by Laurie Roma
Brennan might want solitude and privacy, but he had made his home close to their mother’s property so he would always be close by in case she needed something. His decision wasn’t entirely selfless, though. He tended to stop by and check on their mom around breakfast or dinner time, so he got a fair share of homecooked meals in the process.
As she pulled to a stop in front of the ridiculously large garage, she let out a low groan. Griffin and Zane were lounging on the stone terrace on the second level. She briefly considered turning around and heading straight to her mom’s house but couldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her run. As if he sensed what she was thinking, Zane sent her a cocky smirk as he lifted his bottle of beer in welcome.
Might as well just get it over with, she told herself as she turned off the car. Since they were all there, she would only have to explain everything once. That would make things easier. As she got out of the car, Brennan’s husky, Oreo, bounded down the steps to greet her, along with Boss, Cooper’s three-legged German Shepherd.
She slung her computer bag over her shoulder before she leaned down to greet the dogs, then she laughed as Griffin and Vivienne’s adorable pit bull puppy, Jarvis, danced in circles as he vied for her attention. Bending down, she rubbed her hands over all three of the dogs, sending their bodies into wiggles of delight.
“What are you guys doing here?” she called out. “I thought you were heading into Breakers tonight.”
“I was going to but decided to make sure Bren doesn’t kill you instead,” Zane answered as he leaned against the railing to look down at her. “You caused quite a commotion at the demo site today.”
“I know.” She smiled sweetly as she started up the steps that led to the terrace with the dogs trailing after her. “I saw the pictures.”
Griffin laughed. “You got us good, Elle. I told you she’d show up here first.”
Zane cursed as he reached into the back pocket of his jeans. He slapped a few bills into Griffin’s waiting hand, then glared as he sat back down in his chair. “Couldn’t you have waited until dinner to gloat?”
“I’m not gloating…exactly.” She took a seat on the couch facing her brothers and set her computer bag down as the dogs sprawled out on the floor in front of her. “Speaking of, where is Brennan?”
“In the shower. He’s calmed down, but he was pretty pissed earlier.” Griffin took a drink of his beer, then pointed the bottle at her. “Especially when Heath showed up to take pictures.”
Zane snickered. “I’m impressed that you pulled it all off without any of us knowing, especially on your own.”
She knew he was trying to figure out who else had helped her, but she wasn’t about to rat out her co-conspirators. “Did Bren think you did it?”
“Thankfully, no. The pink was a dead giveaway it was you.” His grin faded to an irritated glower. “Did you have to pick pink?”
“I like pink.”
“So does Vivienne. She thought your prank was hilarious. She’s over at mom’s right now with Aria and Jolie,” Griffin said, mentioning his fiancée’s best friends. “They’re having a video conference with the dress designer, so they kicked me and Jarvis out.” He scowled as he rubbed his foot over the puppy’s back as if in sympathy.
She laughed. “I don’t think Jarvis cares. And of course, they kicked you out. You can’t see her dress before the wedding.”
“Seeing it on screen is not the same as seeing it on her. But I guess this means they’ll be kicking me out of the house when they do the dress fitting this weekend after the designer gets here.”
Elle was looking forward to meeting Bliss Fortuna when she flew in from New York in a few days. Her designs were the epitome of haute couture and had been featured in every high fashion magazine. Getting a dress made by Bliss was like winning the fashion lottery. Elle had seen the sketches of Vivienne’s dress, and she couldn’t wait to see the finished creation.
“We’ve got one of the condos set up for Bliss since she’ll be staying until after the wedding. And I promised Vivi I’d drag you out of the house during the dress fitting myself if I have to,” she warned.
“I’ll take care of that,” Zane promised. “I’ll drag him on a ride or something.”
“You don’t have to drag me anywhere.”
“Most grooms wouldn’t complain about being excused from discussing wedding details.”
“I like being involved,” Griffin grumbled.
Zane rolled his eyes. “Because you’re weird. What? Seriously, what guy actually wants to plan a wedding?”
“I do. It’s fun. Okay, it’s fun making Vivi happy,” he amended. “I want her to have everything she wants, which makes planning everything pretty simple on my end. That, and mom is better at this than any wedding planner in the entire universe.”
“I think it’s sweet that you like to be so involved,” Elle commended. “All this stuff is usually so stressful. That’s why I love those destination wedding places. They take care of everything for you.”
“Wouldn’t you want to select everything yourself?”
She shrugged. “They still let you pick stuff, but you let someone else take care of all the details. After that, all you have to do is show up and have a good time.”
“See, she sounds like a guy.”
“Thanks, I think. I guess I’m just not that picky when it comes to choosing flowers or selecting a menu. As long as it’s good, that’s all that matters. I’d still want to pick out my dress, though.”
“And now she’s back to being a girl,” Zane said in mock disgust.
Griffin chuckled, then quickly sobered again. “I just wish we didn’t have to worry about some asshole leaking the news that it’s our wedding instead of just an engagement party.”
“So what?” Zane took a drink of his beer. “All people care about is that you’re throwing a big bash with free booze and food.”
