Rush: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 1)(115)

“Like Spencer’s doing?” Noelle asks.

“Yes. Just like that. I’ve mentioned James a few times, but he seems to shrug it off like it doesn’t matter to him. I don’t know how this will play out. Or even how I’m going to tell Bianca.” I sigh. “I wish I could predict the future to see how this turns out.”

Noelle giggles. “You and me both, sister. But if you do get blessed with that ability, could you please tell me how my love life is gonna turn out? I’d be rather interested.”

“Why?” I tease. “You could always date my brother.”

“Oh, please.” Noelle waves me off again, but I see something in her eyes. Was that hope?

“Just remember, when you tell Bianca … if it doesn’t go the way she wants it to, she always has you. And she has Kingston.”

That gets my attention. As though talking about it might somehow make it fall apart, Noelle and I haven’t talked about Kingston or our “relationship.” I know she’s curious, but she’s my best friend. She gets me, and sometimes, I don’t want to talk about it.

“And she has my brother,” I add.

Noelle’s eyebrows dart down. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

I take a swig of wine. “Then what did you mean?”

My best friend leans back, one arm sprawled across the back of the couch. “Ellie Elizabeth Kaufman. Can you honestly sit there and tell me that you’ve never noticed how great of a dad that man would be?”

My eyes widen. I have to clear my throat to get the words out. “Who? Kingston?”

“Who is Bianca with right now?”

I know it’s a rhetorical question, so I roll my eyes.

“And how many times has he taken Bianca and Gabby ice skating? With Spencer and without him? Or to the movies? Or to the park when she was little? Or to the bookstore to get—”

“Okay, I get it,” I snap. “But it’s not like that between us. He’s a friend.”

“The hell he is,” Noelle counters. “That man loves you. He loves Bianca. Sure, he might be your brother’s best friend and that’s the reason he’s in your life, but he’s been here through thick and thin. Who held you at your parents’ funeral?”

My heart lurches as it always does when I think about that. I miss my mom and dad so much. One day they were here, happy, smiling…and the next day they were gone. Literally. The unfortunate boating accident took them from us, leaving a gaping hole in their place.

But Noelle is right. Kingston was there for me and Bianca that day. Hell, he was there for a solid week. Spencer had an extremely difficult time with our parents’ death. While he dealt with his own pain, Kingston was our rock. He came over to our house and made me and Bianca dinner for several nights. Not once did he ask for anything in return. And when I cried myself to sleep, he would watch cartoons with Bianca to keep her occupied.

“I get it,” I tell her softly. “But this is an arrangement.”

“It was an arrangement,” she states. “And honestly, I think it was more of an excuse. For him.” Noelle smiles. “And maybe for you, too.”

I can’t deny this. Although I was hesitant, I knew I couldn’t say no to Spencer’s proposition because I damn sure didn’t want to see Kingston with another woman.

“So, while you’re trying to figure out a way to make this a happily ever after for everyone involved, you might consider the one man who’s been pretty much doing that all along.”

I swallow hard.

The sound of the doorknob turning has Noelle and me both glancing at the front door.

“Oh, and look. There’s the man of the hour now.”

Bianca barges into the room, a huge grin on her face. “Kingston taught me how to hockey stop! And I did it.”

Kingston steps into the house behind her, his eyes instantly meeting mine. He doesn’t smile, but he isn’t frowning, so I consider that a good thing.

“The girl’s good,” he says. “A lot better than you are on ice skates.”

I chuckle. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Bianca turns to Kingston. “Thanks for taking us.”

“Any time, kiddo.”

Without another word, Bianca bounds up the stairs out of sight.

“Where’s Spencer?” I ask, stretching out my legs and dropping my feet to the floor.

“He went home. I told him I’d drop them off.”

Noelle gets to her feet. “Would ya look at the time?”

The woman isn’t looking at a clock.

“I’ve got shit to do. You know how it is.”

I know she has nothing to do, but I don’t try to stop her. It’s obvious what she’s doing, and a little alone time with Kingston is probably just what I need. I set my empty glass down on the coffee table and follow Noelle to the door. After a quick hug, she darts out of the house, and I turn around to find Kingston staring back at me.

Because there’s a nervous tension arcing between us, I choose to sidestep him, grabbing the two wineglasses on my way into the kitchen and depositing them into the sink. I change my mind at the last second and decide to hand-wash them. Anything to keep me busy. When I turn back around, I find Kingston only a few feet away.