Ray glanced toward the street where her friend Sunshine’s new husband, Grady, and his older brother were waiting by Luke’s loaded crew-cab pickup. They and Sunshine had gone with her to Jerome yesterday to retrieve belongings stored in a friend’s garage. She’d enjoyed reliving highlights of last week’s wedding and hearing about the newlyweds’ stay at the Grand Canyon’s El Tovar Hotel, right on the rim. She’d appreciated, too, their support as she returned to the town she’d felt compelled to leave some months ago.
Thankfully, she hadn’t seen her ex-fiancé on the streets that were, by contrast to summer’s bustling tourist season, fairly deserted this time of year. How could she have been so mistaken as to have believed they’d be a good match?
Ray waved Luke and Grady forward and they leaped into action, lowering the tailgate and carefully unloading her grandmother’s blanket-swathed antique dresser.
The older man continued to smile at her as the others approached. “I can’t tell you how thankful Therese and I are that you said yes to our offer. Especially after the show Cubby and I treated you to at the Ice Cream Emporium. It was a relief that you didn’t scare easily.”
“It takes more than an unhappy little boy to run me off.”
On the contrary, it had won her over.
With Tori leading the way past a small library on one side of the spacious hallway and what she could only think of as a parlor on the other, she and the men skirted past a sweeping staircase and a darkened dining room. Another hall branched off, leading to a rear corner of the house and what had once been a cook-housekeeper’s apartment, and would now be her new home. At least for a few years anyway, if all went well.
“This is nice.” Luke sounded surprised as the brothers carefully lowered the dresser to the spot she indicated.
When given the grand tour following her interview she, too, had been pleasantly surprised to find the apartment featured a kitchenette, sleeping alcove, walk-in closet and its own bathroom. Lots of sunshine-filled windows, as well. Although the space was furnished, Ray had had the bed frame and dresser moved elsewhere so she could bring her grandmother’s antiques.
They’d barely finished hauling in the remainder of her belongings, reattaching the mirror to the dresser and getting the bed set up and mattress placed, when the chatter of children echoed down the hallway from the front of the house.
“Sounds like the troops are up and on the move.” Ray gave Tori a wary glance. “Brace yourself.”
Since tomorrow would be her actual first day on the job, she’d hoped for time to get settled in today. Oh, well.
“Hey, look what I found!”
They turned to see Sawyer Banks in the doorway, holding a grinning twin in each arm—no small feat, since they must weigh at least forty pounds each. Tori almost gasped at the resemblance between the threesome. The mussed blond hair. Blue eyes. Matching smiles.
But what was Sawyer doing here? Checking up on her? Reminding her that she had an obligation to him? If so, he wasn’t going to like what she’d be sharing as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
“Which one of you boys let this character in?” Ray teased his grandsons. Or maybe that gruffness and the sharp look in Sawyer’s direction wasn’t teasing? When she’d let the Selbys know she’d be working at the Outpost part-time, they’d raised no objections, and Sawyer had told her he had a “decent enough” relationship with his brothers and their grandparents. That was clearly evident in the case of the obviously excited boys, but was it her imagination that there was tension hanging in the air between the two men?
“He brought us a new game.” Cubby waved a small box in the air as if to legitimize opening the door to him.
Their big brother gave them a hug, then set their feet on the floor. The pair were dressed in tennies, jeans and sweatshirts, and side by side the resemblance between them was evident, although not identical. Cubby’s face was less rounded than Landon’s and devoid of the few freckles that scattered across his brother’s nose. Nor was his gaze as bold. And whereas Landon’s reddish-tinted bangs fell evenly across his forehead, Cubby’s hair had a definite side part.
Both thrust their hands into their back pockets, a mirror image of each other—and of Sawyer’s stance behind them.
“Say good-morning to Tori,” Ray prompted, apparently mindful that she’d soon be an instrumental player in the lives of his grandsons.
“Good morning, Tori,” all three Banks brothers responded. Landon confidently. Cubby, with his head ducked shyly. Sawyer with mischief dancing in his eyes.
Why did her heart pirouette when she met Sawyer’s gaze? Not good. “Good morning, boys.”
“Now that Banks is here—after the work’s done—looks like you’re finished with us.” Luke glanced around the room with satisfaction, then Tori walked the Hunter brothers to the door, reiterating her thanks. When she returned, Ray had vanished, but Sawyer and the boys were unabashedly exploring her new living quarters.
She’d assumed contact with Sawyer would be strictly during her work hours at the Outpost—although they hadn’t yet established those days or hours. If he popped in frequently to see Cubby and Landon, why was he in need of an “inside line” to the household?
“Sawyer, look.” Landon pointed at something inside the open door of a lower kitchenette cabinet. “That’s a mousetrap.”
Wonderful.
Sawyer squatted next to him. “Sure is, buddy. But there’s nothing in it, so that’s a good sign. Probably put there as a precaution since this apartment’s been empty for a while.”
Did he believe that, or was he throwing out that reassurance for her benefit?
“Let me see.” Cubby pushed his brother aside and squished in beside Sawyer to duck down and look, too. “Wouldn’t it be cool to see a mouse in it?”
Sawyer cast an amused look in her direction. “You’d rather not, right?”
“I could do without one.”
Landon looked up hopefully as he wandered away to peek in the walk-in closet. “But we could catch it and keep it as a pet. We don’t have any pets.”
“We don’t have pets because G’ma is ’lergic.” Cubby gave a solemn nod. “Maybe she’s ’lergic to mouses, too.”
His twin sneered. “Nobody’s allergic to mice, stupid.”
“Landon.” She caught the boy’s eye and shook her head. “Your brother isn’t stupid. Please don’t call him that.”
He shrugged. “It’s scientifically proven mice aren’t big enough and don’t have enough dander to cause an allergic reaction.”
Cubby frowned. “What’s dander?”
“Icky stuff that gets in your hair.” Eyes widening and brows elevated, Landon lifted his hands over his head as he stalked toward his brother. “Creepy crawly stuff with hairy legs and tiny teeth.”
Sawyer grabbed him and pulled him in close to noogie the top of his head. “And maybe you’re full of hot air.”
The giggling boy pulled away.
The teasing part she could live with, but the questionable “scientifically proven” bit, spoken with an air of authority, she’d have to be on the alert for.
“Landon? Cubby?” a feminine voice called from the open doorway. “Time for breakfast.”
“Good morning, Therese.” Tori smiled at the dark-haired, stylishly coifed woman dressed in wool slacks, a blue cashmere sweater and low pumps. From the information Sawyer had provided, she must be in her midseventies; Ray about that age, as well.
“Good morning, Victoria—Tori.” As Cubby snatched