Every Sweet Regret (Orchid Valley 2)

Stella’s jaw drops and she shakes her head. “You do?”

“I know you’ve had crap luck with rentals and awful landlords,” Dean says, “and I didn’t want to say anything until I’d found a safe place for you to live.”

“So you asked Kace?” She turns to me, eyes wide. “I’m so sorry. Don’t feel obligated.”

“That’s not why I’m offering,” I blurt, even though a minute ago I’m not sure I was offering at all. I’d forgotten about her old, creepy landlord. Shit. I’m not going to be the reason Stella finds herself in a situation like that again. “Just take the pool house. It’s fine.”

Fine.

But when Stella’s eyes linger on mine as she drags her bottom lip between her teeth, my gut clenches.

I’m screwed.

The woman I’m lusting after is moving in with me.

There’s nothing fine about this.Chapter FiveStellaFor twenty-seven years, I’ve been the mess that needs cleaning up, the problem child.

When I was eighteen, and Dean was off to college and Mom had the opportunity to travel to Europe for two weeks with her boyfriend, I was the reason she had to pass on the trip—can’t trust Stella not to throw a party.

When I was in college, I flew to Naples for a week at a luxury beachfront resort, only to find the resort didn’t exist and the Craigslist ad I’d bought it from was a scam. Dean was out of town, and it was Kace who had to drive down to rescue me.

When I was twenty-two and starting my first real job, I ended up with a landlord who used his key once (that I know of) to sneak in and watch me sleep while he . . . But I try not to think about that. That was a nightmare. The guy claimed I was lying and it never happened. Since he was a police officer, I was too afraid to report him. Then the ass refused to let me out of my twelve-month lease, and I had to mooch off my brother while I handed over most of my paycheck for rent on an apartment I wasn’t using.

After all this time, you’d think I’d be used to my role as the damsel in distress—or rather, the hot mess in a disaster of her own making—but I’m not. It’s a really shitty feeling, and I hope I never get used to it. Knowing I’m in the way of Mom making the move she’s been dreaming of leaves me feeling small. “Dean, why didn’t you tell me?”

My brother grimaces and shrugs. “I thought it’d be easier to work it out before I came to you.”

So he asked Kace. Kace, who’s looking at me like I’m a pair of unidentified dirty underwear he’s being forced to deal with. I want to hang my head. To disappear. But I’m sick of letting guys treat me like I have a tiny brain and even less backbone, so I lift my chin. “I’m sure Kace is just being nice. He doesn’t want me moving in with him.”

“That’s why this is such a perfect arrangement,” Dean says. “You wouldn’t be moving in with him. You’d be moving into the pool house.”

I bite back my frown—because I don’t want to seem like an ungrateful asshole—but I’ve just been inside the pool house. Aside from being crammed full of junk left behind by the previous owner, it’s in rough shape. Kace literally has the path from the door to the bathroom roped off so people don’t stray and hurt their bare feet on the cracked and chipped tiles of the main room. There are holes in the drywall, and don’t even get me started on the cobwebs and creepy-crawlies.

“We’ll fix it up,” Kace says. “Dean and I will take the next couple of weeks to make it . . . livable.”

I turn and stare at the tiny structure on the opposite side of the pool. From the outside, it looks fine. It has the same sunny-yellow siding as the main house, and the side that faces the pool is wall-to-wall windows. It was probably a gorgeous guest house once, and I have no doubt that Dean and Kace can make it gorgeous again. The guys specialize in taking the worst houses and turning them into the best.

I don’t doubt their abilities, but I’m not buying into Kace’s willingness. “I really don’t want to impose. I’ll find somewhere else.”

Kace looks at Dean before turning back to me. “It wouldn’t be an imposition, Stella. It’s fine. You’ll be safe here.”

“Please, Stella?” Dean says. “Move into the pool house. At least while you finish school.”

And have Kace look at me like I’m a charity case every time we cross paths? I’ll take what’s behind door number two instead, please. “Give me the week to find a place. If I come up empty-handed, I’ll move into Kace’s pool house until I can find something else.”