Just One Night (The Kingston Family 1)

“Because we didn’t have a father who gave a shit,” Xander helpfully added. “Besides, I saw how you looked at Jordan holding Aurora’s baby.”

Linc froze. “What?”

“You were mesmerized by the sight, and I actually thought, he’s next.” Xander grinned, pleased with his observation.

Dash’s head swung back and forth between them, the conversation clearly fascinating for him.

Not so much for Linc and he swallowed hard. Yes, he’d reacted to seeing Jordan with the infant, and he’d been shocked by the heavy feeling in his chest. “I have … complicated feelings about kids.”

Xander raised his eyebrows. “Yeah? Why?”

“You grew up in our house. Heard Mom crying over Dad. Parents can really screw up a kid’s head. Being a father is a lot of responsibility. And I already made sure you three ended up okay,” he said wryly.

Dash shot him a grin. “I did my best to make life hard,” he said.

“Hanging out in bars when you were sixteen so you could sing? Yeah, I worried,” Linc admitted.

They all might be close in age, but Linc was the oldest and had always felt the burden of responsibility his father hadn’t taken on.

Not wanting to continue this discussion, because kids were way ahead of where his head was now, he rose from his seat. “We haven’t even figured out how to be together. Jordan’s so skittish she might as well be running away. So quit talking about babies,” he muttered, and suddenly he was ready for his brothers to go home.

Chapter Ten

Linc arrived at Beck’s place of business and went through the same routine as last time before he was escorted back to talk to him. Although he planned to have the money he owed wired today around the same time as this meeting, Linc wanted one last conversation with the man.

He knocked and walked in, coming face-to-face with his one-time friend. “Beck.”

“I was just notified you wired the money.” Beck rose from his seat behind the desk. “Guess we’re in business.”

Linc inclined his head. “Apparently we are. But you didn’t succeed in grabbing a part of my company. Despite using an older man’s weakness to try and do it.” Linc wouldn’t come out and admit to his father’s illness, but Beck had to have realized something wasn’t right when Kenneth Kingston had put up a piece of the family company as collateral in the deal.

Beck shrugged. “You win some, you lose some. But for your information, I had nothing to do with your father’s choices.”

Not about to let him off the hook easily, Linc stepped toward him. “You could have given me a heads-up and chose not to. You also dragged out the information for your own enjoyment. Can’t say I appreciate either choice.”

Beck shrugged. “And I can’t say I care.”

“Great.” Linc refrained from rolling his eyes. “With that settled, keep Brian, my CEO, updated on anything having to do with this deal. I don’t want to be blindsided again.”

Better to let Brian deal with the actual purchase and subsequent renovations and leasing. Linc and Beck might kill one another if they had to work together directly. And since it was Beck who was involved, Linc wouldn’t turn it over to someone more junior. To be safe, he wanted someone he trusted implicitly handling it.

“Whatever you say.” Beck took his seat again, obviously finished with the conversation, which was fine with Linc.

“Let’s try and stay out of each other’s orbit from now on,” Linc said before turning and walking out, letting the door slam behind him this time.

* * *

Jordan worked all morning without a break because she’d promised Aurora they could go shopping for post-maternity clothes.

Melly had done so much for her, furnishing the baby’s room, supplementing accessories and clothes that she didn’t get at the shower. But when it came to her own wardrobe, Aurora wanted someone closer to her own age to join her. Aurora was coming to the office to meet up with Jordan and Chloe for a girls’ afternoon.

Jordan had taken off the day after the baby shower, as Linc had offered and she’d returned the next day. For the most part, she was feeling better except for an occasional bout of light-headedness and nausea. She assumed she had a lingering virus, or as a migraine person, she attributed the symptoms to her condition and went about her days.

She looked forward to shopping with the two girls today, and by the time Aurora arrived, Jordan was ready to go.

The young woman walked up to Jordan’s desk, an excited smile on her face. “Did you hear the cool news?”

Jordan shook her head. “What’s up?”

“Dash and the band are performing at a special charity event this Saturday night and we’re all going! Melly asked the nanny her friend’s daughter used if she could babysit for Leah and she said yes.” She vibrated with excitement and Jordan was thrilled for her.