Authors: Cathryn Fox

Flirty (12 page)

A loud sound coming from downstairs startled her, and when she realized it was someone knocking on her front door, she rushed down the steps and gasped when she saw her four overbearing, overprotective brothers standing there.

She pulled open the door. “What…what are you guys doing here?”

Her oldest brother Donnie stepped forward. “More like what are
you
doing here?” he asked, looking past her shoulders into the house.

“How did you find me?”

“You said you were visiting Charlotte in Rhode Island, but she called the other day, so we tracked you down through the bank.”

She held her ground and asked, “So you all decided to drive down from Portland to see what I was up to?” Damn, she really should have called Charlotte to fill her in on her plan, but they hadn’t spoken in so long she never expected her to call the house.

“Yeah, something like that,” Donnie said.

“What’s going on here, Lex?” Scott, her youngest brother, asked.

She inhaled, and pointed behind her. “I came here to restore this house to prove to you guys that I have what it takes to be a part of your business.”

“Fine,” Donnie blurted out hastily, as his shrewd eyes took in the work done on the house. “You can be a part of the business. Just get in the truck and come home where you belong.”

Belong…

“You’re only saying that because you want me to come home so you can watch over me,” she said.

“So you really did all this, Lex?” her second-youngest brother Drake asked.

“With a little help from my friends.” Warmth moved through her, because she knew deep in her heart she’d finally found a place where she belonged and that was Whispering Cove.

Scott jerked his thumb toward the truck. “Okay, so you proved yourself. Now we can go.”

“I’m not going.” She rooted her feet, and as her brothers examined the front foyer, she suddenly, inexplicably, no longer cared if her renovations met their standards or not. She only cared what Sam thought, because keeping with heritage was important to him, which meant it was important to her.

“What are you wearing?” her second-oldest brother Keevan asked, pulling a face as his glance moved over her girlie dress.

“Look…” she began, ready to tell them that she didn’t need their protection or approval and that she wanted to stay in Whispering Cove, even though she didn’t yet have a place to live.

Someone from behind her brothers cleared their throat. They all turned and formed a protective wall around Lex. She went up on her tiptoes to see who was there, but from his familiar scent alone she knew it was Sam.

“Who are you?” Donnie asked.

“The name’s Sam. Who are you?”

Donnie widened his stance. “Who we are doesn’t matter.”

“What are you doing with that For Sale sign?” Keevan asked. He snickered and jabbed Drake. “I think he plans to use that as some kind of weapon against us.”

“Good luck with that,” Drake said.

“Actually, I took it down because I want to buy this place.”

Lex squeaked and tried to push past her brothers. Her attempts proved futile.

“Do you think you could move out of the way?” Sam asked. “I need to talk to Alexis.”

Donnie stepped forward. “The only way you’re getting to her is through us.”

“Well if that’s the way it has to be,” Sam said.

“Donnie, stop it,” Lex said. “So help me if you lay a hand on him…”

She heard the For Sale sign fall to the floor as she pounded on Keevan’s back, trying to get around him.

“Shit, I just bought this shirt, and now I’m going to get blood all over it. You wouldn’t at least let me change would you?” Sam asked.

Donnie growled.

“Guess not.” Sam sighed. “Alexis?”

“Yeah?”

“When this fight is over, I might not be able to talk so I want to ask you something now while I still have teeth.”

Her heart raced, her stomach sick with worry as her brothers bullied the man she loved, a man who didn’t seem at all afraid to stand up to them, which, while stupid, warmed her heart immensely. “Okay.”

“I want you to stay here in Whispering Cove, with me.” He got quiet for a moment, and she didn’t miss the worry in his voice when he whispered, “Please say yes.”

She clapped her hands together and did a little jump, her heart soaring. It was a good thing he only wanted a one-word answer because “Yes” was all she could manage around the lump in her throat.

“I want to live in this house with you, have babies with you and watch them grow up and slide down the rail we refinished together.” She swiped the tears in her eyes, unable to find her voice. “And Alexis?”

“Yeah.”

“Even in coveralls, you’re the smartest, most beautiful restoration specialist I know. I want to spend the rest of my life working together to restore old houses with you.”

“I don’t need the coveralls, Sam. You taught me to be who I really am and I can be feminine and still be taken seriously in this industry.”

“Okay, enough of this sappy shit,” Donnie said, grabbing Sam by the shirt.

Before he could throw a punch, he let out a loud oomph and sank to his knees. Over his drooping head Lex spotted Errol removing his cane from her brother’s gut. She pushed past Donnie and ran into Sam’s arms. He placed a soft, loving kiss onto her mouth before pulling her in tight.

“What’s going on here, boys?” Errol questioned. “You got a problem with my Sam and Alexis?”

“She’s not your Alexis, she’s our Lex,” Scott said, jamming his thumb into his own chest as he took a predatory step forward.

