“Vera’s here to work, so hands off.”
Kai, who’s a dead ringer for West in that tall, dark, and devastating way that women like, snickers. “So you’ve already called dibs.”
“I’m not calling anything,” I mutter, unable to tear my gaze away from Vera, who’s walking around the two cottages that need repairing, taking notes by talking into her phone. She’s changed into khaki work shorts that show off tanned, long legs, and a loose blue singlet that shouldn’t look sexy but does.
“Then you won’t mind if I have a crack.”
“Piss off.” I elbow Kai, who guffaws.
“It’s okay, bro, she’s all yours.” Kai rubs his hands together. “I’d rather be single for all the hot bridesmaids who’ll be here on New Year’s Eve.”
“If they’re smart, they won’t come near you,” I say, but there’s no venom in my tone. As the youngest Spade siblings, I’m closest to Kai. He’s a mate and my brother, and we’ve been ribbing each other endlessly from the time we learned to talk.
“And if that looker with the legs up to her armpits has any sense, she won’t go near you.” Kai winks. “Seriously, bro, when’s the last time you got laid? You’ve got a perpetual glower since you returned to the island.”
“West said the same thing,” I mutter, hating that my brothers can read me so easily.
I don’t want to tell them what has me in this funk, because they’ll offer advice or ply me with alcohol.
Kai taps his temple. “A few of us Spade brothers got the brains in the family, so you should listen to Westie and me.”
“He hates it when you call him that.”
“Westie used to hate a lot of things before he hooked up with Emery on Christmas Eve.” Kai makes smooch sounds. “Remind me to thank her.”
I have no intention of going near Emery and West. They’re too loved up for me, especially considering they only just started dating two days ago.
The thing is, the speed with which West has fallen for Emery has rattled me. He’s always been the stoic one of us. The rational brother who weighs every decision carefully, so to see him fall headlong into a relationship, let alone strutting around with a grin on his face, is disarming.
“Don’t look now, but your carpenter is looking at you in the same way you’re looking at her.”
I scowl. “What way’s that?”
“Like this.” Kai bats his eyelashes and puckers up, and I can’t help but laugh. “Anyway, I’ve got work to do. I only came out here to tell you that Emery’s left a bunch of leftovers from Christmas lunch in the fridge and she said to help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime, bozo.” Kai slugs me on the arm before sauntering back into the house, and when I turn back towards Vera, I see Kai is right.
She’s staring at me with the oddest expression on her face.
Like I’m leftovers and she’s starving.
6
VERA
Agreeing to have dinner with Linc has to be the dumbest idea I’ve had in a while.
But he had me at Christmas leftovers. I’m a sucker for glazed ham, turkey, stuffing, and roast veggies mashed into hash browns. And I’d do anything for a good plum pud.
“Can I tempt you with another piece of pudding?” Linc points at the last piece on the plate between us, as if he knows my weakness.
The pudding isn’t the only tempting thing in my vicinity on this picnic blanket and as I tear my gaze away from his green eyes to stare at the sun descending in a blazing fireball into the horizon, I wonder what I’ll do if he puts the moves on me.
He wants to. He’s flirted throughout our impromptu dinner picnic on the beach, and to my chagrin, I reciprocated. And I’m not the flirty type. I’m too practical, too cynical, too bruised for it. Brent had been a flirt, and look how that turned out.
“Last chance,” he says, waving the pudding in front of me, and I laugh.
