The Troublemaker Next Door (6 page)

She laughed. “He’s not that bad. Besides, I think I was the one who scared him. It wasn’t a good day to be a man in my house.”

Mike nodded. “I’ll bet.”

“Anyway, I already told Flynn we’d love to come. I talked to Abby and Vanessa, and they have nothing going on Saturday. What should we bring?”

Mike didn’t answer.

“Mike?”

“Sorry. I was thinking. If you have a favorite dessert, bring that. Otherwise, just bring yourselves.” He paused. “So when did Flynn ask you about this weekend?”

“Sunday, and I just saw him half an hour ago at Starbucks. Why?”

He shrugged. “No reason. I just thought I’d nag him about communicating with the rest of us. Boy has no head for sharing information. Never has.” He sighed.

She tried not to laugh again. The notion of Flynn as a boy didn’t fit. She could see his stomach and that chest in her mind’s eye. The scent of oranges over his lips… It was as if her memory had stuck a picture of him on a Post-it note and tacked it to her brain. “If it’s a problem, we can—”

“No, no. My mom is dying to talk to you all. Whenever she gets a chance to talk to women, she’s excited. Too many men in the family.”

Colin thumped his chest. “Yeah. I’m a man. My tooth is
totally
gone.” He tried to stick his tongue through the opening.

“We won’t keep you any longer. See you on Saturday. Two-ish.” Mike handed her a note. “The directions are on there. The folks are just two streets over and down a quarter mile. Tan house, blue shutters. Lots of cars in the drive.”

“Thanks, Mike. See you, Colin.” She watched them turn and leave, then entered the house to cook…something. Hmm, hot dogs. That and some macaroni and cheese—now that sounded good and easy.

An hour later, as Maddie cleared her dishes from the table, Vanessa bitched about the meal, despite the fact that she’d arrived home late and should have been grateful to eat anything prepared at all. “I hate hot dogs.”

“I know. That’s why I made them.”

Abby crossed her eyes behind Vanessa’s head.

“I saw that.”

“You should have been a schoolteacher. The dreaded Miss Campbell. Oooh.” Abby raised her hands in mock fright. “I have work to do. Maddie, if you or teacher-creature needs me, I’ll be on the computer.”

“It’s not teacher-creature,” Vanessa grumbled as she ate her hot dog. “I hate when she calls me names.”

“And yet the shoe fits.” Maddie grinned. “I saw Jed Rawlins today. He told me to remind you about coffee supplies. Something about creamer?”

Vanessa sighed and shrugged out of her suit jacket. She wore her hair in a bun, the escaping strands actually softening her face. But far be it from Maddie to tell her cousin she looked pretty. Pretty had no place in accounting.

“You know, if Jed put half the effort into work as he does into taking coffee breaks, we’d probably be the preeminent firm in Seattle.”

Maddie found Vanessa as intriguing as she sometimes found her annoying. Unlike her, Vanessa didn’t seem to have any confidence issues. A rock of solid self-love. Not selfish or arrogant, just a woman happy with herself and her place in life. An oddity among women everywhere, but there she was.

“Jed would do better to be more like me,” Vanessa continued, talking with her mouth full. She downed her carb-loaded macaroni and cheese like a Hoover set to high. “I’m too busy doing my damn job to worry about sugar, creamer, or the who’s-dating-who chatter by the watercooler.”

Maddie blinked. “Do they really have watercoolers at your work? I thought that was just an expression. ‘Watercooler talk.’”

“Yeah. We do. It’s purified water. Not bad, but I bring my own.”

The queen of self-sufficient would. Maddie sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Have you ever had a problem in life you couldn’t solve? Ever had a problem too big to handle on your own?”

Vanessa paused. “Nope.”

“Bitch.”

Vanessa smiled. “Jealousy will get you everywhere. There’s nothing I like more than envy.” She glanced down at the crumbs on her plate. “As far as hot dogs go, I guess these things aren’t bad. Mac ’n’ cheese isn’t either.”

“Want to lick the pan?”

“Sure.”

Maddie grimaced as her cousin took every piece of macaroni from the pan and ate it. “You should be really, really fat. How is it I eat one hot dog and my butt explodes? We’re related. I should have your metabolism.”

“Must get it from your dad, whoever he is.”

And that’s one of the things Maddie truly appreciated about Vanessa. She didn’t coddle or softly gloss over hurtful details. She went straight at life with a one-two punch. Because Maddie knew Vanessa loved her, she normally didn’t take her comments as digs, but rather as unfortunate truths.

