Chapter Nineteen
Nineteen
Hannah
I took extra care getting dressed in the morning, which was stupid.
The man had seen me half drowned, without makeup, and covered in dirt, dust, and cobwebs.
Curling my hair and putting on makeup wasn’t going to erase those images of me from his mind, especially as I was wearing a baggy T-shirt and shorts to finish tackling the decluttering of the attic.
Still, it was a sort of armor and I wasn’t one to pass up anything that could give me a boost of confidence when facing the potential awkwardness that might exist between Simon and me now that we’d once again crossed the don’t-kiss-your-housemate line. Why had I kissed him again?
Well, easy. Because he was smokin’ hot and I liked him, I genuinely liked him as a person. I loved how he cared about Dude and his sister and…me. I felt as if I could tell him anything and there was no judgment, just support and understanding.
Of course he was the sort of guy who didn’t do flings. That was just my luck. But maybe it was for the best. My potential to fall for him was great and did I really want to invite heartbreak into my life? No, I did not.
I tried to block out the memory of the feel of his mouth against mine and his fingers on my skin.
It was a struggle, especially when I arrived in the kitchen to find him standing there barefoot in a pair of gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt that clung to his shoulders with his hair mussed as if he’d just woken up.
Lorelei was seated at the counter, drinking coffee and eating a fried egg sandwich.
Her dark hair was twisted into a knot on the top of her head and she was frowning at her phone as if it had done something to offend her.
“Mornin’,” I murmured as I sidled toward the coffeepot. Dude had abandoned me in my room when I changed my outfit for the third time and was seated at Lorelei’s feet, staring at her sandwich as if he might mind-command it to fall into his mouth.
“Mornin’, Spencer,” Simon greeted me as he lifted his coffee mug to his lips. He watched me over the rim and I felt his gaze boring a hole in my back while I poured a mug of black, bitter goodness for myself.
“I’m glad you’re up so I could say good-bye.” Lorelei hopped off the stool and handed Dude the last bite of her sandwich. His tail thumped loudly on the floor, clearly in gratitude while he swallowed the bite whole.
Lorelei rounded the counter and gave me a fierce hug. “Don’t let Simon bully you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. I stood patiently while she removed the bandage on my hand and gave it a quick examination.
“Who’s picking you up?” Simon frowned at his sister.
“No one you know.” Lorelei said it in a case-closed voice, which I found interesting. Were Simon and Charlie that overbearing about who their sister got involved with?
There was a knock on the front door and Lorelei jumped before quickly rewrapping my hand. “Damn it, I told him to wait in the car.” She lifted her backpack and slipped it over one shoulder while grabbing her rolling cooler, which had her medical kit strapped to it.
“Him?” Simon followed her to the door. “Who him?”
“Not your business,” Lorelei called over her shoulder. She tried to slip out and shut the door behind her but Simon blocked it with his foot. “Quit it, Simon!”
He ignored his sister, glancing over her head at the man leaning against the porch railing. He was tall and broad and ridiculously good-looking with wavy golden-brown hair that reached his shoulders.
“Don’t embarrass me,” Lorelei growled at her brother.
“Me?” Simon put his hand over his heart, the picture of innocence.
Lorelei glowered and strode across the front porch. The man shoved off the railing and met her halfway, holding out his hand to take her bag. She ignored him. “Chance, this is Simon and Hannah, and vice versa, okay, let’s go.”
Chance pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, revealing intense gray eyes, then held out a hand to me and then Simon. “I’d say I’ve heard a lot about you but I haven’t.”
“Likewise.” Simon shook his hand and they both turned to Lorelei. She busied herself giving Dude a good-bye hug.
“Be a good boy.” She smooched the top of his head and smiled at me. “Good luck…with everything.”
“Thanks.” I glanced at Chance and on a hunch, I said, “You, too.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m going to need it.” With that, she turned on her heel and walked around Chance and Simon, who pulled her into a half hug.
“See ya, sis.” Simon kissed the top of her head and I watched Chance’s eyebrows lift at the word “sis.”
“Bye.” Lorelei shoved off her brother and dragged her stuff down the steps to the walkway that led to a blue sports car parked in front of the house.
“Come on, No Chance, we’re going to be late and Tilly will worry.
