Rush

by Deborah Bladon

  Inching closer to us, Emma catches my eye. “So you do know each other?”

  Before I have a chance to respond to that, she continues. “He was talking to Lester in the lobby when I came back from the bodega. I went to get some bubble bath, but they were out.”

  “Tough luck,” Gavin offers with a glance at her.

  Emma shrugs. “It wasn’t meant to be. Anyways, Lester called me over and mentioned that I was staying with you. So Gavin asked if he could come up, but I explained that you were having dinner with a woman at Nova at seven. Then Lester said your date must have been canceled because you just got home, so I thought, why not surprise you by bringing your cousin up here to see you?”

  Gavin looks over his shoulder at Emma before his gaze focuses back on me. “What she said.”

  I’d forgotten how Lester hovers so he can overhear everything that happens in the lobby. He must have been listening when I was making a reservation for two. Lester didn’t realize that the head chef at Nova owed me a favor. A happily married couple is enjoying a well-deserved gourmet meal on the house tonight.

  Reaching for my shirt, I slip it on. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”

  “No,” Emma answers before Gavin can get his mouth open.

  Fuck.

  The question was directed at my cousin, not Drake’s sister.

  Gavin turns around to face Emma. “Do you like pasta?”

  “Who doesn’t?” she asks with a smile.

  Jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward me, Gavin huffs out a laugh. “Cason.”

  Shaking my head, I button my shirt. “Fuck you, Fuller. You’re thinking of Calvetti’s, aren’t you?”

  That turns him back to face me. “I know from experience that you won’t find authentic Italian food like that on the west coast.”

  I’d argue the point, but I see no need. If I’ve missed anything about this city, it’s the food at Calvetti’s.

  Grabbing my suit jacket, I point at the door. “Let’s go.”

  “Can I get a minute to change my clothes?” Emma asks hopefully.

  “Take all the time you need,” Gavin replies. “Case and I have some catching up to do.”

  “I’ll be quick,” she says before she crosses the room toward the hallway.

  Gavin’s gaze follows her every move, so I poke him in the chest.

  “What the fuck?” He takes a step back. “Who is she, and more importantly, why the hell is she living here?”

  “She’s not,” I answer as I slide my jacket back on. “She’s Drake’s sister.”

  His brows perk. “That’s Whitney?”

  “Emma,” I correct him.

  He takes a second to register that. “That’s Emma Owens? What’s going on between you two?”

  “What the hell do you think?” I shoot back.

  “I think she’s your best friend’s sister so you’re behaving yourself.” He tugs on the lapels of my jacket to straighten it. “So, what’s she doing here with you?”

  “Bad timing,” I answer smoothly. “She came to New York to surprise Drake.”

  Furrowing his brow, his gaze darts to the hallway and the closed guestroom door. “Why would she come here when he’s taken off to get hitched?”

  “She didn’t know.”

  “She didn’t know?” he repeats. “All of Manhattan knew. You knew. How the fuck did she not know?”

  It’s a question that I don’t have an answer to. I won’t have an answer until Drake gets in touch, and I have no idea when that will be.

  Chapter 9

  Emma

  Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I smile. I look nice. I traded the white shorts for skinny black jeans and slipped a pink blazer over my T-shirt. With the addition of two silver necklaces and a brush of my hair, I look good.

  It’s not Manhattan chic, but it will have to do.

  Sliding on the only pair of heels I brought with me, I spin in a circle.

  This is the first time I’ve gone out to dinner in New York with anyone but Drake.

  I never expected that I’d be heading to a restaurant with Case and his cousin, but I’m up for any adventure that falls in my path.

  Two good-looking, well-dressed men and a glass of red wine is the perfect end to this day.

  Cracking open the guestroom door an inch, I freeze when my phone buzzes in my purse.

  Anxiety crawls up my spine. I’ve been dodging text messages all day from my sister. Whitney wants to know how Drake is since he hasn’t answered any of her calls for the past two days.

  It’s not my place to tell her that he’s in Ireland celebrating his nuptials.

  I fish in my bag for my phone and glance at the screen.

  My heart rate kicks up.

  For the first time today, the incoming text isn’t from Whitney. It’s from my other sibling.

  Drake: Hey Em! You’re in NYC? WTF? We need to talk. Are you free in 10 minutes?

  Part of me wants to ignore his text.

  It’s well after midnight in Ireland. He might go to sleep soon, which means I could push back this conversation until tomorrow. That would give me time to calm down so I don’t say anything I’ll regret to my brother.

  He chose to get married without telling me. He must have had his reasons, so I need to hear him out.

  I will hear him out. Tonight.

  I shoot him back a quick message.

  Emma: I’m free.

  Clutching my phone in my palm, I open the door to find Case and Gavin standing at the entrance to the hallway.

  “Are you ready?” Gavin asks with a smile.

  The dimples must be a family trait. He’s just as good-looking as his cousin, but I don’t feel something deep inside of me light up when I look at Gavin.

  It’s there the moment my gaze shifts to Case.

  “My plans have changed.” I glance down at my phone. “I’m expecting an important call. I don’t want to miss it.”

