The Bachelor Next Door. Kathryn Springer

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СКАЧАТЬ didn’t think about it.” The truth was, Brendan didn’t want to think about it. A memory shivered through him, as cold as the water that trickled down the amber walls of the cave they were discussing.

      “He didn’t say anything about a cave. And I didn’t see it when I was exploring,” Lily said.

      “It’s not near the falls…it’s behind them.” Without missing a beat, Aiden broke a pact the three of them had made years ago. For the second time. “Brendan discovered it when we were kids.”

      “You have to go through a passageway to get to it, though,” Liam added.

      “It’s kind of dark and creepy, too,” Aiden put in cheerfully.

      Most women would have been deterred by that information. If possible, Lily appeared even more intrigued. Brendan was beginning to realize that Lily Michaels couldn’t be lumped in the category of “most women.”

      For the first time since his brothers had wandered into the kitchen unannounced, Lily made eye contact with him. “That must have been a great place to play.”

      Or hide.

      A memory began to work its way to the surface and Brendan thrust it back down again. Some things were better left in the past.

      “Yeah.” Liam slanted a look at him. “Ready to unload that trailer now, big brother?”

      “Sure.” Brendan wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or annoyed that he hadn’t masked his reaction to Lily’s innocent comment as well as he’d thought he had. But then again, Liam had always been the most intuitive one in the family.

      Aiden reluctantly set the plate down.

      “It has to cool a little before I can cut it anyway.” Lily must have seen the look of disappointment that crossed his youngest brother’s face. “But you’re welcome to come back and try a piece when you’re finished with your work.”

      “Count me in.” Liam clapped Brendan on the shoulder. “I’ll eat Brendan’s piece, too. He doesn’t take a break until ten o’clock at night.”

      Why bother to deny it? “I still have a few phone calls to make.” Even if the thought of leaving Lily alone with his brothers made Brendan feel as if he was wearing a wool shirt inside out.

      Half an hour later, after dodging portage packs and barrel bags and the smug looks tossed his way, Brendan retreated to his office to tackle the next thing on his agenda.

      Thirty seconds later, there was a soft tap on the door.

      “Come in.”

      Given the fact that Liam thumped the door with his fist like he was trying to put a dent in it and Aiden didn’t bother to knock at all, by process of elimination, Brendan wasn’t surprised when the door swung open and Lily poked her head inside the office.

      What was a surprise was the way Brendan’s heart kicked against his rib cage when she smiled at him.

      “I brought you a piece of pie.”

      “Thanks.” Brendan flicked a glance at the plate in her hands. “You can just set it aside in the kitchen, though. I don’t have time to eat it right now.”

      “Are you sure about that?” Lily rocked forward on her toes and nodded at the calendar on his desk.

      “What…” Brendan glanced down. In a narrow space between his two and three o’clock phone calls, someone—and there was no question who that someone was—had written the words apple pie.

      In permanent marker.

      “Enjoy.” She set the plate down and was gone before he could summon a protest.

      Clearly, Lily Michaels had no respect for boundaries.

      Brendan sighed as he reached for the fork.

      * * *

      “There’s three of them?”

      “Uh-huh.” Lily kept the phone pressed to her ear as she jogged to keep up with Missy, who’d veered off the gravel driveway and begun to blaze a new trail through the woods.

      The dog had risen with the sun and in her eagerness to start the day, she’d made sure Lily was up and ready to start hers, too.

      “I’ve been in the custom-painting business for three years, and most of my clients are older women who are diehard fans of HGTV,” Shelby complained. “How did you manage to get bachelors number one, two and three?”

      “Sonia hired me,” Lily reminded her. “Her sons just kind of…came with the place.”

      “OASHA would approve,” Shelby teased. “What a great work environment.”

      Except for the “silence is golden” rule that Brendan had been so quick to enforce. But it was so good to hear her friend laugh again, Lily decided not to argue that particular point.

      “Aiden and Liam live in an apartment above the garage and spend most of the day in the shop. I doubt I’ll see much of them.”

      “What about the other one? Brendan? What does he do?”

      “He—” Bosses people around? Drives her crazy? “—manages the business side of things.”

      “Does he know you’re in marketing?”

      Lily almost dropped the phone. “No.”

      “Why not?” Shelby demanded. “You’re amazing!”

      Under different circumstances, Shelby’s staunch loyalty would have made Lily smile.

      “I’m not in Castle Falls to drum up new business,” Lily reminded her. “I’m here to help with yours. Besides that, Brendan Kane isn’t crazy about someone invading his turf. I’m pretty sure if he found out I’m an amateur, it wouldn’t matter that Sonia was the one who’d signed the contract. He would fire me first and ask questions later.”

      “It isn’t like you don’t know what you’re doing,” Shelby huffed. “You helped out once in a while when we were on summer vacation.”

      “I stirred the paint and put tape around the windows.”

      “Well, you’re a fast learner and can do anything you set your mind to.”

      “Tell that to my father,” Lily joked.

      Shelby, the friend who was privy to her deepest secrets and knew her better than anyone else, didn’t laugh. “I’m sorry he gave you a rough time about taking a leave of absence from Pinnacle. I should have figured out another way to keep things running until I’m back on my feet.”

      “Don’t worry.” The last thing Lily wanted to do was add to her friend’s burden. Shelby needed to concentrate on getting well. “My job will still be there when I get back.”

      Along with a promotion and a corner office, if her boss kept his promise.

      “That СКАЧАТЬ