wasn’t alone. “Hello.”
Brendan suppressed a groan.
Because Liam and Aiden were looking at Lily the way Adam must have looked when God introduced him to Eve in the garden.
* * *
Handsome in triplicate.
It was the only way Lily could describe the wall of ruggedly handsome, dark-haired men standing in the kitchen. Three pairs of eyes, in shades of watercolor hues ranging from the translucent blue of an April sky to cobalt, were locked on her.
Brendan had mentioned his brothers in passing the day before, but even if Lily had formed a picture in her mind, her imagination still wouldn’t have done them justice. Like Brendan, the two newcomers topped six feet and boasted the lean but muscular build of a quarterback. Skin stained a deep golden-brown by the sun testified to the number of hours they spent outdoors.
One of them flashed an engaging smile as he stepped forward. “Liam Kane.”
“Lily Michaels. It’s nice to meet you.” Lily wondered if she sounded as bemused as she felt.
Brother number two stepped forward and extended his hand. “Aiden. And if that apple pie tastes as good as it smells, I might have to find a few more things to paint around here so you’ll stay longer.”
Lily took the blatant hint as a compliment and laughed.
“You’re certainly welcome to try it. There’s plenty.” She reached for a potholder on the counter but Aiden beat her to it.
“I’ve got it.”
Brendan’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you two have a trailer to unload?”
“The canoes aren’t going anywhere. But this…” Aiden winked at Lily as he removed the steaming pie from the oven and set it on the counter. “Well, I wouldn’t want it to disappear while I’m gone.”
Brendan snorted. Because some men clearly didn’t appreciate good food when it was delivered right to their office door.
Liam bent down to pet Missy, who sat patiently at his feet, a puddle of river water expanding around her as she waited to be noticed. “I thought Mom found a new home for her.”
“Ed Wilson couldn’t keep her, and the shelter didn’t have room,” Brendan said.
“You’re going soft on us, big brother,” Aiden teased.
“Don’t look at me.” Brendan crossed his arms and looked at her.
“I…intervened,” Lily admitted.
“Interfered,” Brendan said under his breath.
Whatever the term, it was obvious someone hadn’t gotten over it yet.
Lily grabbed a roll of paper towel from the counter as tiny tributaries began to fan out from the puddle underneath Missy and channel into the grout between the ceramic tiles.
“How did you get Bren to agree to let her stay?” Liam asked, eyes lit with curiosity. “He told us Missy was chewing him out of house and home.”
Lily hesitated. Was this a trick question? “Um…I just told him I would take care of Missy until Sonia came home.”
“Just told him, huh?”
Brendan’s brothers exchanged a smile. And a look that Lily couldn’t quite interpret.
“Mom has been on a mission lately.” Liam propped a hip against the table and glanced at Brendan. “What’s that verse she likes to quote?”
Lily, who’d never been blessed with siblings, sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere. The kind of weighted stillness that usually precedes a thunderstorm.
“I can’t remember,” Brendan said tightly.
“I do.” Aiden’s smile flashed. “It’s not good for man to be alone.”
Liam burst out laughing, and Aiden joined in.
Brendan didn’t.
As much as the Kane men looked alike, Lily had just discovered one characteristic that distinguished Brendan from his brothers.
His disposition.
Chapter Five
Brendan didn’t know which brother to muzzle first.
He’d been hoping Liam and Aiden wouldn’t figure out why Sunni had hired a self-described “custom” painter. A painter who lacked so much confidence in her ability she had to watch a tutorial before starting a project.
Brendan had caught a glimpse of a woman wielding a paintbrush on an open laptop, but it was the guilty look on Lily’s face right before she’d snapped it shut that caught his attention. He suspected his mother hadn’t even bothered to check Lily’s references before she’d signed the contract.
Because she had all the qualifications Sunni was looking for…
“I’ll help you unpack.” Brendan took a step toward the door.
No one followed.
“So what do you think of Castle Falls, Lily?” Aiden yanked a clean plate from the dish drainer. “Have you had a chance to get acquainted with the area yet?”
Brendan could see where this was going, and it made the decision easier.
His youngest brother first.
“Mom hired Lily to paint, not go sightseeing,” Brendan reminded him.
“I plan to do both, actually.” Lily smiled. At his brother. “The area is beautiful.”
“You should hike up the river when you get a chance.” Liam nudged Aiden aside and began to rummage through the utensil drawer for a fork. “The falls are kind of a well-kept secret around here because they’re located on private property and not in a state park.”
“Who owns the land?” Lily opened the freezer and pulled out a container of vanilla ice cream Brendan hadn’t known was there.
The situation was quickly getting out of hand. Not only had Lily staked a claim on the living room, she’d invaded Sunni’s kitchen and stocked it with contraband. His brothers would be circling the table all day if she kept this up.
“We do,” Aiden said. “And—”
“She’s already been there.” Once again, Brendan relived the moment he’d seen Lily blithely skipping across a fallen log while the current did its best to shake her loose. And once again, the cartilage in his knees turned to mush at the thought of her getting pulled beneath the surface of the churning water.
Aiden, of course, ignored him. “What did you think of the cave?”
Lily tipped her head in a gesture that
