often in the next ten days….
“I’ll give you a hand.”
Lily dragged in a breath, ready to decline, but the masculine—and all-too-appealing—scent of fresh air and freshly laundered cotton filled her lungs. And did strange things to her vocal cords. All she could manage was a…squeak.
A squeak Brendan must have taken as consent, because he reached into the trunk of the car and pulled out a box filled with drop cloths.
“You can set the bins in the hallway.” Lily found her voice as she wrestled a folding ladder from the backseat. “I’ll organize everything later.”
“What’s this?”
Peeking over the top of the door, she saw him holding her pink paisley Vera Bradley weekender, a birthday gift from Shelby, at arm’s length. The way a person might hold a plastic bag bound for the curb. Or a package that had suddenly started to tick.
Lily hesitated, wondering if this was a trick question. “My suitcase?”
“Suitcase.” He frowned, clearly suspicious.
They do come in more than colors than black and navy blue, Lily thought. Then promptly asked God’s forgiveness for the uncharitable thought.
“Don’t worry about that one.” Setting the ladder down, she held out her hand, ready to rescue the bag from his grip. “I’ll take it upstairs.”
“Upstairs?” The frown deepened.
And he was still attractive.
Life, Lily thought, just wasn’t fair.
“You’re not staying here.” It came out sounding more like a statement than a question.
“Sonia offered the use of her guest room while she’s on vacation,” Lily explained. “Paint the Town is based in Traverse City, so it would have been too far to drive back and forth.”
“I’m surprised you accepted a job way up here in the middle of nowhere.” A muscle working in that chiseled jaw tightened at the words.
Lily didn’t know why it mattered where she stayed. But if Brendan Kane was Sonia’s manager, as she suspected, he probably resented the fact that his employer hadn’t kept him in the loop.
“I didn’t have the luxury of turning down the job.” She pressed out a smile. “And Sonia assured me that I have all the qualifications she’s been looking for.”
The blue eyes closed briefly, and Lily could only guess what the man was thinking of. Tossing her offensive floral luggage in the river? Ordering her off the property?
She decided not to wait around to find out.
“I appreciate your help, but I can handle the rest of it.” Plucking the suitcase from his hand, Lily headed to the front door. This time—thank You, God—he didn’t follow.
She practically sprinted up the stairs to the second floor and took refuge in the spare room at the end of the hall. Number four on the makeover list. Sonia had requested something lighter than the existing hunter-green walls and burgundy trim, which gave the room a distinctly masculine feel.
Lily unpacked her suitcase and matched each item of clothing to a plastic hanger in the closet. She read through Sonia’s list and matched paint chips to the appropriate rooms.
In other words, she was stalling.
After an hour or so, when she figured the coast was clear, Lily padded downstairs.
Anticipation began to wash away the memory of her encounter with Brendan the Brusque. She sorted through the cans of paint until she came to the words chai tea scribbled on the lid. Rich vanilla, with a subtle vein of gold, would provide the perfect frame for the window overlooking the river.
Lily practically skipped down the hall to Sonia’s office. And bumped into a wall she hadn’t encountered on her first tour of the house. Solid. Warm.
She stumbled backward. “What are you doing here?”
“That’s funny.” One dark eyebrow lifted. “I was about to ask you the same question.”
If it was funny, then why wasn’t he smiling?
“I’m going to do some prep work.”
Her explanation was met with silence. Lily tried again. “Scrub the walls. Tape around the windows and trim—”
“I know what prep work is,” Brendan interrupted. “But why are you in here?”
Lily took a deep breath. Prayed for patience. “Because this is the room I’ll be painting first.”
“No.”
Manager or not, she was getting a little tired of the man’s high-handed ways.
“My employer—” Lily couldn’t help but press down on the word “—gave me a list of the rooms she wanted me to paint and this office happens to be one of them. Is there a problem?”
Yes. There was.
In fact, Brendan had started a list of his own.
Beginning with the fact that Sunni had neglected to mention the person she’d hired for Castle Falls Outfitters: Makeover Edition was a leggy blonde with violet eyes.
Or that she’d be living upstairs.
Maybe his mother hadn’t had an ulterior motive. Maybe a woman—a beautiful woman—in her mid-twenties who lived in a city over half a day’s drive from Castle Falls had been the only painter available.
Yeah. Right.
“This isn’t Sunni’s office.” Brendan speared a hand through his hair. “It’s mine.”
“Who is Sunni?”
“Sunni Mason…my mother.” The words had gotten easier to say over the years. Unlike his brothers, Brendan still remembered the woman who’d given birth to them. Even if those memories weren’t the kind a person was eager to share.
“But—” Lily’s forehead puckered “—I thought you were the manager.”
“I am. I’m also the son. My two younger brothers work here, too, but they’re gone for a few days.” Brendan could only imagine what his siblings’ reactions would be when they returned and discovered what Sunni had done. “We all take care of a different aspect of the business. Liam designs the boats, Aiden tests them and I find people to buy them. From this office,” he couldn’t help but add.
Some unidentifiable emotion flared in Lily’s eyes. “Do you live here—in this house—too?”
Brendan shook his head. “In a cabin behind the shop. I like my privacy.” It had to be said. “So you understand why this won’t work. It’s a small space, and there isn’t room for both of us.”
“Oh, I understand.” The corners
