The Bachelor Next Door

Brendan should have realized that Sunni hadn’t given up her matchmaking, she’d simply changed tactics. His mother knew the long hours he spent in the office weren’t exactly conducive to getting to know the single women living in Castle Falls, so she’d imported one.

Although why Sunni thought he’d be attracted to someone like Lily Michaels was a mystery. The woman was too stubborn. Too…perky.

Too distracting.

The fact that he was in front of the window instead of his computer screen proved it.

Unfortunately, Lily was also running out of daylight.

Which meant it was up to him to make sure her and her furry sidekick made it safely back to the house.

Brendan grabbed a flashlight from a shelf in the hall closet on his way out the door. The moon was already rising over the trees, and adrenaline spiked Brendan’s blood as he picked his way along the narrow foot path that ran parallel to the river. If Lily was on her way back, he should have met up with her by now.

He hiked another quarter mile, judging the distance by the subtle change in the river’s current. Castle Falls was just up ahead, an appropriate name for the steep sandstone wall that towered above the water.

“Lily?” Brendan pitched his voice a notch above the rushing water. In the fading light, he spotted the trunk of a dead aspen near the base of the falls. The jagged stub of a branch had caught on one of the rocks, holding the tree in place as it bobbed gently in the foam.

Like a suspension bridge.

Brendan’s breath snagged in his lungs even as he tried to rein in his overactive imagination. The challenge of crossing the river on a stick might prove irresistible to his two younger brothers, but a grown woman would be too level-headed to attempt it….

“Hi!”

He twisted toward the lilting voice and saw Lily waving to him from the opposite side of the riverbank.

Apparently not.

Stubborn. Perky. Now Brendan could add reckless to the list he’d started.

“It’s so beautiful here!” Lily skipped across the fallen tree with the nimbleness of a professional tightrope walker.

Halfway across, the log shifted, and Brendan heard her gasp.

Without thinking, he splashed into the shallow water, shoes and all, and reached for her.

“Thanks.” Lily latched on to his hand, and the warmth of her touch shot up his arm like a current of electricity.

Brendan sucked in a breath and let her go the moment their feet touched dry land. “What—” he tossed the word down like a gauntlet “—did you think you were doing?”

Lily smiled up at him, eyes shining in spite of the fact she’d almost fallen into the river. “Exploring, of course.”

Of course.

Brendan shook his head. “Look, the sun is setting—”

“I know! I watched it from up there.” She pointed to one of the granite turrets that bracketed the water spilling over the top of the falls. “The best seat in the house.”

The best seat… Brendan tried to shut down the image what could have happened if Lily had lost her footing and slipped. Or somehow stumbled upon the cave located behind the falls.

Brendan battled the temptation to share the discovery he’d made years ago. To watch her face light up with wonder.

Now who’s the reckless one?

“You probably spend a lot of time here.” Lily clapped her hands and Missy trundled out of the brush, sporting a brand-new collar that could have only been purchased in the pet food aisle of the grocery store.

“No.” Spotty cell phone reception and no internet equaled no customers. “Not really.”

“You should.” Lily cast one more longing look at the falls before she fell into step beside him.

Brendan didn’t answer.

There were a lot of things he knew he should do.

Spending time with Lily Michaels definitely wasn’t one of them.

Chapter Four

Lily’s gaze bounced from the gleaming, freshly primed wall to her laptop, where a perky woman wearing a pristine white smock was demonstrating a cutting-edge technique in the world of faux finishes. She made it look so easy. But then again, that painter didn’t have to contend with a neighbor who didn’t want her to listen to the radio. Or sing along with it. At one point, when Lily had started a pleasant, albeit one-sided conversation with Missy, the heels of Brendan’s chair scraping against the floor on the other side of the living room wall let her know that he didn’t want to hear anything at all.

Absolute silence might have been Brendan Kane’s idea of a perfect work environment, but it was driving Lily bonkers. Listening to music while she worked helped her stay on task. And she could use a little focus—especially when the only thing she could hear was the husky—and rather appealing—rumble of a masculine voice on the opposite side of the wall every time the telephone rang.

And it rang a lot.

