Read The Hang Up (First Impressions) for Free Online

with you. But I won’t agree to like it.”
    “That’s the spirit.”
    “Now can we talk business for just a minute?”
    “Fire away.”
    As Miriam launched into a discussion of marketing plans and ad campaigns, the back of her brain was still hung up on the simmering attraction she felt for this burly, ridiculously sexy lumberjack lookalike beside her.
    The whole thing was stupid. Considering what happened with her dad, she kept her distance from guys who fed on adrenaline like it was oxygen. She’d sworn six ways to Sunday she’d never get involved with a guy like Jason Sanders.
    So what the hell was she doing?
    And why did she kinda wish spelunking was a sex act?

Chapter Three
    Jason rapped on his sister’s front door and reflected on the fact that it was also sort of his door. He’d purchased the duplex when he moved them all to the city two weeks ago, and though he lived three feet away in the adjacent home, he liked to think there was enough separation between the two dwellings to give them each a bit of privacy.
    That was especially handy when his five-year-old nephew, Henry, practiced his drumming skills with a collection of his mother’s pots and pans. Though the sound didn’t carry through the walls when Jason was safely in his space, he could hear it now as Ellie threw the door open to reveal a gleefully percussive little boy and one frazzled-looking mom.
    “What?” barked the frazzled-looking mom, who also happened to be Jason’s baby sister.
    He felt a rush of fondness for Ellie, mingled with the absolute certainty he was put here on this earth to care for these two remaining members of his family.
    But he was a big brother, of course, so he opted to show his fondness by tousling her hair.
    “Good morning to you, too, sunshine,” Jason said as she ducked out from under his hand and smacked it away. “I take it he found the drumsticks?”
    “No, he’s using my wooden spoons again.”
    “I thought you hid those.”
    “I did. Apparently his desire to be Alex Van Halen outweighs his fear of climbing up on the counter to reach the top of the fridge.”
    “Climbing’s in his genes,” Jason said with a twinge of pride. “Maybe I’ll buy him a harness and a set of crampons for his sixth birthday.”
    “And maybe I’ll be attending my big brother’s funeral after I murder you in your sleep.”
    Jason laughed and glanced at Henry. “How’d he sleep?”
    “Really well. Hopefully that means the new meds agree with him.” Ellie turned to look back at her son, who had reached a musical crescendo and was using a pair of stainless steel lids as cymbals. “Maybe that’s the problem,” Ellie said. “He’s well-rested and feeling good and ready to take on the world.”
    “They said that might be the case at this stage in remission.” Jason peered around Ellie and called out to his nephew. “Hey, big guy! You gonna be good for your mom today?”
    Henry nodded and dropped his cymbals, then scurried toward the door. He wrapped his small body around his uncle’s leg with the fierceness of a small anaconda, then released it before Jason had a chance to stoop down to proper hugging level.
    Henry looked up at him, beaming, as he shoved his glasses up on his tiny freckle-spotted nose. “Uncle Jason, I have a penis and you have a penis but mommy and Mrs. O’Reilly have fa-chynas.”
    “Right,” Jason agreed, unfazed by his nephew’s typical entrée to conversation. He looked back at his sister. “Mrs. O’Reilly?”
    Ellie shrugged. “A woman we met at the park yesterday. One who seemed taken aback by receiving an anatomy lesson delivered by a five-year-old.”
    They both looked at Henry, who seemed unconcerned by the whole thing. He’d scampered back to his makeshift drum set and was rearranging Ellie’s Dutch oven beside an overturned saucepan. Henry giggled and picked up the wooden spoons again, looking so happy and healthy that Jason’s heart squeezed in his chest.
    This is the most