watched his mom point her finger in Victor’s face and order him to show up to Thanksgiving, “or else.”

She also told him they were neighbors, and it was way past time they started acting like it. Adding that she felt Kash was as much her grandson as he was Victor’s, and she didn’t want the boy feeling torn about which grandparent to spend the holiday with.

She said some other stuff, which was as funny as it was endearing, but Harper stopped paying attention. She couldn’t think about anything other than how . . . right it felt to basically be in Linc’s arms. He was warm, muscular, and smelled so darn good. Harper wanted to turn her head and bury her nose in his neck.

She refrained . . . barely. This was the first time she’d been this close to the man, and it was taking every ounce of strength she had not to sag into him.

She felt more at home in his arms than she had in any other man’s embrace. Ever. And that thought scared the shit out of her. This was Lincoln Young. The man she’d tormented. The guy who’d selflessly invited her and Kash to stay with him so she wouldn’t feel the need to sleep in her minivan to get away from her overbearing father.

The man she was discovering she liked. A lot. Like . . . a lot a lot.

“My mom,” Linc said with a small chuckle that seemed to reverberate through Harper.

Harper stepped away from him more abruptly than she’d intended. Ignoring the confused look on Linc’s face, she managed to return his smile. She hoped it looked more natural than it felt. “Yeah, so as far as I know, Dad’s still coming over tomorrow. If he doesn’t show, I’ll go over there and get him. Or maybe I’ll send Kash.”

“If he doesn’t show, I’ll go over there and drag his ass to Lobster Cove. My mom’s worked her butt off for this Thanksgiving, and she’s looking forward to him being there as much as she is the rest of us.”

Harper was still feeling a bit off kilter from her sort-of embrace with Linc, and she desperately wanted to change the subject to something safer . . . for her own peace of mind. “Have you talked to Kash about school in the last couple days? Every time I ask about it, all I get is ‘It’s fine.’”

“Not yet, but I thought I’d take him to the airfield like he’s been begging me to, on Saturday. Ever since I told him that’s what I liked to do when I was his age, he’s been asking if I’ll take him. I figured since you’d be working, and I need a break from paint fumes, it would be a good day for it. I thought I’d try talking to him then.”

Harper wanted to cry, and she wasn’t sure why. Maybe she was still reeling from her close encounter—and the realization that she had a crush on the man—but it took an immense amount of control to keep the tears from falling. “I trust you, Linc. I know you’ll tread carefully.”

“Of course I will.”

“He looks up to you so much. Admires you.”

Linc shrugged as he turned back to the casserole he’d apparently made the night before. He was putting it in the oven to warm it up before they dug into it. “I’m nobody special.”

Harper couldn’t and wouldn’t put up with this man saying things like that. She took a step toward him without thought and put her hand on his back.

He turned his head toward her.

“You can’t really think that,” she said with a small frown.

Linc finished fiddling with the oven timer and turned to face her. Harper’s hand, still connected with him, was now resting on his chest. They were standing toe-to-toe and staring into each other’s eyes. It was nice, not having to crane her neck to look up or down at him. They were the perfect height together. Their bodies would line up flawlessly.

She wasn’t sure if he’d gotten closer, or if she’d made the move, but suddenly there was only a hairsbreadth between them. One of his hands rose to rest on her hip, and the other brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek.

“I’m not special,” he insisted. “I’m antisocial, except when it comes to my family. I’d rather spend my time here, being a hermit in my house, than going out and trying to improve my community. I’ve got demons, Harper. Demons you have no idea about. Couldn’t even imagine.”

“We all have them,” she insisted.

But Linc shook his head. “Not like mine.”

She frowned, and somehow her hand slid upward until it had curled around the back of his neck, her other hand now on his chest. Now they were touching from their chests to their hips. Both his arms were around her, hands clasped together at the small of her back. She licked her lips, and she couldn’t help but notice how his gaze immediately dropped to watch.

“Related to what happened? Your crash?” she whispered.

“Yes.”

It was one word, yet Harper couldn’t help but feel pleased that he was opening up to her. “Do you want to talk about it?”