Nichole dimpled. “I know. Mommy told me.”
Kyle grinned.
“There you are,” a voice said. “I’d wondered where you’d run off to. I told you not to bother Mr. Haynes.” Sandy stood at the end of his driveway. Like her children she was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Unlike his noncommittal response to their clothes, he found her outfit intriguing. Her red shorts exposed long tanned legs. Her round hips drew his eye toward her waist, then up to her breasts. She wasn’t overly curvy, she was...just right.
He stood up slowly. “I’d rather they call me Kyle, and they weren’t bothering me. I heard about the truck.”
She wouldn’t—or couldn’t—meet his gaze. “Yes, well, I just got off the phone with the moving company. The truck will be here Monday for sure.”
“But it’s Friday,” he said. “What will you do until then?”
“Stay at the motel where we’ve been staying. The kids don’t mind. It has a pool.”
“By the time we get back there, we’re too tired to go swimming,” Lindsay grumbled.
Her mother shot her a warning look. “The extra time will give us a chance to finish the house.”
Lindsay groaned.
“How’s that coming?”
She stared at his car, then at the ground, finally her gaze landed on his knees and settled there. Kyle wanted to believe she was having trouble looking at him because he was wearing cutoffs and nothing else. He wanted to believe the sight of his bare chest and legs left her speechless. He wanted to believe he would one day win the California lottery. Right now they seemed equally likely.
“Fine,” Sandy said shortly. “Just fine. We’re cleaning and soon we’ll start painting.”
“We’re never going to finish,” Lindsay said.
“Nonsense. I’ve come up with a new plan. It will allow us to work more efficiently.”
“Mo-om.” Lindsay planted her hands on her hips. At that moment, she looked exactly like her mother. “We’re kids, not slaves.”
“And just an hour ago, you were trying to convince me you’re all grown up. You’ll have to pick one, Lindsay, you can’t have it both ways.”
Kyle opened his mouth to offer his help, then thought better of it. He didn’t want to give Sandy another chance to shoot him down.
Sandy glanced at his car, then at him. “We’d better let you get back to work. Have fun. Come along, children.”
She took Nichole’s hand and started down the driveway. Lindsay followed slowly. Only Blake hesitated. He stared at the car for a moment.
“Do you like Camaros?” Kyle asked, suddenly curious about the quietest member of the Walker family.
Blake nodded. “Does it go fast?”
“Pretty fast.” He grinned. “I’m a deputy in town, so it’s not right for me to break the law. I keep her at fifty-five.”
“Blake, come on, honey,” Sandy called.
“Maybe you and I could go for a drive someday,” Kyle offered.
Blake stared up at him, nodded, then ran off to join his mother.
As Kyle picked up the chamois, he watched Sandy and her kids enter the big house. He remembered how dirty it had been. Yesterday, the exterminator had come by to drop off his traps, so the mouse problem was being handled. Still, there was the whole upstairs that Lindsay said they hadn’t even started on. And painting. How would they get that done?
He wiped off the roof of the car. Maybe he shouldn’t offer to help. Maybe he should just take care of it. She would hate that. Of course, if he didn’t give her a chance to refuse, she would have to hate it silently.
He looked at the oversize home again, then tossed the chamois down and went inside his house. He knew exactly how to take care of Sandy’s problem. He had brothers, and they all owed him.
It was like being descended upon by locusts. Tall, handsome, male locusts. There were only three of them, but that was enough.
Sandy stood at her front door Friday afternoon and stared at the men in front of her.
“We’re here to help,” Kyle said.
“But I don’t—”
He pushed past her into the house. “Sure you do. Be polite, say thank-you, then show us what needs to be done. We’re not going away.”
Lindsay came running down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she stared at the three men. “Wow.”
Yeah, wow, Sandy echoed silently. There was enough testosterone in the room to float a football team.
“She’s speechless,” the tallest of the men said. They all had dark hair, but this one had cool gray eyes and was wearing a gold earring.
“Sandy?” Kyle said, coming up and putting his arm around her. “Not her. She’s just mentally organizing her next attack. Sandy always has a plan.”
She usually had a plan, she admitted to herself. She just didn’t have one right at this minute. Besides, how was she supposed to think when Kyle was standing so close? She told herself she should pull away, but her legs weren’t listening. It had been bad enough when she’d walked over to his place that morning. He’d been wearing shorts and nothing else. Just the thought of his bare chest was enough to make her hyperventilate.
“Maybe you should introduce us,” the third man said. He was obviously one of Kyle’s brothers, but Sandy couldn’t remember which one. He had the same dark hair and warm brown eyes. He was handsome as sin. They all were.
“Good idea,” Kyle said. “This is Lindsay.” He pointed to the preteen still standing on the bottom stair, gaping at them. “And this is Sandy.”
Kyle’s brother waved at her daughter, then nodded at her. “Hi, Sandy. I’m Travis. The second oldest of the Haynes brothers. You dated Jordan, right?”
She shook the hand he offered and grinned. “I’m amazed you could keep any of us straight,” she said. “Girls came and went through your lives with the speed of light.”
Travis chuckled. “Maybe, but a few were memorable.”
Sandy felt herself blush at the compliment.
The man with the earring moved toward her. “I’m Austin Lucas.” His gray gaze met hers. He was almost as handsome as Kyle, but there was something dark about him. Dangerous. She noticed a ring on his left hand and wondered who’d been brave enough to tame this man.
“Hey, enough of that,” Kyle said, stepping between them.