“You’ll want to work quickly before the base coat dries,” Perky Painter was saying. “Then, wait thirty minutes! Plenty of time to grab a fresh cup of coffee or take a little walk and stretch your legs.”

Missy, who’d been napping in the corner, lifted her head at the word walk.

“Later,” Lily promised. Because, while she’d been tuned into Brendan’s rich-as-dark-chocolate tenor on the other side of the wall, the base coat had started to dry.

She tapped the rewind button on the DVD player and followed the directions, ignoring the pull and protest of unused muscles while she worked. Who would have guessed that painting could take the place of a daily workout? No wonder Shelby didn’t bother with a gym membership.

A red-winged blackbird landed on a low branch just outside the open window and trilled a greeting. Lily responded with a series of whistles that sounded, in her opinion, like a fairly decent imitation of the bird’s cheerful dialogue.

A floorboard creaked. The door at the end of the hall snapped shut. Was Brendan taking an unscheduled coffee break? Or had he added whistling to his own personal neighborhood-watch list?

The steady tread of footsteps drew closer.

Watch list.

“I’ll distract him while you make a break for it,” Lily told the bird. She felt a pinch of envy when it took wing and disappeared into a hedge of golden spirea. The only cover available for her was the drop cloth that now doubled as a dog bed.

While Lily contemplated how long it would take to displace the basset hound and dive underneath it, Brendan appeared in the doorway.

He looked frazzled. And grim. Two things that should have canceled out the “and handsome” part of the equation. But—Lily tried not to sigh—they didn’t.

When Brendan had shown up at the falls the evening before, she’d been ridiculously glad to see him. Not because the sun had retreated, allowing shadows to fill the spaces between the trees while she’d been exploring, but because the man had finally ventured out of his office.

Apparently the only thing that separated Brendan from his routine was something that disrupted it.

And that something would be you, Lily.

As someone who’d had to rewind the video tutorial—twice—since she’d started working, she decided they were even.

“The delivery truck has a flat tire a few miles from town so I’m going to round up a spare and drive it over,” Brendan said. “I’m expecting an important call, so I’ll be back in half an hour or so.”

“All right.”

Lily tried to sound casual, but the sudden glint in Brendan’s eyes meant he’d seen the hopeful glance she’d sneaked at Sonia’s radio, a charming relic from the 1970s that resembled a toaster and boasted real dials instead of a touch pad.

“You’ll have plenty of time to bang a few pots and pans together.” Brendan’s dry statement could only be a reference to Lily’s brief foray into the kitchen, when she’d whipped up a veggie omelet for breakfast. “Sing. Tap dance. Make all the noise you want.”

Cheering, Lily thought. That would be the noise she’d be making.

Brendan’s lips twitched. That he’d read her mind was as unnerving as the possibility a real live heart beat underneath the pocket of his black polo.

Lily was relieved when Missy rolled to her feet, spotted her reluctant host and released a joyful howl.

He winced. “You’re still here.”

Lily imagined Brendan had thought the same thing a few hours ago, only he wouldn’t have been referring to the basset hound.

“Where else would she be?”

“In the kitchen, chewing on a table leg? Hunting for shoes to bury underneath the hostas?”

At least now Lily knew where to look for her missing flip-flop.

Not deterred by Brendan’s less than flattering assumptions, Missy shuffled toward him, tail wagging.

“I’ll be back.” Brendan ducked out of the room before the basset hound could shed on his khakis.

Lily smiled down at her. “You just earned that walk.”

The phone rang while Lily was in the kitchen, mixing up a fresh pitcher of iced tea. Brendan still hadn’t returned, although it had been well over an hour since he’d driven away to assist the truck driver. The ringing stopped, only to start up again less than a minute later.

Brendan had said the call was important….

She dashed down the hall to his office and reached for the phone. “Good morning! Castle Falls Outfitters.”

“Who is this?” The question wielded a suspicious edge, as if the caller knew someone else should have answered the phone.

“Lily Michaels. I’m—”

“The painter Sunni hired to give her house a makeover! She told us all about it the book club meeting last week.” The caller’s tone warmed several degrees. “She didn’t mention you’d be helping Brendan out in the office, too.”

“I’m not.” Lily wondered what the woman would say if she confessed the man had banished her from that particular room. “Brendan had to step out for a few minutes, but I’d be happy to take a message.”

