Rush (Eligible Receivers #3)

Chapter Six

“What do you think of this one?” Emerson held up a lilac sundress for their inspection.

Nora was out shopping with the girls —as Oz liked to call them—getting a few new things for her upcoming trip.

“It’s cute,” Nora admitted, eyeing it up and down.

“Does it come in a different color? That won’t have enough of a contrast against her skin. It won’t pop,” Ivy chimed in, ever the artist.

“No, darn it.” Emerson’s lips puckered. “And it’s a steal, too.”

“The whole store is on sale. I’m sure we can find something just as cute.” Ivy announced a fact that was hard to miss with the red and white signs on all the racks.

Nora flicked through dresses, sliding hangers along the metal bar. She wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for but had a feeling she’d know it when she found it. Something feminine and a little flirty. Different from her usual staple of cotton t-shirts and jeans. Not because she was trying to catch the attention of a certain someone. But would it be the end of the world if Linc actually noticed she looked nice? And if nothing else, a pretty dress would boost her ego.

“Oh! What about this one?” Ivy asked, holding up a mini dress that was leaf green with a tiny, yellow flower print and had a low neckline, capped sleeves, and just the right amount of swish at the hem.

Nora loved it. “Do they have it in my size?”

“Yep, right here.”

“Go try it on,” Emerson piped in.

Nora took the dress to the back of the store where the dressing rooms were located and slipped it on. It fit perfectly and was even cuter than on the hanger.

“Well?” Ivy asked as soon as she reappeared with the dress slung over her arm.

“I’m getting it.” Nora made her way to the register.

Emerson followed at her heels and slapped a credit card down on the counter.

Nora pushed it away. “Thanks, but I’ve got this.”

Emerson pushed the card back. “Oz will kill me if I let you pay.”

Nora pushed the card back, keeping her hand on top of it that time. It might be futile to argue with Oz as she’s never won a battle when it came to paying for something, but Emerson was a different story. “Oz will never find out if we don’t tell him. Besides, I’m making good money now.”

Emerson released a small huff. “Fine. But you have to promise to never tell him.”

Nora held up a pinky. “Promise.”

Emerson linked her pinky with Nora’s then shoved her card back into her purse.

“Where to now?” Ivy asked after they’d completed a circuit of the mall. “Do you need anything else?” She eyed the pile of packages in Nora’s hands.

“I got a new dress, bathing suit and two pairs of shoes,” Nora ticked off. “I think I’m all set.”

“I’m not ready to go home,” Emerson protested. “Leslie and Matt have got the pub covered and Oz is at his friend Cooper’s for poker night.”

“So is Colt.”

Nora’s thoughts flashed to Linc at home with Sophie and not out with the guys and wondered if he missed what his life had been like before Sophie came to live with him? Would he have been at poker night? Or maybe out on a date? At a party? It was a Friday night after all.

“Let’s go dancing.” That suggestion came from Ivy.

Emerson was fast to second the idea. “Yes! Oz has never taken me. He claims to have two left feet.”

Nora had never been to an actual dance club. The idea was kind of exciting. “I’m in but I really didn’t pack for dance clubs and I don’t want to wear my new dress before the trip.”

“Whoop whoop!” Ivy raised a fist then tugged Nora to her side. “You can wear something of mine. Emerson, you go get changed. I’m stealing Nora for makeover fun time. We’ll meet back at my place and all go together.”

***

Having waited nearly a half hour in line, Nora eagerly showed her ID to a man who would make her brother look petite. He waved them all in with one massive arm, Ivy taking the lead with Emerson on her heels and Nora bringing up the rear.

The music hit her first, so loud it vibrated the floor and left her ears ringing, but it was the crowded press of bodies that had her rethinking her enthusiasm over the whole dance club scene. Clutching at Emerson’s arm as they shuffled along, Nora carefully concentrated on not plowing into her sister-in-law’s back as she was bumped and jostled by enthusiastic partiers.

Just as Nora was about to throw in the towel and go running back out the front door, the crowd thinned and a cluster of tables beckoned. And either she was losing her ability to hear or the half walls with the raised partitions that surrounded the area were doing their job because even the music didn’t sound quite as loud.

Ivy hiked herself up on a stool and draped herself across the table to shout, “What does everyone want to drink?”

Nora wasn’t sure what to order. She’d been legal to drink for almost a year, but the passing of her dad and leaving school to take care of her mom had made the milestone birthday pretty much unimportant. Not that she’d been a saint before that but with beer and cheap wine being the only options at the parties she’d attended, cocktails weren’t something she was overly familiar with. Embarrassed to admit her naivety and not wanting to take a chance and end up with something awful, she opted for the easy way out. “I’ll just have whatever you’re having.”

