The Troublemaker Next Door

by Marie Harte

  “Seriously. You’re giving in to the corporate breweries. Support real beer makers. Try one of these.”

  Flynn snorted. “I’m not drinking anything that has a rose and a dog on it. It’s beer, for Christ’s sake.”

  “It’s actually pretty good. Light but full-bodied.” Brody, Colin’s collaborator on the tears-for-suckers play, twirled his bottle while they waited for Mike to put Colin down for the night. “So back to this woman.”

  “Abby Dunn.”

  “Right, the neighbor.” Brody looked interested. “What was she like?”

  Cam answered. “She’s kind of short but really pretty. Black hair, brown eyes, and has a very curvy build. She’s very nice.”

  “How the hell would you know?” Flynn glared at his younger brother, dressed in pressed slacks and a designer shirt, unlike the rest of them.

  The McCauleys came from a long line of middle-class working stiffs. Even Brody, though not related by blood, fit the mold. But Cam, with his fancy degrees, smooth hands, and stylish clothes… They still teased their mother about bringing home the wrong baby. If not for the fact that all of them looked so much alike, Cam might have believed them.

  “Because, you cretin, Mom and Dad trust me with the truth.” Cam sipped from his beer like a girl. “I met them a few months ago, when Mom rented the place. She wanted my opinion.”

  “And?” Brody asked.

  “And what? They’re all employed, attractive, nice to talk to.”

  Flynn and Brody exchanged a look, and Brody said, “I know, right? It’s like he’s not human.”

  Cam flushed. “Screw you. Okay, fine. You want me to talk on your level? Yeah, all three of them are sexy. You wouldn’t have to do any of ’em doggie style because they’re not bad to look at. Better now?” He stopped when they looked over his shoulder at Mike, who stared at Cam in shock.

  “Holy shit. Maybe he is a McCauley after all.”

  Flynn and the others laughed, ribbing him until Mike joined them at the table in the dining room. He had the windows open, letting the evening breeze settle over them. Between the neighbors’ flowers and Mike’s assortment of color outside, Flynn felt like they were playing in a greenhouse, their only concession to poker night chips and beer.

  Tonight they’d agreed on spades instead of poker, since Mike had bills to pay. He wanted electricity next month, not to line Flynn’s pockets, or so he said. Frankly, Flynn thought he was just tired of losing. God knew Mike had money stashed in so many places it made Cam crazy trying to organize it all. But hell, Mike’s house, Mike’s rules.

  As they started the hand, Flynn brought out the big guns. “So why the hell didn’t you warn me Abby looks like Lea?”

  The table grew still.

  Brody blinked. “She does?”

  Everyone stared at Mike, who sighed. “Who cares? Lea is gone. Abby’s her own person and a neighbor. I barely even know her. And no, I’m not carrying some secret torch for my dead wife’s look-alike. Get over it already. I’ve dated other women.”

  “Not recently,” Cam added.

  Mike scowled. “Not since before they moved in. It has nothing to do with them, okay? Now drop it before I put your hard head through my wall. We’re here to take Flynn and Brody down, not to discuss my love life.”

  “That you don’t have.” Flynn grinned. “So you’re okay. Good to know you’re not about balling Abby. I liked her.”

  Brody choked on his beer. “‘Not about balling Abby’? Jesus, Flynn. It becomes clearer to me every day why we get more customers when I man the phone.”

  Cam nodded. “I’d believe that.” He glanced at Mike as he slapped down a five of hearts.

  “Hey, no table talk.” Brody glared.

  “What? I said nothing. I played my card.”

  “You slapped it. So he knows to come back with hearts again and not cut you.” Brody never let Cam cheat. On the other hand, Brody defined the term card sharp.

  Predictably, after Flynn’s turn, Mike played a king of hearts, won the hand, and led the next round with hearts again.

  “What about Abby’s roommates?” Cam asked the question without care, a little too much disinterest.

  Flynn shared Brody’s knowing look and glanced down at his cards again. “Hmm. I haven’t met Vanessa yet, but Maddie’s a real firecracker.” His brother didn’t react one way or another, and he wondered if he’d misjudged Cam’s interest. “A redhead with a temper.” Hell, now the others looked interested, not what he’d intended. “Apparently her boss made some move on her today, and she told him to shove it.”

