2. Brandon
2
brANDON
S ipping my coffee, I wince when the gong sounds again. My head is throbbing and I know she’s not done yet.
At least another hour. I can make it another hour.
But it’s the weekend and I just want some peace and quiet. I’m not sure Delia knows the name of that word.
Between her and her dang animals I never get a minute’s peace. If it’s not her klepto cat, it’s her noisy goat chewing on my flowers over the fence that I had to put up to keep it out of my yard.
And then there’s her gassy dog that she fostered until she found it a good home and the blind turtle that must be at least a hundred years old. If it’s weird or unusual, she can’t help bringing it home.
The gong rings out again. A loud crash after it makes me wince and then a scream makes me jump, hissing under my breath when hot coffee hits my chest. I glare down at my ruined shirt.
“I think that’s about enough of that,” I mutter under my breath. I set it down on the porch railing and pace down the steps. It takes mere seconds for me to get to her yard after I follow my fence line to the front of my property.
Another scream rings out and I grab at my side like I’m gonna find my side arm on me.
Rolling my eyes, I huff and break into a run. Then I skid to a stop, my mouth falling open. “Holy…”
Delia Reynolds is lying on the ground, buried under a furry goat who glares at me.
“What is going on? Can’t I even drink a cup of coffee in peace, Del?”
Her head lifts, her warm hazel eyes glaring straight at me. “I can’t get Annie to get off of me. I think she saw a bug and they scare her.”
My brows lift. I lean back on my heels and cross my arms over my chest, mouth quirking. “Are you telling me that your goat is scared of bugs?”
She drops her head back to the ground, her messy knot of caramel-highlighted brown hair falling into her face when she huffs angrily. “I suppose you think that sounds ridiculous.”
I shake my head, desperately trying not to laugh at her. “Nooo. Your animal is scared of bugs and she what….jumped into your arms and knocked you over.”
Her eyes roll back in her head and she growls under her breath. The goat bleats at her and glares at me.
“Can you just get Annie off of me? I can’t breathe here.”
“If you couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t talk.” But I step closer and grab the goat’s halter. It bleats again. Right in my face. My eyes almost cross. “Jeez! What have you been eating, buddy?”
Yanking hard at the halter, I stumble back and the gray goat finally moves off its owner.
She gasps out a breath and coughs, sitting up. My eyebrows climb up to my hairline.
“What the heck are you wearing, Del?”
She glances down and then glares up at me. “I was doing my morning yoga. It’s not like I can do that in a t-shirt and jeans.”
I nod my head but I can’t look away. She looks gorgeous. What seems like acres of flawless, pale skin glows in the bright morning light. I gotta admit…Delia Reynolds looks very healthy.
I jerk my eyes away and clear my throat. “Uh-umm. Maybe you should go get dressed.”
A bright laugh makes my fingers clench. “It’s called a sports bra and shorts, Courtney. Jeez! You’re an even bigger stick in the mud than I thought.”
I let go of the goat and reach back to jerk her up to her feet quickly. I need to get the heck away from her as soon as possible.
“Are you good now? I need to get back home.”
Her head cocks, her knot of dark hair slipping to one side. Green sparks flare in her hazel eyes. “Sure. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
I back away. “Sure. Protect and serve. That’s my motto.” I close my eyes and clench my teeth. I sound like an idiot.
Her eyes glow with laughter. “Of course, detective. Thank you for doing your civic duty!”
Nodding at her without saying one more word I walk away, cursing myself under my breath. Why does that woman turn me into a blithering idiot just by smiling at me?
My whole body feels like it’s buzzing with energy. My mind is a muddled mess and I keep thinking about that smile in her eyes. She looked so dang pretty.
“I need my head examined. All she is is trouble. She’s always been trouble.”
Ever since we were in school, I couldn’t be near her without wondering what the heck she thinks. She’s a flake! She’s always been a flake. She’ll always be a flake.
That’s not what I want. I huff and groan. She’s too much like my mother. The woman took off when I was barely a baby, leaving my dad to raise me alone. He did his best but he never got over her. When he passed away three years ago, I swear it was a mercy.
He always expected her to come home to us. I knew better.
She was a flake, and she obviously didn’t care a bit about us. You can’t trust a girl like that. She’s just waiting for the chance to leave and move on to the next crazy thing that crosses her path.
She’s not reliable and I’m dang sure not gonna let my heart tell me that she’s for me when I can’t stand the way she acts.
Loyalty and reliability are a must for me. She’s two for two in the loss column and I’m not gonna risk a girl like that.
I stomp up on the porch, slamming the door behind me. No way! I don’t need the kind of problems that crazy woman and her menagerie will cause me. I just don’t.
No matter how pretty her eyes are when they glow green in the morning sunlight.