Page 4 of One Touch

Six years.

Beckett and I had a shared history of the odd holiday and an occasional family dinner, and it was not a pleasant history. Beckett was cold and unfriendly, and he was related to the scum of the earth. If I had to rate him, he’d be up there among myleast favorite people on the planet. Definitely in the top five.

Despite the number of times I had attempted to be friendly and accommodating, he had always looked at me with something akin to indifference, or maybe even pity.

Had he known all along?

I took a steadying breath.This is so not happening.

“I think there’s been a mistake.” I infused my voice with as much friendliness as I could muster, but it still came out a little strangled. I cleared my throat and sucked in a deep breath.

“What do you mean, dear?” Tootie smiled and blinked at me.

Hot rage simmered below the surface as awareness bloomed.

They knew.

They all knew, and I had been set up by my own family.

“Aunt Tootie, can I have a moment?” I gently guided her to the left, careful to avoid the patch on the floorboards. My voice lowered as soon as we were out of earshot. “Are you kidding me with this?”

Tootie patted my hand. “Oh, honey. It’ll be fine.”

“Fine? That isDeclan’sbrother!” I shot a glance toward him, and Beckett stood, washed in sunlight and looking completely unfazed. My nostrils flared.

“He is Duke’s best friend and promised to do honest work to renovate the house. He’s a real pro.”

“No, he’s a real jerk! I thought loyalty was the foundation of this family. Apparently not!” I hissed.

My aunt only shrugged. “If this is too much, I completely understand. We don’t have to do anything. We’ll get by without him.”

Relief washed over me. “Thank you.” I straightened my dress, stood tall, and stomped back to where Beckett was standing.

I couldn’t read his expression behind the dark sunglasses.

“Sorry for the misunderstanding, but we’re all good here.” I clapped my hands together, rocking back on my heels. I swallowed down the bubble of nausea as I tried to place something like a smile on my face.

Beckett stared at me, and his intensity set my nerves on fire. He leaned slightly, taking in the run-down house over my shoulder. I closed my eyes, knowing exactly how bad it looked.

“I’ll start with fixing that hole.” He pointed to the shoddy repair Duke had made after he fell through the rotted porch boards. “But really the whole wraparound porch will get replaced. First, I’ll get the inside renovations complete and then worry about the exterior.”

I scoffed.What a condescending asshole.“We do not need your help.”

He glanced at my aunt and completely ignored my dismissal. “Plans to sell?”

She shook her head. “Not till I’m in the ground, at least. Then I suppose it’ll be up to the kids.”

He nodded once, as though everything had already been decided. “When we get to it, I’ll have you weigh in on landscaping, but for now my focus is on the interior repairs. Getting everything up to code.” He flicked an arm in my direction when I stayed rooted to my spot. “Let’s go inside, Princess.”

Princess?Untethered anger, the kind that had been simmering below the surface in the six months since Declan crushed my heart, coursed through me. “No.”

I crossed my arms and lifted my chin before swiveling on my heels and stomping toward the front door.

But, of course, in my rage-fueled exit, I forgot to dodge the remaining weak boards, and I stumbled, my foot wedging itself in the wood. Over my shoulder, Beckett had the balls tolaughas I tried to free my kitten heel from the soft boards.

He shook his head, climbed the stairs, and walked past me and straight into my house.

TWO

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