AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTERNINETEEN
What are you looking at, Cuz?” Nash asked.
Olivia continued to peer out the kitchen window. “Did you sweep my driveway?”
“No, but I’ll be happy to do it once I finish the omelets.”
She turned and looked at Nash, who stood at the stove flipping the fluffy yellow eggs with a spatula. In the last two days, he’d become Olivia’s shadow. Almost like he was under strict orders not to let her out of his sight. And she didn’t doubt for a second that he was. But if Deacon was so worried about her, then why hadn’t he called?
“Some guy in a trench coat did it.”
Olivia glanced at Grayson, who sat at the breakfast bar, spooning Cap’n Crunch cereal into his mouth. In the last week, he’d gotten more comfortable around Olivia and wasn’t quite as soft-spoken or shy.
“You saw him?” she asked.
“Yeah, I caught him after I’d beaten Nash like a drum.”
“You did not beat me like a drum.” Nash turned from the stove and pointed the spatula at Grayson. “The only reason you got back to the house first was because I slowed down to talk with that cute jogger.”
Grayson shrugged and spoke around a mouthful of cereal. “Doesn’t matter how, it only matters that I got back here first. So who is the guy, Olivia? The trench coat is more than a little creepy, but he has one righteous beard.”
Still stunned by Grayson’s revelation, it took her a moment to answer. “He sells lemon juicers to the tourists, but I don’t know his name. Nor why he would put out my trash, plant flowers in my garden, and sweep my driveway.”
Nash set a plate holding an omelet in front of her. “And you’ve never met the guy?”
“Not that I know of. In fact when he sees me, he never says a word.”
The hardness that entered Nash’s eyes took Olivia by surprise. Obviously the easygoing Beaumont had another side.
“The next time you see him, I want you to call me,” he said.
“I really think he’s harmless, Nash.”
“Maybe, but I don’t want you taking the chance.” His cell phone pinged, and he took it out of his pocket and read the text before quickly texting a reply.
Trying to act nonchalant, she took a bite of her omelet. “So I guess that was Deacon.”
Nash put the phone back in his pocket. “Yes, it’s hard to get away from Controlling Deacon.”
Unless you’ve had sex with him. Then it isn’t hard at all. Two days, almost forty-eight hours, and she hadn’t heard a word from him. Talk about feeling insecure. And annoyed. Very, very annoyed.
“So I guess his business took him longer than he thought,” she said.
Nash went back to cooking. “There were a few loose ends that needed tying up.”
“With his company? Or Francesca?” She had no business bringing Francesca up, especially when Deacon had assured her that the woman wasn’t his girlfriend. But she couldn’t seem to help herself, and the reactions from both men only added to her jealousy. Nash’s eyes widened, while Grayson laughed.
“I’m sure Francesca would love to be tied up with Deke,” he said. “She might act like her loaning him money is only business, but we all know that she expects more than interest in return.”
Nash reached out and cuffed his brother in the back of the head. “Shut up, Gray.”
“Hey!” Grayson glared at Nash. “What’s your problem?”
“My problem is that you don’t know when to keep your mouth shut. First you can’t talk to women, and then you say too much.”
“What difference does it make if Olivia knows about Francesca?” Grayson paused. “Unless…” He glanced at Olivia, and she couldn’t help blushing. His eyes widened before he released a puff of air. “Well, shit.” He ran a hand over his smooth jaw. “I didn’t realize it was serious.”
“It’s not,” she said in a rush. “We’re just…we just work together.” She didn’t have a clue why tears filled her eyes.