  “Good for her.” Cam nodded. “It still surprises me professionals pull this crap. Mom would have a field day if anyone ever tried that with her.”

  “Yeah, but she’d have to wait until Dad pounded him through the floor first.” Mike grinned, and they all laughed.

  “I want to know why no one mentioned the neighbors to me before now.” Brody frowned as he took the next hand. He and Flynn played with a harmony that soon had his brothers more than annoyed. “I mean, I get not telling Flynn. He acts like he’s perpetually in heat. But I’m trustworthy.”

  “Bullshit.” Flynn dealt a new hand. “Trustworthy? Then how about you tell Mike what you taught his kid to do.”

  Mike didn’t mess around when it came to Colin. Mother bears had nothing on the protective instincts of his big brother. Only older than Flynn by two years, Mike had nevertheless made it his mission in life to defend him, Brody, and Cam all the way through high school.

  “Brody, I’m waiting.” Mike didn’t look happy.

  Brody muttered to Flynn, “You’re an asshole, you know that?” To Mike he said, “I might have shown him how to palm a card or two.”

  “Not that.” Flynn started to enjoy himself. He and Brody took the next few tricks not even trying.

  “Ah, okay. Well, let me see. We haven’t started pimping yet, and I was saving the crack pipe for when he turned double digits, the big one oh.”

  Flynn snickered and Cam laughed.

  Mike huffed out a breath and threw down his last card. “You two aren’t even concentrating. Cam, wake the fuck up and win a hand.”

  “Me? Quit browbeating Brody and concentrate. You know he’s fine with Colin. Hell, all of us have changed that kid more times than I want to think about. He definitely takes after you in too many ways.”

  “That’s my boy.” Pride glowed in Mike’s blue eyes. He was a helluva father. Just like their own dad. It made Flynn wonder if he’d ever be as good, if he’d ever meet a woman he’d love enough to even think about having a kid with.

  “So just what did he teach Colin?” Mike had to know.

  “The little punk had the nerve to cry. Had me shitting myself thinking something was really wrong with him, until I realized he’d gotten me to change the channel to his favorite cartoon and hand him my Coke.”

  “Which he’s not supposed to have in the living room.” Great, now Mike was frowning at him.

  Brody laughed. “Sucker. The crying thing was to get women. I told him to practice until he can do it on command. Watch.” In seconds, Brody had streams of tears down his face. “Please, I’ll do anything. Don’t leave me.”

  “Not bad.” Cam seemed impressed. “I thought you were just a no-talent card player, but you’re a second-rate actor too. Oh, and a knuckle-dragging toilet troubleshooter, I forgot.”

  “That’s plumber, geekboy. You keep adding your silly little numbers while Flynn and I get rich off manly work. Please, you’re barely a glorified secretary.”

  Cam’s grin turned evil. “Oh, man, I am so telling Mom you said that.”

  Considering their mother had been a secretary for over twenty years, Cam had serious leverage on Brody, and Brody knew it.

  “Hell. If I’m going down, I’m going down swinging.” He leapt from his seat and tackled Cam to the ground. “Swirly time, mathboy. Courtesy of your neighborhood toilet troubleshooter.”

  Flynn was laughing so hard his st
omach hurt, while Mike argued with the guys not to bust any heads and keep the noise down. He had a hard enough time explaining to Colin why he shouldn’t act like his uncles in public.

  While Brody wrestled Cam on the floor, both of them whispering insults and swear words so as not to wake Colin, Flynn grabbed another couple of beers for himself and Mike.

  “Thanks.”

  “Sure.” He toyed with the label. “Seriously, why didn’t Brody or I know about the neighbors? It’s not like I’m a dog. I’m not going to hump them in public.” At Mike’s look, he flushed. “For God’s sake, I was twenty years old and drunk. The girl wasn’t even real. It was a mannequin and it was all Brody’s idea.”

  Brody and Cam started laughing on the floor while they tried to outwrestle each other. Brody had height and brawn, but Cam had agility and appeared as if he’d been bulking up.

  “Hey, some muscle on the youngest.”

