Rush

by Deborah Bladon

  I tell Drake what I told my dad. “I can’t settle based on what-ifs. I didn’t love him. I loved myself enough to realize that before I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

  Silence surrounds me as Drake mulls those words over, and Case sits next to me, stroking my palm with his fingertips. He’s offering me the encouragement I didn’t realize I’d need.

  My brother’s approval has always meant the world to me, but I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t need to see eye-to-eye with anyone on this. I have to find peace within myself and I do.

  “We’ll talk about this more when I’m back in New York.” Drake yawns. “I’m dead tired, Em. I need to catch a few hours of sleep before I marry my girl.”

  I ignore the comment about continuing the conversation, because as far as I’m concerned, the discussion is over. I’ve made my decision regarding my ex-fiancé.

  “You’ll hang out in New York until I’m back, won’t you?” Drake asks. “Promise me you will.”

  “As long as you’re back soon.” I nod. “There are things I need to take care of at home.”

  “She can stay as long as she likes, Drake,” Case pipes up.

  I look over at him. His eyes are pinned to me.

  “Good.” Drake’s voice lures my gaze back to the phone’s screen. “You should check in with Elias tonight, Case. There’s an issue with the new app launch.”

  I glance down when I feel Case’s hand slide from mine.

  He shifts the screen of the phone so his is the only face in Drake’s view. “What issue? I thought we were on track with the launch of Letter…”

  “There’s a recurring error in the framework,” Drake interrupts.

  Case’s shoulders tighten. “We’re less than three months from our launch date. This is coming up now?”

  “It’s been ongoing.” Drake yawns again. “I left it in the hands of our lead software engineer, but he quit. I’ve got a new guy on it now.”

  “A new guy who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing?” Case leans closer to the phone’s screen.

  “He’ll figure it out, but Elias dropped me a message to tell me that it’s taking longer than I wanted, so it’s worth looking into.”

  Case’s clenched fist on his thigh says more than any words can. He’s frustrated.

  “I’m ending this now to call Elias,” he warns my brother. “Enjoy the day, Drake.”

  “Goodnight to all,” Drake calls out.

  Case is on his feet as soon as the screen goes dark. “I need to go to the office, Emma. This is important.”

  “I understand.” I move to stand.

  As he reaches the foyer table to scoop up his keys, I take a step closer. “I want to thank you for that.”

  He turns on his heel. “For what?”

  “Helping me tell Drake about Beauregard.”

  A ghost of a smile flashes across his lips as his hand curls around the doorknob. “Your brother needs to accept that Bonehead is not the guy for you.”

  Are you?

  I open my mouth to ask, but before I say the words, Case is stepping out of the apartment. He tosses me a glance over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Emma.”

  “Night,” I whisper even though the door is already closing behind him.

  Chapter 27

  Case

  “I should be saving lives, not listening to you bitch about some framework for a kiddie game.”

  “It’s called Letter Leap.” I glance at my cousin. “I thought you said you were done being Dr. Fuller for the day. Your shift ended two hours ago, no?”

  Fighting off a smile, he stares at me. “I’m a man of medicine, Cason. My work is never done.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Is that why you’re drinking water and not scotch?”

  I hold up my almost empty glass not only to punctuate my point but to get Kendall’s attention. I need a refill.

  Asking Gavin to meet me at Durie’s after I spent three hours with Elias was a good idea, whether my cousin wants to admit it or not.

  “You said we needed to hang out while I’m in town,” I point out. “I didn’t promise the conversation would be great.”

  Gavin looks to Kendall instead of commenting on my remark. “She’s about to cut you off.”

  I shake my head. “I’ve had one drink. I’m not even close to my limit.”

  “The bar shuts down in twenty minutes.” He points at his watch. “Maybe you didn’t realize that you called me after midnight. You’re still running on California time, aren’t you?”

  “What can I do for you two?” Kendall stops next to Gavin. “Are you still nursing that water, Doctor?”

