Read Online How to Handle a Heartbreaker by Marie Harte - Free Book Online Page B

with this farce! You said cards, chips, and dip! But this is ridiculous. I’m wearing my suit pants!”
    Brody glared at the youngest McCauley brother, recently returned from a trip out East, and cinched down the bolts of his new water heater. “Cam, just hold the freaking tank. I’m almost done.”
    “You should have gotten a freestanding tank. What the hell, man? At least tell me you installed a recirc line,” Flynn muttered.
    “Dude, I know how to do my job.”
    “Jesus, this is heavy,” Cam whined while Flynn said something Brody couldn’t catch, something no doubt insulting that made Cam laugh. “Too true, Flynn.”
    “You can let go now.” Brody tightened the bolts into the backboard he’d previously installed to hold the tank to the wall, now wondering if he should have gone with the freestanding water heater, despite the deal he’d gotten on this new model.
    “The two-by-fours are solidly connected to the joist, right? Because if not, this tank will be on the floor before I’ve had my third beer tonight.”
    “Yes, yes. I did my due diligence. Flynn, so help me, if you don’t stop telling me what to do, I’ll tell Mike you gave Colin a shitload of soda and candy last time you babysat.”
    “Not nice.” Flynn glared.
    “But no doubt true.” Cam shook his head. “Really, Flynn. Colin could do with less sugar and more discipline.”
    “And this is why I’m his favorite uncle.”
    “Hey, girlfriends, can the chatter so I can quit this,” Brody said as he finished tightening the lines. In about an hour, he’d have a much more efficient water heating system, not to mention hot water again. “I swear, I would have had more luck recruiting Girl Scouts to help me. Or Seth.”
    “I heard that.” Seth glared at him next to Mutt, who stood with his leash in his mouth. Seth held the flashlight while Brody, Flynn, and Cam replaced his new water heater in the basement. Unfortunately, he’d had a short in the basement while working on the replacement. Typical. His bad luck usually ran in threes. He hadn’t talked to Abby in two days, it had rained on him at the jobsite this morning, and he had a bad feeling he was coming down with a nasty cold. Like postnasal drip would flash “Do me” signs at the woman currently avoiding him.
    “This is just pathetic,” Cam continued to complain. “It’s Friday night, my calendar is finally free, and I’m helping numbnuts put a water heater in his house? A place that would be better off condemned?”
    “Hey.” Seth glared.
    “Not your half of the building, Mr. Forelli,” Cam recovered quickly. “From what I hear, your duplex is actually decent. It’s no wonder you sold this half to Brody.”
    Decent? A lie, but Cam was a McCauley after all. The brothers had been finessing their way out of trouble since birth. Brody normally referred to Seth’s place as a hoarder’s paradise, and Cam knew it.
    Seth gave a harrumph. Then the lights came back on. “I’m going back home. I’m missing my shows.”
    “He’s big on the Game Show Network,” Brody explained to the guys. He caught the flashlight Seth lobbed at him and watched the old man shuffle back up the stairs. Seth’s crankiness only endeared the old bastard to him more. “Thanks, Seth.”
    “Yeah, yeah.”
    Mutt turned to watch him. Once Seth left the stairwell, the dumb dog dove off the stairs and knocked Flynn on his ass.
    “Damn it.” Flynn had to work to fend off that slobbery tongue.
    Cam laughed. “Aw, he likes you, bro.”
    Flynn flipped him the finger while shoving at Mutt.
    “Awesome.” Brody wiped his hands and stared at his new water heater with satisfaction. “Now I’ll have hot water again. I can stop showering at Mike’s.” Brody frowned. “Where is he, anyway?”
    “He said he’d be a few minutes late,” Cam offered. “Had to drop Colin off at Mom and Dad’s before heading over.”
    “They live like four blocks over from his house.”
    Flynn shoved the dog off him