by Tate James
Ed frowned at the man then stepped up to Annabeth. “Give me a moment, honey. I’ll talk some sense into Jake. The Peterson brothers are perfect for what you’re trying to do out at the Connor place, they’re just a bit stubborn is all.” Ed gave her arm a quick squeeze and nudged her in the direction of the check-out counter.
Annabeth wouldn’t tolerate being dismissed in such a way, though, and held her ground. There was only so much small-town she would put up with. Plus, if she was going to make Adam’s dream come true, she didn’t want to use an ill-mannered, stubborn ass, no matter how good looking.
“No need to talk sense into anyone, Ed. I can see we wouldn’t work well together,” she said, turning her back to the asshole. “But you’re correct, I did come by to see if you could recommend a contractor, and maybe someone who can help with the permitting? I’ve done some research, but I’d prefer someone familiar with the local laws and, umm, pitfalls, so there are no snags later down the road when I get to taking in my guests.” It was a stretch to call the animals “guests”, but that was how she intended to think of them.
“Are you turning the Connor place into a B&B or something?” the asshole asked.
Ignoring him, Annabeth kept her attention on Ed, whose brows were nearly lost under the brim of his cap. “Well now, that’s a nice way of putting it. Guests. I like that.” His gaze flicked up and over her shoulder before returning to her. “I’ll ask around, but if the Peterson boys can be convinced, they’d be best. Grew up in the area, been back for near five years, and they do most of the building work ‘round here. Everyone else I can think of…” Ed shrugged and trailed off, eyes distant. Then his chin went up in a sharp gesture toward the asshole. “Jake here is an architect, and Carter does the building. Used to be a contractor out near Houston. Andrew’s the odd one out, a vet, but you’ll be needing that I’m thinking.”
Annabeth could feel her eyes widen the longer Ed went on. Whoever the Petersons were, they did sound just like what she needed. They sounded… perfect.
If only this one wasn’t an asshole. But if his brothers were tolerable, she could possibly make it work…
Plastering a smile onto her face, she whirled to face Jake-the-asshole-architect, and held out her hand. She’d kissed uglier asses in her time in Houston. She would make this work.
But he’d stepped in close, and she ended up slamming her hand into his groin.
He didn’t flinch, though he did back right on up to the wall, putting a good five feet between them.
A muffled snort came from Ed as heat filled her cheeks.
Jake just stared at her hand, the one still hanging in mid-air.
She let it drop. “Yes, well.” Annabeth cleared her throat. “I’m Annabeth Lorrie. And, yes, I bought ‘the Connor place’ out near FM 495. I actually plan to use the land as an animal rescue and wildlife refuge. Well, maybe not officially the last, not for a while at least. Initially, it will be a rescue shelter. Later, I want to be able to provide a place where the animals that are brought in are able to be treated, and given a safe place to recuperate. Wildlife and domesticated. Dogs, cats, birds, and anything else I can get licensed for. Or find a vet for.” She took a breath and halted her words, gathering her composure. There was no need to ramble nervously in front of this person.
Jake’s eyes had crinkled at the corners, whether in mirth or ire she didn’t know. The rest of his expression gave nothing away. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
She opened her mouth to reply that of course she did. But the words wouldn’t come. The truth was she was in over her head and she knew it. She just wasn’t willing to give up this new dream. Would a bit of truth, and a bit of nipped pride, get her the Petersons’ help? “Short answer? Not really,” she finally said.
“Why this?” He still hadn’t moved away from the back wall, but he was talking to her.
“Why what?” She widened her eyes and tilted her lips into a soft smile, the same one she used to work round the good-ol’-boys in Houston and get shit done.
He snorted. “You’ll get further here if you drop the act.”
She allowed to her expression to fall into what she was feeling—annoyance with just a hint of heat. “Fine. No act. I’m not an idiot. I know I need permits for the wildlife rescue, and a kennel license. I want a fully equipped intake center with vet facilities, even though I know finding a full-time vet is a stretch, at least at first. I know I need permits for the building, and inspections when it’s done. I’ll need to verify the zoning, though per the county website I should be fine.” She took a step toward Jake, her chin high. He didn’t like the “little lady” act. That was fine with her. “I’ll need to file for exemptions once I register the name of the non-profit, and I’ll need to scare up donors after not too long. Hell, I have a damn business plan back at the house.”
His eyes locked on her and a muscle ticked at his jaw.
She took another step toward him, feeling just a bit like a stalking mountain lion. “I also need some help. Because I know that I don’t know anything about blueprints, construction and permitting for the building. I am also not a vet, though I have logged my time in volunteering for various shelters. And no, I am not expert. Yes, I am still figuring this out. Which is why I am asking for help.” She took one more step forward which put him in her reach. Poking his chest with her middle finger, she couldn’t help but note the firm muscles there. “If you aren’t going to help, that’s fine. But I have to start somewhere, and Ed is recommending you. I’d rather use local, because as I said, local knows the local pitfalls.”
Jake wrapped his hand around her finger, his palm rough as though he was the one out building things all day, not… whatever the other brother’s name had been. As before, for a bare moment, she lost herself.
