Nan Dixon - The Other Twin

She hated the idea of Nathan living next door. Even in the dim light she caught his blush. “Why?”

“You saw how slow I am.” He paced into the room and then back. “This is the first major project I’ve handled for the company.”

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“Story of my life.” His fingers rattled against his jeans. “If I’m living here, I can work more hours.”

“But no one’s lived here in years,” she said.

He waved her over. “What do you think?”

She nodded, wanting him to walk in front of her. No way was she letting him get between her and the door.

He rolled his eyes and held up his hands like he was harmless.

He wasn’t harmless, but she followed.

A trouble light hung off a fixture, the orange cord dissecting the room. The apartment was a mirror image of hers. The kitchens backed up to each other and the closed door was probably one of the two bedrooms. Sitting in the middle of the living room was a canopy bed that used to be in her apartment.

“What was the thumping?” she asked.

“I moved the bed to access the water valve.” He indicated an open panel in the living room wall.

“That’s a strange place to put water valves.”

“It’s probably here because the carriage house didn’t have running water when it was built.” He crouched next to a wrench.

A wrench could do a lot of damage. Cheryl made herself smaller, less of target. And hated her actions. Her hands formed ineffective fists. All the good years with Brad and she was back to her childhood. Because of Levi.

“You’re shivering.” Nathan’s gaze dropped to the thin T-shirt she’d slept in. His nostrils flared. “Are you cold?”

“I’m fine.” But the heat in his eyes made her shake harder. She wished she’d thrown on a bra.

“I think this apartment will work for me.” His gaze snapped back to her face. “I’ll talk to Abby.”

“Sure.” She backed out of the room. “I’d better check on Josh.”

She dragged her kitchen door closed, turned the lock and sank to the floor. Her nipples had pebbled from Nathan’s hot look. Only Brad had made her feel like she was desirable.

She didn’t want to feel that way about Nathan. He was trouble. With his swearing and drinking, he’d be a terrible role model for Josh.

She couldn’t let him live next door.

CHAPTER TWO

THIS COULD WORK. Nathan shut off the water and unplugged the trouble light.

He moved into the hallway just as Cheryl’s lock clicked.

She’d been shaking earlier. Fear? He’d heard some of what had happened last year. Her brother-in-law had been stealing her military survivor checks. Instead of stopping him, she’d run away but the asshole had found her at Fitzgerald House. Gray and Abby had protected Cheryl and her kid. He couldn’t imagine such a frightened woman standing up for herself.

But she’d checked on the noises he’d been making. Shoot, this morning she’d actually called the police. That was something.

Once Jed, his site supervisor, showed up, they mapped out the day’s tasks. Then he headed over to the B and B to catch Abby. He might even snag breakfast. Food was a perk of working at Fitzgerald House. Usually Pop or Daniel reaped those benefits.

The Fitzgerald sisters, Abby, Bess and Dolley, were like his sisters. The Foresters and the Fitzgeralds even spent holidays together, so he wanted to make sure Abby’s restaurant was perfect.

Cheryl also spent holidays with the Fitzgeralds, but he couldn’t think of her like a sister. This morning her T-shirt had been worn and nearly transparent. Her nipples had tightened as he’d stared.

He shifted, his jeans growing snug. He had to keep remembering—she had a kid.

But Cheryl’s body rocked.

He peeked in through the kitchen window and spotted Cheryl’s kid sitting on a small sofa, drawing.

The door was open; the scent of sugar and spices had his mouth watering. He grabbed the door handle.

“Did you ever hear noises in the carriage house?” Cheryl asked Abby.

Noises? He paused. Nathan should let them know he was listening, but he didn’t. What was Cheryl up to?

“Lots of creaking,” Abby replied. “Why? Has great-aunt Persephone been trying to scare you?”

Persephone was the mansion’s ghost. Pop had worked on Fitzgerald House for years. When Nathan and Daniel were small, they would come to work with him and try to find the ghost who haunted the old mansion.

“I hope not,” Cheryl replied. “Does she visit the carriage house?”

“No.” Abby laughed. “Are you worried?”

“I...” There was a pause. “The drunk getting into the River Street apartment shook me more than I thought.”

“Gray and I are right next door,” Abby said.

“I guess...it’s nice knowing there’s only Josh and me in the building.” Cheryl’s words gushed out.

What the hell? She was sabotaging his request before he’d even made it. No way! He pushed through the door.

The screen slapped shut and Abby turned. “Hey, Nathan.”

He moved to the counter, narrowing his eyes at Cheryl.

Cheryl’s mouth formed a little O. She slid away from him. “Josh, breakfast.”

The kid tucked his stuff into his backpack and headed to the table, snaking a wide path around Nathan.

“What’s up?” Abby asked him.

“I wanted to ask you something.” He raised his eyebrows at Cheryl.

“Sure.” Abby pulled a pan from the oven. “Can I get you breakfast?”

“I wouldn’t say no.” He leaned against the wall as she cut into the egg casserole. “Smells great in here.”

After dishing him a generous helping, Abby sliced the rest into squares.

Cheryl took the pan and put it on a cart along with other dishes and baskets of muffins. As she backed out the door, she shot Nathan a guilty look. “Josh, eat up. The bus will be here soon.”

Nathan took a bite of the egg dish and moaned. It was a Mexican fiesta in his mouth. “How come Gray isn’t fifty pounds overweight?”

Abby laughed and handed him a cup of coffee. “I won’t let him.”

He took a sip. Time to get down to business before Cheryl returned. Staying on-site was the perfect way for him to work long hours without anyone knowing. “I checked out the other carriage house apartment.”

Abby’s glance shot to Josh as he plowed through his breakfast. “Did Cheryl hear you this morning?”

“Maybe.” Yes. “I want your restaurant to shine. I’d like to be on-site, keeping everything on track. What do you think about me renting the apartment?” The words tumbled out of his mouth. He didn’t even worry that they might not be the right words or in proper order. “I’d be on top of everything.”

That might be a first.

“No one’s stayed there in years.”

“I checked the water. It works.” A little rusty, but that was from lack of use. “I could patch and paint the place for you.”

“You want to live and work on-site?” She picked up a wicked knife and cut melon slices. “In a place that’s been empty for a decade?”

“You live next door in the Carleton carriage house.” He nodded to Josh. “Now Cheryl’s in the Fitzgerald carriage house.”

Josh looked up at the mention of his mother’s name, daggers in his eyes. Or maybe they were lasers. Who knew what weapons kids used nowadays?

“I like the idea.” Abby hacked off the top of a pineapple. “I’ll talk to Dolley and have her work on a lease. Maybe with you next door, Cheryl won’t worry.”

Nathan doubted that. Maybe he should have talked directly to Dolley. She was the sister in charge of contracts. But Cheryl might have sabotaged his request if he’d waited.

A timer dinged. Abby patted his back and moved to the ovens. “Can I interest you in a muffin?”