“Margaritas all around,” Ivy cried jovially.

“I’ll go with you to help carry,” Emerson volunteered before turning to Nora. “Watch the table.” She held up her phone. “I’ve got this on vibrate. If you need me, for anything, text 911 and I’ll come running.”

Nora held up a hand and vowed, “I’ll guard the table with my life.”

Bored after a few minutes of people-watching, Nora pulled out her phone while she waited for Ivy and Emerson to get back and flipped through the photos she’d taken recently. She was smiling over a picture of Linc and Sophie making silly faces when she felt a presence beside her that didn’t immediately go away, she looked up to see a good-looking twenty-something guy smiling at her.

He held up a hand. “Hi, I’m Levi.”

“Nora.” She politely waved back.

“Would you like to dance, Nora?”

“Thank you, but I’m waiting for my friends.”

“What?” He tipped his head closer in order to hear.

Nora shouted into the vicinity of his ear, “I’m waiting for friends.”

“A boyfriend?”

She shook her head and his smile broadened to a grin. “Maybe later then.” He winked and set off, disappearing into the crowd.

“Who was that?” Ivy appeared at her side, setting a cocktail glass full of light-green liquid and with salt stuck around the rim down in front of her.

“Just some guy asking me to dance. I said, no.”

“Why? He was cute.”

Nora shrugged. “Just not feeling it.”

“Do you have a boyfriend back home?” Ivy asked after taking a hefty sip of her margarita.

Nora took a tentative sip of her own drink and was surprised by the strong kick of citrus. Licking her lips, she made a mental note—margaritas were safe to order the next time she was at a bar. “No, nothing like that,” she said, setting her glass back down. “He just wasn’t my type.”

“I get that,” Emerson said, backing her up. “Besides, I’d probably never hear the end of it from Oz if he ever found out.” Emerson rolled her eyes and Nora laughed.

“Speak of the devil.” Ivy raised an arm above her head and waved at someone.

Nora twisted in her seat to see Oz, Colt, and a guy she’d never seen before approaching their table. Or they were trying to. The trio caused quite a stir. Fans from all walks of life circled. Men wanted autographs and handshakes. Women oohed and aahed, huddling around them and trying to get as close as possible. The whole scene created quite the roadblock.

“Does that ever bother you,” Nora jabbed a thumb over her shoulder, “all the women gushing over your men?”

If Nora hadn’t been looking in Emerson’s direction, she would have missed seeing her sister-in-law’s lips purse as she eyed the women surrounding the men. Guess she’d struck a nerve.

“It doesn’t bother me as much as it used to,” Ivy supplied. “It helps knowing Colt loves me.”

Nora’s eyes landed back on Emerson when she nodded in agreement. “I sometimes still struggle with it because of what happened, but Ivy is right, it helps to know Oz only sees me.”

The guys finally made it over. Colt and Oz going straight to their women. The third guy stood next to Oz, which meant he was standing to the right of Nora.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?” Ivy asked after Colt leaned in for a kiss.

The guy—whom Nora didn’t know but assumed was Cooper—answered. “They wouldn’t shut up about you ladies being out at a club without them. I got tired of hearing them bitch about it instead of playing cards, so I dragged them over here to shut them up.”

“You don’t trust us?” A line formed between Emerson’s eyes as she directed that question at her husband.

Oz kissed the furrow. “I trust you.” Then his eyes narrowed as he glared at the room at large. “It’s the ass-grabbing hands around here I don’t trust.”

Emerson ducked her head to hide a small smile before saying, “You can relax, no one’s even approached us.”

“Maybe not us, but the same’s not true for Nora,” Ivy supplied, throwing her right under the bus.

Nora shot Ivy a dirty look but all that managed to do was make Ivy chuckle. She never realized sweet, quirky, happy-go-lucky Ivy had such a dark side.

Oz frowned. “Some guy tried to pick you up?”

“He only asked me to dance.” His chest inflated and she threw up a warding hand. “Relax, big bro, I turned him down.”

“Let’s find you guys some seats,” Emerson deflected and Nora never wanted to give someone a hug more.

It took a bit of scrounging, but stools were eventually found and during that time a server had stopped by to deliver a pitcher of beer to the table. “On the house,” she announced with a wink.

Nora gave the guy beside her a sidelong glance.

Catching her in the act, he smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Jay, by the way. Jay Cooper. Not sure these guys will ever get around to introducing me.”

“Nora Olson,” she said, reaching for his hand.

