Page 41 of Beauty and the Bayou

“Yeah,” she agreed with a grin.“And give me stuff to think about at night when I’m in bed and—”

“No,” Sawyer said firmly and loudly.“You are absolutelynotgoing to finish that sentence.”

She gave him a mischievous smile.“Okay.”

“Wait, you have bats?”

Kennedy lived with Ellie where she had taken over most of the second floor.

Kennedy made a disgusted sound.“Yeah.Little bastards.”

“He could learn that stuff,” Sawyer suggested.

Kennedy shook her head.“I’ve already seen him in the suit and know about the law degree and that he speaks a second language and established some foundation to save snow leopards.”She frowned.“I think it was snow leopards.Something endangered like that.Anyway, any hope of Bennett Baxter being down-to-earth and manly is already shot.”

“He’s a really good, smart guy who dresses well,” Sawyer said.“What’s the problem?”

“I like men who work with their hands and know how todoshit,” she said.“I mean, snow leopards are great and I’m glad someone’s saving them, but I need someone to get the fucking bats out of the attic, you know?Little bastards,” she added again in a grumble.

Sawyer looked at his sister with affection.It was most likely that Bennett Baxter intimidated the hell out of her.She liked the “manly” men down here because she knew how to handle them.She was smarter than most of them and knew what made them tick.None of them would ever surprise her or have the upper hand.

The truth was, she could get the bats out of the attic herself.

“What about you?”she asked.

Sawyer lifted a brow.“You want me to come get the bats out?I will, but it will cost you monster cookies.”

“That’s it?”she asked.“Consider your payment already in the oven.”

Kennedy was also an amazing cook.She worked for the guys because it kept her from having to work with Cora and Ellie, both of whom had taught her to cook and bake, but they drove her nuts.They bickered almost constantly and could never agree on recipes.Which had led to Kennedy putting in her earbuds and figuring out the recipes on her own growing up.She was better than both of them now.

“But no,” she said.“When I asked what about you, I was talking about the new construction worker.”She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the window that looked out over the area where Juliet had been working.

Kennedy smirked at him and Sawyer sighed.He’d had his mind off of Juliet for a whole five minutes there.

“What about her?”

“There’s a woman you barely know operating power tools out there on your property, but you’ve been leaving her alone, letting her just do whatever she wants,” Kennedy said.

“Yeah.So?”

Kennedy tipped her head.“So that’s not like you.”

“It is,” he said.“It’s like the old me, anyway.”

“The old you, huh?”Kennedy narrowed her eyes.“I remember him.He was pretty cool.He gave me a five percent raise, if I remember correctly.”

“He did,” Sawyer said.“Great guy.”

“If you need something to jog your memory…”

“I’m not giving you another raise.”

“Fine.”She wrinkled her nose at him.Then she said, “But I don’t remember the old you bein’ likethatthough.”

“Generous?”

“I mean with Juliet.”

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