“I’d appreciate that! This is Jill Robinson, and I’m calling to remind Brendan about the picnic the soccer team is hosting on Tuesday.”

Lily reached for a pen to jot down the details. “Soccer picnic. Tuesday.”

“This is the first year the kids at New Life Fellowship formed a team,” Jill chatted on. “The booster club parents host a picnic at the beginning of the season to thank the businesses that provide funding for our equipment and uniforms. Brendan agreed to sponsor the Conquerors.”

“That’s great.” So great that Lily might be forced to reevaluate her first impression of the man. “What time?”

“Four o’clock in the field right behind the church.” Jill paused. “By the way, our Sunday morning worship service starts at ten if you’re interested in attending tomorrow.”

“I’d love to.” Lily meant it. Church attendance was one of the things she’d added during the recent but major restructure of her life.

“My husband and I will be manning the coffee station in the foyer, so be sure to stop by and say hello.”

“I will. And I’ll pass this information onto Brendan as soon as he gets back,” Lily promised. “He was looking forward to your call.”

“He…” Jill had a sudden coughing fit. “Really?”

“Of course.” Lily drew a smiley face next to the information, ridiculously pleased to discover that Brendan did occasionally venture out of his office.

“I can’t wait to meet you, Lily.” Jill chuckled. “You certainly seem up for a challenge.”

“It’s not so bad.” Lily eyed the algae-green walls. “All the place needs is a little updating.”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about the house, honey.”

Lily was still pondering what Jill could have meant when she hung up the phone.

* * *

Brendan strode up the sidewalk, one hour and thirty-eight minutes later than he’d planned.

The trucking company had no business hiring people who didn’t have a clue how to change a flat tire. But then again, the guy he’d found sprawled on the hood, tethered to his iPod by a bright orange cord dangling from one ear, didn’t even look old enough to hold a valid driver’s license. Brendan had ended up changing the tire and unloading the cargo into his own vehicle.

Just to make sure it didn’t end up somewhere in Canada.

The house was eerily quiet when he opened the front door.

No humming. No whistling. Lily must have taken his polite request for peace and quiet to heart.

It was bad enough the lower half of the house now resembled the paint aisle of a home-improvement store, but on his way to check something in the shop earlier that morning, Brendan happened to glance into the living room. Lily had been stretched out on the rug in front of the fireplace, reading the label on a plastic tub with the intensity of a law student studying to pass the bar exam. Missy was sprawled across her legs, her whiskered chin resting on Lily’s knee.

Two thoughts had collided in Brendan’s mind. Lily looked as if she belonged there. And, for the first time, he’d wished he could trade places with a dog.

Halfway to his office, the tantalizing aroma of cinnamon beckoned to him from the kitchen. Brendan took a deep breath, determined to forge ahead…

“Hi.” Lily landed in front of him, looking like a sunbeam in the yellow apron he’d bought for Sunni one Christmas.

Bare toes, each one painted a bright shade of coral, peeked out from the rolled up hems of Lily’s faded jeans. “I was starting to get a little worried.”

Brendan was getting a little worried, too. Worried that it didn’t matter if Lily sang along with the oldies on his mother’s ancient am/fm radio. Or kept up a lively dialogue with Missy.

Her very presence in the house had somehow changed things.

“The driver didn’t know how to change a flat.” Brendan noticed a smudge of grease on the back of his hand and took a quick detour over to the sink. “You didn’t happen to hear the phone ring, did you?”

“Yes…and I also happened to answer it.” Lily fished a piece of paper from the pocket of Sunni’s apron, embroidered with the words Hug the Cook. Somehow, the words took on a whole new meaning.

Don’t. Go. There.

Brendan plucked the paper from Lily’s hand and glanced at the name scrawled at the top. “Jill?”

“Robinson.” Lily grabbed a potholder and opened the oven door a crack. A burst of steam rolled out, carrying the scent of apples. “One of the parents in the booster club.”

“What booster club?”

“For your soccer team.”

“I don’t have a soccer team.”

“New Life Fellowship. The Conquerors.” Lily’s sigh stirred a wisp of hair on her forehead. “Does that ring a bell?”

“No—” Okay. Maybe a very faint one.

