Laid Bare
Page 81
“They’d better not.” She stretched, well aware he watched her. “I’ve got work to do. The work next door on the upper floor should be done by the end of the day, so I need to cook for the Thanksgiving feast all day today and then get ready to move our stuff into the new bedroom tomorrow.”
“I’m surprised you don’t want to move tonight.” Ben swatted her as she moved toward the bathroom.
“I’d love to, but they only painted in there two days ago and I want to give it one more day to dry and for the smell to dissipate,” she called out before shutting the door.
When she came out, teeth brushed and cleaned up, Ben had left, so he’d probably used the other bathroom. She rustled through the dresser and found clothes and pulled them on.
In the living room she rounded a corner to catch Todd jam a finger on his phone to disconnect a call.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, following him out into the kitchen.
“I need to go deal with a client.” He sighed. It was an unofficial holiday, the day before Thanksgiving, and she knew he’d wanted to stay home all day and laze around alone with her and Ben. But she also knew what it was to run a business.
“Here in downtown?”
He nodded.
“Go. It’s still early. I’m going to be around all day cooking anyway. Go deal and finish.” She shrugged and hopped up on a bar stool.
“You want some help?” Ben asked him, putting a hand on Erin’s shoulder to stay her, before moving to make the coffee.
“Nah, thanks. It’s Harris. You know how she is.” Todd kissed Ben’s temple and then put his arms around Erin, pulling her back against his body as he stood behind her. “I have to go, reset her system, explain it to her yet again and then I’ll be back. No use you having to deal with her.”
“Hmpf. She likes looking at you. Tell her your wife will scratch her eyes out if she touches. A little eye candy won’t hurt though. Look at you.” Erin laughed, entangling her fingers with his.
“Ha. She’s in her seventies. Not my type.”
“I believe the proper answer is anyone but Erin and Ben are not my type.” Erin smirked his way.
“You two keep me busy enough I don’t have time anyway.” Todd kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to shower and get over there. Text me if you need me to bring anything home.”
He disappeared and the workers showed up next door.
“I’m going to be glad when they’re finished.” Ben pulled eggs from the fridge. “Sit. Let me make you breakfast for a change.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at him and watched him work.
Todd left and, within minutes, Cope showed up.
Ben let his brother in, and Cope rubbed his hands together at the sight of food on the table.
“You have radar.” Ben frowned, but Cope shoved past and gave Erin a hug before sitting at the table.
“I like to smooch up on your woman. Plus,” he said, shoving two pieces of bacon into his mouth at once, making Erin wince, “Mom is coming by today. Just thought I’d warn you.”
“She’s never dropped by here before. I’m seeing her tomorrow. What’s the deal?” Ben asked, pouring another cup of coffee since Cope had stolen his.
“She’s invited a friend for you for tomorrow.”
Ben and Erin both froze.
“What?”
Cope laughed. “What? Come on, Ben. She wants you to be married. She wants grandkids. She had her hopes pinned on Caroline and then she moved. You haven’t found anyone suitable to breed with. So there’s some daughter visiting a neighbor”—he snickered—“and she’s coming tomorrow.”
“This is insane.”
“It’s what moms do, Ben. Just flirt and make her happy.” Erin didn’t want any discord between Ben and his family. Having such a big secret was difficult.
“Tell her you’re g*y.” Cope looked up from shoveling food into his mouth.
“Then she’ll hook me up with nice single boys from the neighborhood.” Ben glared at Erin. “And I’m not pretending to be interested in some random woman when the one I’m in love with is four feet away. It’s stupid.”
“Yes, it is.” She moved closer, to touch him. “But what are you going to do? This will only get worse the longer you go unmarried. We’re going to have to find a way of dealing with it in the long term, but let’s get through tomorrow first.”
Cope reached out and squeezed Ben’s forearm. “Hey, I’m sorry, man. I just wanted to give you a heads-up and get some food. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Ben sighed and kissed Erin’s forehead. “Eat. You’re right. We’ll get through tomorrow and the holidays and then we’ll figure out what to do.”
“I’m going to start cooking. Take your mom next door to your rooms.” Erin shrugged, getting up. “It’ll be a nice tour and she can get you alone.”
“I’ll just stay here to help lick the spoon.” Cope grinned, looking like a miniature version of Ben.
“Don’t lick anything else.”
“As if.”
The two brothers bickered as Erin began to chop the vegetables for the stuffing and tried not to think about what a difficult thing Ben faced.
