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“Sounds good. That will give me time to clean up a bit.”
“I’ll see you then.”
Chapter 14
Linc
“Cole?” I call out as I hurry into the house, Ella on my heels. I scan the entryway for anything that might be deemed messy.
I hadn’t expected Cole to be here when I arrived home, but his car is in the driveway. He must have finished whatever he’d needed to do at work and come home early. I’m surprised he didn’t text me to see if I needed him to get Ella. He normally would. But it’s not like Ella is his daughter. It’s not his responsibility to babysit her whenever I need him to. But I don’t have time to think about that right now. Harlow is coming over. To my house. For dinner.Shit.Ella kicks off her shoes and tosses her pink backpack to the floor. I grab her before she can run off.
“Nope,” I say, pointing to the shoes and backpack.
She deflates slightly, but she’s still grinning as she pushes the shoes into the small cubby under the bench. Then, she hangs her backpack neatly on the hook I installed specifically for her. The hook she never uses, opting instead to toss her backpack to the floor every day. Normally, I don’t make a big deal of it, but today is different. Due to Ella’s insistence, we have a guest coming for dinner. My stomach clenches tight with nerves that I try to ignore. I make my way into the living room, straightening the throw pillows on the couch.
“Cole!” I call again, making my way into the kitchen.
Luckily the kitchen is practically spotless. Cole must have cleaned up the breakfast dishes while we were gone. I thank my lucky stars for that small miracle.
“Cole!” I practically bark his name this time.
He walks into the kitchen, looking slightly flustered. “Why are you screaming like a maniac?”
He looks like he just got home from a workout. His skin is flushed and he’s wearing gym shorts and no shirt. He looks a little sweaty. I’m guessing he was about to get into the shower. Not that I have time to question where he’s been or what he’s been doing. I move to the refrigerator to start pulling out ingredients.
“Someone’s coming for dinner,” I say, not looking up from what I’m doing.
“Who?” Cole asks, coming up beside me to snag a bottle of water from the refrigerator door.
I don’t answer right away, not ready for the interrogation I’m sure to get once he finds out that the dinner guest is Harlow. I move a gallon of milk aside and spot the leftover roast chicken from last night. Bingo! I can use it to make a pot pie. Does Harlow eat chicken? Shit. I think I remember her eating chicken wings at Peach Fuzz with Piper once. I shrug, pulling the chicken out of the fridge to set it on the counter. I’m making a mental list of ingredients when I feel a solid thump on my shoulder. I turn to find my brother glaring at me.
“Earth to Lincoln,” he says, raising his brows.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“I asked who’s coming to dinner,” he repeats.
“Oh,” I say, dropping my gaze back to the interior of the refrigerator. “Harlow,” I mutter in a low voice.
“What’s that?” Cole asks. “I couldn’t hear you with your face stuffed into the fridge.”
He tugs on my shoulder, and I turn to face him. His eyes hold a hint of amusement mixed with curiosity. “Who did you say?”
I sigh. “Harlow,” I say, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance. But Cole’s eyes light up immediately.
"Holy shit." Cole says, eyeing me.
“Shut up,” I say, pushing him away and closing the fridge door. I turn to make my way upstairs to change clothes, but of course, Cole follows me.
“Dude,” he says, a hint of awe in his voice. “It’s finally happening.”
I sigh as I make my way up the stairs, Cole on my heels. “Nothing is happening. Ella invited her and she couldn’t tell her no.”
Cole scoffs. “Details,” he says dismissively. “It’s happening. You finally have a date with Harlow.”
“It’s not a date,” I say, ignoring the way his words make my heart speed up.
“Close enough,” he says.
