35. Lincoln
35
LINCOLN
I wanted to wake up to lazy sex and make Arden breakfast in bed. Instead, I woke to loud, incessant knocking.
Arden rolled over and pulled a pillow over her head. “Make them go away. It’s not even dawn.”
It was well past dawn, given the sunlight streaming in through the half-open curtains. But my girl was dramatic when it came to mornings. Glancing at the clock, I was relieved to see the power had come back on sometime during the night.
I tugged the pillow off her head as the knocking continued. “Where’s your phone?” Given everything that had happened over the past couple of weeks, checking her camera feeds wasn’t a bad idea.
Arden scowled at me, trying to take the pillow back. “I dunno. In the studio, I think. Remember? If you ignore them, they’ll go away.”
“Or they’ll break down the door because they think you’ve been kidnapped.”
“Whatever.” Arden pulled the covers over her head.
Apparently, I was on my own. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood and crossed to my duffel in the corner. I found a pair of sweats and pulled them on, heading for the source of the knocking, Brutus hot on my heels.
“Coming!” I yelled. “Keep your pants on.”
Unlocking the door, I pulled it open to find Cope’s annoyed face. That annoyance morphed into something more like anger as his gaze swept over me. “Why are you answering my sister’s door shirtless?”
Well, shit.
Little Luca peeked around Cope, a look of confusion on his face. “Are you going swimming?”
Brutus let out a happy bark and went to the boy as I fought not to laugh. “Yeah, little dude. I’m going swimming.”
“I’ll go with you,” Luca offered as he hugged the dog. “I love swimming.”
Sutton, who was standing a step back, choked on a laugh. “Can never go wrong with a little swimming.”
Cope whirled on his fiancée. “This isn’t funny.”
Sutton’s turquoise eyes twinkled. “I don’t know. It’s a little funny.”
“I’m missing something…” Luca mumbled.
“Why don’t you guys come inside?” I offered, gesturing them in.
Cope stalked past me. “I don’t need you to invite me into my sister’s house.”
“Geez,” Luca muttered. “He’s grumpy. Never knew he didn’t like swimming that much.”
I patted the boy on the shoulder. “Me either.”
Sutton just giggled.
“Warrior,” Cope growled.
“You don’t get to dictate what I laugh at, Hotshot,” she called.
Cope grumbled something under his breath just as a door slammed. Footsteps pounded down the hall, and a very rumpled-looking Arden appeared. “What the he—ck is going on?”
Cope looked from his sister to me and back again, taking in her wrinkled tee and sleep shorts. That thunderous look took over again. “I feel like I should be asking you that question.”
Arden crossed her arms and arched a brow. “Should you, now? ”
Oh, hell. Cope needed to abort mission now. It didn’t matter that he was still healing from a gunshot wound; Arden would kick his ass.
Cope’s shoulders straightened, and I didn’t miss how much easier he was moving. “I fly down to check on my sister because”—he glanced at Luca, clearly not wanting to share what was going on—“I missed her, and I find my best friend and boss in her house, half-dressed.”
Luca stared up at Cope. “He’s going swimming. Whatya got against swimming? I thought you liked it.”
Surprise lit Arden’s features as Sutton stifled another giggle. Sutton wrapped an arm around Luca’s shoulders. “Why don’t we go make some scones for everyone?”
“Maybe a snack’ll make Cope less grumpy,” Luca mumbled, motioning for Brutus to come with him.
They moved toward the kitchen as Cope crossed into Arden’s space. “What the hell is going on?”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Arden shot back. “You do not get to come in here and act all overprotective-big-brother because you don’t like who I have in my bed.”
Cope made a gagging noise. “Dear God, stop. I do not need those mental images.”
“You’re the one who asked, so that’s just karma.”
I moved into Arden’s space and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against my side. Dropping a kiss to her head, I whispered, “He’s just worried about you.”
“Well, his caveman is showing,” Arden whisper-hissed. “And the caveman is an asshole.”
My lips twitched. “Fucking cute.”
“I’m mad, not cute.”
“You can be both.” I gave her a quick kiss. “But maybe you can do that after you spend some time with your brother since he came all this way.”
Arden sighed and looked back at Cope. “Are you okay? Your shoulder all right with the trip?”
Cope’s gaze ping-ponged between the two of us before landing back on Arden. “Okay, who are you, and what did you do with my sister?”
“She’s gotten agreeable,” I said, humor lacing my tone.
Arden glared up at me. “I have not.”
“Okay, agreeable when she doesn’t get woken up before noon,” I said, kissing her once more.
“Why are you kissing Auntie Arden?” Luca called from the kitchen.
“Yeah,” Cope said, a mock glare on his face. “Why are you kissing her?”
I didn’t think Cope or Luca would appreciate me saying, “ Because she tastes good ,” so I went with another truth. “Because she’s my favorite.”
Arden’s gray-violet eyes softened as she looked up at me. “You’re my favorite, too, Cowboy.”
It might not be an I love you, but it was her version of it. And I’d take that and run.
Luca’s face screwed up. “But not more favorite than me, right?”
Arden laughed, and it was the light and husky one. “No one could be more favorite than you. But you haven’t even hugged me yet.”
“I forgot,” Luca yelled, running from the kitchen into the living room.
Arden caught him on the fly, hoisting him into the air, even though he was almost too big. She tickled his side, making him squeal and her laugh harder as she carried him toward the kitchen.
“Hell,” Cope whispered, closer to me now. “You’re gone for her, aren’t you?”
I didn’t look at my friend; I couldn’t tear my gaze from Arden. Only it wasn’t Luca she held in my mind; it was our little one. A girl with her eyes and smile. I saw a whole future in that moment, a life playing out in that hazy mist between reality and imagination.
“I’ve been gone for her from the moment she held that knife to my neck.”
Cope cursed.
I forced my gaze from her and looked at my friend. Because he deserved my honesty. “I wouldn’t have gone there if she didn’t mean something to me. And now? Now, she means everything.”
Cope stared at me for a long moment, likely taking stock of every micro-expression on my face. “You’ll keep an eye on her?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.” There was no doubt in those words, only complete certainty. Because if anyone tried to hurt a hair on Arden’s head, I’d end them.