nothing about that was smart.
Over the years, she’d struggled to be smart about men. Until she was twenty-one, she’d done without dating. She’d been a single parent without a support system. She couldn’t risk anyone revealing her and the boys’ situation to an adult. That was too likely to result in them being split up, and she’d committed herself to keeping the three of them together. Just as important, if anything had happened to the twins while she was out having fun, she wouldn’t have been able to live with it.
“Hey, lady!” called a voice from a nearby car. “You coming or going?”
“Sorry,” she said, realizing the man was hoping to claim her parking spot. “I’m leaving now.”
The other driver backed up to give her room, polite enough now that he knew she was moving. Grateful for the distraction, Rebecca focused on the tasks required to get on the road.
She almost didn’t think about Trey Hayworth as she drove home.
When she arrived at their house in Cambridge, a shock awaited. A battered pick-up sat in the driveway behind her delivery van, the logo for a firm called Alcott Construction on its door. Equally troubling, a large green dumpster hulked on their small front lawn. Broken drywall and wood were piling up on one end.
Rebecca flew out of her car almost too quickly to park it first.
“Ex cuse me,” she said to the hulking young man who came up her basement steps, dragging a roll of stained carpet behind him. “What the fuck are you doing in my house?”
Rebecca wasn’t big, but she could do scary, no problem. The young man paled at her clear fury.
“Uh,” he said, halting in his tracks while keeping his hold on the rolled-up rug. “Your brothers hired me to reno your cellar?”
“My brothers!”
“Becca!” Charlie called, hurrying frantically down the front steps. “It’s okay. This is Jesse. He goes to school with us. His dad is in construction. We wanted to surprise you.”
As soon as he was near enough, Rebecca punched his shoulder.
“Ow!” Charlie said, rubbing it.
Pete stuck his head out the front door too.
“You,” she said, pointing her finger of doom at him. “Go back in the kitchen and wait for me.”
Pete made an oh crap face and disappeared. Rebecca looked at the boy named Jesse. To his credit, he seemed to have retrieved his nerve. He squared his bulky shoulders and answered her. “They told me you’d come around once they explained what this was for.”
“Fine.” Rebecca moderated her tone a tad. “Please don’t trash my house any more until I talk to them.”
The boy opened his mouth. Charlie stopped his protest with a headshake. He knew when his sister’s temper had hit its red zone.
“Inside,” Rebecca ordered, shooing him ahead of her.
“We’re not being crazy,” Charlie started babbling on the way. “Pete and I both agreed this is a smart idea.”
“Well, as long as you both agreed,” Rebecca snapped angrily.
Always calmer than Charlie, Pete stood his ground at the kitchen table. At nineteen, the twins were still gangly, but probably their full height. They weren’t as blond as she was—her hair having a little help—but the bright summer sun had streaked their shaggy waves. Naturally, she thought they were handsome, something girls their age were beginning to discover. Their recent rowing obsession had filled them out. To her surprise, Pete’s formerly spindly biceps looked impressive in his ragged gray T-shirt.
When did that happen? she wondered.
“We have a plan,” were the first words out of his mouth. Pete knew his older sister as well as Charlie did.
He slid his open laptop across the well-used butcher-block table. The screen displayed a neat black and white blueprint. Reserving the right to lose her temper later, Rebecca stepped closer to look at it.
“It’s an income suite,” Pete said. “One bed, one bath, with an open kitchen and living room. We’ve planned a stacked laundry in the hall closet,
Over the years, she’d struggled to be smart about men. Until she was twenty-one, she’d done without dating. She’d been a single parent without a support system. She couldn’t risk anyone revealing her and the boys’ situation to an adult. That was too likely to result in them being split up, and she’d committed herself to keeping the three of them together. Just as important, if anything had happened to the twins while she was out having fun, she wouldn’t have been able to live with it.
“Hey, lady!” called a voice from a nearby car. “You coming or going?”
“Sorry,” she said, realizing the man was hoping to claim her parking spot. “I’m leaving now.”
The other driver backed up to give her room, polite enough now that he knew she was moving. Grateful for the distraction, Rebecca focused on the tasks required to get on the road.
She almost didn’t think about Trey Hayworth as she drove home.
When she arrived at their house in Cambridge, a shock awaited. A battered pick-up sat in the driveway behind her delivery van, the logo for a firm called Alcott Construction on its door. Equally troubling, a large green dumpster hulked on their small front lawn. Broken drywall and wood were piling up on one end.
Rebecca flew out of her car almost too quickly to park it first.
“Ex cuse me,” she said to the hulking young man who came up her basement steps, dragging a roll of stained carpet behind him. “What the fuck are you doing in my house?”
Rebecca wasn’t big, but she could do scary, no problem. The young man paled at her clear fury.
“Uh,” he said, halting in his tracks while keeping his hold on the rolled-up rug. “Your brothers hired me to reno your cellar?”
“My brothers!”
“Becca!” Charlie called, hurrying frantically down the front steps. “It’s okay. This is Jesse. He goes to school with us. His dad is in construction. We wanted to surprise you.”
As soon as he was near enough, Rebecca punched his shoulder.
“Ow!” Charlie said, rubbing it.
Pete stuck his head out the front door too.
“You,” she said, pointing her finger of doom at him. “Go back in the kitchen and wait for me.”
Pete made an oh crap face and disappeared. Rebecca looked at the boy named Jesse. To his credit, he seemed to have retrieved his nerve. He squared his bulky shoulders and answered her. “They told me you’d come around once they explained what this was for.”
“Fine.” Rebecca moderated her tone a tad. “Please don’t trash my house any more until I talk to them.”
The boy opened his mouth. Charlie stopped his protest with a headshake. He knew when his sister’s temper had hit its red zone.
“Inside,” Rebecca ordered, shooing him ahead of her.
“We’re not being crazy,” Charlie started babbling on the way. “Pete and I both agreed this is a smart idea.”
“Well, as long as you both agreed,” Rebecca snapped angrily.
Always calmer than Charlie, Pete stood his ground at the kitchen table. At nineteen, the twins were still gangly, but probably their full height. They weren’t as blond as she was—her hair having a little help—but the bright summer sun had streaked their shaggy waves. Naturally, she thought they were handsome, something girls their age were beginning to discover. Their recent rowing obsession had filled them out. To her surprise, Pete’s formerly spindly biceps looked impressive in his ragged gray T-shirt.
When did that happen? she wondered.
“We have a plan,” were the first words out of his mouth. Pete knew his older sister as well as Charlie did.
He slid his open laptop across the well-used butcher-block table. The screen displayed a neat black and white blueprint. Reserving the right to lose her temper later, Rebecca stepped closer to look at it.
“It’s an income suite,” Pete said. “One bed, one bath, with an open kitchen and living room. We’ve planned a stacked laundry in the hall closet,
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