Page 13 of Me and Mr. Just Right

Rosie huffed. “Well, whatever. But you know what really gets me? You three planning a trip together without inviting me. You left me out, Haydn. How lemony do you think that makes me feel?”

His guilt went from a small kitten’s meow to a lion’s roaring in his head. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that. We’ll make it up to you, okay?”

“Yes you will. By watchingSleepless in SeattleandWhile You Were Sleepingwith me. All three of you. No complaints or mocking.”

He cringed. Two movies with sleep in the title. Lovely. “Fine.”

“At the cabin,” she finished. “And I’m making a charcuterie board.”

He tipped his head back and groaned. “Now that’s taking things too far.”

He actually didn’t mind the charcuterie board, but it had become a joke among them. The first time she’d brought it out for the brothers, they’d all thought it was an appetizer and hadn’t realized the crackers and cheeses and jams were the actual meal. They’d been hungry, she’d accused them of being uncultured plebs, and they’d still had to watchHow to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.

“I guess I can forgive you,” Rosie said.

Wait, how had he ended up being the one apologizing? Rosie had a way of twisting them all up.

“Don’t do this again,” he said, trying to sound stern, but mostly failing. “It’s not fair to us, and it wasn’t fair to Lia.”

“Oh my gosh. Lia!” Her voice rose with worry. “She’s going to leave me a terrible review.”

Haydn pinched the bridge of his nose. “She’s not going to have the chance to leave a review, because you’re going to take the listing down.”

She let out a huff. One beat of silence passed, and then another. Their best defense against Rosie, who hated silence above all things, was giving her the silent treatme—

“Fine,” she said shortly. “I never meant for you to find out.”

“Clearly.” He chuckled, and in a moment she joined him, and then she groaned.

“Talk about worst timing ever. How is Lia? Is she okay? She was super skittish on the boat. Thought maybe she was running from the law or something, but her clothes were too designer for that.”

He could hardly follow Rosie’s train of thought on the best of days, much less when Lia’s presence urged some inner part of him to tighten his stomach and flex his bicep as if holding the phone took a lot of muscle. “People in designer clothes run from the law too.”

“It was her whole essence, Haydn,” she said, like he was dumb for needing this explained. “Trust me. She’s running from something, but it’s not the law.”

Unease settled over him. He turned to see Lia watching him. She knew he was talking about her. “If that’s true, then imagine how she felt waking up in a house with three strange men.”

“Strange being the operative word.”

“Low-hanging fruit, Rosie.”

“Sorry. I couldn’t resist. But you’re right. That would be horrible. Let me talk to her. I’d better vouch for you all. You might be a bunch of strange boys, but you’re myharmlessstrange boys.”

Lia bit her lip as he held out the phone to her, drawing his attention to her mouth. Her lips were pink and full—and he shouldsonot be looking at them. She’d been studying him closely, but he wasn’t sure what conclusion she’d come to about him yet. Lia took the phone into his bedroom to talk to Rosie privately.

Bennett brought him a mug of dark hot chocolate with raspberry. He’d made a caramel one for himself. Jules liked the mint-chocolate one. They drank plenty of coffee when they were out working, but here in the cabin, it was all about the hot chocolate. They’d taste-tested all the brands, all preferred something different, and had settled on the idea of being hot-chocolate hoarders. They had an entire cupboard dedicated to their stash.

“What do you think she wants to drink?” Bennett asked, staring down the hall.

How would Haydn know? But both of the brothers looked to him for an answer. “Uhhh, mint hot chocolate.” A crowd favorite.

Bennett mixed it up for her and set it on the coffee table.

She walked back into the room, the phone dangling from her hand, and relaxed into the recliner. “Rose assures me that none of you are the torture-and-kill sort, so I guess I’ll take her word for it.”

Bennett nudged the hot chocolate toward her, and she took a tiny sip of it, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “You don’t like mint, do you?” Bennett shot Haydn a glare as he stood, as if it was his fault he hadn’t known a stranger’s flavor preferences, and held out his hand for Lia’s mug.

“It’s fine,” she assured him, but he just waved his fingers until she gave it to him.

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