Page 99 of Hard to Hold

RUSH

LENNOX IS A DIFFERENT PERSON.

Still the same gorgeous smile, but it almost looks as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. I can only assume that their presence has healed whatever happened between them before she came to California.

“They’re a tight-knit bunch.”

I look to my right where Hunter Maddox has just taken a seat. A beer is in his hand, and he’s watching the sisters.

“They seem to be,” I murmur.

“You’ll get used to them clustering around each other and talking in their own language. They do this half-sentence thing and then the other one finishes it for them.” He takes a sip and chuckles. “Or doesn’t finish it at all, but they all nod because they read each other’s minds. If it helps, just nod and smile when they do this and they’ll think you understand too.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

“Fights are par for the course too, but you know how siblings are.” He shrugs.

“In a sense,” I murmur, thinking of the few fights Rory and I’ve had over the years, and how we’d hate each other one minute and then be fine the next.

“So what other family pointers should I give? Kenyon is fair as fair can be, but he’ll protect his girls at any cost. In time, I’m sure he’ll have a little sit-down with you like he did me and—”

“What? I don’t know what you mean. Why would Kenyon—”

“You’re in love with his daughter, so he’ll want to have a man-to-man with you.”

“You’re jumping to conclusions, mate. We’re not—I’m not . . .” Why can’t I get the words out? “This is just until I head back home.”

Hunter eyes me and gives a slow nod before his lips spread in a wide grin. “I said the same thing, and now Dekk has a ring on it. You can hold out hope, brother, but once these Kincade women grab you by the balls, you don’t want them to let go.”

“Shit,” I say and run a hand through my hair. The beers from the game earlier are starting to hit me. And of course, it’s right then that Lennox looks across the backyard at me and gives me a soft smile.

Fuck. My heart flips in my chest. It doesn’t need that shit.

I smile back.

And Hunter laughs so hard as he pats my back, jolting me forward. “You are so fucking screwed, McKenzie.” He stands and shakes his head. “Welcome to the club.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

LENNOX

“SO . . .” CHASE SAYS, as she holds out a fresh glass of wine and pulls my attention from where Rush is talking to Brexton and my dad. “Should we have that talk now while everyone is occupied?”

“What talk would that be?” I feign innocence.

“The one where I tell you it’s obvious that you and Rush are a thing. Then you argue back that you’re not, and that this is strictly professional. And then I tell you that you’re such a lying bitch, because you don’t look at someone the way you look at Rush—or the way you kissed him for that matter”—she emits a long, low whistle—“without having something more than an I’m-just-here-for-sex vibe.”

“It’s complicated,” I murmur, my gaze veering right back to him.

“Isn’t it always?” She chuckles. “Is it complicated because of the work aspect or is it complicated because of your heart aspect?”

“I haven’t once asked him to come to KSM. He knows the truth as to why the MLS hired me, and I’ve told him I think it was a bad move to leave home with the scandal going on, but I haven’t asked him to leave Finn for me,” I say hoping that’s answer enough.

“So you love him.”

I choke on my sip of wine. Gotta leave it to Chase to cut right to the heart of the matter. Tears threaten as I stare at Rush. He’s relaxed in a chair, arm resting on the back of the one beside him. He’s engrossed in a conversation with my dad, who looks just as interested, and the first thought that comes to my head is, he fits.

What an odd thought, and one I never knew I was looking for the answer to.