“But look at it like this. Aunt Michelle is a pretty redhead too, but she burns two seconds in the sun. You must get that Mediterranean skin from your dad. So big ass, but nice skin. It all evens out.”

“I actually never thought of my ass as big, but thanks.” Maddie shook her head, amused and not sure why. Her gaze caught the flowers that looked as fresh as they had when she’d put them in water.

“Hmm, more quiet thoughts about Flynn. I wonder how you’ll react to your studly plumber this weekend.” Vanessa carried her plate to the sink and washed the dishes. The woman would have a coronary if a dish remained dirty longer than five minutes.

“Oh shut up. He’s not my studly plumber. I mean, he is studly, but he’s not mine.”

“She who doth protest too much, doth—”

Maddie scowled. “Doth this.” She held up a finger and left the kitchen—and her cousin’s laughter—behind. Instead of heading back upstairs, she sat down in the living room and opened her laptop, looking once again at the competition. Staging prices, services, realtors… She made more notes and forced herself to stop thinking about Flynn McCauley.

So of course later that night she dreamed about him wearing nothing but those damn boxer briefs and a smile.

Thankfully, the weather held through to the weekend. Saturday afternoon, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Flynn tossed around the football with his brothers. He loved their get-togethers, when his parents grilled outside while he, his brothers, and Brody taunted and played ball with one another in the backyard. Suckers. As if any of them could out-throw him—the star quarterback.

He glanced at the back door again, wondering when the hell Maddie would show. It was five after two already. The ball knocked him in the head.

“Shit.” When one of the older neighbors raised a brow at him, he lowered his voice. “I mean, heck. That hurt.” He picked up the pigskin and moved to beam it back at Cam when his younger brother pointed at Brody. Flynn changed direction, aimed, and threw. Hard.

The ball hit Brody’s chest with an audible
thump
.

Brody wheezed. “Bastard.”

“Watch your mouth, Brody,” Flynn warned, playing the good son. “We have guests present.”

“Brody,” Beth McCauley warned in a loud voice. His mother was standing next to his father, clear across the yard. He’d always said she had ears like a bat.

Brody scowled. Flynn and his brothers laughed.

His mother joined them, waving at Brody to pitch her the ball. “Over here, Brody.”

Her kid in name if not blood. Brody winced. “You sure, Bitsy? I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Flynn jeered him. “Like you could. You throw like a girl.” He shot his mother an innocent look. “No offense, Ma.”

“None taken, you big oaf.”

Cam snickered.

Brody threw the ball with a gentle push, and she caught it with no problem. She threw it to Flynn with some oomph, and he pretended to have a hard time catching it.

“Don’t bobble it, son. Two hands, bring it in tight.”

He frowned when the guys shook their heads at him. Could they not see he’d been teasing? “I know how to catch a ball, Ma. Gimme a break. High school, college. I started varsity for three years, woman.”

“I’m sorry,
what
did you call me?”

Only their father could get away with calling her that. “Ah, nothing, Ma.”

Colin raced out the back door and missed bumping into Flynn by inches. Behind him followed one of the neighborhood kids. “They’re here!” He grabbed the ball from Flynn and took off.

Maddie, Vanessa, and Abby walked out the back door into the yard. Feeling like Pavlov’s dog but unable to stop himself, Flynn took a few steps toward her before he realized what he’d done. He deliberately shoved his hands in his pockets and walked to his dad, hoping he hadn’t looked like a lovesick fool. Not that he was lovesick. Far from it. But hell, a man would have to be a eunuch not to look at Maddie Gardner.

Then Maddie caught his gaze and blushed.

Fuck if he could forget yesterday’s short peck on the cheek. A little kiss, and he’d thought of nothing more than her soft lips when he’d jacked off last night.

“Ladies, glad to see you could make it.” His mother took the plate of brownies from Maddie and tugged her along. Her friends followed. “You remember James, my husband. Flynn, my son.”

The charming one. He hoped Maddie remembered. He hadn’t really been kidding. Flynn didn’t want her talking to the other guys. Sometimes being close in age to his siblings wasn’t such a hot deal.

To his pleasure, her smile seemed warmer when she lit on him.

His mother shoved the brownies at him, breaking their connection. “What?”

“Go put them on the table, but
don
’
t
eat them.” She motioned to one of the picnic tables that held a ton of food. To the girls, she said, “You know Mike and Cameron. Have you met Brody yet?”

Flynn hurried to the table and returned, wanting to hear everything they said.

