Chapter 11

11

One of her favorite places in Masterson County was probably the little IGA that was close to town. It was just so cute and small-town and friendly. They’d debated going to the box store forty miles up the road, but Dylan just didn’t have time, and with the generic labels at the IGA and the coupons she’d found—Dylan loved digital coupons—she could get the prices of the items they needed down to reasonable. Now she just had to get everything on her list and get her big, grumpy shadow to cooperate.

“Why do we need so much flour for?” he asked, scowling at the biggest bag when she told him to grab two. “It’s expensive.”

“I have a coupon for buy one get one half off any size, dear. And it’s cheaper by the ounce if you go with the larger bag—so it saves much more money in the long run, especially with the coupon. And if you want those cookies, I need flour. Sugar too.” And there was the brand she was looking for. Unbleached flour, check. Natural sugar, check.

She grabbed the tub of oats too, even though it was a bit pricier than she liked. He needed more fiber. It might clear up his…attitude.

Talk about grumpy. What had gotten into him? He was just glaring at her constantly today. She didn’t think she had done anything specific—maybe he was just having a grouchy day again?

“I have found you a bread machine. It was at the second-hand store. I paid five whole dollars for it. It will save you money, Fletchie dear. Money you can put to buying fabric so I can reupholster your favorite chair and make it pretty for you.”

“Quit calling me dear. I am not your dear.”

“That you are not. Quade is. I am in love with Wonkus, remember? You are my boss. But you are remarkably grumpy. No more preservative-laden sandwich bread for you. Not while I am in charge of keeping you. Poor diet is probably why you have a poor attitude.”

“Keeping house. Not keeping me.”

There it was, that glare. Every time she mentioned Quade, Fletcher would glower like she had never seen someone glower. She was going to ask Quade if the two men had gotten into a squabble or something. Male egos could be so fragile, after all.

“Whatever. Same-diff.” Dylan was definitely enjoying herself. He was a lot of fun to torment. He had a totally different personality than his big brother Ben. Ben was playful. Fletcher was just…grumpy. Tense—he was really tense tonight. How weird. “Now, canned goods. They have low-salt versions here that are really reasonably priced. Better than the regular. Healthier. I am also watching your blood pressure, you know. I will put in a garden for you, and we can freeze the veggies when we harvest. But in the meantime, canned veggies. The frozen veggies are on sale this weekend too. Food, Fletchie. I know how much it motivates you.”

“Fletchie?” An amused voice said behind her. Dylan turned and just sighed. And stared.

Her sister Darcey was a total idiot.

Talk about a beautiful, beautiful man. Totally worth drooling over.

Martin Tyler was hotness personified. She had learned quickly to keep that thought to herself—especially around Darcey. “Hello, Martin ‘Mostest Hottest Guy’ Tyler.”

“Hi, Dylan ‘Mostest Adorablest Girl’ Talley. So, is it true? You are shacking up with Fletcher out at his place?” Martin looked a great deal like Fletcher. At least through the face. Fletcher was the only Tyler guy she had met who had that really pale strawberry-blond hair. But every Tyler was tall, redheaded, broad-shouldered, muscled, rugged, blue-eyed, and beyond hot.

Well, even Fletcher, if she was honest. He was really hot—it was just offset by the grumpy. What a total waste.

“Of course, I am not shacking up with him. Nothing real man about him.” Dylan shot Martin a grin as Fletcher got a little bit more growly next to her. “However, I am his housekeeper for the next six months. So I have to keep him, you know.”

“Just six months? I see.”

“Well, that’s how long the bet is for, actually. He doesn’t think I can work a real job that the Talleys don’t give me. I have to prove him wrong, you understand. It’s a matter of honor and everything.”

“I see.” He smiled down at her. So deliciously. Dylan always had liked older men. But this one was her oldest sister’s. Daisy had said so. Whether Darcey wanted to admit it or not, Martin was Darcey’s . And Dylan wouldn’t ever dream of poaching. He looked at Fletcher and smirked. “A housekeeper, huh? Right. I have heard that one before.”

Fletcher’s expression just darkened. Oh, the grumpy was strong tonight. “Can it, Martin.”

