4 Woohoo! Popular Kendall
“I like Kendall,” Tate commented as Sax drove them to their hotel.
Ran swiveled in the front seat so he could see both brothers, despite the low light of a Manitoban night. “She was quiet. A bit shy. What did you say to her, Sax? Why did she blush?”
“I asked her if she’d imagined kissing me,” Sax admitted.
Ran’s mouth dropped open in an unattractive gape while Tate tensed, biting down on his bottom lip to control the testy bear grumbling in his head. He noticed the way his twin’s fingers curled and guessed Ran battled his bear too.
“You can’t be interested in Kendall. I intended to ask her out,” Ran said
“If you’re kissing Kendall, then Ran and I get a kiss too,” Tate stated at the same time.
Sax turned into the parking lot for the Tundra Inn. He stopped the vehicle. “Hell, you both want her too.”
“Crap,” Ran said.
The silence bloomed as Tate thought about Kendall. With her long blonde hair, her blue eyes full of curiosity and her stunning curves who wouldn’t want to bask in her attention? He and his brothers possessed similar likes and dislikes. No wonder Kendall had drawn each of them.
“Anyone want to step aside?” Sax asked.
“Not me,” Tate said.
Ran puffed out a sigh. “Damn, this has never happened before. How will we handle this? I hate to let a woman come between us.”
“We work together,” Tate said, his mind on the Swenson brothers. “We share our lives already. We might—”
“You’re suggesting we share. There are romances like that although I haven’t read them. Maybe I should,” Ran muttered, almost to himself. “I’ll download one tonight.”
Tate glanced at Sax, as if trying to gauge his oldest brother’s sentiments.
Sax tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Sharing might work for us, but Kendall strikes me as a traditional girl.”
“Heroes in romances are clueless too.” Ran smirked.
Sax snorted. “At least we’re trying to make a plan.”
“I’ve never envisioned sharing a woman before or the dynamics.” Tate wanted to hash everything out before they left the concealed shadows of the SUV. “It might work for us if we pushed the friendship angle first. Get to know her and go from there.”
The silence became weighty. Yet Tate didn’t prod or poke at either of his brothers. Both thought things through and considered the angles before they acted. He was the more impulsive one who followed his heart and emotions. Ran did too, but he reasoned through a subject more than he did. Tate always jumped with his gut.
“What if Kendall isn’t interested in being shared?” Sax asked after a pause.
“Honesty time,” Tate said. “Tell me if you’re interested in Kendall for longer than our vacation. We shouldn’t go ahead if any of us are considering a short-term fling.”
“Yes.” Sax didn’t hesitate. “There’s something about her—a vulnerability as if someone has hurt her. It makes me want to defend her. She attracts me on a physical level too. I like her natural looks and the way she maintains direct eye contact if she’s speaking. She doesn’t flirt or use girly powers.”
Tate’s brows rose. “Girly powers?”
Sax shrugged. “For want of a better description.”
“I get what Sax means,” Ran said.
Tate nodded. “She interests me too. Rouses my curiosity. I’d like to see what she looks like in tighter fitting clothes that suit her figure. Sax is right. Someone has hurt her, and she’s scrambled to strengthen her protective armor.”
Ran nodded. “I’m in. She reads, and she didn’t sneer at me for reading a romance.”
“Your mother won’t approve.” Sax released the silent monster in the room. “Not if you’re thinking permanent.”
“Maybe.” Tate considered his mother’s possible reactions. “Mom was against us leaving Churchill to work with you. She told us we’d fail. She was wrong then, and she’s wrong now. We know what’s best for us. We haven’t needed our parents for a long time now. Hell, we’re successful businessmen. We’re not kids any longer.”
“Now that we’re home for a while, she’ll try to arrange matches for us. I could tell by the irrepressible, gleeful expression she fired at us.” Ran offered his opinion. “Leif told me their mother did her best to ruin their relationship with Fiona, but Fiona stood up to her and now she grudgingly respects their mate. Mother will be the same. She clings to the old ways because that is all she knows.”
