92 Pacific Boulevard - Debbie Macomber [80]
It did now.
He loved his niece more than he ever could have foreseen. With Mary Jo and Noelle living in Cedar Cove, the house was strangely quiet and empty. Mel and Ned led busy lives; they were often out. They didn’t have the problems Linc did with women. They were both in relationships and he assumed they’d be married soon.
When Linc wasn’t at the house, he was at work. He ran the car repair shop his father had opened nearly fifty years earlier. Because he was the oldest, he considered it his duty to hold the family business, as well as the family, together. Ever since their parents’ deaths, he’d done his utmost to manage the shop, keep the peace and make sure everyone was okay.
“How’s Mary Jo doing?” Linc asked.
“Why don’t you ask me directly?” she said. She stood in the doorway of her half of the duplex, arms crossed. “It’s not like I’m living in China, you know.”
“Right.” For fear he might say or do something else to upset her, Linc shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Since you asked, I’m doing very well, thank you.”
“And Noelle?”
“The same.”
Linc cleared his throat and turned to Mack; the return stare told him he was on his own.
Gesturing to his truck, Linc said, “I brought you a housewarming gift.”
“Another one?”
“Ah…it seemed you could use more than one.”
Mary Jo smiled. “That was nice of you.”
Linc felt the tension ease from his shoulders and the back of his neck.
He handed over the stuffed leprechaun, which was added to Noelle’s growing pile of toys. Then, with Mack’s assistance, he hauled the sofa and chair into Mary Jo’s living room. She indicated where she wanted them, then changed her mind not once but twice. He wasn’t annoyed, and neither was Mack.
Noelle had been asleep but woke shortly after Mary Jo was satisfied with the arrangement of the furniture. Sitting down on the new chair, Linc held his niece, who smelled deliciously of baby powder and shampoo, and kissed her forehead. She yawned and arched her back, raising her elbows as she did. Babies fascinated him. At first, when Mary Jo had brought Noelle home, he’d been terrified of hurting her—dropping her or squeezing too tight. Gradually he’d become more relaxed around the infant. It helped that she’d outgrown the colic. As it was now, he could hold this little one for hours and be content.
“Do you want to feed her?” Mary Jo asked Linc, after seeing Mack to the door.
“I thought…you know, breasts…” The words seemed to stumble all over themselves and he knew he was blushing furiously.
“Since I work now, I’m using a breast pump.”
Some subjects were best not discussed between sister and brother. Breast pumps fell into that category. “I…think maybe you should feed her.” He knew he sounded gruff but couldn’t help it.
Noelle smiled up at him and he smiled back. He dared not look at his sister as he muttered, “Are you seeing a lot of that neighbor of yours?”
There was a short hesitation. “What makes you ask?”
Linc shrugged, grateful she hadn’t taken offense. “It’s just that he seems to be around every time I stop by.”
“He lives next door. What do you expect?”
Her reply held an edge that warned him against pursuing this line of questioning further. Difficult though it was, Linc didn’t ask anything else. If his sister did become involved with her neighbor, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. As long as Mack understood that Linc wouldn’t allow another man to take advantage of her.
He was well aware that Mary Jo would never talk to him again if he asked McAfee what his intentions were. Still, Linc wanted to know.
Mary Jo offered him dinner but he declined. He’d stayed too long already. It was time to hit the road.
After thanking him for the living room set, Mary Jo walked Linc to his truck. “Drive carefully, okay?”
“I will,” he promised.
“You know, don’t