Abby asked, “How many sons do you have?”

Brody caught the football Colin tossed him and joined them. His eyes widened when he saw Abby, but he didn’t say anything more than, “Pleased to meet you.”

“Thanks for inviting us over, Mrs. McCauley,” Vanessa said. A sexy, sophisticated blond, yet she didn’t hold a candle to the redhead who blushed when Flynn looked at her. God, he hoped his hard-on wasn’t too obvious in his jeans. Time for a cold drink. Definitely something alcoholic.

Brody cleared his throat. “Nice to see you ladies finally made it. We’re starved, and the general”—he shot a thumb at their mother—“wouldn’t let us have anything to eat until you made an appearance.”

They smiled at the bastard before his mother whisked the women away and pointed out Colin, his friend, and a few of the neighbors who’d joined them.

After spending an hour doing his best to keep things casual by steering clear of Maddie and interacting with his brothers, Brody, and the neighbors, Flynn couldn’t stand it any longer. He approached her by the sidelines of a makeshift badminton court.

He nodded behind him at the picnic table. “The brownies look good.” Flynn didn’t know why talking to Maddie felt so awkward. Maybe because he couldn’t stop looking at her mouth, knowing how she tasted. Like a cold beer on a perfect game day. Refreshing, addicting, and so goddamn good he wanted to get drunk on her.

She stood with him while they watched the others play badminton. His mother and her games. He’d done his time with that tiny racket while Brody did his best to beat him down with that stupid shuttlecock.

Cock
. Not a good word to think around Maddie, because at just the mention of it, the damn thing wanted to rise and stay up. Thoughts about his mother, father, and neighbors watching him with a woody cooled him off. At least for now.

“Mike said to bring our favorite dessert, so we did.” She smiled at Abby’s heroic attempt to return Vanessa’s volley. Brody leaned in to help her, but Flynn missed the end result because a small, unearthly tornado shoved him into Maddie.

He wrapped his arms around her and stumbled but didn’t fall.

“Rory Templeton, you get back here this minute,” Rory’s mother yelled at him as the kid dashed away from Colin’s squirt gun.

Colin cried victory, then the little punk turned it on him.

“
Colin.
”

“Ha! I’m winning.” Colin laughed and raced away, but not before shooting Maddie too.

“Sorry. He’s competitive, like Mike.”

She squirmed in his arms, and he realized he was still holding her. Her breasts brushed against his chest, and they both froze. He slowly dropped his arms. She slowly backed away.

He couldn’t help looking down, captivated by the hard points of her nipples showing through her pink shirt. If he looked hard enough, he could make out the subtle lace on the straps of her bra too.

Oh man, not a good idea to look there. He wanted to take her inside and finish what they’d started last week.

“Competitive like who? I noticed you four trying to out-throw each other earlier.”

“Well, I didn’t want to look bad in front of company.”

She laughed, a genuine chuckle that sounded both feminine and rich. It made him warm inside. “It’s really nice of your family to invite us over.” She subtly crossed her arms over her chest.

Denied sight of her ample breasts, he sighed. “Yeah, we’re all about nice. Hey, you want a beer?”

“No thanks. How about something nonalcoholic?”

He grabbed her a lemonade, and they sat at a small table watching his family mingle. Property in Queen Anne cost a bundle, but they’d been living here long enough that the original house had included the half acre of land. The backyard had been party central for years. An area for badminton, football parties, and for the past twenty-five years, kid birthday parties as well.

“Thanks.” She drank it down like a woman dying of thirst, and he wondered if he wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. “I can’t believe how warm it’s been this week.”

“I love it. Makes work a lot easier than doing it in the winter, let me tell you.”

She tilted her head, and a mass of dark red hair pooled on her shoulder. He was dying to sink his hands in the thick stuff. “I bet it’s really hard in the winter.”

It
’
s really hard now.
“Uh, yeah. Pipes freezing up. You wouldn’t believe how many people go on vacation and forget to make sure they keep the heat up. Busted pipes, water heater problems, you name it. Your sink was one of the easiest problems I’ve had in a while.”

“Glad we could help.” They shared a laugh that felt natural, and just as good as kissing her. Which freaked him out. Wanting sex with a woman was one thing. But liking her this much, spending time with her like this, it didn’t feel like his other forays into dating.

“So how’s the job thing going?” he asked to take his mind from this emotional crap. He noticed his mother watching him and glanced at her, only to see her hurriedly look away. When her continued interest still failed to scare him from Maddie’s side, he knew he had a problem.