“Good, we’re agreed. We’ll court Kendall while we decide on our schedule work-wise.” A sense of excitement and anticipation curled through Tate. “Fixing Marie’s house will keep us busy.”
“I offered it to Kendall,” Sax said. “She’s interested in renting rather than staying in shared accommodation.”
“Wow! Excellent move,” Ran approved.
“And you suspected I was all about flirting,” Sax said with a straight face.
“Are you intending to share that bottle of Scottish whisky you picked up in duty-free?” Tate asked.
Sax nodded. “Of course.”
“Excellent. We might as well discuss this inside with a drink,” Tate suggested, happier now that they’d reached the same page. “We need a daily plan.”
5 A Working Holiday
Fatigue had sent Kendall to bed once the Hallsten brothers left. Fiona had pooh-poohed her suggestion to help with the dishes, saying she had three grown men to do the chores. Kendall had drifted off to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but she’d woken early—her body-clock askew—and had given up trying to sleep.
Now she sat at the kitchen counter, her hands cupped around a mug of peppermint tea.
Footsteps—boots on a wooden floor—had her jerking from her reverie. Probably for the best since rehashing the entire debacle that was her life in England just made her angry. It wasn’t as if she’d do anything different given the opportunity.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Ah. Someone is in the kitchen. Couldn’t sleep?” Arve’s features held concern as he headed to the coffee machine. With a few well-practiced moves, he had the water gurgling through the machine and the scent of coffee filling the air.
“My mind is too busy, I guess.”
“Problem?”
“No. Thank you.” His caring concern had tears pricking at her eyes. He didn’t know her, knew nothing of her circumstances yet gave her more sympathy than her entire family. Nothing he could fix. “Fiona mentioned you’re busy preparing the road to Gillam before the first snow.”
“Yes, we’re heading out to meet Runt and Kirk this morning. I’m glad you’re here since we don’t like leaving Fiona alone.” Arve’s face softened as he spoke about her friend.
“You’re doing a favor giving me a place to live while I look for work.”
Arve opened the fridge and peered inside. “It’s my turn to cook. I guess it’s bacon and eggs again.”
“I could make pancakes.”
“Deal, as long as you show me how to make them at the same time. I’m still learning to cook. Fiona has been teaching me.”
“Do you have potatoes and onions?”
“We do,” Arve said.
“I’ll teach you to make a Spanish omelet too.”
An hour later, Kendall watched each brother kiss Fiona goodbye and head out to meet the two brothers she hadn’t met yet.
“That breakfast was great. Arve loves to cook. Thank you for showing him how to make something new.” Fiona pulled a face. “We’re all tired of bacon and eggs.”
“It was fun teaching him. I’d be happy to show him other recipes when he has time.” She glanced at her watch. “I guess I’d better shower and get ready to do the rounds. I shouldn’t be, but I’m nervous. This is the first time I’ve cold-called for a job.”
“Call it an adventure. That’s what I told myself during my first visit here to see polar bears. My marriage i
mploded and after I kicked out my husband, I decided I’d change and stretch myself.”
“Do you regret coming to Churchill?”
“Not one bit. I’d never have met my men. I love them, and I can’t imagine life without them. Besides, if I ever want to visit a city, one of them goes with me.”
“I repeat. I have no idea how you manage five men.”
“We’re motivated to make the relationship work. We’re friends and lovers,” Fiona said. “My husband was never my friend. He pretended to like me when it was my money that interested him more.”
Kendall pulled a face. “Money tends to color a relationship.”
“That sounds like the voice of experience.”
Kendall shrugged. “How should I dress today? Smart-casual?”
“Maybe black trousers and a nice jumper or jacket. Comfortable shoes. It’s easier to walk the length of Kelsey Boulevard instead of stopping and starting a vehicle.”