Then he moved her hand to her side and released her. Heat surged in her face once again as the corner of his mouth ticked up. “Come by the house later. We’ll talk, and you can finish telling me why the animals. I’ll let you know my decision then.”
With that he gave Ed a short nod, turned on his heel, and left the store, the tinkling of the bell a teasing punctuation to the abrupt exit.
“Well, that went a lot better than I anticipated,” Ed said, patting her arm. “He must have liked you.”
Annabeth turned wide eyes to the hardware store owner. “That was him liking someone?”
Ed gave a bob of his head. “Oh yeah. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have even talked to ya.” He nudged her toward the front of the store. “How is the house? Did you get the swing up? I hinted to Carter a couple days ago he should stop by your place and offer to give you a hand, but he’s worse than Jake when it comes to being neighborly.”
Carter, that was the brother’s name. Then Ed’s words registered and she nearly choked. “Worse?” I was hoping for better. No, I was counting on it.
“Don’t you worry too much. Carter’s fine with clients. He’s just not the sociable type, really. Well, sociable in a sense, you could say… But you’ll find out about that.” They’d reached the check-out counter and Ed slid around to his side, settling himself on the wood stool he kept there. “Probably should have asked Andrew, but he’s been busy with the Russells’ horse foaling, it was a bad one.”
Annabeth set her hip against the counter and let her mind wander as Ed rambled on. There were a few other errands she wanted to run while she was in town: hit the grocery, check her PO Box, and she wanted to stop by the county office and talk to the clerk. If she could get an in with them, it would make a lot of the work go more smoothly.
Her lips tightened as she recalled Jake’s patronizing gaze. No, she may not know exactly what she was doing—yet—but she knew how to get things done. He’d find that out tonight.
“Ed,” she said, breaking in on a story about an old rooster that she’d already managed to hear three times since she’d been coming to the store. “Do you have the ass— Jake’s address?”
The old store owner’
s face folded into amused lines. “’Course I do.”
“Oh. And the poster about puppies?” She’d nearly forgotten about that in her frustration.
Ed’s smile grew. “Well now, about that. Seems the Petersons beat you to them. Adopted the rest of the lot just a month ago. Carolina pups, one of the few breeds truly native to North America. A lady out near Carmine breeds them—”
“Ah,” she cut in, forestalling what was sure to be another story. “That’s fine then. If you hear of any others, though, let me know.”
“Sure I will.” He tore a square of paper from the edge of a battered notebook that sat next to the register and scribbled on it. “Here’s the Petersons’ place. Close to you, it’s the turn just before your drive, actually. If you get to feeling lonely…”
She didn’t hold back her snort. “Which is why I wanted the dog.” She didn’t need any entanglements of that sort, no matter how attractive the man, and especially not someone who would hopefully be working for her soon. Holding up the paper, she gave Ed a generous smile. “Thank you for this. I’ll be sure to stop by next time I’m in town and let you know how the meeting went.”
Ed clicked his tongue and waved her away as the door opened and a customer entered. Annabeth gave him a mock-salute and slipped out, her mind already on the night’s coming meeting, and whether she was making a mistake in pursuing the Petersons.
4
jake
Jake wasn’t sure what it was about the curvy woman that had him in knots. She wasn’t even that attractive, and definitely not like the women he usually went for.
No, she’s the kind Carter would have once set his sights on.
The thought set sharp claws of an emotion that he refused to call jealousy to digging into his belly. He yanked open the door to his red pick-up and jumped into the driver’s seat. Andrew, his attention on his notes of the Russells’ new foal, didn’t even flinch as Jake slammed the door.
“I need to stop by the post office before we head back. Supposed to have a shipment in from the vet supply in Houston,” Andrew said.
Maybe it was her hair. Even pulled back in a ponytail, he could imagine the dirty blond length floating down around her shoulders and back. It would be perfect to dig his fingers into…
“Jake.” The back of Andrew’s hand connected with Jake’s shoulder jarring him out of his thoughts.
“What?” He rolled his shoulders back and turned the key in the ignition, sending the motor to rumbling.
“Post office?”
“Right.” He nodded and put the truck in reverse, backing out. If he angled his head just right, he could catch a glimpse of this Annabeth Lorrie at the checkout counter, nodding absently to whatever old Ed was saying. There really wasn’t anything about her…
“Jake!”
He realized he’d stopped the truck half out of the lot, and forced his attention to his driving. Andrew’s gaze, so like Jake’s own but with a hint of gold at the edge of the iris, drilled into him. Of the three brothers, Andrew was the gentlest, but he was also the one to call his brothers on their bullshit. Carter called it the “dad syndrome” because Andrew was all of three minutes older.
“It’s nothing,” Jake finally said as he pulled into the street.
Andrew let it go and went back to his notes, but the silence was heavy.
They were nearly to the post office before Jake spoke again. “We’re going to have a guest tonight. Bought the old Connor place.” He didn’t want to tell Andrew it was a woman, and he wasn’t even sure why.
With a raised brow, Andrew lowered his notes to his lap. “Why?”