Lily tipped her head. “You hear it, don’t you?”

In spite of his rising frustration, Brendan battled a sudden urge to smile.

“Jill said that Castle Fall Outfitters—your business—is sponsoring the team.”

The pieces were beginning to come together. “I signed a check.”

“Hence the word sponsor.” Lily fisted her hands on her slender hips. “You said you were expecting her call.”

“I said I was expecting an important call,” Brendan shot back. From Garrett Bridges, the CEO of Extreme Adventures.

“It sounded important to Jill.”

“Was that the only time you heard the phone ring?” Brendan had been in contact with Bridges often enough over the past few months to know that he and the CEO were a lot alike. Every minute of the day attached to a certain task. If something disrupted the flow or severed the connection, they didn’t have time to wait around. They simply moved on to the next thing on their agenda.

“It might have. I took Missy for a walk right after Jill called.” The flash of guilt on Lily’s face made him feel guilty. It wasn’t her responsibility to answer his phone. She’d done it as a favor, even though he’d enforced a code of silence all morning. Never mind that Lily had kept breaking it.

Or that he’d looked forward to her breaking it.

“Don’t—” Worry about it, Brendan had been about to say. But a series of short, staccato barks peppered the air, shooting holes in his apology.

Lily’s gaze locked on something outside the window. “Hold that thought.”

The screen door slapped shut behind her as she charged outside.

Brendan didn’t want to know what kind of trouble Missy had gotten into. Again. As he contemplated who might benefit from the responsibility of taking care of a pet—Aiden instantly came to mind—he heard another door slam.

“Something smells good!”

Brendan froze when his brothers sauntered into the kitchen.

“What are you doing here?”

Aiden shoulder-bumped Liam. “Told you he missed us.”

“We decided to come back a day early.” Liam’s nose lifted like a timber wolf’s on the hunt. “Do I smell apple pie?”

“I have no idea,” Brendan said irritably. “Did something go wrong? Did you run into bad weather? Was there a problem with the new design?”

Liam ignored him. “You don’t know what’s in the oven?”

“I don’t know because I didn’t make it,” Brendan muttered. “Lily Michaels did.”

“Who is Lily Michaels?” Aiden wanted to know.

“The painter Mom hired, remember?” Liam hunkered down and peered through the oven door for a better look.

Aiden turned to stare at him. “You’re letting her use the kitchen?”

“Not exactly.” Brendan wasn’t letting Lily do anything. She’d invaded his home…his territory…at his mother’s invitation and there was nothing he could do about it. Just like there was no sense hiding the fact the arrangement included room and board. Liam and Aiden would figure it out soon enough. “Mom let her move into the guest room. Temporarily,” he added, more for himself than his brothers.

That pulled Liam’s attention away from the oven. “She’s staying here?”

“Yes.” Brendan bit down on the word. “Her business is based in Traverse City, and it’s too far to commute every day.”

“Why didn’t Mom hire someone local?”

“I have no idea.” Even though he was afraid that he did.

Sonia assured me that I have all the qualifications she’s been looking for.

Brendan wasn’t about to confess that he was afraid Sunni’s commitment to finding a companion for him had risen to a whole new level.

“Oh, oh. I know that look.” Amusement danced in

Aiden’s eyes. “Lily Michaels is getting in your way, isn’t she?”

Getting in his way. Under his skin.

“She’s only been here a day,” Brendan snapped.

His brothers exchanged a knowing look.

“She’s one of those drill sergeant types who wants to take over,” Liam guessed.

“Kind of sounds like someone else we know.” Aiden grinned. “No wonder you look like you drank a glass of river water— Whoa!” He jumped back as Missy streaked past him, tail slashing the air like a windshield wiper set on high. Scattering drops of water on everything—and everyone—in her path.

“Sorry!” Lily was right behind the dog, pink-cheeked and breathless. “Missy spotted a trout in the shallow water and decided to do a little fishing….” The violet eyes widened when she realized he wasn’t alone. “Hello.”

Brendan suppressed a groan.

Because Liam and Aiden were looking at Lily the way Adam must have looked when God introduced him to Eve in the garden.

* * *

Handsome in triplicate.

