Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

“Yeah. That went over well. Never again.”

“Okay, maybe I am lucky to only get cookies from Aunt Louise,” Zachary said. “The last thing I need is for someone to set me up with an ex-girlfriend.”

I sipped my beer while the conversation turned from Aunt Louise’s lack of matchmaking skills to Luke’s latest car restoration punctuated by commentary on the karaoke song choices. At least they weren’t talking about Audrey anymore.

Not that it kept her out of my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment when I’d almost kissed her. She’d been right there, giving me every indication she wanted me to. Hand on my chest, chin lifted, lips parted. And I’d have been lying if I’d said I didn’t want it too.

So why hadn’t I done it? Was I really so convinced I was too much of a grumpy bastard to even date her?

That was a lie too.

Granted, Iwastoo much of a grumpy bastard to date a sweet thing like her. That was true enough. But it wasn’t what was stopping me.

Temporary, she’d said. Tilikum was temporary.

Audrey wasn’t the first woman in my life to feel that way. And I wasn’t letting it happen again.

CHAPTER18

Josiah

I heldthe door steady while Dad put in the first screw to attach the door to the hinges. Hanging doors always took longer than it should. There were small adjustments to make and nothing was ever truly square, especially in an older house.

We were going with two-panel shaker doors, painted white. Simple and clean. And they were a hell of a lot better than the cheap hollow core doors that had been in here when we’d bought it.

The house still looked empty and unfinished, but it was coming along.

Dad finished screwing in the hinges. I stepped back and he swung the door closed, then opened it again.

“Good fit,” he said.

I grunted in agreement.

We moved on to the next door. I held it up while Dad screwed it onto the hinges.

“Everything all right?” he asked out of the blue.

“Yeah. Why?”

He shrugged. “You’ve been quiet today.”

“I’m always quiet.”

“Preoccupied, then.”

I was preoccupied—by a curvy brunette who wasn’t even home. But I wasn’t about to admit it. “Just thinking ahead. Tile guys haven’t gotten back to us with a date.”

“I’ll follow up in the morning.”

“Thanks.”

He set the cordless drill on the floor and stretched his back.

“You want to finish these tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” He twisted, cracking his spine. “I’m getting too old for this.”

I patted him on the back.