“You’re making my wedding sound like a fucking kegger.”
“Relax. I meant they’re not going to complain about the reason for the party. People are going to attend because they’re happy for you and Vivi and want to celebrate your engagement. They’ll be even happier to watch you two get hitched.”
“I’m not worried about the people here in town. We just don’t want Ever After getting overrun by reporters or have a bunch of strangers try to crash the party.” Griffin stiffened in his chair. “Shit, do you think we should hire more security? Maybe we shouldn’t have the wedding outside. What if—”
“This wedding is making you lose your mind. You’re not moving the wedding. And those gossip bloggers are already talking about your engagement. That’s just part of who you are now.”
“It’s the part of our lives that sucks.” Griffin sighed. “I just want this to be perfect for Vivienne.”
“It will be. We’ve worked with this security company before. They’ve always been on top of things,” Zane reminded him. “No one will even be able to get on your street without an invitation, and they’ll have people blending in with the guests. Quit worrying about all of this stuff. Everything is being handled, which is why I don’t think we need another one of mom’s wedding summits.”
Griffin laughed weakly. “She has been a little intense about all of this stuff. I thought about asking her to calm down a little, but she’s having so much fun.”
“She just likes terrorizing all of us. Her chicken pot pie is the only reason I didn’t jump ship and join the guys in Breakers for beer and burgers tonight.”
Elle glared at him. “Hey, I thought you said you were here to make sure Brennan doesn’t kill me.”
“That, too. But it’s mostly for mom’s cooking.”
“I guess I can’t really blame you since her pot pie really is delicious.”
The terrace door slammed open, and Brennan stepped outside. “Too bad you won’t get any since I’m going to have to kill you now.”
CHAPTER THREE
Brennan’s eyes narrowed, and his nostri
ls flared like he was a bull ready to charge. He might look mad, but Elle knew him well enough to understand that most of it was just bluster. Most, not all. Despite knowing that none of her brothers would ever physically hurt her, that didn’t mean they couldn’t intimidate her sometimes.
“I thought you said he had calmed down,” she hissed.
“This is calmer,” Griffin whispered back. “You should have seen him earlier.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t really let him kill you,” Zane promised cheerfully.
While Griffin and Zane had the same blue eyes as their mom, Elle and Brennan had inherited their lighter shade from their dad. Sometimes, it made her heart ache since Brennan looked like a younger version of their father. However, Niall Doyle had been quick to laugh and always had a smile on his face, which was far different from Brennan’s perpetual scowl.
“You’re going to pay for messing with my equipment, you little brat,” he snarled as he stalked closer.
Sensing danger, Jarvis scurried out of the way, trying to squeeze himself under a chair. Shooting his brother an irritated frown, Griffin lifted the puppy onto his lap and calmed him with soothing strokes. Used to Brennan’s grumbles and growls, Oreo and Boss remained sprawled out on the floor, their tails thumping in greeting.
Elle loved a good argument, especially when she knew she would ultimately win. However, she wasn’t in the mood to fight. Considering what she had to tell them, she didn’t want to drag it out. Deciding to disarm him with a sunny smile, she patted the couch cushion next to her.
“Hi, Bren. Come on over and have a seat.”
His confused expression made her want to laugh. She reached for her laptop, then patted the cushion next to her again. Muttering under his breath, he stomped over to the couch and sat down heavily. Water dripped off the ends of his short black hair, leaving dark spots on his gray T-shirt. A few of those droplets fell onto her hand as she reached up and grabbed hold of his earlobe, giving it a hard yank. The direct approach always seemed to work best when dealing with Brennan.
“Hey! What the fuck!”
“We’re even now.”
“Hell, no. We are not even!”
She tugged a little harder. “All I was trying to do was help, and you totally freaked out. You deserved the prank, and you know it.”
“Fine! Shit! Let go!”
“Good. Now that that’s settled, I have something to show you.”
“More pink shit?” he grumbled, rubbing his abused ear. “I expect you to return every piece of equipment you stole.”
“Borrowed,” she corrected. “And your stuff is already back where it should be. Now, you just have more of everything. Considering I added to your stockpile, you really should be thanking me.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“I knew replacing the equipment would piss you off, but there was another purpose behind why I did what I did.”
Zane slouched down in his chair. “Yeah, to post pictures of us on the website.”
“Irritating you is just a bonus, not the real reason why I did all of this.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Brennan growled.
“It might be easier if I just showed you.”
Elle logged into her laptop, then pulled up the unpublished changes she had made to the company’s website. Handing the laptop over to Brennan, she silently waited as he looked at it.
“Aw, hell.”
“What is it?” Griffin asked.
Brennan passed the laptop over to him, and Zane leaned over Griffin’s shoulder to take a look. Several of the pictures that had been taken earlier had been added to the homepage of the website, along with a brief statement from the company in support of an employee with breast cancer.
Three sets of sober eyes pinned her in place.
“Unfortunately, it’s Dana McHale. I was still trying to decide how to get back at you when she told me she’d just been diagnosed with breast cancer. At first, I brought up the pink equipment as a joke. But since the idea of it made her laugh, I thought this would be a great way to show her our support.”