  “Maybe another time?”

  I look up when Gavin asks the question. “Maybe.”

  “We’ll get out of here and give you some privacy, Emma.” Case turns to his cousin. “Let’s go.”

  Gavin stays in place even though Case has started walking to the door. “It was good to meet you, Emma. I’m sure I’ll see you around again.”

  I offer him a grin in response before I head back into the guestroom, shutting the door behind me.

  ***

  “Are you good, Em?”

  It’s how my brother starts every conversation we have. I almost always respond in the same way; I lay out everything that’s wrong in my life and then wait for him to offer advice for me to fix things.

  I don’t travel that route tonight because this conversation isn’t about what’s going on with me. It’s about the major life decision that Drake has made.

  “I’m fine,” I answer.

  I sit on the edge of the bed. My hands are trembling. Since I heard the apartment door shut behind Case and Gavin, I put the call on speaker.

  “How are you?” I ask him, hoping that it will lead to a confession.

  “Happier than I’ve ever been.” His voice is joyful. I can hear the emotion in every word. “I’m so fucking happy right now.”

  Tears form in my eyes.

  “Tell me why,” I whisper.

  I don’t know if Case gave Drake a heads-up that I know about his elopement, but I want to give my brother the chance to tell me in his own words. I need that. I sense he does do.

  “I’m getting married, Em.” His voice quakes. “Can you believe I’m getting married?”

  I thought he was married by now.

  “You’re getting married?” I manage to ask.

  “I can’t believe it either.” He laughs softly. “I thought you’d tie the knot before me.”

  Until recently, I thought that too.

  Keeping those words to myself, I drop my head and stay silent.

  I hear movement on his end and what sounds like a door shutting.r />
  “I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he goes on, his voice lowered. “She thinks we’re on a trip for my birthday, but I planned her dream wedding. She has always wanted to get married in a castle in Ireland, so I’m doing that for her. It’s just the two of us, but I’m going to throw the party to end all parties back in New York when things settle.”

  I cross my legs at the ankle. “She doesn’t know that she’s getting married?”

  “She has no fucking clue.” He exhales. “She pinned her dream dress to a board on Pinterest, so I tracked that down in her size. I arranged for a bouquet of her favorite flowers. I booked the castle. Ordered a three-tier chocolate cake and a string quartet. I did it all to surprise her.”

  If his bride-to-be doesn’t even know she’s getting married, how can I be angry with him for not telling me?

  This might be the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.

  “Her name is Jane, Em.” There’s an unmistakable crack in his voice when he says her name. “You’re going to love her.”

  If he does, I know I will.

  I’m gaining another sister.

  “Can I count on you to keep this between us?” he asks hopefully. “I want to tell mom and dad once I’m a married man, so give me a few days.”

  His birthday is in a few days. “Are you getting married on your birthday?”

  “That’s the plan.” He chuckles. “I can’t think of a better birthday gift than a lifetime with Jane.”

  “I won’t say a thing to mom or dad or Whitney ,” I stress our sister’s name. “You should at least text her, so she knows you’re alive, Drake.”

  “I’ll do that first thing in the morning.” He takes an audible breath. “I feel like shit knowing you’re in the city without me there. I swear I’ll make it up to you soon. I promise.”

  Drake has never broken a promise to me, but he doesn’t owe me a thing. I’m the one who showed up in New York without warning. “Please don’t feel badly.”

  “I need to end this now, Em. If Jane wakes up, she’ll come looking for me.”

  As much as I want to keep him on the line, I know I can’t. “I’m glad we got to talk, Drake.”

  “Me too, Em. I love you.”

  “I love you too,” I whisper before he ends the call.

  Chapter 10

  Case

  After having dinner with Gavin, I planned on taking a shower and heading to bed.

  That didn’t happen.

  I’m sitting on a stool at the bar in Durie’s, watching a guy in a green sweater hit on Emma Owens.

  After catching a glimpse of her through the window on my way home, I stepped inside.

  That’s when the blond guy made his move.

  He sat down at her table with a martini in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other.

  She smiled at him. He took it as an invitation, and they’ve been talking for the past twenty minutes. I’ve spent the bulk of that time reading over the text message exchange I had with Drake earlier.

  He wants me to keep Emma in New York until he lands back at LaGuardia. I don’t know the woman’s schedule or when she’s planning on flying back to Seattle, but he made it clear that he wants her here when he steps back on American soil as a married man.

  I’ll relay the message, but ultimately she’ll make that decision on her own.

  I have no intention of sticking around Manhattan that long. I want out as soon as possible.

  “Can I get you another soda water?”

  I glance at the server who brought the glass in front of me. The last time I sat at this bar for a drink, everyone who worked here was an army vet. I used to drop in a few times a week when the awning out front displayed the name Eager Pour. Back then, the owner was willing to listen to my bullshit before she’d cut me off after my second drink and send me home.

  “I’m good,” I answer curtly.

  “You’re Case, right?” She leans her elbow on the bar next to me. “Drake has told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you.”