” She stuffed her belongings into the back then settled herself into the passenger seat, slamming the door after her.
Chance sighed. He lowered his sunglasses and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at Simon and said, “Your sister is my Aunt Tilly’s night nurse and a royal pain in my ass.”
At that, Simon laughed and clapped Chance on the shoulder. “Word of advice? Don’t give her an inch, you’ll never get it back if you do.”
Chance gestured from where we stood to where she sat in the car and said, “I think that inch and a couple of yards have already been taken, but I appreciate the thought.”
He strolled down the walkway as if intentionally making her wait for him.
Judging by the hard stare Lorelei was giving him, she knew it, too.
With a wave, Chance climbed into the driver’s seat and they sped away.
Even though the doors and windows of the car were closed, I could feel the tension between them all the way to where we stood.
“Poor bastard,” Simon muttered.
“I’d think your sympathy would be with your sister.” We turned to go back inside with Dude leading the way.
“Yeah, no. My sister is a heartbreaker of the first order,” Simon said. “Growing up, I can’t even count how many lovelorn guys showed up at our house, mooning over Lor. Charlie and I used to have to chase them off before Gramps saw them—for their own health and well-being.”
“Lorelei doesn’t seem like the sort of woman who strings people along,” I said.
“She’s not,” Simon said. “But she has the ability to make you feel better about yourself without it feeling like she’s blowing sunshine up your butt.”
I laughed. “You mean she’s sincere?”
“Yeah, but it’s more than that. Her gift is that she makes you believe in yourself even when all the evidence points to the contrary.” Simon opened the door and Dude bounded inside, leaving Simon holding the door for me. As I passed him, his voice was low and he said, “You share that ability.”
I glanced at him, surprised by the compliment, and found his gaze holding mine with a look of tenderness that made my cold heart melt just a little bit.
“Thank you.” It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to me but I didn’t say that. Instead, I said, “I think I get it from Pops. As I mentioned, he was definitely a sunny-side-up type of guy.”
“I fear I am more like Gramps.” Simon’s tone was rueful. “Always looking for the storm.”
“Given that a tree went through our house, you’re not completely wrong, O’Malley,” I said.
“See? There you go making me feel better about being a salty old curmudgeon.”
I smiled while I studied his handsome face. I didn’t know how to break it to him but a curmudgeon was a thin-lipped, sneering sourpuss of an old man. This guy was nothing like that with his full lips, glinting eyes, arched brows, and strong jaw. Yeah, not a whiff of curmudgeon about him.
“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll have to kiss you again, Spencer.” His voice had dropped to a low rumble and I felt it all the way to the soles of my shoes.
I was about to ask what was stopping him when Dude, obviously out of patience, came back through the door and gave me a hard nudge with his muzzle. I wasn’t sure if he was rescuing me from my own stupidity or ruining a potentially hot moment. Either way he would not be denied as he plowed into me.
“Breakfast. Got it.” I moved past Simon into the kitchen, feeling a pang of regret for what might have been.
Simon followed us and began to clean the kitchen while I fed Dude. As he unloaded the dishwasher, he asked, “What’s our plan of attack for today? Finish the attic? Take on the bedroom closets?”
“What about your brother?” I finished my coffee and poured a second mug. I felt like I was going to need it today.
“As Lor said, there’s no way of knowing when he’ll show up,” he said.
“You could call him.”
“That’s not how we roll.”
I studied him over the rim of the mug. This was not my business.
He was not my concern nor was his relationship with his siblings.
Although the argument could be made that since I was trying to learn everything I could about Pops, then learning all I could about Gramps and his family was a part of that.
“Why do you suppose your brother is coming to see you?” I asked.
Simon shrugged as if to say he had no idea, but it was clear that he and Lorelei were not being fully transparent about Charlie. I supposed if he did show up at some point, we’d discover the why of his visit together.
“Do you think he’s upset about you inheriting the house?” I asked.
Simon’s head snapped up and he placed the dinner plates in the cupboard before turning to face me. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “It’s just that some families can get pretty testy about properties and inheritances and whatnot.”
“Not mine.” His voice was sharp. I wondered whom he was trying to convince, me or himself.
“That’s good.” I leveled him with a firm look. “Because I’m not selling my half.”
Simon heaved a sigh. “We said we wouldn’t talk about it.”