  “Yeah. I hear he’s hitting the gym more.” Mike flexed. The guy was huge. Hauling lumber around and hammering crap all day did that for a guy. “But still smaller, little man,” he said in his best Schwarzenegger impression.

  “Fuck you.” Cam put Brody into a headlock.

  Flynn wanted an answer from Mike. “Hey, I went over there and fixed that sink without a problem. Didn’t even make a stink when the redhead went postal and started throwing her shoes and purse around. Not even when she yanked off her shirt and told me if I wanted to see them, I could. Then she invited me to touch them, and I…” he trailed off when everyone stopped to stare at him.

  “No kidding? Maybe I should have gone over there.” Mike scratched his head.

  “Of course I’m kidding. Idiots.” Flynn dodged the napkin Mike threw at him. “But she did have a hard time with her boss. And she did throw her shoes. I’m thinking Mom should invite them to a family barbecue to be nice. A late welcome-to-the-neighborhood deal. Abby didn’t make a fuss about the sink, and she even tried to pay me for helping.”

  “I’m sold. I’ll mention it to Mom next time I talk to her.”

  Which would be tomorrow. The woman called Mike every damn day. Flynn loved his mother, but he was okay hearing from her every few days. Not like he needed her reminding him to find a woman and settle down more often than that. Besides, if Mike mentioned to their mother the idea of inviting the neighbors for a party, it wouldn’t set off any alarm bells.

  “Okay, you losers. Want another shot at the title?” he asked Mike and Cam. “Let’s drop the pussy games and go straight-up Texas Hold’em.”

  Cam shoved Brody off him and stood, brushing the dust off his pants and shirt. “Fine, but Brody doesn’t get to deal.”

  “Agreed,” Mike and Flynn said at the same time.

  Brody scowled. “And in exchange, swear you’ll forget the secretary crack. I love Bitsy.” What he called their mother. “Besides, she hears that shit, she’ll skin me alive.”

  Punishment enough, Flynn thought.

  “Fine.” Mike gave Brody the dad stare. “But if Mom invites the neighbors to the house, you and Flynn—”

  Flynn huffed. “Why am I lumped with him again?”

  “Have to behave yourselves. I live right next to these women. I don’t want to deal with shit because of you two.”

  Brody shrugged. “Whatever.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Flynn muttered. “Now cut the cards, Nancy. And prepare to lose your ass off.”

  Chapter 3

  Maddie groaned. Her head felt like it would split in two, and she had a nasty taste in her mouth. Like butterscotch vomit. At the thought, she visited the bathroom again in a hurry.

  An hour later, after a shower and brushing her teeth white enough to glow, she felt more like herself. Except for the headache she needed to remedy.

  “Drink lots of water and have a little toast,” Vanessa said when Maddie walked into the kitchen. As usual, her cousin looked perfect. Neat, without a hair out of place. With her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and dressed in shorts and a T-shirt promoting Go Organic, she looked ready to run minus the shoes. Vanessa didn’t want shoes in the house because it added to a dirty floor. On that rule, Maddie agreed.

  Dressed in jeans and a tank top, she felt more human, if not any less stupid. God. She’d quit her job yesterday. The panic that had receded during her drunken binge returned in a rush, and she forced herself to concentrate on the here and now before she lost her mind.

  She would not spend the rest of her life working three jobs to make ends meet. She did not have a child to support and a nonexistent husband. Money sat in a nice little nest egg in her bank account. She would not starve, nor work herself to an early grave. Breathe in, breathe out.

  “Robin and Kim left, by the way,” Abby said as she joined them, holding a cup. She poured herself more coffee. Her reading glasses sat perched on top of her head.

  “Busy night writing?”

  Abby smiled. “Oh yeah. Apparently the guys were much more into smack talking last night than talking trash about women. Though they normally aren’t insulting, unless the woman they’re talking about is really bitchy.” She stared at Maddie. “Or mean. Or vindictive.”

  “Why are you looking at me?”

  “You should apologize. Flynn was really nice when he came over to fix the plumbing. And you weren’t. I understand why.” Abby waved away her protest. “But the real you is a wonderful, giving woman who works hard to be independent. Not a shrew who hates men.”