It was the only way Lily could describe the wall of ruggedly handsome, dark-haired men standing in the kitchen. Three pairs of eyes, in shades of watercolor hues ranging from the translucent blue of an April sky to cobalt, were locked on her.

Brendan had mentioned his brothers in passing the day before, but even if Lily had formed a picture in her mind, her imagination still wouldn’t have done them justice. Like Brendan, the two newcomers topped six feet and boasted the lean but muscular build of a quarterback. Skin stained a deep golden-brown by the sun testified to the number of hours they spent outdoors.

One of them flashed an engaging smile as he stepped forward. “Liam Kane.”

“Lily Michaels. It’s nice to meet you.” Lily wondered if she sounded as bemused as she felt.

Brother number two stepped forward and extended his hand. “Aiden. And if that apple pie tastes as good as it smells, I might have to find a few more things to paint around here so you’ll stay longer.”

Lily took the blatant hint as a compliment and laughed.

“You’re certainly welcome to try it. There’s plenty.” She reached for a potholder on the counter but Aiden beat her to it.

“I’ve got it.”

Brendan’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you two have a trailer to unload?”

“The canoes aren’t going anywhere. But this…” Aiden winked at Lily as he removed the steaming pie from the oven and set it on the counter. “Well, I wouldn’t want it to disappear while I’m gone.”

Brendan snorted. Because some men clearly didn’t appreciate good food when it was delivered right to their office door.

Liam bent down to pet Missy, who sat patiently at his feet, a puddle of river water expanding around her as she waited to be noticed. “I thought Mom found a new home for her.”

“Ed Wilson couldn’t keep her, and the shelter didn’t have room,” Brendan said.

“You’re going soft on us, big brother,” Aiden teased.

“Don’t look at me.” Brendan crossed his arms and looked at her.

“I…intervened,” Lily admitted.

“Interfered,” Brendan said under his breath.

Whatever the term, it was obvious someone hadn’t gotten over it yet.

Lily grabbed a roll of paper towel from the counter as tiny tributaries began to fan out from the puddle underneath Missy and channel into the grout between the ceramic tiles.

“How did you get Bren to agree to let her stay?” Liam asked, eyes lit with curiosity. “He told us Missy was chewing him out of house and home.”

Lily hesitated. Was this a trick question? “Um…I just told him I would take care of Missy until Sonia came home.”

“Just told him, huh?”

Brendan’s brothers exchanged a smile. And a look that Lily couldn’t quite interpret.

“Mom has been on a mission lately.” Liam propped a hip against the table and glanced at Brendan. “What’s that verse she likes to quote?”

Lily, who’d never been blessed with siblings, sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere. The kind of weighted stillness that usually precedes a thunderstorm.

“I can’t remember,” Brendan said tightly.

“I do.” Aiden’s smile flashed. “It’s not good for man to be alone.”

Liam burst out laughing, and Aiden joined in.

Brendan didn’t.

As much as the Kane men looked alike, Lily had just discovered one characteristic that distinguished Brendan from his brothers.

His disposition.

Chapter Five

Brendan didn’t know which brother to muzzle first.

He’d been hoping Liam and Aiden wouldn’t figure out why Sunni had hired a self-described “custom” painter. A painter who lacked so much confidence in her ability she had to watch a tutorial before starting a project.

Brendan had caught a glimpse of a woman wielding a paintbrush on an open laptop, but it was the guilty look on Lily’s face right before she’d snapped it shut that caught his attention. He suspected his mother hadn’t even bothered to check Lily’s references before she’d signed the contract.

Because she had all the qualifications Sunni was looking for…

“I’ll help you unpack.” Brendan took a step toward the door.

No one followed.

“So what do you think of Castle Falls, Lily?” Aiden yanked a clean plate from the dish drainer. “Have you had a chance to get acquainted with the area yet?”

Brendan could see where this was going, and it made the decision easier.

His youngest brother first.

“Mom hired Lily to paint, not go sightseeing,” Brendan reminded him.

“I plan to do both, actually.” Lily smiled. At his brother. “The area is beautiful.”

“You should hike up the river when you get a chance.” Liam nudged Aiden aside and began to rummage through the utensil drawer for a fork. “The falls are kind of a well-kept secret around here because they’re located on private property and not in a state park.”