by Laurie Roma
“Do you know where the—” Elle’s eyes narrowed, and she braced her hands on her hips. “What’s wrong now? Why are you glaring at me?”
He wasn’t glaring at her…exactly.
What she was seeing was a man desperately trying to stop himself from pouncing on her. Unsure what to say, he simply gestured toward her shirt. Confused, she looked down, then she gasped and spun around.
“Is Brennan here yet?” she stammered out. “I didn’t see his truck out front.”
He leaned his head back to stare up at the sky, trying to distract himself. “He’s stopping by the worksite in Breakers before he joins us here.”
“Good. Then, he’ll be surprised when he gets here.”
When she turned around, he felt a mixture of relief and regret when he saw that her shirt was buttoned again. “So, he’s your target.”
“For yelling at me when I said I wanted to update the company’s website,” she confirmed. “You were there. You saw how he freaked out.”
He remembered that day quite clearly. Brennan had gotten into a pretty heated argument with Zane that morning for hiring two new guys for the summer without consulting him first. Although Doyle Construction was a family company, it really belonged to Brennan. He made the final decision when it came to hiring people, and Zane had clearly overstepped.
Not that he’d admitted it.
Zane enjoyed screwing with Brennan’s well-organized, structured life, and claimed he did it to make sure his brother didn’t become too rigid and uncompromising. While it was certainly entertaining to watch the siblings fight, someday it would get the younger Doyle killed if he wasn’t careful.
Before Brennan could calm down, Elle had shown up and started talking about redoing the website. It had been bad timing, and she’d ended up taking the brunt of his bad mood. It had pissed Kade off when Brennan made a snarky comment about Elle just wanting half-naked pictures of the new guys, but she hadn’t really reacted to that insult.
That alone should have warned them to be wary.
“I think that had more to do with your brother than with you.”
“Either way, he overreacted. And now, he has to pay.” Her smile turned downright sinister as she gestured toward the bag he was holding. “This is the last part of my master plan. Coop helped me with the first phase earlier, but—”
“You recruited Coop?”
“He offered since he wanted a little payback himself,” she told him primly.
Kade knew why Cooper was irritated with Brennan without asking. Coop had delayed knocking down the bungalows for months since he’d been having trouble finalizing plans for his new house. He’d finally made up his mind to do it for Griffin and Vivienne to make more room for their wedding. But before he could tell them about his plans, Brennan had announced it and ruined the surprise. He hadn’t meant to do it. He’d just been more focused on reorganizing the work schedule than stealing Cooper’s thunder.
“Do you know where the equipment trailer is? I thought you guys would have left it over here.”
“It’s on the other side of the bungalows.”
Kade followed after her like a moth to a flame. They made their way around the line of trees and the short stone wall that separated Griffin and Cooper’s land. He was confident that whatever she had planned wouldn’t be too bad. She’d never risk doing something that messed with the upcoming wedding. He was pretty damn curious to see what her devious mind had come up with to get back at her brother, and he wanted to know what was in the bag.
The trailer they used to transport equipment had been placed next to two of the big, powerful machines they used during demolition. He placed the bag on the ground while she used her key to unlock the trailer. When she reached down and unzipped the bag, he let out a startled laugh.
Staring at the bright pink hard hat she held up, he said, “He’s going to kill you.”
“That’s not even the best part,” she announced gleefully. “The hats were delivered late, so I had to bring them here separate from the rest of the stuff.”
She pulled the door to the trailer open wider and turned on one of the LED lanterns before beckoning him forward. He just shook his head and grinned when he saw what was inside the trailer. Several items that were normally used by the crew had been swapped out with new replacements, including safety goggles, gloves, and several different types of tools, all in a startling shade of pink.
Knowing it would amuse her, Kade put on a pair of glasses and a pink hat, then he braced one of the shockingly pink sledgehammers on his shoulder.
Elle let out a delighted giggle. “Hold on, I have to…” She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of him. “Oh, yeah. This is definitely a keeper.”
It took a moment for his eyes to readjust to the darkness after the flash, and he had to squint to see the picture she’d taken. He didn’t mind wearing pink. Hell, she could dress him in whatever she wanted if it made her smile, though he’d hold off telling her that.
She already had far too much power over him.
“I wish I could be here to see the look on my brothers’ faces when they see this,” she said with a wistful sigh. “But I’m afraid they might strangle me or something if I stay. Heath is going to swing by later and take pictures of the crew for me.”
He let out a low whistle. “You’re going to post pictures on the website?”
Her eyes lit up with humor. “Oh, yeah.” She nibbled on her lower lip before saying, “There’s more to it, but I can’t tell you yet. It’s really not as bad as it seems.”
He held up his hands in an appeasing gesture. “The less I know, the better.”
After they stacked the hats in the trailer and put the old ones back in the bag, she locked up the trailer again. Their mission accomplished, they made their way back toward the street. At the edge of the property, he set the bag down on the lawn.