  “Well…” Vanessa drawled.

  “Don’t even start.”

  She laughed. “I’m going out for a run. You should get something in that stomach unless you want to feel crappy all day. I’ll be back soon.” She practically danced out of the kitchen.

  “Pretentious snot.” Maddie glared at the back of her cousin’s head.

  Abby sputtered on her coffee, laughing. “You really aren’t a morning person, are you? Though it’s eleven, and in my book, anything after ten is late. So eleven’s more like early afternoon.”

  Morning or afternoon, it was a beautiful day. After making herself toast and pouring a tall glass of water, she joined Abby outside on the back porch to enjoy the weather.

  “Tomatoes are doing well.” She nodded to the garden. “Cucumbers too. You have the greenest thumb I’ve ever seen.”

  “I do.” Abby thumped her chest with pride. “I grew the biggest pumpkin in 4H ten years ago, I’ll have you know.”

  “Dork.”

  “Well, what are your accomplishments, Miss I Can’t Hold My Liquor?”

  “I lettered in track. I’m faster than Vanessa,” she bragged. “And I was voted most likely to succeed.” Yeah, how’s that working for you without a job? She coughed to hide her embarrassment. And hurt. And anger. She was done crying. No more tears. Her eyes looked puffy enough.

  “I think this is a sign.” Abby nodded.

  “That I should become a lesbian?”

  Abby choked. “Would you stop saying that? I thought Robin was going to jump you last night when you mentioned switching teams.”

  “As if that’s possible. Unfortunately, I wasn’t born gay. Besides, if I even blinked at Robin wrong, Kim would kick her ass. Then Kim would kick mine. Don’t let her heels fool you.” Maddie sighed. “It’s too bad I like men.” And on that note… “I can’t stop thinking about what Mike’s brother must think of me after yesterday. I wonder if he heard me yelling?”

  “I think China heard you yelling,” Abby said drily. “Finish your food and go over and apologize. Trust me, he was very understanding about it all, and it’s not like you didn’t have the right to freak out a little.”

  “How was he understanding?” Had Flynn spent his time watching her throw a hissy, then flirted with Abby? Abby, for all her obvious beauty, was clueless when it came to men. The guy could easily have been naked and ready to mount her before Abby’d realize he wanted her.

  “He offered to go beat Fred up. When I told him it wasn’t worth jail time, he then offered to have
his nephew alibi him while he pounded your boss. Cute, huh?” Abby snorted. “Funny guy.”

  Sexy guy. She couldn’t stop seeing that brilliant green color of his eyes and not think of him. It would have been easier if he’d been dressed up or trying to impress. But the guy had been wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. Short black hair, a face that made her think of way too many square-jawed heroes from her old romance books. And he’d been nice enough not to call her out when she’d accused all men of being assholes.

  Or when she’d told him to fuck off.

  “So you think I should apologize?”

  “Yep. And scope out and see if he has any other brothers. I always hear him and Cam. We met Cameron a few months ago, remember? He’s the nice, quiet one. Just as handsome as the other two. But that last guy, Brody, I think. I haven’t met him yet.”

  “How many are there?” She couldn’t imagine what his mother had gone through raising four or more handsome McCauleys. She’d probably been afraid they’d end up getting some girl pregnant. Maddie knew more than most how easy that was to do. And I need to dwell on that like I need another buttery nipple. Feeling queasy, she changed the subject. “So Abby, why do you really hang out here listening to them? I still don’t get it.”

  Abby looked to the privacy fence separating them from Mike’s house. They had plenty of distance, but she lowered her voice anyway. “I don’t have brothers. It’s hard for me to write scenes between guys. I mean, I can write sex scenes easily. I know sex.”

  “So it says on the bathroom walls.”

  “Witch.” Abby laughed. “The dynamics between women are easy. Men are different. Reading about a man calling a woman ‘my darling rose petal’ is so ’80s. I’m trying to get a more real, contemporary tone to my work.”

  “So go to a bar. Get some guy friends. Get over this shy thing. You’re so weird, Abby. You’re a knockout and you think you’re fat.”

  Abby glanced over her shoulder at her ass. “I do have to lose a few—”