at Brandon. He’d changed into a gray polo shirt that pulled tight across his barrel chest and loose-fitting jeans that couldn’t disguise his muscular thighs. The man put all the statues she’d studied in her art-history class to shame.
She shook her head. What was wrong with her? She’d seen plenty of handsome men in her life, yet she didn’t gawk at them like some teenager with no home training. “I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality and the clothes, Joni. I’ll return them as soon as possible.”
Joni smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I have way more clothes than I need.” She then fixed her brother with a mock glare. “Don’t say a word.”
“I didn’t open my mouth.”
“Good.”
“But if I had said anything, it would be that you have more clothes than any three people need.” Joni tossed a linen napkin at him. He caught it with ease and dropped it onto the counter. Then he pulled open the oven door for a quick look and nodded with apparent satisfaction.
Arden watched them banter back and forth with a smile on her face. It was clear to her they not only loved each other, they genuinely liked each other. They were friends.
She sighed wistfully. She wished she could say the same of her relationship with her brothers. She knew they loved her. They’d do anything for her. But Blake and Jax were stuck in protective-big-brother mode. To them, she was still the child who got into jams and waited for them to bail her out, which they’d done without fail. She’d grown up, but they hadn’t noticed. Because they didn’t view her as an adult, their relationship hadn’t evolved to the point of friendship.
And the near disaster with Michael-the-sneak wouldn’t help them see her as an equal. Which was why she had told them only that she’d ended the relationship, keeping the disgusting details to herself.
Brandon stirred, then began ladling soup out of a pot into large bowls while Joni placed warm bread on the table.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Arden asked, shoving aside the depressing thoughts.
“Not a thing,” Joni said, taking the bowls from her brother and setting one before Arden. “Just relax.”
Brandon joined them. As he scooted his chair closer to the table, the scent of soap teased her nostrils and her heart began to beat double time. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to sample her food before he ate.
Arden picked up a spoon and sipped her soup. Incredible flavors exploded in her mouth. She’d eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world, but nothing compared to this Italian sausage soup. Before she could stop it, a moan of unadulterated pleasure slipped from between her lips.
Brandon stared at her, his dark eyes unreadable. For a moment their gazes locked and time stood still. Her breath caught in her throat. Trapped like a fly in a web, Arden couldn’t look away to save her life.
“My, my,” Joni said with a laugh, looking from Brandon to Arden.
Joni’s voice broke the spell, freeing Arden from Brandon’s hypnotic gaze.
“Sorry.” She looked down at the bowl to hide her embarrassment. What is wrong with me? She looked at Joni. “This soup is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. You’re a great cook.”
Joni shook her head. “Not me. I can’t toast bread without burning it. Brandon is the chef.”
Arden risked a glance at him, warning herself not to get caught in those dark, amazing eyes again. “You made this? Wow. It’s wonderful.”
“Thanks.” His voice sounded strained and low. He’d been charming in the car, but now he seemed more reserved with her. It was as if he regretted their earlier camaraderie.
“Brandon is chef and owner of the most popular restaurant in the state. Heaven on Earth.”
“The name fits,” Arden added, wishing her bowl was larger. She’d just hit bottom when Brandon removed her empty dish. A couple moments later he returned with three plates.
“Be careful,” Brandon said, setting the dishes on the table. “It’s hot.”
“This looks wonderful. What is it?”
“Oven-roasted sea bass with oranges, tomatoes and olives.”
Arden stared at him in amazement. “You made all of this while I was in the shower?”
“No. I prepared it earlier today. Joni put it in the oven when we got home.”
She took a bite and this time managed to stifle the sound of pleasure that threatened to escape. The perfect combination of flavors was unlike anything she had ever experienced, even during the summer after high school she’d spent in France and Italy.
Joni sipped her drink, then looked at Arden. “Where were you headed when your car broke down?”
“Don’t be so nosy,” Brandon said, shaking his head.
Joni waved away his comment like she would a pesky gnat, then looked at Arden expectantly. Ordinarily Arden would be annoyed by such a personal question from a complete stranger. But Joni didn’t feel like a stranger, she felt like a friend. “I’m on my way to Florida.”
“For vacation? A new job?”
Arden shook her head. “Neither. I just need to get away for a while.”
“From what?” Brandon asked, apparently forgetting the no-prying rule.
“I thought we weren’t going to be nosy,” Joni pointed out.
Brandon glared playfully at his sister, then smiled at Arden. “Sorry. Forget I said anything.”
“No, it’s okay. A relationship I was in ended badly. I just needed some space to get my head together. I’m a middle school science teacher, so I’m off for the summer. Since there was nothing holding me in town, I decided to get out while the getting was good.”
“So...what are your plans when you get to Florida?” Joni asked.
Brandon shook his head at his sister but did appear interested in Arden’s answer.
“I don’t really have plans,” Arden confessed. Suddenly, sitting alone in her parents’ home hiding from the world and licking her wounds lost its appeal. It actually sounded pretty pathetic. Was she so fragile that she needed weeks in seclusion because her boyfriend had turned out to be a jerk? Heck, no. Double heck, no. She was stronger than that.
“And now you’re stuck in Sweet Briar.” Brandon finished his meal and pushed his plate into the center of the table. She did the same. “John’s good. He’ll have you back on the road in no time.”
He stood and began clearing the table. Before she or Joni could move, he’d rinsed the plates and bowls and loaded them into the dishwasher. When that task was complete, he excused himself and left the kitchen.
Arden watched him leave, noting once again what a fine specimen of a man he was. He was the definition of masculinity. She might not be in the market for a man, but she wasn’t opposed to window-shopping. Realizing she was gawking at Brandon in front of his sister, she pulled her gaze away and reached for her coffee cup. She stifled her attraction before it could turn into interest or something more. She might not know much, but she knew better than to let her emotions get the upper hand on her common sense. No way. She wasn’t going to open herself up even for a minute and end up getting hurt again.
Thankfully, she wasn’t going to be around long enough to put that theory to the test. As soon as her car was fixed she was out of Sweet Briar.
Arden woke to the sound of birds chirping and a dog barking in the distance. Stretching languidly, she smiled and opened her eyes. Momentarily startled