by Jewel Allen
She gritted her teeth. It wasn’t her fault they were caught unawares by this guy staying with them.
“So, John Wayne, huh?” Oscar said, chuckling. “But you go by the nickname Duke? Funny.”
“Duke…” their guest tried the nickname on for size.
“Yeah,” Oscar said. “How about that? Duke? You good with that?”
“Sure.”
Secretly, Brooke preferred Duke. The nickname sounded a whole lot less fake than John Wayne.
“Well, I’m Oscar Hill, and this is my sister, Brooke.”
Sister. Duke was relieved to hear this.
“Nice to meet you both.” In the rearview mirror, Brooke’s eyes met Duke’s. A glimmer of pleasure lurked in their depths. She tore her gaze away as Oscar parked and killed the engine.
Duke’s low voice rumbled. “Thank you so much for taking me in. This is very kind of you.”
Brooke tried to ignore that tug of sympathy within her. He was sure polite; she had to hand him that.
“No worries, buddy,” Oscar said. “It’s the Christian thing to do. And we’ve got room.”
Brooke wondered what Oscar’s idea was for putting up Duke. They only had two bedrooms. Would he let Duke share his bed?
Duke got out and opened her door. She stared at him in surprise. Not very many men in town, even when they’d taken Brooke out on dates, had ever opened her door. Even Oscar was guilty by omission. Or rather, obliviousness.
“Thanks,” she said.
Duke’s eyes drank her in, and then his gaze skittered away shyly. “You’re welcome.”
In the darkness, she followed Oscar to the front door, while Duke walked behind. After opening the door, Oscar turned on the light, illuminating the messy quarters of a pair of siblings who rarely did housework. She cringed when she saw how dingy everything looked. Disorganized.
She walked into the kitchen and did a quick survey. It was even a worse mess there. Oscar liked to pile things for the day instead of washing up right after, so the sink was full. Some days, Brooke got in the mood to nest, but the past week had been super busy with rentals and repairs, so she’d procrastinated, thinking of catching up over the weekend.
“I was thinking you could sleep on the couch for a little while until we can figure out a nicer place,” Oscar said, turning to Duke.
Oscar had better not be thinking of making this a more permanent situation.
“Sure,” Duke said. “I’m good with anything.”
“I’ll grab you a shirt. I think you’ll want something to change into.” Oscar went into his room and quickly returned with clothes and bedding for the couch. “Here you go.”
There was a knock on the door.
“You expecting someone,” Oscar asked Brooke. When she shook her head, he went to the door.
A woman with a wide smile held a casserole dish in her hand. “Hi, Oscar.”
“Oh, hi, Phoebe. What’s up?”
“A friend of a friend told me you have a guest here.” She looked past Oscar and ogled Duke. “Hello, guest.”
Duke smiled. “Hello, ma’am.”
“Wow,” Oscar said, “news sure travels fast. Duke, meet Phoebe Ekins. She’s a friend from our church.”
“Nice to meet you,” Duke said.
“Anyway,” Phoebe said brightly, “I brought y’all dinner, seeing as you might not have had a chance to fix yourself something.”
Oscar stared at the casserole dish. “That’s sure nice of you, Phoebe.”
Phoebe‘s expression softened. “I think it’s cool that you’ll take in a homeless man. Like the Good Samaritan. You’re a good man, Oscar Hill.”
Brooke had known for a while that Phoebe liked Oscar, but her brother was too dense to notice. Like right now. Instead of looking at the beautiful girl offering her love, he was gazing at the food.
“Shucks, anyone would have done what we did.” Oscar took the casserole and stuck his nose over the foil-covered dish. “What is it?
“My meatball squash casserole.”
To his credit, Oscar graciously accepted and thanked her for it. Brooke knew how much he hated squash. “Thanks again, Phoebe,” Oscar said.
After he closed the door, they crowded around the casserole dish. Brooke got forks and little plates and dug in.