“Will you have time to show me Sax’s house—the one available for rent?”
“I’m sure I can find it. Is half an hour enough time for you to get ready?”
“Perfect.”
Exactly half an hour later, Kendall studied the broad road and the colorless buildings that sat on either side of the boulevard. “You wouldn’t call Churchill a pretty town.”
Fiona laughed as they crawled through a pothole. “No. That’s where the helicopters take off from. I haven’t done a flight yet although I mean to this coming polar bear season. The bears are amazing, and I never tire of watching them. They do dog sledding too. Maybe you’d like to come with me. The guys aren’t keen on helicopters, and they don’t get on well with dogs.”
“Allergies?”
“Ah, yes,” Fiona said. “This is the road Sax mentioned last night.”
Kendall spied a mud-splashed SUV. “That’s their vehicle.”
“Great. Let’s get a tour before you canvas for jobs. I need to go to the bookstore. Josef sells the figurines he carves on commission, and I want to check to see if they need more bears or if they’d like owls or foxes for a change.”
Kendall followed Fiona with a hint of trepidation. The Hallsten brothers’ interest in her hadn’t been her imagination, had it?
“Knock. Knock!” Fiona called, raising her voice over the din coming from power machinery.
“Fiona. Kendall.” Tate switched off the machine and straightened from his task. “I could do with a break. You want a tour? Sax and Ran are getting supplies.”
“Without a vehicle?” Fiona asked, her lips twitching.
Tate winked at Kendall, inviting her to share in the joke. “They’re borrowing a truck to cart the lumber and other equipment. We didn’t come to Churchill prepared for work. Not that I’m complaining.”
He gestured for Fiona to go down the passage and placed his hand in the small of Kendall’s back, guiding her past the rubble he’d left in a pile in the middle of the floor. His touch seeped through her blouse, bringing warmth and self-consciousness. What was it about the Hallsten brothers that made her so aware of her body? Of them? She forced herself to focus on foot placement, her breathing.
“I was glad when Sax told us you might live here,” Tate said. “There are three bedrooms. They’re small but well-insulated and warm during the height of winter. I know because Ran and I spent a lot of time here during our childhood. The bathroom is functional but needs updating. I’m not sure if we’ll get to that this time. The kitchen is modern with a new range and stove and counters.” Tate gestured at the room to the left of the passage that connected all the rooms. “We’re knocking out a wall here since the dining room was cold and dark and Marie didn’t use it much.” He paused for her to check out each room.
“What do you think?” he asked once they arrived back at the start, near the front door.
“It’s perfect, and you’re right about the kitchen. I can see myself spending a lot of time in there.”
“You’ll be able to work on your recipe book. The light is perfect for food photos,” Fiona commented. “I have a decent camera, and I’m not a bad photographer if I do say so myself.”
“You’re writing a book?”
A laugh escaped Kendall. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m a trained chef. It’s every chef’s dream to write a recipe book. I’m no different.”
“That is so cool. It’s no secret Ran and I hated school. Sax was the one who excelled in class. He’s clever, and the kids bullied him because of it. Hard to believe he was so puny then.” Tate smiled as if the memories amused him.
Kendall listened, enjoying hearing these private snippets about the men, who according to Fiona, were wealthy due to their construction company. They designed and built eco-hotels and other buildings.
“Ran and I are skilled at carpentry, and together we make a great team. It wasn’t always that way, but Marie—Sax’s mother—she saw more in us. Meeting her and getting to know Sax was a pivoting point in our lives.” He flashed a grin that echoed in his blue eyes and made her stare. “A fact that our mother has come to recognize.”
“How?” Kendall asked, fascinated by his story. “What happened to your mother?”
He sent a quick glance to Fiona. “Ah, that’s a story for another time, but suffice to say Ran and I help her out with money. She didn’t realize our stupid building hobby—her words, not ours—would turn out profitable. It sounds as if Sax and Ran have arrived.”