  She lets out a stuttered giggle at her attempt at a joke.

  Gavin huffs out a strangled laugh even though I can tell he didn’t find it funny. He moves to grab his wallet from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Pulling out a few bills, he drops them on the bar. “We’re both fine. We’re set to leave.”

  Her gaze inches its way up Gavin’s arm to his face. “I’m heading over to a club in Midtown after I lock up. Do you want to tag along?”

  Gavin’s been in this pub with Drake. He greeted Kendall by name when we sat down, but before I could ask how well they know each other, he’d shot me down with a slap on my shoulder and a reminder that he doesn’t dick around with anyone Drake has been with.

  Their friendship formed because of me, but I’m happy to see that it’s still going strong.

  “Thanks, but there’s somewhere I need to be,” he says with a grin.

  Home in bed is the place he wants to be. I’ve heard it twice since he walked in. I can tell that he’s dead tired, but after what happened between Emma and me earlier, I needed a stiff drink before I walk back into my apartment knowing she’s in bed.

  I hope to hell she’s asleep.

  I don’t trust myself at this point not to kiss her, or touch her. With my dick driving my desire, I’d be all in with little regard for my friendship with her brother.

  Kendall shrugs. “If you change your mind, let me know.”

  Scooping up the money, she sets off toward a table surrounded by men in suits.

  “I doubt like hell Drake would mind if you took her home,” I offer.

  “I’d mind.” He sets a hand on my forearm. “You’re too immature to understand that.”

  I laugh. “You’re what...four or five years older than me?”

  “Three.” He waves three fingers in my face. “I’m three years older. That means I’m wise enough to know that you didn’t drag my ass down here to talk about work. What’s going on?”

  The change in his tone sets an alarm off inside of me.

  I know what he’s thinking and he’s so far off base that I stop him before he can dive headfirst into the one subject of discussion I want no part of.

  Gavin is a healer. It’s in his blood. If he sees someone in pain, he wants to step in and do his part.

  He helped me when I needed it, but I’m not looking for his sympathy tonight.

  “Emma,” I spit out her name. “Goddamn Emma Owens.”

  He sits back on the stool. “You fucked her?”

  My gaze darts to his face. “Hell no.”

  He laughs. “You want to fuck her.”

  “Hell yes,” I admit.

  “You’re worried about Drake.” He points out the obvious. “You think he’ll be pissed.”

  “He will be pissed,” I spit each word out slowly. “Do you remember what happened when I took Annabeth Carson to bed?”

  “I don’t believe you shared all the details.” He chuckles. “I vaguely remember you got laid and that ended with a black eye and a broken nose.”

  I was twenty. Annabeth was a year younger and the sister of a guy I knew named Aaron. Drake was a better friend to her brother than I was, but that didn’t matter to Aaron.

  The strength behind the punch Aaron threw that connected with my face said it all. He saw my actions as a betrayal.

  Drake took Aaron’s side in that
battle. He railed on me for fucking a friend’s sister. It took months for us to get back to where we were before that.

  I promised Drake I’d keep my hands off the sisters of all of our friends.

  That vow means that I can’t get any closer to Emma than I was tonight.

  “That was almost ten years ago,” Gavin points out. “Drake hasn’t exactly been following any fuck rules the past few years. You do know he screwed one of my exes, right? He fucked Kaia.”

  Every time Drake brought up another conquest, I’d tune him out. I doubt like hell the women he was mentioning by name signed off on him sharing what they like in bed.

  The only reason I recalled Kendall’s name is that he talked about how they got along when he stopped after work for a beer. She was a friend to him before their one night stand.

  “That doesn’t give me a pass,” I say tightly.

  Gavin taps the back of my head with his palm. “Stop this shit.”

  “What the fuck, Fuller?” I lightly punch him in the shoulder.

