Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor- Cynthia D'Alba Page 0,16
around. “You really have the green thumb.” He took the glass she offered and gestured toward the front of the house. “I noticed the flower beds when I drove up. The big Japanese maple looks old.”
“It is,” she said as she took a seat and gestured for him to do the same. “I don’t know how old. It was here when we bought the place.”
“I guess your brothers help out with the mowing and such.”
She did a spit-take of water. “My brothers? Help with yardwork?” The laugh that followed was loud. “I’m sorry,” she said when she could regain her composure. “They do not do the lawn or anything else around here. Patrick, my oldest brother, has three children and barely keeps up with his own yard. Lawrence lives in a condo so he doesn’t have to even think about grass and Danny…? He lives in an apartment and on his days off, he’d rather be at the beach than doing my yard.” She pointed to her chest. “Katie and I do all the yardwork.” Giving him a side-eye, she said, “Why? Are you some sexist who thinks women shouldn’t do things like that?”
“Whoa,” he said, holding up his hands. “Never said that. Never thought that either. It was that Danny was so protective today, I just assumed they believed you to be…um…”
“Useless?” she supplied.
He winced. “Not useless. Maybe fragile.”
She laughed again. “Dear God. I don’t know what Danny said to you, but trust me, I’m not fragile.”
“I see that.” He smiled.
“So, you wanted to talk. I’m happy to pay for that taillight, if that’s what this is all about.”
“What? Lord, no. At first, I was pissed. I mean, really pissed at the gall of your brother. Then I realized that, if I had a sister, I’d probably look out for her like he was trying to do for you.”
“Do you? Have a sister?”
He shook his head. “No family.”
“None? Like no parents? No grandparents? No sibs, cousins, whatever?”
“Nope. Parents are deceased. Never knew my grandparents. No sibs.”
The truth was, he had no idea if his old man was alive or dead. Frankly, he didn’t care either. His biological sire was dead to him. His dad had had a son to raise after his wife died. Instead, he’d dove head first into the bottle and stayed there. All Benjamin remembered of him was a sloppy drunk who’d blamed his son for all his life’s troubles and had never missed an opportunity knock him around. For Benjamin, his options had come down to kill the bastard or leave. He’d left.
“Well, let me tell you,” Holly said. “Large families can be a total pain in the ass.”
“That’s kind of why I’m here. Having met your brother, and reflecting on his assurance that he’s the nicer of your brothers, I think I can see your situation through your eyes. You said something last night about getting your family off your back. I got to thinking maybe you were being pressured to settle down with a guy so they don’t have to worry about you anymore. You’re taken care of, so to speak. Does that sound about right?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding with each statement he’d made. “It’s as though I’m on their to-do list. Mow the yard. Fill the car with gas. Marry off sister.”
He laughed. “You probably rank a little higher than mowing.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Both are chores.”
“I don’t see you as a chore. You’re an independent woman capable of making your own decision, right?”
“Right.”
“And the last thing you need is your brothers trying to fix you up with blind dates, right?”
She nodded. “Exactly.”
“Having a boyfriend, or even a guy they think you see regularly, marks that box on their lists.”
“Yup.”
“Fine. I can understand your situation perfectly. But I am curious…” He set his glass on the table beside him then leaned forward. “How exactly did I become this mystery man? Why me?”
She sighed. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I really am. Lawrence and Patrick started in on me about some new detective at the station. Some guy who recently moved here from Colorado. Apparently, even my dad knows the guy and thinks he was great.” She winced. “I snapped, you know? I just blurted out I was seeing someone. I didn’t have you in mind. I mean, not you specifically.”
He grimaced. “Gee, thanks. That really boosts my ego.”
She laughed. “As if you have any problem with that.”
He grinned, loving that she felt comfortable enough to joke with him.
“Who did you have in mind,