  I can tell when a woman is flirting, but that’s not what’s happening here.

  I recognized her name when she first introduced herself after I walked in tonight. She has to be the same Kendall who had a one-night stand with my best friend last summer.

  I huff out a laugh. “Did he?”

  “He showed me a picture of the two of you from your college days.” She lets out a soft giggle. “You haven’t changed as much as he has.”

  That’s an understatement.

  Drake didn’t visit a barber for years. He’s as clean cut as they come now. It’s a far cry from the longhaired, bearded guy I said goodbye to when I left New York.

  He’s sought refuge at my home in California a few times over the years. We talk daily, but our face-to-face time is rare.

  “Why don’t you join Emma?” She questions with a grin. “I’m sure she’d appreciate the distraction.”

  Reading between the lines, I pop an eyebrow. “Do you know the guy with her?”

  She nods. “Ned. He’s a regular. When he spots a pretty new face in here, he always buys them a drink.”

  If I didn’t know Emma, I’d buy her a drink too so I can’t fault the guy for that.

  “He’s harmless,” she goes on. “I’ve never seen him seal the deal. He always walks out of here alone.”

  That should be my cue to call it a night and head back to my apartment, but I stay planted on the stool.

  I have a clear view of Emma’s face. She’s a beautiful woman with a smile that could stop any man in his tracks. I see no harm in watching her from a distance for a few more minutes.

  Kendall glances at the phone in my hand. “Have you heard from Drake since he left?”

  I won’t betray my closest friend to appease the curiosity of one of his ex-lovers. If he wants Kendall to know the details of his wedding, he’ll fill her in.

  Downing the rest of the water in my glass, I lightly tap it on the top of the bar. “I’ll get another one of these.”

  Disappointment draws her shoulders forward once she realizes I ignored her question. “Are you sure you don’t want something stronger?”

  “Water is fine.” I glance past her to catch Emma laughing at something Ned said.

  Envy isn’t something I feel often, but it’s there now.

  That guy is no one to Drake. He can make Emma laugh. He can kiss her, hell he can fuck her without having to worry about the consequences.

  She’s off-limits because of my friendship with her brother. I’ve always craved what I can’t have and what I shouldn’t touch.

  “Kendall,” I call out her name as she steps away. “I’ll take a double scotch neat.”

  “Do you have a preference for…”

  “I don’t,” I interrupt her. “The label on the bottle doesn’t matter. You choose.”

  With a nod of her head, she smiles. “I’ll be right back with your drink.”

  I need it if I’m going to spend the next few days sleeping in the same apartment as my best friend’s sister.

  Chapter 11

  Emma

  Case isn’t nearly as stealthy as he thinks he is.

  I saw him walk into the pub and sit down at the bar. It took everything inside of me not to stare at him. I caught glimpses of him out of the corner of my eye as he talked to Kendall.

  Jealousy tugged at me when I saw him lean closer to her.

  I should have spent my time talking to the man who bought me a drink, but I struggled to focus on him.

  I could feel Case’s gaze on me when I did look at Ned, the stockbroker who thought it was impressive to tell me about the summerhouse he’s planning on buying.

  Ned’s good-looking and charming. He might be fun to hang out with, but after I sipped my martini, I thanked him for the drink and pushed back from the table to leave.

  That was when I noticed Case dropping a few bills on the top of the bar before he rushed out of the pub.

&nb
sp; I’m back in his apartment now.

  I can see a sliver of light creeping out from under the closed door of his bedroom.

  I shouldn’t feel as disappointed as I do. I wasn’t expecting more than a few words exchanged between us before I called it a night, but that’s not going to happen.

  In his eyes, I’m nothing more than Drake’s younger sister.

  Letting out a heavy breath, I step out of my heels. Feeling my phone vibrate in my clutch, I fish it out.

  I smile at the text message on the screen from my best friend.

  Sandy: Are you living it up right now?

  I click the phone icon under her name.

  She answers immediately. “I take it that the answer to my question is no . Why aren’t you spending the night with some sexy Manhattan millionaire?”

  I laugh. “Technically, I guess I am.”

  “What?” She shrieks out the word. “Why are you talking to me? Get back to it. Make me proud.”

  Shaking my head, I glance at Case’s bedroom door. “I’m staying with Drake’s best friend until I come home.”

  “Why? You went to New York to see your brother. Why aren’t you staying with him?”

  I’ll tell Sandy everything when I’m back in Seattle. We’ve been sharing all our ups and downs since we met in middle school. Getting into the details about my brother’s major life change isn’t something I want to do over the phone.

  “He had a trip planned that I didn’t know about,” I offer to appease her curiosity.

  “So, you’re staying with his friend?” She sighs. “What’s he like?”

  “Case is nothing like Drake,” I say quietly.

  “I want more than his name, Em. Is he hot?”

  “Very,” I confess. “Tall, gorgeous, think surfer type with a corporate vibe.”

  “Send me a pic,” she whines.

  “I can’t take a picture of him.” I laugh softly. “Do you expect me to ask him to pose for it? How creepy would that be?”