Why did you have to say that?
Now all of Archer's brothers were laughing.
"You're probably the only person who finds Greg attractive," Archer said.
Greg was annoyed. "I look like all of you."
"Not Archer," I said.
Stop talking, Hazel!
"Yes, I'm special," Archer said, waggling his eyebrows at me over the top of his sunglasses.
"You're just slightly less better-looking," I said.
Lies.The tattoos on his chest were calling my name.
Greg smirked as Archer pretended to be offended.
While the Svensson brothers bickered, I escaped with Olivia to the cottage.
"This is not a cottage," I said when we stood in front of the house that was larger than my childhood home. "Cottages are supposed to be one room with a thatched roof. This is a mansion."
"The Harrogates built this estate and all the outbuildings in the late eighteen hundreds," Olivia explained. "The Harrogate patriarch had these houses built for in-laws, cousins, and other various family members who he didn't want in the main house."
"This is gorgeous," I said, following Olivia into the cottage.
"It feels a lot smaller after the nightmare of restoring the main house," she said. "Anyway, come help me pick paints for the main rooms."
I looked around the room then at the paint samples.
"Use these for the primer," I said, holding up some warm peach tones. I leafed through the paint colors.
"Let me see this navy and this green." I held the swatches up to the wall.
"They're not too dark?"
"No. They will look nice against this white trim. I need to see the colors painted on the wall before I can give you a definitive answer," I warned.
"Stay for dinner!" Archer called out as I followed Olivia across the expansive backyard to the estate house.
"He wants you to stay and cook," Mace added dryly. "Josie's thrown in the towel. She's working, believe it or not."
"I believe it! She's in high demand, I hear," Olivia said. I was so envious of Olivia being able to talk to the Svenssons so freely.
"We have sandwich stuff…" Archer interjected.
"Make McKenna do it," I said nastily and hurried off to stunned looks.
16
Archer
"You're back together with McKenna?" Greg asked coldly when Hazel was out of earshot. Otis and Theo insisted on walking her out. I hoped they didn't pester her with too many questions.
"I'm not back with her," I said, glaring at my brother. "She accosted me in the street. It was an ambush!"
"Wait, she's here in Harrogate?" Mace asked with a frown.
