Page 66 of You Fall First

“What was that about?” Link runs a hand along his neat black beard, and amusement lights up his eyes. “Or should I say who?”

“You remember my nephew, Dutton. He and my sister are moving in with me now. It’s a whole thing.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet it is.” Link huffs a laugh. “But that was not the face of a man looking at his nephew.” He leans forward and lunges for my phone. “Gimme.”

I’m about to swipe the phone away, afraid that once Link sees the pic of Jo, my attraction for her will be on full display, but at the last minute, I nod. “Go ahead.”

Then I tell him my passcode.

Maybe a part of me wants someone else to confirm all the goodness I’ve noted in Jo.

Link studies the picture for a moment, taking in the details. “Cute kid,” he says.

“Yep.”

“Stunning woman.”

My throat goes cottony. “Agreed.”

“I’m allowed to say that,” he adds, “because you know I’m deeply in love with my wife. But whoever this person is has got you hooked. Lined. Sinkered.”

I drag a hand along the back of my neck. I’m not gonna confirm or deny, so I have to bring up something else about Jo. “I think you met her before,” I say. “Last year, at Bridger’s surprise party.”

He narrows his eyes, examines the picture once more. “Oh, yeah. She’s a Michaels, right?”

“She is.”

“So, Dexter’s sister.”

“Indeed.”

He lets out a quiet hmph. “The young one.”

“Thanks for insinuating I’m old. But Jo’s not that young. Like twenty-seven.”

Link nods, his mouth crooked. “And you’re what? Thirty-five?”

“Thirty-four.”

“Seven years at your age isn’t much of an age gap.”

“That’s not the issue.”

“What is?” He hands the phone back over.

“Everything else.”

“You think Dex won’t approve?”

“What Dex thinks makes no difference. There’s nothing going on, even if she is attractive. I’ve got my sister and my nephew and this job …”

“And no time for a personal life,” Link says.

“Bingo.”

“Why’s she with your nephew right now?”

“That’s a whole story.”