Page 63 of Golden Ruin

Probably a lot sooner than either of us realizes.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Sterling

Where the hell is she going?

Heat flashes up my neck to my face as I shoot a glance toward the stairs again.

A bath two hours ago, now I swear I smell perfume floating down from the second floor.

She’s heading out somewhere, and I have a hunch with who.

A door closes upstairs, and I face forward, pretending I’m only focused on ESPN. Not sitting here losing my shit wondering what her plans are tonight.

My knee shakes while I blow out a breath, then I hear Jax running this way, tiny sneakers squeaking across the tile. He hops up onto the couch and into my lap without a word. He knows he doesn’t have to ask.

He’s wearing different clothes than when I last saw him, trading in PJ pants and a t-shirt for cargo shorts and a short-sleeved button-down.

Which means wherever Lexi’s going this afternoon, she’s taking Jax with her.

Fucking perfect.

I imagine it, her and Matt taking my son on a picnic, acting like one big, happy family. At the thought, I squeeze Jax a little tighter, only mildly ashamed how possessive I feel over them.

Shit.

I mean over him.

Just Jax.

I correct the thought, but not quickly enough, so the mistake lingers with me, forcing me to admit something I’d rather not. That I probably wouldn’t be any happier if Lexi was leaving with Matt alone.

She rounds the couch, and the first thing I see when she comes into view are legs. Long legs that disappear into cutoff shorts that reveal so much tan skin I can’t help but do a double-take. A gray Josie and the Pussycats tee tucked into her waistband shows off her figure, curves I’ve memorized from every fucking angle.

Thank God she’s more focused on Jax than me, because I can’t stop staring.

Can’t stop remembering.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my expression straight, and I finally tear my eyes away.

“Heading out?” I ask, faking a smile.

She nods, sighing a little. “Yep, and I’m late, so we’d better get a move on.”

“We’re going to see Grandpa Benny!” Jax announces, and I should be ashamed how relieved his little reveal just made me, but there’s no sense in pretending.

I put the pieces together. It’s Sunday, and Sunday dinner was always her family’s thing.

A thing I used to be invited to.

A thing that made them all feel like they were just as much my family as they are Lexi’s.

“So, you decided to go. I know you were on the fence about it.”

There’s this reluctant look in her eyes that isn’t lost on me. “Yep, between your advice and Dez’s, I figured I may as well rip the band-aid off sooner rather than later.”

She doesn’t go into detail, probably because Jax is around, but I know she’s talking about facing her sister. Unless she plans to avoid her family for the foreseeable future, this moment was kind of inevitable.