“You’re still here,” Connor said. “The door is open. There are plenty of other men for you to play cards and drink with. Though they’ll never satisfy you the way I do.”
Eli almost choked on his beer. “You have to warn people before you break out random acts of humor, Connor. It’s unexpected.”
“I hate to be predictable.”
“Yeah,” Jack said. “You also hate puppies, rainbows, and I’m pretty sure if compound bow season ever opened on unicorns you’d be first in line.”
Eli heard the front door open, and the sound of feminine shoes on the hardwood floor. Which meant it wasn’t Kate, because she wore boots, just like the rest of them.
“I’m here!”
It was Liss. She breezed into the room, tugging her auburn hair from its bun and shaking her head. “Gah. Nightmare of a day. Going through financial records for...a place. Confidentiality, sorry.”
“Yeah, I know something about that,” Eli said.
“I’m sure you do. But accountant work doesn’t show up on a police scanner.” She set a brown bag on the table. “I come bearing Jack. Daniel’s, that is.”
“Then you can sit down,” Connor said, already reaching for the bag.
Liss frowned.
“Stop it,” he said. “Don’t give me the sad eyes.” He looked around. “This isn’t an intervention, is it?”
“Does it need to be?” Eli asked.
“No. I’m fine. Let’s play cards.”
“Strip poker,” Jack said. “Because Liss is here.”
Liss looked him over, then looked at Connor and Eli. “I’d win that game, Jack. No matter how you cut it.”
“No strip poker,” Eli said.
“You’re just still mad because the last time I talked you into taking your clothes off, when we were about twelve, I think, we ended up getting caught skinny-dipping by that group of high school girls,” Jack said.
“And that was the day I quit listening to you.”
“Less talking. More betting,” Liss said, pounding the table.
“Fine. Fine.”
There was a knock at the door that sounded borderline frantic. And Eli knew that Kate wouldn’t knock.
Connor got up. “Just a sec.”
He walked out of the room and they all watched after him, listening. “Oh! Thank God you’re home.” A woman’s voice.
“I’m always home,” Connor said, his flat tone carrying into the dining room.
Connor. Full of charm as always.
“I’m having a slight disaster.” Oh, no.
“Come in.” Damn.
More footsteps, then Sadie Miller walked into his brother’s dining room.
She was a mess. Her hair was wet and hanging in twisted, yarn-like strands over her face and down her shoulders. She wore a baggy gray sweatshirt that had damp spots spreading wherever her hair touched the fabric. “I’m having a problem,” she said a little bit sheepishly, looking around the table at everyone.
Jack and Liss both looked confused.
“This is Sadie Miller,” Eli said. “Our new tenant in the Catalog House.”
Liss’s eyes darted from Connor back to Sadie. “Oh. Hi. You’re the one doing the B and B?” For some reason, her friendliness sounded forced. And of course Liss knew about the bed-and-breakfast. In fact, Eli had a feeling she’d been involved somehow.
“Yes,” Sadie said. “That would be me. Though, right now the B and B is doing me. So to speak.”
“What happened?” Connor asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Pipes. Burst. And I was trying to—” she brushed wet hair out of her face “—stop it. To a degree. But I couldn’t. So I...uh...wrapped the pipes as best I could and changed and came here. I’m not sure where this falls under our tenant agreement. Technically this had nothing to do with my renovation and everything to do with me trying to shower in the upstairs bathroom.”
Connor’s brows locked together. “Well...hell if I know. I didn’t really anticipate having to be involved.”
Sadie blinked. “Well, we signed a whole...agreement. And there are certain things...as the...the landlord...and...”
Eli sighed. “Would you like me to go and take a look, Connor?”
Connor nodded once. “If you don’t mind.”