“I am so going to have to get me a housekeeper soon too. That seems to work really well for us Tyler men. Highly effective.”

“Don’t you have someplace to be?” Fletcher asked.

“Don’t be rude, Fletchie.” She smiled at Martin, not missing the humor in his blue eyes. He and Fletcher resembled each other a great deal. Except for, well, the hair and humor thing anyway. “I think he has lived alone, feral, a little too long. As his housekeeper, I have a moral obligation to retrain him.”

“I think that would be hilariously entertaining to watch,” Martin said very seriously.

“I’m sure it would. Tell me, do you always eat so much processed food?” The man had fruit- flavored cereal, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese and frozen pizza and other type foods overflowing right now. Were all Tyler men that oblivious to nutrition? That could be a serious character flaw. She should probably warn Dusty that Ben might just need to be supervised. “Is it a Tyler guy thing or something?”

“These are comfort foods. I have a trio of kids staying with me for a while. I figured to keep with familiar foods before I intro the healthy stuff.” A look went through his eyes. Dylan just nodded. She’d heard through the grapevine he was a registered foster parent.

They spoke a few minutes, and then Martin took off.

Dylan watched him go with a longing sigh.

“What?” Fletcher asked, just as grumpy as usual.

“That is the most perfect man on the planet, Fletchie. Hot, hardworking, funny, and loves kids. Too bad he is not for me. And, well, everyone knows he is Darcey’s forever. If she ever stops being stubborn and snaps him right up. I can’t poach him since she is my oldest sister. Even though it is very, very tempting. But a seriously hot, gorgeous man like that would never look at a runtling like me, anyway. And Darcey is kind of scary—I don’t want to tick her off at me again. Like never again, actually. She is quite a bit bigger and meaner than me, in case you haven’t noticed. But a woman can dream. Come on, Fletchie. You need some zucchini and butternut. Let’s go.”

* * *

Dylan thought Martin was the perfect man? Martin? Martin could be a jerk sometimes. And she thought Martin was hot?

But she looked at Fletcher like he was a slightly dense child. All the time.

He and Martin didn’t look that much different. Their hair was different, but they were the exact same size. Hell, he and Martin had always favored each other. “I’m hardworking.”

She looked at him like that again. “You most definitely are. It is one of your top three qualities. Very intelligent too. Those drones are pretty sophisticated.”

“I will be just as successful as Martin someday.” His cousin had the best contracting company in the county. The region, really.

“Probably soon, actually. I saw your reports and have read the studies you left on the table too. It’s fascinating, really. And I have lots of questions. Especially about the drones.” She patted him on the chest absently while stretching up to grab the dry pasta she wanted off the top shelf. Her little sweater, red this time, clung in every perfect spot. “And I googled the W-Deane Ranch. I found his experimental reports—including white papers he helped author. The guy knows his stuff. I did see some things I am very curious about from a scientific perspective. You were very smart to get in on his work early. I do think it’ll pay off in the end. The technology he is utilizing is some that I remember being curious about a few years ago when it first hit the agricultural market, but the cost was very prohibitive then. I’m glad to see they got the price more reasonable, even if it is still really high. I can see so much growth potential. Early adopters will benefit financially. I can’t wait to see the drones in action.”

She stretched. Far more than she should.

Fletcher swore and grabbed the pasta himself. She was practically climbing the shelf right in front of him. “Get down before you hurt yourself.”

She hadn’t put on a damned bra. He was almost certain of it. It was highly distracting.

Fletcher tossed the spaghetti into the cart and then hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer when the shelf squeaked alarmingly. He had a vision of jarred sauce spilling everywhere and Dylan being right in the middle of it. Hell, the woman needed to be protected, probably from herself. At least for his sanity. “You are nothing but trouble, aren’t you?”

“Funny, I have heard that before.” She wiggled. Right there against him. Fletcher took a deep breath. He shouldn’t have. He felt those breasts pushed against him now. “Probably better put me down. Don’t want to set the gossips atwitter. Hate for people to really think I am shacking up with you. What would Quade say?”

