Ryan nodded. "Haven't really slept much since the call came in about Mom and Dad."
"I'm right there with you." Jordan clamped his hand on his big brother's shoulder. "Just remember, we're all in this together. You don't need to bear the burden alone."
"I appreciate that. I haven't been able to spend much time with Riley lately. It's starting to feel more like she's the parent and I'm the kid."
"What do you mean?"
"She's lost so much. Yet she constantly worries about me. She's always trying to take care of me. Make sure I eat right. Hell, because of the circumstances she's been thrown into, she's growing up too fast. It's not fair. I want her to be a little girl for as long as she can."
"Sometimes life just hands a kid a tough road. But she'll come out of it okay. Because she has you. Never fear that."
"I do. I just wish her mom wasn't so . . ."
"Wrapped up in toilet paper?"
Ryan groaned. "I can't begin to tell you what it does to a man's ego when he knows he can't compete with something you flush down the shitter."
"I'm sure there are women lined up to take her place."
"Don't know. Haven't dated since she left."
"Dated." Jordan's eyebrows jacked up his forehead. "As in you haven't-­"
"Nope. Haven't done that either."
"Jesus. You and Dec are giving the Kincade men a bad name."
"Pretty sure I don't want to know what's going on-­or not going on-­with him."
"Let's just say the two of you could start a celibacy club."
"Not the kind of club I'm interested in."
"I would imagine not." Jordan patted his brother's broad shoulder. "So, change of subject?"
"Yes please."
"Thank God." Jordan sipped his coffee. "I thought I'd give you an update on Nicki."
"I appreciate that you're really taking this situation to heart," Ryan said. "I've got-­"
"Your hands are full." Jordan acknowledged the cold, hard facts. "I totally get that. And while I don't have all the answers yet, I am making progress with the help of her creative writing teacher."
His brother smiled. "Lucy's a nice woman."
Nice. Complicated. Smart. Sexy. And Jordan knew there was a whole lot more he'd yet to discover.
"Yeah. She's great," he said. "She plans to talk to the school counselor to make sure we're taking the proper steps to help Nicki."
"What?" Ryan's head went back. "Wait a minute. You? Following rules?"
"I don't break them all, you know."
"Well, I appreciate the extra effort," Ryan said. "And especially for your patience with our sister. I know she's not always the easiest firecracker in the box to handle."
"The baby dragon?" Jordan chuckled. "She's not as tough as she thinks she is. Besides, I'm wearing her down."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. I'm sticking around. She swears I'm going to run out on her. I have to prove I'm not."
"That's a big order to fill, little brother. What about your career? The team? The playoffs?"
Jordan shrugged. "I'll figure it out."
Famous last words.
"Well, whatever you do . . ." Ryan clamped his hand over Jordan's shoulder. "It's really good to have you around for a change."
"Thanks. It's good to be here. Does that mean I can borrow the keys to the event center tonight?"
"What have you got planned?"
"I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you."
"Sounds serious." Ryan's brows came together over a piercing glare.
"Just the opposite."
"Then yes, you may have the keys." Ryan grinned. "Just make sure you don't break anything."
"No worries." The last thing he had in mind was a brawl. Then again, he wasn't exactly sure how much Lucy liked surprises.
A t eleven minutes to seven Lucy felt like she was about to break down. Or throw up. She paced across her bedroom floor, holding this skirt or that blouse up to her body so she could inspect her clothing choices. She realized too late that she didn't have the appropriate clothes to wear on a date and it was too late to go shopping.
Not that she had a clue where they were going.
She had work clothes, casual clothes, workout clothes, and sleeping clothes. Everything in her closet consisted of black, white, or blue, if you counted the jeans she owned that were not going-­out-­appropriate attire. Nothing she had sparkled, shimmered, or glowed. She didn't own pearls or even fun costume jewelry like her friend Claudia wore, so she couldn't even dress up a boring outfit.