“Who are you?” She asks, eyeing up the tall man in a suit who strolls in looking like he owns the place.
Because he does own it. At least half of it.
“Hey, Brendan,” I say.
This is all I need.
CHAPTER 23
Daisy
(TEN YEARS AGO)
Dear Diary,
Chase wanted to talk about my future today. He has a plan for me to live with some perfect new family, go to the perfect high school, and then get into the perfect college.
But I don’t trust new. And I don’t need perfect. I just want to stay right here in this place that’s somehow become home. With Chase. And with Ryder. And, heaven help me, even Sebastian.
(NOW)
“Don’t you have a hug for your big brother? At least a hello?” the man standing in the hallway says to Ryder. “I like the welcoming committee you brought with you, bro. The cameras at our gateand security detail who tried to pat me down were an especially nice touch.”
Since Ryder doesn’t seem to be inclined to greet his brother, I step forward.
“Hi, Ryder’sbigbrother. I see the Blackmoor genes don’t fall far from the tree.” My flirtatious tone is merely to annoy Ryder.
Plus, it’s true. They’re both tall, dark, and hot.
Brendan Blackmoor, gotta love some good alliteration, raises an eyebrow. He does it just as well as his brother, so maybe there are more similarities in the gene pool than just looks. “And who might you be?”
“Daisy Lane, pet sitter extraordinaire, at your service.” I hold out my hand, and he shakes it. He has a warm, firm grip, but electricity doesn’t tingle up my arm like it does when I touch his brother. It’s the great tragedy of my life that I don’t respond to other men the way I do to Ryder. Damn him.
He grins. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard about you.”
“All good things, I hope?”
“What are you doing here, Brendan?” Ryder interrupts. “I thought you weren’t coming until the weekend.”
Brendan shrugs. “I had an unexpected break in my schedule. And the sooner we figure out what to do with this pile of wood, the better.”
“Always so sentimental, Bren.”
“Always so predictable, Ry.”
He drops a leather duffel bag in the hall. His clothes are equally tasteful and expensive-looking, though far more formal than his brother’s. He’s the stuffy businessman to Ryder’s bad-boy rocker. He doesn’t have a single tat on him. And his navy pinstripe suit has obviously been in the hands of a skilled tailor, though he’s ditched his tie. I shouldn’t be surprised that he has impeccable taste. I’ve seen the magazines. With Ryder’sdefection, Brendan’s the sole scion of the Blackmoor fortune, and he’s nicknamed the Billionaire Bachelor.
Ryder folds his arms over his strong chest. “How long are you planning on staying here?”
Brendan slips out of his jacket and rolls up his shirtsleeves to reveal powerful forearms. “Just a few days. Shelby is driving out tomorrow. She wants to look over the house before making a formal offer.”
“Tomorrow?” Ryder asks.
“The sooner, the better.”
“What’s the rush to sell? It’s not like either of us needs the money.”
“The rush is the roof that’s leaking in the attic. And the sagging foundation. And the cliff at the edge of the property that’s about to fall into the sea. This place needs someone here year-round. Are you planning on moving to Rockhaven? Because I sure as hell won’t.”