  “You have the right to go after what you want.” He pushes the water glass in front of him to the side so he can rest his elbow on the bar. “Drake’s off living his life. You need to do that too. If you feel a connection with this woman, act on it. If it turns into more than a hookup, Drake will have to deal.”

  “It won’t turn into more.” I shake my head. “Emma lives in Seattle. I’m grounded in California.”

  “So, you have fun while you’re both in New York.” He glances at his watch. “You and Emma are adults. You can handle this and Drake if it comes to that.”

  I swallow what’s left of the scotch in my glass. “It won’t come to that. We’re going our separate ways in a few days. If anything happens between Emma and I, it ends when we leave New York.”

  Chapter 28

  Emma

  Lazybones.

  That’s one of the nicknames my dad gifted me with.

  I held onto that proudly the summer after eighth grade when I couldn’t find the energy to get out of bed until noon most days.

  That lasted all of two weeks before my dad ordered me to get up as he was leaving for work one day. He handed me a list of chores that needed to be done around the house.

  My reward for completing the list was a new wardrobe for high school.

  I spent most of that summer at home tending to my mother’s vegetable garden and painting the massive picket fence surrounding their property. The hard work and commitment to complete every task on the list taught me the value of getting out of bed early.

  I thought that my internal clock would have kept me snoozing until at least nine a.m. New York time, but it’s barely past seven and I’m wide awake.

  This is solid proof that I’ve outgrown the Lazybones nickname for good.

  I crawl out of bed and dash to the door of my room.

  I didn’t hear Case come home last night because I fell asleep twenty minutes after he left.

  Resting my right ear against the door, I whisper, “I hope you’re in your bed.”

  “Alone,” I tack on for good measure before I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath.

  Even though the only thing that happened between us last night was some innocent handholding, it was more action with a man than I’ve seen since I agreed to go on my first date with Beauregard.

  Since I hear absolutely nothing coming from outside the door, I stretch. “He’s asleep. He’s fast asleep dreaming about you.”

  Sighing, I look around the room.

  It’s much bigger than the bedroom in my condo. Since I’m all about space and comfort when I sleep, I managed to squeeze a king-sized bed into the room when I moved in. If I want to open my dresser drawers, I have to stand to the side, since they hit the foot of the bed before they are fully open.

  I don’t plan on staying in that condo forever, but for now, it’s an almost perfect fit.

  I hear a knock in the distance.

  Pressing my ear to the door again, I wonder if it’s Case.

  Silence greets me.

  Swinging around, I grab a pair of black yoga shorts off an armchair in the corner. It’s become the collection zone for my clothes. Every morning, I tidy things up, make the bed, and hide my suitcase in the closet.

  A persistent louder knock starts up.

  I trek across the room and open the door to peer out.

  The knock has turned into an all-out series of bangs.

  Rushing from the room, I turn the corridor and race into the foyer.

  Maybe it’s Case on the other side of the apartment door. Did he forget his keys last night? Am I about to witness a walk of shame?

  Sucking in a deep breath, I march toward the door and swing it open with a flourish.

  “Miss Owens,” Lester greets me with wide eyes. “Oh dear. I woke you up.”

  The dead giveaway is the state of my hair. I know that I toss and turn at night. My hair must look like I haven’t brushed it in days.

  I try and smooth it down with the palm of my hand, but it’s useless. I feel it spring back to its unruly state the second my fingers run over it.

  “I was awake,” I confess. “I was listening for…”

  Nope. I will not tell Lester that I was listening for Case because I have no clue if my roommate came home last night. The man standing in front of me will sell a secret for a dollar.

  Lester waits for me to finish, but I laugh. “I was listening to the chirping birds outside my window.”

  “Birds?” His brows perch. “I’ve heard a siren or two this morning. A multitude of car horns as expected. I can’t say I’ve heard the sweet sound of a bird, though.”

  I look down and realize that I’m still wearing the same thin tank top I was last night.