“This is good,” she said.
Oscar gave her a skeptical look but tried it. He ran into the kitchen and spat out the mouthful into the garbage. “Sorry. Man. I hate squash.”
“Oscar, you’re being ungrateful,” Brooke chastised him.
“Sorry.” He watched them dish up the casserole for a minute. “I’m heading to bed, guys,” Oscar said, yawning. “I’m more tired than hungry. Good night.”
“Thanks again for giving me a place to stay,” Duke said.
Dinner was actually good—Oscar’s loss. Bless Phoebe’s heart for bringing them the meal at least.
When they were done, Duke took Oscar’s loaners and set them on the couch.
Brooke looked around, suppressing a sigh at the mess. She was bone-tired, having flitted from work to picking up parts, to occasionally helping repair, to mostly standing on her feet. Not to mention the half-done dinner she needed to take care of because she had to leave it when Lee called. If they had no guest, she wouldn’t worry about the mess and instead just go to bed too. But the sinkful of dishes needed to be tackled. Sucking in her reluctance, she approached the sink. Flipping on the switch over it, she started attacking the piles.
“Can I help you?”
Brooke turned to see Duke standing there, looking uncertain. For some reason, she hadn’t imagined him the domestic type. When he’d come into the rental shop, he bandied his money for all to see. She was sure he was used to having maids or, at the very least, a dishwasher, which she and Oscar didn’t even own.
He may as well earn his keep.
“Sure,” she said, making room for him at the sink.
Duke came over and stared at the dishes. “What would you like me to do?” He sounded at a pure loss, which is what she had expected. But at least he was trying.
“I can wash, and you can dry. In that top drawer, there should be a clean dishcloth.”
He pulled the drawer open and took out a white towel. She started sudsing up the water and plunging her hands into the mess. They worked silently, side by side.
To be honest, Brooke liked washing dishes. The process of going from messy to clean was oddly satisfying. Duke put plates in the dish drainer after drying them, without having to be told. He was precise in putting them in the slots.
He glanced at her, his lips curving in a smile. “What?”
For a moment, she couldn’t speak. His face had softened. It wasn’t the snarky, witty version he’d shown her at the rental shop, but a more approachable one.
She couldn’t help but smile back. “You put the plates in the rack just so.”
His glance fell to her mouth, and her smile faltered. Why was he looking at her like that? Like she was attractive or something?
“You’re lovely when you smile,” he said, his voice husky.
Her smile faded as an embarrassed heat crept across her cheeks. She turned back to the dishes, trying to tamp down the tingle that zapped through her body. She was used to men being almost too casual with her, taking her for granted because they’d grown up in Redding all their lives. She was just Brooke to them, the girl they grew up with and tripped, with pigtails to pull. No one special.
But in this guy’s eyes, she felt special…
Dangerous territory.
She unplugged the sink and said gruffly, “Thank you.” As the water sluiced down the drain, she moved away. “Let me get you a bath towel,” she said, anxious to get away from his rattling presence.
Could she really have him stay here without him causing her anxiety all day? She needed to talk to Oscar about it. But Oscar was already snoring in his bedroom.
Great. If Duke wanted to have his way with her, her brother would sle
ep right through it.
In her gut, though, she knew she wasn’t being totally fair to Duke. His eyes held a gentleness that made her feel safe.
After she entered the bathroom where the towels were stashed, she took her time. She needed to put her distance between them, and the less she was around him, the better. After a few minutes, she knew she couldn’t hem and haw much longer and took out the towel.
When she returned, he was putting on the shirt her brother had loaned him. His chest was bare again. Muscled. Sculpted.
Dear me.
Seeing it after he was found, surrounded by others, was a lot. Now she was alone with him.
The shirt came all the way down, covering his unsetting abs. Their eyes collided, his filling with awareness.
“Here you go. Good night,” she said, practically tossing the towel on the couch and making her escape to her bedroom next to Oscar’s.
