Love Next Door (Lakeside 1)

He gives me an unimpressed look. “Ha-ha.”

“Seriously, go take a nap and hit your reset button. No one is forcing you to be here or wants to listen to you bitch about the lack of five-star accommodations. If it bothers you so much, you can take a drive to the other side of the lake and knock on some doors. Maybe someone will adopt you for a couple of days.”

“Oh, now that’s an idea. I heard there’s all kinds of retired hockey players with places out here now. Do you think any of them have college-aged daughters who are looking for a mature, employed date this weekend? Or just a hookup.” I’d laugh, but by the look on my brother’s face, I think he’s being serious.

“Do you think hooking up with the daughter of a former professional athlete is a good idea? Also, this seems premeditated, which means you’ve actually thought about this. Probably in more detail than is reasonable.”

“Of course I’ve thought about it.” My brother drops his bag on the floor and doesn’t bother to take off his shoes as he walks across the carpet, surveying the cottage with mild disgust. “Have you seen the cribs these guys have? Top-of-the-line everything. And I’m a good catch. I have a job; I have a nice car; I’m nice to look at. What more could a woman want?”

“Someone with an ego that isn’t the size of Canada.”

“I’m just stating facts, Van. It has nothing to do with ego. Don’t be sore because you’re unemployed and I’m better looking than you. Imagine marrying into a family like that. The wedding present would probably be a house. Maybe one on this lake.” He grins, likely enjoying my irritation. Bradley is very good at pushing my buttons.

Teagan rolls her eyes. “You’re not better looking than Van.” She turns to me. “He talked about this the entire time we were in the car. He tried to rent a party barge on the way here so he could hatch his master plan, but since he doesn’t have a boater’s license and there’s no trailer hitch on the Porsche, he couldn’t.”

“You can’t tell me it wasn’t a good idea. Party barges are all the rage. Everyone has one. When you have a job again, you should definitely get one.”

“I’ll put that right at the top of my list.” I barely resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You guys want to settle into your rooms and then we can get on making cocktails?”

“I get dibs on the blue room.” Teagan grabs her bag and rushes down the hall to the room Bradley and I used to share when we were kids. It has two single beds and is still decorated to suit a teenage boy, but I’m guessing she knows I’ve already taken the other bedroom.

“Where should I sleep?” Bradley eyes the floral-patterned couch from the eighties.

“You can take Grammy Bee’s room.”

Bradley crosses his arms. “Oh, hell no. It’s probably haunted. And that mattress has to be the same one Grammy slept on when Grampy was still alive. Why should I have to sleep in the haunted room? Why don’t you take that room and I’ll take your room?”

I mirror his pose. “Because the room isn’t haunted, and the mattress in there is new.” This is a bald-faced lie, but he doesn’t need to know that. “And I’m not changing my sheets. Plus, all my stuff is already in the spare room. If you don’t like it, you can book yourself a room in the closest motel. There’s one outside of town.”

Bradley looks absolutely horrified. “I’m not staying in a motel.”

“Then I guess this is going to have to do, unless you want to use the pullout couch.” I thumb over my shoulder. “But those are your options.”

Bradley huffs a sigh. “This is the thanks I get for coming to visit. You’re turning into a real barbarian, you know that, Van?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He waves me off and heads down the hall to Grammy Bee’s bedroom, grumbling the entire way.

I leave him to it and go in search of Teagan, who I find standing between the twin beds, head down, her hands on her hips.

“You okay?” I lean against the doorjamb.

She startles and gives me a small smile, but her chin trembles. “I’m sorry about Bradley. He’s more temperamental than a cat.” She takes off her sunglasses and tosses them on one of the beds. And I finally see the reason she’s been wearing them. Her eyes are red and puffy.

“Teag? What happened?”

“Troy broke up with me.” Her smile dissolves, and she tips her head back, trying to keep the tears from falling.

“He what? Why?” I like Troy about as much as I like mosquito bites on my nuts, but they’ve been together for four years. While I don’t care for him, at least he seemed to love my sister, so I kept my opinion to myself.