“I’ll throw that in the back of my truck, then put it back in the trailer when we’re done with demo.”
“Thanks. Now, I have to get out of here before someone sees me. And you have to go eat before they realize you’ve been helping me.”
“I’ll walk you to your car first.”
She didn’t bother arguing since they both knew he was going to do it anyway. When they came to a stop next to her vehicle, she rose up on her toes and gently tugged him down so she could kiss his cheek.
“Thanks for all your help, Kade. I’ll see you later.”
The kiss had been simple, sweet.
She’d done that very thing several times in the past, but this time had felt different. The simple touch was enough to set his body on fire. Had she lingered a second or two more than usual? And had she meant to brush her lips against the corner of his mouth?
Or perhaps it was all just wishful thinking on his part.
After she hit the release, he opened the car door for her and waited for her to get settled in her seat.
“Aloha.”
It was the last thing he always said before they parted, and it never failed to make her smile. Some people thought it was a simple word, but the truth was far more complex. And as he watched her drive away, he wondered if he’d ever have the chance to explain that he was telling her how much he loved her every time he said it.
CHAPTER TWO
As the workday ended, and the blue sky began to fade to shades of red and hints of burnished gold, Elle drove down the winding path that led toward Brennan’s property. Her hand tapped against the steering wheel to the beat of the music playing on the radio, which was raised to a level that soared over the air conditioner working on full blast. Although it was technically still spring in Texas, it felt more like the heart of summer.
Despite the sweltering heat and humidity, she was in a pretty good mood for someone headed toward her doom. It was difficult not to feel a little smug after successfully driving all three of her brothers crazy. Since they had suffered all day, it was time to put them out of their misery…starting with Brenna
n.
Once she’d left the demo site earlier, she had gone home and spent a few hours sleeping in the blissful quiet with her phone on silent. She’d wisely continued to ignore all texts and calls while she worked on the paper she had to turn in next week. After working on it for a few hours, she’d given up and finally set it aside. She hadn’t been in the mood to finish the paper or study for the last test she had to take.
When she’d finally allowed herself to check her messages, she’d noticed that each of her brothers had called. Their threats hadn’t dampened her amusement. Actually, their reactions delighted her to no end. All of their bitching and moaning would make them feel worse when she explained exactly what she had done and why.
It was petty of her, but she had to savor her victories where she could get them.
Several members of the crew had also reached out to her. Their messages had been amusing, from groans to compliments for a job well done. Most of them thought it was hilarious, while a few of them had complained at being tortured when Griffin, Brennan, and Zane were her main targets.
Kade had sent her a few quick texts to update her throughout the day, while Cooper had just sent her a bunch of devil emojis. Shortly after noon, Heath had stopped by with the photos he had taken of the crew, and subs from one of their favorite places in town. They had eaten and laughed while he’d explained what had happened at the worksite.
When they had finished eating, they’d switched their discussion over to the special project Elle had been working on. Heath tried to convince her that it was ready, pointing out that she was simply stalling because she was nervous. Of course, he was right. But if everything went according to plan, things would change for both of their families, so she felt the need to be extra cautious.
After he’d left, she uploaded the pictures her friend had taken onto the Doyle Construction website. The changes weren’t live yet. She had a bit more tweaking to do before she would be ready for that, but it was good enough to show her brothers.
Elle had spent weeks formulating the perfect way to get back at Brennan. She was used to his grumpy attitude and would have just ignored him and done whatever she wanted, but he had snapped at her in front of several people that day.
That meant payback had been necessary.
It wasn’t easy growing up with three older brothers who had such strong, dominant personalities. The only way to survive without letting them completely take over her life had been to learn how to push back and stand her ground. While the three of them occasionally threw down with one another, she was obviously no match for them physically. Even if she could throw a decent punch or two, they would all cut their arms off before they ever raised a hand to her, so that meant she had to use her wits against them instead.
As the oldest of the siblings, Griffin was fun to prank since he was usually amused by whatever she did to him. Brennan tended to snap and snarl, but his anger burned out quickly, while Zane was always dangerous to play tricks on. He was a formidable opponent since he tended to hold a grudge, and he always retaliated in kind.
She had to respect that about him.
Despite their age differences, she and her brothers had always been close. Being the only girl was difficult, but it also gave her an advantage. As their baby sister, she felt it was her duty to keep them in line. That meant occasionally messing with their egos. And they definitely needed to be reminded that they were mere mortals at times since everyone else in town had practically put them on pedestals.
Back in school, Griffin, Brennan, and Zane had been football stars, the top of the social hierarchy. They were the bad boys all the girls wanted to date, and most of the other guys wanted to emulate. A few of the rich assholes had tried to make trouble for them since they hadn’t liked sharing the spotlight with guys who came from a working-class family, but the Doyle boys had shut that shit down easily. People had learned not to mess with them, and instead of losing supporters, their dangerous appeal only made them more popular.
