evening. “Laura didn’t exactly say she
wanted our help, did she?”
“If we wait for Laura to say she needs help, we’ll both be old
and gray.” He gripped the steering wheel tighter. Laura needed assistance, from
them or someone else, whether she was willing to admit it or not.
“What if she tells us to take a hike?”
“Then I
turn on the famous Flanagan charm.” He grinned at his sober older brother.
“You’re just jealous because it skipped you.”
“I have Julie. I don’t need to charm other women, thanks very
much.”
No, Seth didn’t. He had, somewhat to his surprise, found the
love of his life where he least expected her, and he and his Julie were so
happy in love that it almost made a man think he ought to try getting engaged,
too. Almost.
Ryan pulled to the curb in front of the brick building. “I’ll
talk her into it. You’ll see.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you will, at that. Has it
occurred to you to wonder why you’re so intent on helping this woman?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Yeah, right.” Seth slid out of the car and followed him to the
door. “Not because you’re interested in her, by any chance?”
Ryan gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the comment as he rang
the bell.
“Well?” Seth’s soft-voiced question made it clear he wouldn’t give
up easily.
“Mind your own business, big brother.” He treated Seth to a
glare. “I don’t need any advice.”
“Maybe not, but—”
The door swung open, and Seth shut up. But judging from the
mulish set to his jaw, he wasn’t finished. That was the trouble with older
brothers. They never stopped thinking they had the right to give you advice.
“Ryan.” Laura sounded more resigned than surprised. “What brings
you here tonight?”
He hefted his toolbox. “We’re here to install the lights. You
remember my brother Seth, don’t you?”
She nodded to Seth. “I also remember telling you I could handle
the installation myself.”
“Why would you want to, when you’ve got two willing helpers standing
on your doorstep?” He tried the smile that usually softened female hearts.
“Aren’t you going to at least ask us in?”
Laura didn’t look noticeably softened, but she did step back.
“Wow, this looks great.” Seth looked around the freshly-painted
room. The rich burgundy on the walls glowed softly against the pristine white
woodwork. “You’re really making progress.”
“Thanks.” Her face relaxed in a smile. “Actually, the place is
starting to look so good that I’ll hate to part with it.”
“Your buyer’s going to love what you’ve done,” Ryan said. “How
about the plastering? Did you get the arrangements made with my buddy?”
“Your friend is coming to do it in a few days.” Unfortunately,
that seemed to remind her that she owed him, or felt she owed him, for his help
with the plasterer. Her smile vanished, to be replaced with a stubborn
tightening of her jaw. “I have the lights under control.”
“Are you telling us to go away?”
She blinked at the blunt question. “No, but—”
“Besides, you don’t want to get into trouble with the fire
inspector over the installation, do you?”
“You wouldn’t.”
He grinned,
unrepentant. “Let us take care of the installation, and you’ll never have to
find out.” He turned at the soft sound of footsteps on the stairs. “Hi, Mandy.
I’m glad to see you.”
His awkward signing brought a slight smile to the little girl’s
solemn face. She looked toward Seth.
“You remember my brother, don’t you?”
She nodded. Then, to his surprise, she came to give him a hug.
He knelt, feeling her small arms tight around his neck, and
discovered a lump in his throat. He looked up at Laura.
“You don’t want Mandy to see us arguing, do you?”
The soft smile she had for her daughter seemed to include him.
“I guess not.”
Mandy signed something to her mother, too quick for him to
catch. Laura hesitated
wanted our help, did she?”
“If we wait for Laura to say she needs help, we’ll both be old
and gray.” He gripped the steering wheel tighter. Laura needed assistance, from
them or someone else, whether she was willing to admit it or not.
“What if she tells us to take a hike?”
“Then I
turn on the famous Flanagan charm.” He grinned at his sober older brother.
“You’re just jealous because it skipped you.”
“I have Julie. I don’t need to charm other women, thanks very
much.”
No, Seth didn’t. He had, somewhat to his surprise, found the
love of his life where he least expected her, and he and his Julie were so
happy in love that it almost made a man think he ought to try getting engaged,
too. Almost.
Ryan pulled to the curb in front of the brick building. “I’ll
talk her into it. You’ll see.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you will, at that. Has it
occurred to you to wonder why you’re so intent on helping this woman?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.”
“Yeah, right.” Seth slid out of the car and followed him to the
door. “Not because you’re interested in her, by any chance?”
Ryan gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the comment as he rang
the bell.
“Well?” Seth’s soft-voiced question made it clear he wouldn’t give
up easily.
“Mind your own business, big brother.” He treated Seth to a
glare. “I don’t need any advice.”
“Maybe not, but—”
The door swung open, and Seth shut up. But judging from the
mulish set to his jaw, he wasn’t finished. That was the trouble with older
brothers. They never stopped thinking they had the right to give you advice.
“Ryan.” Laura sounded more resigned than surprised. “What brings
you here tonight?”
He hefted his toolbox. “We’re here to install the lights. You
remember my brother Seth, don’t you?”
She nodded to Seth. “I also remember telling you I could handle
the installation myself.”
“Why would you want to, when you’ve got two willing helpers standing
on your doorstep?” He tried the smile that usually softened female hearts.
“Aren’t you going to at least ask us in?”
Laura didn’t look noticeably softened, but she did step back.
“Wow, this looks great.” Seth looked around the freshly-painted
room. The rich burgundy on the walls glowed softly against the pristine white
woodwork. “You’re really making progress.”
“Thanks.” Her face relaxed in a smile. “Actually, the place is
starting to look so good that I’ll hate to part with it.”
“Your buyer’s going to love what you’ve done,” Ryan said. “How
about the plastering? Did you get the arrangements made with my buddy?”
“Your friend is coming to do it in a few days.” Unfortunately,
that seemed to remind her that she owed him, or felt she owed him, for his help
with the plasterer. Her smile vanished, to be replaced with a stubborn
tightening of her jaw. “I have the lights under control.”
“Are you telling us to go away?”
She blinked at the blunt question. “No, but—”
“Besides, you don’t want to get into trouble with the fire
inspector over the installation, do you?”
“You wouldn’t.”
He grinned,
unrepentant. “Let us take care of the installation, and you’ll never have to
find out.” He turned at the soft sound of footsteps on the stairs. “Hi, Mandy.
I’m glad to see you.”
His awkward signing brought a slight smile to the little girl’s
solemn face. She looked toward Seth.
“You remember my brother, don’t you?”
She nodded. Then, to his surprise, she came to give him a hug.
He knelt, feeling her small arms tight around his neck, and
discovered a lump in his throat. He looked up at Laura.
“You don’t want Mandy to see us arguing, do you?”
The soft smile she had for her daughter seemed to include him.
“I guess not.”
Mandy signed something to her mother, too quick for him to
catch. Laura hesitated
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