“Good night, and thanks again,” Duke called out.
Once in her room, she leaned against the closed door and shut her eyes. She and Oscar had better have that talk tomorrow. The guy would have to go.
Chapter Seven
Duke woke up disoriented. He stared at the ceiling, making sense of the flaking textured surface.
Where was he?
And then he remembered he was in a lakeside town called Redding and he was staying with Brooke and her brother.
Brooke.
He smiled. She was so cute last night, coming upon him getting into Oscar’s shirt, her eyes wide and panicked. And full of an intensity that had surprised him. She’d rarely smiled at him, except for that time washing dishes, when her little grin made him all tangled up in knots inside. Could this beautiful woman be attracted to him too?
He would see her again this morning. The thought filled him with delicious anticipation. He had no idea what to expect from the brother and sister.
What a relief it was to find out the two were siblings. That meant he was free to…
To do what exactly? To date her? To promise the moon?
Until he figured out his identity, he wasn’t free to do anything, really. He had a life outside of this, a mystery he hoped he could unravel. Did he have family waiting for him somewhere? A wife or child? Children. The possibility nagged at him. If he did have a wife and children, what had he been doing in a place like Redding, boating at Lake Powell by himself?
Frustration mounted. He wished he knew who he was and why he was here. At the same time, if this hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have a chance to get to know the beautiful Brooke Hill.
Speaking of which, she was coming out of her bedroom like a dream, dressed for work, he assumed—her hair in a long ponytail, a collared shirt and jeans, and her gorgeous face free of makeup. She froze in her tracks when she saw him.
“Good morning,” she said, her expression tensing. That wariness was back.
“Good morning.” He was still lying down, and his voice came out sultrier than he meant it to be.
Her lips formed a tight line. “Have you seen Oscar?”
“No.” He sat up and stretched.
She walked over to Oscar’s bedroom. Banging on the door, she said, “Oscar, time to get up.”
“Okay, okay,” came the muffled response.
She went into the kitchen while Duke rubbed his eyes of sleep. He watched her open a cupboard and then another.
She turned and gestured with a box. “Here’s some cereal for you later, if you want breakfast.”
From somewhere unbidden, tears pricked the back of his eyes. Brooke and her brother were so kind. “Thank you.”
She gazed back at him for a long moment and then averted her eyes. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and got milk out of the fridge. In the daylight, the house and kitchen seemed even smaller. More cramped.
He swung his legs off the couch and got to his feet. She glanced at him in surprise.
“Might as well join you for breakfast,” he explained.
By her panicked expression, he guessed she didn’t expect him to make his friendly gesture. Why was she so skittish around him? It seemed as though she didn’t like him as she looked at him with suspicion. From what he had understood, he’d come into the repair shop and they’d had some interaction. What could have happened then? He needed to find out.
“Suit yourself,” she said, but by the time he’d grabbed himself a bowl and cereal, she was already halfway done with her cereal. He had to ask his questions now.
He said her name, and she lifted those blue eyes to his. “When we first met, did I do something…rude to offend you?”
The hand holding her spoon stilled. She stared into the bowl and stirred before answering, “I guess you could say that.”
“Like what?”
“You used that alias. And you were, um, flirting.”
He thought maybe he had tried to kiss her. “Anything else?”
“No, not really. Well, yes. You used cash, and just the way you held it up, the way you made up this story about not knowing how to drive a boat…” She set her spoon down with a clatter. “Sorry, I know it sounds really petty.”
“I understand; I think,” he said softly. “I was a stranger passing through, and I shouldn’t have been so obnoxious.”
Her lips split into a smile that brightened her whole face. “Obnoxious is the right term.”
“Well, I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” she said, looking sheepish. “You were probably only trying to be nice. It’s just…”
He raised an eyebrow to encourage her to continue.
She bit her lip. “I can’t stand good-looking tourists. They’re always trying to flirt.”