“I’ve been working hard all week.” Seeing his curiosity, she continued. “I’ve come up with some quotes that can compete with other stagers in the area. There are a lot of people out there doing the same thing, but I do have a Fred Hampton’s Designs background. As much as the owner of the firm is a complete jerk, the reputation of first-class work is there. I’m hoping it’ll help.”

“You know, my aunt is a realtor. I could call her for you. You should talk to her, see if she knows anyone who needs a house fixed up. She always says summer’s a busy time to sell.”

Maddie’s eyes brightened before she shook her head. “No. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

He frowned. “Why not? In my business, it’s all about word of mouth and networking. If you’re as good as I think you are, you won’t need that much help once your name is out there.”

“Why would you think I’m any good?”

“Because your house looks like something out of a magazine.”

“Well, I try. But like I told you before, blame the neatness on Vanessa. She’s like Hitler with a mop.”

They grinned together while they watched the neatnik trounce Mike.

“She’s also competitive like nobody’s business.” Maddie sighed. “But she’s family. I love her.” She glanced around the yard. “I like your family. I think it’s great how close you guys are with your parents.”

“Well, Mom won’t let us get any farther away. It’s like she has this huge arm that drags us back the minute we mention moving.”

***

He
’
s leaving?
Maddie blinked. “You’re planning on moving?” The thought upset her, and it had no reason to. She didn’t have anything going on with Flynn, not at all.

“Nah. I just like to tease her. We’re not momma’s boys, but we love her. We have a tight family. It helped a lot when Lea passed. Mike’s wife,” he explained in a low voice. “When a tragedy like that hits, it hurts everyone. But we stepped in and took care of Colin and Mike, made sure they had time to grieve. And us too. We loved her; she was family. But you know, the cooking, cleaning, all that stuff. My mom and dad were really there for Mike and Colin, you know?”

His hand rested on the table, and she put hers over it. “That’s nice.”

He looked down at their hands, then back into her eyes.

Oh God, she could see the variations of green in his irises, and she couldn’t look away.

“Maddie?” His low voice made her belly flutter.

“Yeah?”

“I was thinking—”

Two sets of large hands tore him away from her.

“Stop flirting with the pretty girl and get your ass in the game,” Mike ordered from one side of him.

Brody winked at her from the other. “Sorry, Maddie. I know how this one can get to chatting, and he just monopolizes time.”

“Like a parasite,” Cam added from behind them.

They ignored Flynn’s muttered cursing, which died the moment his mother approached.

“For God’s sake, Flynn. Let the girl eat. She’s too thin as it is.”

Maddie’s smile stretched her mouth. “Too thin? I really, really like you.” She stood and walked with Beth toward the picnic table laden with food, where her cousin and Abby had just made themselves at home.

“Thanks for this, Beth. It looks delicious.”

“Well, don’t tell, but I already had a brownie. That’s some dangerous chocolate there, Maddie.”

Maddie grabbed a plate and filled it with food. Normally she’d avoid the greasy meats and starches, but she hadn’t had so much fun in ages. Feeling like she belonged amidst the crowd, half of whom she still didn’t know, she forced herself to sit at a long table with strangers.

The patriarch of the family joined her. “Mind if I sit?”

Before she could answer, he scooted her over and sat next to her. As big as Mike, and just as handsome. No wonder Beth McCauley wore such a wide smile. Talk about good genes. But though Flynn looked like his father, he had his mother’s eyes.

“So how are you and the girls settling in?”

“Fine.” They’d been in the house for over four months. The settling had passed. “Mike’s been more than nice, when we see him, which isn’t that often. He’s the perfect neighbor.”

James grunted. “Colin hasn’t been bugging you overly, has he? The boy nags to see the house all the time. My boys grew up in there, you know.”

“It’s a lovely house. Really great architecture.”

He smiled, and they spoke of the neighborhood, her job—briefly—and how much the East Coast differed from the West.

“I hear Flynn helped you with a problem the other day.”

Her mind flashed to her kitchen, and Flynn’s mouth. “Yep. Fixed our sink.”
I
wish
he
would
have
fixed
a
few
other
things.

“He’s a good boy. Can get a bit randy now and then, so if he gets fresh, smack him upside the head.”

She’d been drinking when he said
randy
, a word she hadn’t heard spoken since her grandmother had said it how many years ago? She choked, gasping as he tapped her back.

“You okay?” His face creased in a frown.

“Fine.” She wheezed and drank some more, wishing now she’d taken Flynn up on his offer of a beer.