  Great. Now Lester has seen me braless.

  Wanting this to be over, I glance over my shoulder. “Do you need to talk to Case? I can wake him up.”

  Hopefully he’s in his bedroom wearing boxer briefs or less .

  I smile at the mental image of that.

  “No, no.” Lester chuckles. “Mr. Abbott left for the office an hour ago. I’m here with a special delivery for you.”

  My gaze drops to his hands. “What the fu…?”

  “Breakfast,” Lester interrupts. “There are bagels. It appears to be a dozen. You’ll find cream cheese and a container of fresh berries in the other bag. The perfect accompaniment is this coffee from Palla on Fifth.”

  He pushes two white paper bags at me, along with a large cup of coffee.

  I reach for it all. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting this.”

  With a bright smile, Lester tips his chin. “Mr. Abbott arranged it for you. A courier dropped the bagels at the front desk. They are from an establishment called Bright Bagels, I believe. I picked up the rest myself. The coffee contains one cream and one sugar. I hope it’s to your liking.”

  How am I holding a bag from Bright Bagels right now?

  Tears threaten my eyes.

  No one has ever gone to this much trouble for me.

  “Thank you,” I whisper to Lester.

  “You’re very welcome,” he says in a soft tone. “One more thing, Miss Owens.”

  I glance up at his kind face. “What is it?”

  “Mr. Abbott asked me to deliver this message to you.” Reaching into his pocket, he tugs out a piece of paper. Its edges are jagged as if it was torn from the corner of a newspaper. I catch a glimpse of something written in red ink.

  Clearing his throat, he takes a deep breath. “I hope you enjoy breakfast, Freckles, as much as I enjoyed dinner last night.”

  Chapter 29

  Emma

  Two hours later, I’m satiated, showered, and standing on the sidewalk outside Sweet Bluebells.

  Even though the bookstore Bella wants to take me to is just a few blocks from where she lives in Brooklyn, she insisted on meeting here. She told me in a text that she’s been craving a chocolate chip cookie from the bakery since she woke up, so I happi
ly agreed to make my way here.

  The text message I sent to her was my second of the day.

  I sent a quick one to Case first to thank him for the feast of a breakfast he arranged.

  I slide my finger over my phone’s screen and reread it.

  Emma: Thank you for the surprise, Rush.

  He hasn’t responded yet, but I know that he’s busy, even if it is Saturday morning. Drake has never followed a strict Monday to Friday schedule since he started working at Cabbott. I doubt that Case does either.

  I swing open the door to the bakery to find it bustling with people.

  I can’t say I’m surprised. In addition to the display case full of cupcakes, there are a few wicker baskets near the cash register filled with a selection of muffins and cookies.

  I spot Delaney behind the counter.

  With a quick turn of her head, she sees me. I’m greeted with a big smile and a wave of her hand.

  I reply in kind.

  “Emma!”

  I turn to the left when I hear my name.

  “I’m here,” Bella calls out from a table in the corner. “I got you a lemonade and a blueberry muffin.”

  I start toward her, being careful to maneuver around the people waiting in line to pick out a weekend morning treat.

  Once I skirt around a couple sharing a kiss in the middle of the store, I realize Bella isn’t alone. A young boy is sitting at the table next to her, his gaze glued to the screen of a tablet.

  “Hey,” I say softly as I take a seat across from Bella. “You’re quick. You came all the way from Brooklyn and beat me here.”

  She lets out a laugh. “Pregnancy cravings dictate my life. I was on the subway before we finished texting.”

  “Thank you for ordering for me.” I glance at the blond-haired boy. “Who is this?”

  “Mickey.” The little boy rubs his hand over his jean-covered knee before he offers it to me. “It’s nice to meet you, Ma’am.”

  Bella lets out a little giggle, and I can’t help but smile. I take his hand in mine and give it a soft shake. “I’m Emma. It’s nice to meet you, Mickey.”