Kendall frowned, cocking her head to listen. It took another thirty seconds before she discerned an engine.
“We’ll get out of your way,” Fiona said.
“Thanks for the tour. Oh! Will the rent be the same with the renovations you’re doing?”
“Ask Sax on your way out. I’d better get back to work before my brothers decide I’ve been slacking.” He gave Fiona a quick hug before turning to Kendall. “Good luck with your job hunting.” Tate closed the distance between them and tugged her into an embrace.
Kendall thought he’d release her as he had Fiona but he kept his hold and stared down into her eyes, his blue with mischief. She tensed, unsure of what to do next.
“A kiss for good luck.”
Before she had time to react, Tate’s lips pressed against hers, soft and unthreatening. Kendall relaxed, this smiling and easy-going man giving her no reason to distrust him.
“You seem determined and driven, and it’s obvious you’re a passionate foodie if you’re writing a recipe book.” Tate loosened his grip but didn’t release her. “You’ll be fine, but how about if we take you out for a drink tonight? We can celebrate your new job.”
“And if I fall flat on my face and can’t get a job?”
“Then we’ll commiserate and help you formulate Plan B.”
“What about Fiona? I don’t want to leave her alone.”
Fiona gave her a broad grin and a thumbs-up. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“The invitation is for Fiona too—as long as Leif agrees.” Tate winked at Fiona.
“Huh, I knew it. We can’t leave you alone. I bet you slacked off the minute we left,” Ran said. “And now you’re stealing kisses from pretty girls.”
Kendall frowned. “How did you know Tate kissed me?”
“I have ears.” Ran tugged on one earlobe.
“I got us a date,” Tate said. “We’re taking these lovely ladies out for a drink tonight.”
“Why don’t we buy you dinner?” Sax suggested. “As a thanks for dinner last night. We’ll pick you up at six thirty so we have time to have a drink before we eat. How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” Fiona spoke before Kendall could get a word in.
“Thanks.” Instinct told Kendall to object, but her sluggish mind ceased functioning when confronted with the three confident and attentive men. Instead, she gawked like a schoolgirl in the throes of her first crush.
Ran seized her as she turned away from Tate. “A kiss for good luck,” he declared.
His kiss wasn’t a
s innocent or short as Tate’s. He pressed their mouths together and hummed. Surprised, she parted her lips and Ran took advantage, exploring her mouth, continuing the kiss until her pulse raced.
When he released her, she wobbled, her balance unsteady. An arm curved around her waist, steadying her. The blast of citrus and man told her it was Sax.
“Are you okay?”
Apart from the fact that her knees weren’t supporting her body weight and her lips still tingled from Ran’s kiss. “Yes, of course.”
“Good.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and stepped away. “I hope you find what you’re looking for today.”
“Thanks. Um…” With her thoughts scrambled, she took a second to lick her lips. Sax groaned, and she blinked at the sensual heat darkening his gaze. What had she wanted to ask? Oh. Thankfully, the information spurted into her mind and she cleared her throat. “I wanted to ask you about rent.” It seemed she intended to stay here—for a few months, anyway. “How much will you charge? I mean, you mentioned a figure before, but I wanted to confirm now that I’ve seen the scale of your renovations.”
“Same price,” Sax said. “I want a tenant I can trust. One who will look after my mother’s house.”
“But what if I’m only staying for the season?”
“We can discuss that tonight. Okay?” Sax cupped her shoulders and searched her features.
It was an intimate moment, and she shook herself. Flying halfway around the world and the emotional turmoil from family stuff had thrown her off her game. This could only be a temporary fling at most. Besides, hadn’t she decided she didn’t need a man? Wasn’t that why she’d left?
* * * * *
“Why did you kiss her?” Sax asked.
“Because Tate had already kissed her, and I wanted a turn,” Ran said promptly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “And I adore that prissy accent of hers.”
Kendall's Mates Page 4