When Griffin had followed in their father’s footsteps and joined the Marines, hearts had broken all over the county. While Zane possessed the same natural charm Griffin did, Brennan lacked that particular gift. Not that he cared. His surly demeanor made most people run the other way, but it wasn’t a deterrent for some women who wanted a challenge. It never took long for him to scare them off, though.
None of the guys had ever gotten serious with anyone…until Griffin had met Vivienne Bisset. They were wonderful together, and it had been a joy to watch her big brother fall in love. Elle hoped that Brennan and Zane would find women who made them as happy as Griffin was with Vivi, though neither of them seemed to be in a hurry to settle down.
Elle’s high school experience had been very different. In fact, it had been sort of a nightmare for her. While she was outgoing and open with her family and friends, she tended to be pretty reserved around people she didn’t know. That made it hard to make friends. Back then, the other kids had thought that shyness was arrogance because of her looks, and they’d labeled her a stuck-up bitch.
It didn’t help that she was also kind of a nerd.
Most of her classes had been a breeze, but always getting top marks had only made her more enemies. She’d had a few close friends who helped keep her sane, and her soccer teammates had been fun to hang out with. However, even now, she never knew if someone was being nice to her because they liked her, or if they were simply trying to use her to get close to her brothers. Since that had happened several times in the past, she’d learned to be skeptical of friendly overtures.
Her interactions with men were just as complicated. While most girls wanted to flirt with anything that had a pulse, Elle had never really participated in that particular diversion. She didn’t like the drama that went with it, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in dating. Not that she’d gotten to do much of that since having brothers was hell on her social life.
There were few absolutes when it came to Griffin, Brennan, and Zane agreeing on something. They liked to argue for the sake of arguing, and they often treated it like a sport they wanted to win. But when it came to watching out for her, they were in complete agreement. While she was grateful for their protection, their overbearing attitudes were annoying at times.
Since most of the guys in town were terrified of her brothers, it severely limited her list of potential suitors. That would have bothered her a lot more if she were actually interested in dating any of the local boys. But she didn’t want a boy. She wanted a man. Besides, it would’ve been difficult to start a relationship with someone she had gone to school with when her heart already belonged to Kade Kapono.
Since the moment she’d met him, Elle had been fascinated by the Hawaiian giant. He was a quiet man with a commanding presence that put most people on edge. However, she thought his air of authority just made him even more intriguing. At first, she had believed it was just a silly crush, but her feelings continued to grow deeper each time she was with him until she could no longer deny that what she felt for him was love.
Staring into his dark eyes made her heart race, and his deep voice made her shiver with an awareness she had never felt before. He was tall, dark, and extremely sexy with brooding good looks and more tattoos than she could count. But what she loved most about him was his kind heart and innate goodness.
When Kade had moved to Ever After shortly after Griffin had won the lottery, she had still been grieving the loss of her father who had been killed by a drunk driver. She could have leaned on her mother or brothers during that emotional time, but they’d been struggling to deal with their own pain. Instead, she had sought the comfort of being around Kade. He’d been so sweet, listening to her incessant chatter or just sitting with her when she didn’t want to be alone.
His calming presence had been exactly what she had needed, and she’d found the solace she’d craved spending time with him. Kade listened carefully and paid attention to everything. Because of that, when he did respond, it w
as usually thoughtful and honest. She appreciated that about him, and in fact, had come to depend on it. He might not talk much, but over time, he had begun to share his thoughts and feelings with her. It always made her feel special to know she had gained his trust.
However, being in love with him wasn’t easy.
Elle wanted a future with Kade. She dreamed of being with him, of building a life full of love and laughter together. Unfortunately, that was all it was at this point…a dream.
She might love him, but that didn’t mean he felt the same way. Sometimes, she wondered if she’d ever manage to find a way out of the friendzone. There were times when she wanted to throw caution to the wind and just tell him how she felt. That morning, she had almost kissed him full on the lips, but the fear of rejection had made her hold back.
But time was running out.
Kade hadn’t dated anyone since moving to Ever After, but that could change at any moment. All it would take was him meeting a woman who sparked his interest, and Elle could lose him for good. He certainly had enough women, and a few men, chasing after him. It didn’t help that some people thought he was a freaking superhero, or at least mistook him for the actor who played one in the movies. He might not notice most of the time, but it frustrated the hell out of Elle that she couldn’t tell everyone to keep their damn eyes and hands off of him.
He wasn’t hers, so she didn’t have that right.
That depressing thought made her sigh. She couldn’t imagine what she would do if he fell in love with someone else. Hell, she’d have to change her name and move to another country if he did. That was the problem with wanting someone who was close with her entire family.
There would be no way to get over him if she couldn’t avoid him.
Elle pushed thoughts of Kade aside as Brennan’s house came into view. Her brother had built himself an elaborate three-story cabin deep in the woods where no one would bother him. It was an impressive structure made of carved stone and wood, and the enormous windows brought the beauty of nature into each room.