“Ah, the infamous sister. Oz can’t stop talking about you.”

“Well, I’m sorry about that.” Though not Linc handsome, Jay was very good looking. Especially when he smiled as he was now.

“Don’t be. It gives me a leg up.” A dimple appeared in his cheek as he grinned and Nora couldn’t help but smile back.

“Now I feel like I need to even the playing field.”

Jay threw out his hands. “I’m an open book. Ask me anything.”

“I’m assuming you’re on the team and that’s how you and Oz are friends.” Though it might sound stereotypical, the guy screamed football player—huge and all muscle.

“No. I’m actually a professional ballet dancer. I met Oz and some of the guys when I taught a class on better footwork.”

Eyes wide, she sputtered, “Seriously?” completely blown away.

“No. I’m just fucking with you. I play defense with Oz.”

She shook her head, grinning, not believing she fell for that. “Well, if it’s any consolation, you’re an excellent liar.”

He grimaced. “Guess that’s not the best way to make a good impression.”

“I’m flattered you’re trying to impress me.”

“How else can I get you to dance with me?”

“Why don’t you try asking.” She picked up her glass frowning down into its depths as she took the last sip. She didn’t remember drinking it all and wondered if the alcohol had been stronger than it tasted.

His lips quirked. “Do you think that will work?”

Her lips tipped up in a return smile as she shrugged. “You never know until you try.”

He gallantly threw out a hand. “Miss Olson, will you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Giggling, she set her hand in his and jumped down from the stool.

“Hey, what are you guys laughing about over there?”

Nora glanced around Jay to beam at her brother. “Nothing.”

She saw Emerson smack Oz on the shoulder and say, “Leave them alone.”

Her brother’s lips flattened and Nora held back another giggle. She had a feeling the margarita had gone to her head but she didn’t care, she was having too good a time.

Jay led her to the dance floor. They danced through several songs and she even had another margarita. She left for the evening thinking nightclubs weren’t so bad after all.

***

“There’s something I want to talk to you about.” Oz plopped himself onto the opposite end of the sofa from Nora.

Tossing the folded shirt into the suitcase, she paused in her task and gave her brother her full attention.

He looked uncomfortable yet earnest, an expression Nora hadn’t seen from him since her first arrival when he’d still been getting to know her. Unease crept in, tightening her stomach. With only an hour before she was to leave on her trip, she hoped he wasn’t about to drop a bombshell.

“What’s up?”

“It’s about Linc.”

She figured as much but still braced for whatever he was about to tell her. “What about him?”

Oz’s cheeks turned red and not knowing what to do with his hands, he crossed his arms over his chest and stuffed them in his armpits. “I haven’t said anything because watching Sophie a few hours a day is a lot different than running off to LA with him so, before you go, I thought there’s some things you should know.”

“I’m not running off anywhere with Linc, I’m working for him.”

“You know what I mean.”

She had a feeling she did. She’d researched Linc on the internet and that was a conversation she didn’t want to have with her newly found brother. But she supposed there was no avoiding it, so after folding the last of her tops and laying it in the suitcase, she closed the lid and snapped the lock then turned to fully face Oz. “What should I know?”

Unfolding his arms, he rubbed his palms over his jean-clad thighs—a tell-tale sign he was as uncomfortable with their topic of conversation as she was. “Well, I think the most important thing you should be aware of is…” he paused but Nora didn’t think it was for dramatic effect, she honestly just didn’t think he knew how to express what he wanted to say. “He was more… He wasn’t as, um, domesticated before Sophie came along.”

“Domesticated?” She dipped her head to hide her smile at the adjective he’d finally landed on.

“He was popular with the opposite sex,” he clarified.

“So, what you’re saying is, he had a lot of girlfriends.” Which she’d already deduced from the countless pictures she’d seen online and how she’d never seen Linc photographed with the same woman twice.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call them girlfriends. They were more like…” His face turned a shade of red that Nora hadn’t even thought possible. “Hookups.”

Nora felt for her brother. His embarrassment was real as he’d essentially called his best friend a man-ho.

“I’ve known Linc a long time. He’s not the relationship type. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Believe me, there is absolutely nothing romantic going on between us.” And she doubted there ever would be, so she felt safe to say with confidence, “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Okay. Well… good. Then it’s settled.”

And boy did he look relieved.

Nora did something she’d never done before—impulsively kissed Oz on the cheek. “Thanks for caring. It feels nice.”

She’d managed to embarrass him even more but at least now he also wore a shy smile. “Yeah, well…” he patted her knee. “That’s what brothers are for.”

And how wonderful it was that she now knew how that felt.