She was laughing and sipping her second cup of coffee when Todd came through the door, talking loudly to none other than Annalee Copeland.
“I’m surprised you don’t want to move tonight.” Ben swatted her as she moved toward the bathroom.
“I’d love to, but they only painted in there two days ago and I want to give it one more day to dry and for the smell to dissipate,” she called out before shutting the door.
When she came out, teeth brushed and cleaned up, Ben had left, so he’d probably used the other bathroom. She rustled through the dresser and found clothes and pulled them on.
In the living room she rounded a corner to catch Todd jam a finger on his phone to disconnect a call.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, following him out into the kitchen.
“I need to go deal with a client.” He sighed. It was an unofficial holiday, the day before Thanksgiving, and she knew he’d wanted to stay home all day and laze around alone with her and Ben. But she also knew what it was to run a business.
“Here in downtown?”
He nodded.
“Go. It’s still early. I’m going to be around all day cooking anyway. Go deal and finish.” She shrugged and hopped up on a bar stool.
“You want some help?” Ben asked him, putting a hand on Erin’s shoulder to stay her, before moving to make the coffee.
“Nah, thanks. It’s Harris. You know how she is.” Todd kissed Ben’s temple and then put his arms around Erin, pulling her back against his body as he stood behind her. “I have to go, reset her system, explain it to her yet again and then I’ll be back. No use you having to deal with her.”
“Hmpf. She likes looking at you. Tell her your wife will scratch her eyes out if she touches. A little eye candy won’t hurt though. Look at you.” Erin laughed, entangling her fingers with his.
“Ha. She’s in her seventies. Not my type.”
“I believe the proper answer is anyone but Erin and Ben are not my type.” Erin smirked his way.
“You two keep me busy enough I don’t have time anyway.” Todd kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to shower and get over there. Text me if you need me to bring anything home.”
He disappeared and the workers showed up next door.
“I’m going to be glad when they’re finished.” Ben pulled eggs from the fridge. “Sit. Let me make you breakfast for a change.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at him and watched him work.
Todd left and, within minutes, Cope showed up.
Ben let his brother in, and Cope rubbed his hands together at the sight of food on the table.
“You have radar.” Ben frowned, but Cope shoved past and gave Erin a hug before sitting at the table.
“I like to smooch up on your woman. Plus,” he said, shoving two pieces of bacon into his mouth at once, making Erin wince, “Mom is coming by today. Just thought I’d warn you.”
“She’s never dropped by here before. I’m seeing her tomorrow. What’s the deal?” Ben asked, pouring another cup of coffee since Cope had stolen his.
“She’s invited a friend for you for tomorrow.”
Ben and Erin both froze.
“What?”
Cope laughed. “What? Come on, Ben. She wants you to be married. She wants grandkids. She had her hopes pinned on Caroline and then she moved. You haven’t found anyone suitable to breed with. So there’s some daughter visiting a neighbor”—he snickered—“and she’s coming tomorrow.”
“This is insane.”
“It’s what moms do, Ben. Just flirt and make her happy.” Erin didn’t want any discord between Ben and his family. Having such a big secret was difficult.
“Tell her you’re g*y.” Cope looked up from shoveling food into his mouth.
“Then she’ll hook me up with nice single boys from the neighborhood.” Ben glared at Erin. “And I’m not pretending to be interested in some random woman when the one I’m in love with is four feet away. It’s stupid.”
“Yes, it is.” She moved closer, to touch him. “But what are you going to do? This will only get worse the longer you go unmarried. We’re going to have to find a way of dealing with it in the long term, but let’s get through tomorrow first.”
Cope reached out and squeezed Ben’s forearm. “Hey, I’m sorry, man. I just wanted to give you a heads-up and get some food. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Ben sighed and kissed Erin’s forehead. “Eat. You’re right. We’ll get through tomorrow and the holidays and then we’ll figure out what to do.”
“I’m going to start cooking. Take your mom next door to your rooms.” Erin shrugged, getting up. “It’ll be a nice tour and she can get you alone.”
“I’ll just stay here to help lick the spoon.” Cope grinned, looking like a miniature version of Ben.
“Don’t lick anything else.”
“As if.”
The two brothers bickered as Erin began to chop the vegetables for the stuffing and tried not to think about what a difficult thing Ben faced.
She was laughing and sipping her second cup of coffee when Todd came through the door, talking loudly to none other than Annalee Copeland.