“Wants to talk about turning the land into a rescue and maybe even an official sanctuary.” His hands tightened on the wheel. The idiot woman had no idea what she was doing, and if she kept flashing that smile around like a weapon she was going to get someone in trouble.
“That’s… interesting.” A sigh. “Ed talk you into it? You know the schedule’s already stretched thin, and Carter is going to kill you if you take on another project.”
“What about you?”
“Me? It’s a possibility. I’ll decide after I meet him. Can’t do much more than consult, anyways, but if the scope is manageable I can probably help initially with exams and basic treatment and such. He have a timetable?”
Jake shook his head and didn’t correct Andrew’s assumptions. While his brother may have taken on the role of father for the three of them after their parents were killed in a car crash, he wasn’t the best when it came to dealing with women. Andrew would worry all day until it was time for the meeting if Jake told him it was a woman.
At least, that was what he told himself.
5
carter
He propped himself against Sally’s counter and pulled on his smile, the one that no woman could resist. It was a game he and the fifty-six year-old grandmother of four played every week, and one they both enjoyed.
Flexing his arms, he dipped his head down. “Sally, honey, do you think you could check with Mark on that septic permit for the Richardson’s remodel? I know y’all are busy, but they’ve been asking me nearly every day when we can get started.”
Sally, who was a grandmother but was nowhere near dead, allowed her gaze to rove over the middle Peterson brother in his dark blue t-shirt and fitted jeans before getting back to business. With a raised brow, she continued their little game. “Carter, honey, you know I can’t skip you ahead in the queue. We’ve got to handle the requests in the order they come in, and there’s still three inspections and two plan reviews ahead of you. It’ll be at least another week.”
This, too, was familiar. “Well, now, I can tell you that at least one of those inspections and both plans are mine, and you know it. Should I go ask myself if I can cut in line?” He flashed his grin wider and ducked his head.
Sally shook her head and pursed her lips, the suppressed laughter more than evident. “I do suppose I could do something for you.”
“I’ll bring you chocolate the next time I come in. The fancy kind even.”
“You know you could get in trouble bribing a government official?”
And their little dance was over. Carter was just stepping away from the counter, satisfied he’d be able to pick up the septic permit in two days tops, when the door to the reception area swished open, bringing with it the increasing heat of a fall afternoon in Texas.
Sally’s eyes narrowed, flicked to Carter, then back to the newcomer.
“Hey there.”
The voice was feminine, and held a smooth richness that instantly grabbed him. If the figure was anything like the voice, this was just the type he’d have liked to play with for a day or two in his wilder days back in Houston.
He leaned against the counter and half turned, no longer in any sort of hurry to get back to work.
The sight that greeted him was more than he had anticipated. Maybe mid-thirties, the woman was dressed in a baggy shirt and faded jeans that in no way disguised her curves. She wore no make-up, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but there was a polish to her that told him she’d clean up not just well, but gorgeous.
She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the county’s reception office. A soft and coaxing smile was already on her lips, her gaze focused on Sally, when she blinked again and her attention cut to Carter. She halted halfway to the counter and squinted, frowned, shook her head, then crossed her arms. “What are you doing here?”
That was definitely not a reaction he was expecting. Did he know her? Had they slept together? It was possible. He didn’t think he’d have forgotten someone like her, but there were times back in Houston that he wasn’t too proud of.
Sally’s frown intensified. She’d always been a bit protective of the Peterson brothers, and that extended to defending them from raging females—not that anyone except Jake usually needed that protection… Carter could handle them all too well when he put his mind to it, and Andrew avoided them al
together.
The woman’s eyes widened and she took another step closer, gaze searching. “You’re not Jake, are you?” she asked, her frown easing.
Carter chuckled, pulling out the next tool in his arsenal. He knew just what the sound usually did to the females around him. This one was no exception. She shivered and swayed toward him, both movements so slight as to be unnoticeable unless you were watching for them.
He was.
Then she closed her eyes, sucked in a breath, and opened them, setting her shoulders back. Walking directly to him, she held out a hand. “I apologize for that. You must be Carter. Ed was telling me about you, though he neglected to mention you were a twin.”
Green eyes. They were direct and cool, and Carter found himself second guessing the attraction he’d seen in her earlier.
“Actually—” Sally began, her frown easing.
“It must have been Jake you met earlier, to warrant such a greeting now,” Carter cut in, taking her hand in his. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t want this woman to know just yet that there was a third look-alike roaming around. And he wanted to be there when she found out. Would she be able to tell Andrew from him and Jake? It was a fact that most couldn’t until they’d been around the brothers for a while. She had managed to figure it out pretty quickly. Even their own parents had had trouble at times, before the triplet’s eyes had taken on the slight variations in color they had now.
After a quick shake, she pulled her hand away and he instantly missed the contact. That soft smile was back, and it was an expression Carter recognized very well. It was the same kind of smile he wore when turning on the charm for a client or a quick lay, and it was the one that sat on the surface only.
It bothered him that the smile wasn’t real, that it wasn’t a smile for him alone.
Visions of loose hair and parted lips filled his mind. Would her skin be the same light gold all over, or would it be pale and untouched in the hidden places? Would her lips be as soft and giving as they looked now, or would she push for control of the kiss?