Could he blame any man for wanting to flirt with her?
“Well, see you later,” she said, picking up her bowl and taking it to the sink. She left the kitchen in a hurry and walked out the front door.
Worry squeezed at his chest. When would he see her again? He hoped the rental shop wouldn’t be off-limits. Maybe he could even pop in his head and help them—
Help them do what?
Did he not realize the challenge of that? He had no idea what he knew to do. How does one simply wake up one day and not have a purpose in life? He felt like a boat untied and floating on the lake.
Oscar’s door opened and out he came, into the kitchen. His gaze lit upon Duke, and he smiled.
“Did you sleep good, buddy?” Oscar asked.
“Yes, I did, thank you.” Duke poured himself some cereal and felt funny about making himself at home. But he was a guest, and he was hungry.
Oscar took the cereal from him and ate three bowlfuls in rapid succession. After the third, he left the bowl on the table. Duke, finished by then as well, picked it up with his and took them to the sink. He made a mental note to do the dishes after Oscar left for work.
For one panicked moment, he wondered what he would do while the siblings were at work. Was he supposed to be actively figuring out who he was? Or hanging out with them at the shop?
Oscar answered his questions for him. “I’ve been thinking, Duke.” He put an arm around Duke’s shoulder. “How would you like to work for me?”
Duke turned at the sink to face his host fully. “Doing what?”
“Repairing boats. I can always use a helping hand.”
Duke swallowed. He was pretty sure he didn’t know much about repairing boats. Or if he did, his mind was drawing a blank. “I’m not sure…”
“The pay won’t be much, unfortunately.” Oscar averted his eyes and scratched the back of his head.
“That’s no problem at all,” Duke reassured him. “It’s just…well, I don’t remember anything about boats.”
“Oh, you’ll be all right. I can teach you.”
Duke smiled and then grinned even more broadly. “Okay, then, I’ll do it. Thank you very much.”
“Thank you. Brooke will be happy to see you in there. She’s been hounding me to get extra help for a while now.”
Duke’s
eyes flicked toward the rental shop door. Just a guess, but he suspected she wouldn’t be happy at all.
Chapter Eight
The door to the repair shop opened. Brooke looked up in surprise at Duke following her brother inside. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to calm her nerves.
What was it about him that made her feel off-kilter and unsure of herself?
“Hey,” Oscar said, leaning against the counter. “Duke’s gonna be working here now, okay?”
Her jaw hit the ground. “In the reception?”
“No, no.” Oscar shook his head. “Fixing boats.”
She glared at Duke past Oscar. Did Duke put him up to this? She returned her attention to her brother. “What does he know about fixing boats?”
“Well, probably not anything that he could remember. But I figure we could teach him.”
“How could you teach him, Oscar?” Brooke frowned. “You’re already busy as it is.”
Oscar’s eyes lit up. “You could teach him, then.”
She practically broke out in hives at the prospect of being in close quarters on a boat with Duke. “I can’t do both the front desk and teach him,” she hedged. “I haven’t done repairs in a while.”
“Oh, come on, Brooke. Help a guy out. You know everything there is to know about boats. You just need to teach him the basics.”
Brooke gritted her teeth. Duke wouldn’t only be living at their place, he’d also be costing Oscar money from the business. Because surely the guy would mess up big. Boat repair wasn’t exactly easy to master in a day or two.
She walked around the reception desk and crooked a finger at her brother. “Can I please talk to you a minute?” She avoided looking at Duke as she passed him and walked into the repair bay. When Oscar came up behind her, she shut the door and whirled on him.
“Why, Oscar?” she cried. “Why are you even considering hiring him You hardly know this guy.”
Oscar shrugged. “Well, no, but he sure seems like a nice guy.”
“He could be a serial killer!”
Oscar chuckled. “Then wouldn’t it be better if I kept him busy? That way he’ll be taking nuts and bolts on and off instead of murdering people.”