Page 23 of An Unexpected Home

“Then don’t do them.” Todd brought him a beer and he took a long drink.

“I only have a few more that I’ve committed to and after that, I am taking a long break. But that’s not why I called you here.” He reached beside him and produced several photos. “I developed these when I got home today and I found something that might interest you.”

He looked down at the pictures his brother slid across the table to him. “What am I looking at here?” It looked like Main street.

“Before I left to go out of town, I set up a few cameras in town.” At Brandon’s quizzical look he explained. “I’m working with the Mayor to get some good pictures for a new town brochure.”

“You set up cameras in town?” He took a closer look at the pictures.

“Yeah and one of them caught your perp from The Rinky Dinky.”

“No shit,” he said and held the pictures closer to his face. Sure enough, he could see the back of someone as they smashed in the window. But the next picture was what interested him most. It was a car and it clearly showed a license plate.

He dropped the pictures back on the table. “This is a huge help. We had no leads at all.”

He saluted. “Happy to be a help.”

He set the photos aside. “Did you hear that Carly’s college roommate moved to town?”

“Yeah, Mel mentioned it. It seems like they’re both really excited she’s here.”

“She’s nice,” he said and took another drink.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Logan put his hands up. “What was that face just now when you said that?”

“What face?” He hadn’t made a face, had he?

“Oh my God, you like her. You fucking like the new girl.”

“Am I fucking wearing a sign?” He let out a heavy sigh. First Melanie and now Logan.

“You do!” he burst out.

“Can you shut up,” he shushed him. “I don’t need the whole fucking town in my business.”

“Is there business for them to be all up in. Has something happened?”

“When did you turn into a girl?”

“Come on,” Logan said. “This is a first, you actually liking someone. I’m entitled to be curious.”

Brandon sighed. “If I tell you this, you have to keep it to yourself?” He couldn’t care less if people knew but he knew that Leah seemed to be a private person and he did not want people gossiping about her.

“Scouts honor.” He held up three fingers of his right hand.

“Her name is Leah.” He felt the smile appear on his face. “And she’s sassy and brazen and shy and beautiful.”

“Holy fuck,” Logan whispered. “You like her.”

“I just said that, dummy.”

“Yeah, but I was thinking you liked her a little. From your description and the look of infatuation on your face, you really like her.”

He scrubbed a hand over his two-day scruff. Shaving had not been a priority that morning. “There’s something about her, Logan.”

“So you’ve slept with her then?”

“No,” he asserted. Unless you counted dream sex.

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