Errol held up his cane in warning. “Not anymore she’s not.” He grinned and gave Sam a nudge with the cane. “How many men do you know who would stand up and take a beating from you four just to be with your sister?”

The four guys all started mumbling under their breath.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Errol said. “So doesn’t that tell you boys that she’s his, not yours?”

“Lex,” Donnie began when he finally managed to climb to his feet. “What the hell is going on here?”

Sam positioned Alexis behind him and stepped forward. “I love her,” he stated. “And I only want what’s best for her. She’s in good hands with me and I will never, ever hurt her. You have my word on that.”

“You think you’re what’s best for her?” Donnie asked.

Sam stepped back beside her. “Why don’t you ask her?”

Donnie turned to her. “Lex?”

She smiled up at Sam. “There are no other hands I’d rather be in.”

When Donnie’s shoulders sagged, Sam turned toward her and when he drew her in tight, she saw love shining in his eyes. “I love you, Alexis.”

She was about to tell him she loved him too, when Errol held his hands up palms out. “Do you feel that?”

Oh, good God no. “Errol, the place isn’t haunted.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, lassie,” he said with a mischievous grin on his face that had her wondering if he was behind the strange goings on in the house all along. “Not a cold spot to be found. Ol’ Lady Landry is now resting nicely.”

“There never were any ghosts,” Sam said.

As her four brothers stood there dumbfounded, like they had no idea what crazy old Errol was going on about, he continued with, “Sure there were. Your gizmos just weren’t working.”

“My gizmos were working just fine, but now that my priorities have changed, I think I’ll be packing them away for good.”

She leaned into him, and when she felt a hard ridge in the vicinity of his zipper she whispered playfully, “Hopefully not every gizmo.”

“No, Alexis,” he said laughing as he picked her up and spun her around. “Not every gizmo.”

Epilogue

A warm summer breeze blew over Errol’s face as he picked up a candy wrapper and tossed it into the trash. Town square was quiet now that the parade had passed through and families were gathered for their annual barbeques. He couldn’t help but smile as he, Byron and Harold walked around the gazebo, admiring the work Carmen and Ryan had revealed during the Fourth of July parade. He might not have won the bet this time around, but it didn’t matter. He was just happy to have Sam back in his life, and hitched to sweet little Alexis. He just knew they were going to fill that house with love and babies.

He turned to Harold and nudged him with his cane. “We did good, ol’ buddy.”

Harold furrowed his bushy brows. “Was worried for a bit there. Things got mighty tricky with Devon and Sahara, but in the end love won out.”

Byron gave a low, slow whistle, and rubbed his arthritic hands together. “You think you had it tough. That Carmen is one strong-willed girl.”

When Byron frowned, Errol poked him with his cane. “What have you got to be upset about, you barnacle-plucking ol’ goat? Ryan had the biggest declaration of love, in front of the whole dang town, which means you won the bet and Harold and I are out a month’s worth of rum?”

Harold guffawed. “Not that we don’t plan to help you drink it.”

Byron stepped away from the gazebo and looked around the town, taking in all the folks making their way to their backyard to prepare for family, fun and good food. “It’s getting mighty hard to keep meddling, though. The whole town is on to us,” Byron explained.

Errol nodded. “Yeah, it makes it a bit tricky doesn’t it?”

They left the gazebo and made their way across the town square toward Byron’s place, to where they’d get in a couple card games and a few shots of rum before joining their families. Jacob Collins, one of the town’s veterinarians, who was out for a run with his dog Charlie, ran through the park, giving the three a wave.

Errol’s mind started racing...scheming. “Maybe we’re going to have to shake things up a bit.”

“You’ve got something in mind?” Byron asked.

“He’d have to have a mind first,” Harold piped in.

“Why, you old bloated—” he began, but his words fell off when he spotted Lila and Eden, along with Eden’s big Labrador retriever, coming from Sleepy Cove B&B.

Instead of turning right when they reached the sidewalk, Errol went left. “Where you going?” Harold asked, nodding toward Byron’s house. “The rum’s that way.”

Byron narrowed his beady eyes. “Wait, why are you grinning like the village idiot?”

“’Cause I’m going to get my dog, that’s why.”

“Dang, Errol, you losin’ it? You ain’t got no dang dog,” Byron said, shaking his head.

Harold’s glance went from Jacob to sweet and
single
Eden Sheppard back to Errol. “Why, you sneaky ol’ puffer fish. Think you’re gonna get the jump on us, do ya?”

“Yeah, well, before we know it, another opportunity to meddle will be on us, so if you two want to stand a chance against me, you’d better get scheming!”

About the Author

New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author Cathryn Fox is a wife, mom, sister, daughter and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie), pizza and red wine. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never-ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed-martial-arts fan. Cathryn can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter, and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.

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