Dana and Glen McHale had been friends with Siobhan and Niall Doyle for years, and they’d always been like an aunt and uncle to Giselle and her brothers. After Brennan had started his company, Dana and Glen had been his first employees. While she worked in the main office, her husband was a foreman of one of the crews. They were well known within the community, and everyone in town would be devastated when they heard the news of her diagnosis.
Brennan blew out a breath. “Man, this sucks. How’s she doing?”
“She seemed okay when I spoke to her, but I know she must be worried. Right now, I think she’s trying to hold it together for Glen and their kids. Luckily, they caught it early and they’re optimistic about her chances. They don’t know about the pictures on the website or the donation I was hoping we’d make toward breast cancer research but—”
“Let me take care of that,” Griffin offered.
“No. They work for me, so I’ll take care of it.” Brennan cleared his throat, then wrapped his arm around Elle’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “You did good. We’ll leave the pictures up on the website until we know she’s okay.”
“That’s a great idea. The updates aren’t live yet. I wanted to make sure to give Dana and Glen time to talk to everyone they need to before we post it.”
Brennan sighed. “I should have known you were up to something more devious than simply pissing me off.”
“Well, that’s usually incentive enough for me.”
His arm tightened on her neck until it was more of a chokehold.
“Hey!” She pushed him away. “I was kidding, you big brute.”
Zane groaned. “Now, I feel like an asshole for complaining about all the pink.”
“Good. Next time I want to update the website, I don’t want to hear any of you bitching and complaining.”
Brennan let out a sound that was a cross between a grunt and a laugh. “I think I’ve learned my lesson. The only thing I get from arguing with you is a headache. Thanks for setting up the website stuff. I may have wanted to strangle you earlier, but I appreciate that you did all of this for Dana. Does mom know?”
“Dana told her. She’ll come talk to you soon. Both she and Glen will since they’re going to need to take some time off.”
“That’s not a problem. They can take all the time they need.” Brennan paused, leaning forward to stroke Oreo’s head when the dog rested his chin on his knee. “Once we know when the surgery is, we can arrange to have food and whatever else they need sent over.”
“You know, you really are very thoughtful sometimes. I’m pretty lucky to have you as a brother.” She leaned into him. “Even when you’re being a surly bastard.”
“I’m pretty lucky to have you as a sister, even when you’re irritating the hell out of me,” he said gruffly. “That said…if you mess with my equipment again, I’ll paint your R8 pink.”
That threat made her wince.
Her brother had too much respect for a well-built machine to actually do it. Messing with their beloved cars or trucks was a line none of them had ever crossed, and she doubted that they ever would. Besides, she rarely repeated a prank, and his threat was enough to completely obliterate the idea of ever doing it again.
Their conversation was interrupted when Griffin’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. “They finished the call with the designer. Vivi says we’re allowed to come back to the house.” He started to put the phone down when it rang in his hand. “Excuse me, I have to take this.”
As he walked across the terrace with Jarvis trailing after him, Zane shook his head. “I pity that poor bastard.”
“What does that mean?” Elle asked.
“I mean, look at him. He can’t wait to talk to her even though he’s going to see her in five minutes. It’s almost nauseating.”
Brennan snorted. “Quit being an asshole. Griff is just happy.”
&n
bsp; “I can’t imagine ever acting like that over a woman. I’m not sure falling in love is worth it if it makes you act like a—”
“Love is always worth it,” Elle scolded. “And that’s just your commitment phobia talking.”
“I don’t have a fear of commitment,” Zane protested. When Elle and Brennan shared a look and started laughing, he gave in and joined them. “Okay, fine. I may have a slight aversion, but that’s just because I haven’t met a woman I’ve wanted to be in a long-term relationship with.”
“You know Doyles fall fast and hard. That’s why you avoid dating any woman you might have actual feelings for. And you tend to put an expiration date on your relationships before they even begin.”
“I don’t—”
“Keep them around longer than three weeks,” Brennan finished for him.
“You’re one to talk. Maybe we should start calling you a monk considering that’s how you’ve been living,” Zane shot back.
“Don’t make me toss you over the balcony.”
Ignoring her brothers’ bickering, Elle slid the laptop back in her bag, then pulled her phone out to check her messages. She smiled when she saw that Kade had texted her.
Kade: You still alive?
Elle: I have officially survived my brothers’ wrath, and they now understand the perils of pissing me off.
She wrote out a condensed explanation of Dana’s situation and why she had wanted the pictures for the website. Even though he had helped her complete her mission without knowing what her endgame was, she felt better telling him the whole story. Since he was out with friends, she wasn’t expecting a quick reply, but he sent another message a few seconds later.
Kade: Damn.
Elle: I told you there was a reason for all the pink. She’ll be announcing it soon. I’m waiting until she does to post the updates on the website.
Kade: Let me know how I can help.
Elle: I will. I wish you were coming to mom’s for dinner tonight. She’s making chicken pot pie. Think I’m finally ready to tell them about the foundation, so wish me luck!