It was the last question that had him doing it. Or maybe the wiggle. Fletcher pulled her even closer, her feet dangling six inches from the tile. “I don’t give a damn what anyone in this town says. You…are far more trouble than anyone could ever expect.”

“Well, it’s one thing Dylan Brown is known for, you know. Just ask my father.” She wiggled again. More deliberately. His entire body stood at attention. He was surprised she couldn’t feel that. As close as they were together now. “Come on. Put me down. People are watching. We’ll play and spar later. I have to get to the inn. I can’t be late. The last time I was late to the inn, Darcey glared at me and gave me a complex. She is like seriously scary sometimes. And I kinda think she doesn’t like me very much at all, really. Marin finally showed up and explained about the small emergency at the diner I had to help Marin fix first. Marin saved my rear end, you know. Marin just sort of knows when I need rescued. Darcey really scares me sometimes. I think she does it on purpose since I am pretty certain I get on her nerves all the time.”

Damn it. She wiggled again.

“Put me down. Now. Be a good boy. You can’t just keep lifting me, you know. I don’t think Mike Brady went around lifting Alice. And I know George Jetson did not lift Rosie the Robot. Men just don’t go around lifting their housekeepers. We have talked about this before. Fletchie. Put me down, dear. Right now.”

It was the final wiggle that did it.

The final wiggle was the one that had Fletcher falling off the edge completely. Hell, he did not want to put her down. At all. The exact opposite.

He just wished they were in a more private place.

“You are his housekeeper, you said?”

Fletcher turned. Dylan still held captive in his hold.

Another damned Tyler stood there, watching him, now. Two of them. Damn it. Derrick and his youngest brother, Deacon, were right there. Staring.

“Can it, Derrick,” Fletcher said. “Go away.”

“A housekeeper. I so need to get me one of those someday.” Derrick shot Dylan a smile. There was real interest in the asshole’s face. “Darlin’, when you are done being Fletcher’s housekeeper, how about moving out to my ranch and becoming mine ? I heard Fletcher’s job offer is temporary. Well, mine would be a permanent position. You could even stay for life. I will give you whatever you want if I can hold you like that too.”

“What does it pay, pal?” Dylan asked. “Have we even met?”

“I don’t believe we have, or I would have remembered. I am Fletcher’s better cousin, Derrick. This is my kid brother Deacon. I have a ranch just as big as Fletcher’s of my own. You can keep it for me. Do you like kids? Dogs? I love kids and dogs. We Tylers have a reputation with housekeepers. You can figure it out yourself. Later. Or we can discuss it over dinner sometime?”

Like hell.

Derrick could go soak his head in the creek. He wasn’t getting Dylan.

Fletcher growled. “Go away. Both of you.”

He lowered her to her feet. She crossed her arms and looked at him chidingly. “Don’t growl at your cousins. It’s very rude. Now, come on. We are only halfway finished with the grocery list, and I have to be at the inn at seven, or Darcey will growl and hiss at me again. Derrick, maybe…someday. Right now, I am a bit too busy keeping Fletcher. He needs a real keeper, you know. It’s a massive task.”

“I have heard that before. He’s always been difficult,” Derrick said.

“Well, can you watch him for a moment? I forgot something on the next aisle over, and I’d hate to leave him unattended. I will be right back.” Then she darted off. Fast, like she always was.

Derrick looked at him and smirked. “Housekeeper, huh? Lured her right to your ranch, didn’t you? Not wasting any time there. Not that I blame you. The nights can get really lonely for a rancher. As I have discovered. It’s about time I find me a woman like that and just keep her too. Maybe I’ll put an ad on Craigslist? Wanted: Housekeeper. For life. She’s one of the new Talley girls, right? I don’t think I’ve met them all yet.”

Fletcher just nodded.

There was real loneliness in his cousin’s face. Well, Fletcher could understand that. But he didn’t want Derrick looking at Dylan like that. He just didn’t.

“I’ve seen her in the diner before. She’s just as hot as her sisters,” Deacon, all of fifteen, said. “And she’s living with you? Oh, man. You are so lucky.”

Fletcher opened his mouth to deny it. But then he stopped.

What would be the point? People were going to believe what they wanted, no matter what he said.

The woman was driving him insane.