Chapter One
Eli
Eli pulled into a short-term parking spot at the airport, anxious to set eyes on his sister. It was going to be the first time in just over four years, and while he'd seen her plenty over video chat, it wasn't the same. That was why he was nearly half an hour early, because he couldn't stand to sit at home another minute.
He made sure he had his wallet with his ID, tucked his keys into his pocket, and locked the door when he got out. Then he strode into the building, heading for the Starbucks, where he'd grab a coffee while he waited for her plane to land in—he checked his phone again—twenty-four minutes. Then he knew it was likely to be a few minutes before she was able to get off the plane and make her way down to baggage claim, where he'd meet her.
After ordering a large coffee, he sat at one of the small tables and thought about how life had changed in the last eight years. He'd been a junior in college, Emma a freshman in high school, when a drunk driver killed their parents. There'd been no question that he'd take custody of her. It had been hard juggling taking care of a teenage girl while going to school, but because their parents had been well-enough off, he'd been able to quit his part-time job.
While hard, it had also been an incredible four years of braces, boyfriends, heartbreak, school dances, and more. She was sweet, smart as a whip, and cute as a button, although she'd hated that description as she got older, wanting to be "sexier," like the other girls at school. She was short like their mother, at 5'3", and felt that was a detriment. But she had pretty blonde hair and blue eyes, and he knew eventually the boys would flock to her. Hopefully she'd been smart while away at school and not let any of them take advantage of her.
He'd been incredibly proud when he got to watch her walk across the stage at her high school graduation.
Then he'd cried when she went off to Oxford University in the UK to study English Literature. Aside from their parents' deaths, it had been the hardest thing he'd ever gone through, and he'd missed her every day since. He hadn't been able to visit due to his job and then COVID, but now that she'd graduated, she was coming home to figure out where she wanted to go next, and he couldn't be more excited.
Glancing at his phone, he realized he'd been daydreaming for long enough that Emma's plane had landed five minutes ago. He swallowed the last bit of his coffee, tossed the cup in the trash, and headed out to find the correct baggage carousel for her flight.
Once in the right area, he began to look around for his sister. He didn't see her anywhere, but as he continued to look, a redhead standing with her back to him caught his eye. She was watching the luggage going around the carousel, one hand on her curvy hip. Her amazing ass was encased in a pair of short jean shorts that showed off her incredibly toned legs. He was picturing those legs up around his ears as he lay between her thighs, his tongue...
And then she turned around.
Shit. Fuck!
A bright smile spread across the stunning redhead's face, and she raced past a few other passengers and threw herself into his arms. "Hey, big brother!"
The woman's ass and legs he'd been admiring belonged to none other than Emma Grace, his baby sister.
***
Emma
Emma couldn't believe she was finally home. As she wrapped her arms around Eli, tears stung her eyes. It had been a long four years, and while she'd had fun at Oxford, there was nothing like the feeling of being home. She'd missed Chicago—the music festivals, farmers markets, biking the 606, and her friends—but most of all, she'd missed her brother. Catching up over video chat just wasn't the same.
She gave his neck an extra squeeze and then slid back down to her feet. Craning her neck, she looked up at him and smiled. "It's so good to be home. Now come on. Let's find my bags and go. I want to hear all the latest."
