The Bachelor Next Door

“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.”