The Troublemaker Next Door (9 page)

Vanessa needed a serious set-down. Texting a grocery list while at a party signaled a woman on the edge of a meltdown. Muttering under her breath about her cousin, Maddie stopped at a text sent today from a number she didn’t recognize.

Just wanted you to know I’m NOT thinking about you. At all. Casually Yours, F.

The smile on her face grew.
Casually
Yours.
As specified, they wouldn’t cuddle or hug. Though, come to think of it, they’d done plenty of that last night. She’d insisted he didn’t need to see her inside when he’d dropped her off after their rendezvous. She’d also nixed the idea of flowers or datelike behavior, in case he took it upon himself to display any. But a text between friends couldn’t be construed as anything but platonic. Ordinary.

Noting the three-hour lapse between when he’d sent it and now, she figured it safe to text back. It was probably a good thing she’d misplaced her phone. Otherwise she would have pounced on it the moment it rang and fought with herself not to immediately text back. She typed into her tiny keyboard,
Not thinking about you either. But take good care of that tongue. Casually back at you, M.

She returned to work, her woes forgotten as she threw herself into the notion that Flynn’s aunt wouldn’t know what hit her come Tuesday. Maddie’s baby, Gardner’s, would do what the other companies couldn’t. Not only would she sweep the local real estate agents off their feet, but her new venture would win back the confidence Maddie had lost, and in the process, make her departure from Hampton’s Designs no more than a bad memory.

***

Flynn heard his phone chime and dove for it before Brody returned from the bathroom. They sat at Brody’s place drinking beer and watching a game. The clouds overhead had looked ominous so they’d passed on an outdoor ball game with friends. Though he dealt with rain on a daily basis, living in Seattle, he hated being wet.

At least Brody had a decent place—if one disregarded the mess in most of the rooms save this one. He lived in a house that had been converted into a duplex just three blocks from Green Lake. Seth, the old man who owned the building, lived right next door. He kept to himself. On the odd days Flynn had seen him at the park sitting on a bench, he’d had a story to tell.

Seth planned on living in his house until he died. Brody did most of the upkeep and had a portion of his rent deducted for it. But even if he hadn’t earned a reduction, his friend still would have helped the old man. Truth to tell, the crotchety bastard kind of reminded Flynn of his own father. And since Brody idolized James McCauley, it made sense he’d taken to Seth.

Flynn glanced at the bathroom, then at the phone, back at the bathroom, then thought
screw
it
. He looked at the message then saved it. Tucking the phone back into his pocket, he settled back on the couch to enjoy the rest of the game.

Brody appeared and plunked down beside him, keeping the requisite three feet of man-space between them. “What the hell are you smiling at, dumbass? We’re down by three and can’t buy a hit.” He swore when the next pitch came in. “Strike? What are they swinging at?”

Flynn shrugged and took a swig of his beer.

“What happened?” Brody muted the television and turned to face him. “Tell me.”

“What? I’m watching the game. We’re down, as usual. But we’ll come back.”

“No. You’re never this happy. You’ve been humming all day. What’s up with you?” Brody’s eyes narrowed. “You got laid, didn’t you?”

Flynn choked on his beer. Was he that easy to read? “Why does my good mood have to be tied to sex? Couldn’t I be happy because I’m watching the game with my bud and drinking a beer?” He turned the label and nodded. “One that isn’t one of Cam’s girlie drinks?”

“No, no. Don’t screw with me. I know you.” Brody tilted his head. “You did the redhead. Hot damn.”

It annoyed Flynn that Brody passed Maddie off as just
the
redhead
. The woman had a name. “First of all, Maddie Gardner is not just ‘the redhead.’ Dickhead. Second, I didn’t
do
anyone. I drove Maddie and Abby home last night. Watched a movie, went to bed.”
So
why
am
I
so
happy?
“If I’m in a good mood, it’s because one of the cousins is thinking of interning with us.”

Brody blinked. “No shit? Which one? Theo, Landon, or Gavin? No way it’s Hope. And seriously, what’s with your aunt naming them like that? It’s like she
wanted
them to get pummeled growing up.”

Flynn grinned. Aunt Linda’s sons were good kids, but Brody had a point. They’d spent a lot of their not-so-distant past defending the Donnigan brothers, who didn’t know when to keep their big mouths shut. “Theo. He just graduated and has been dragging his feet about college. The others are still overseas doing God knows what for Corps and country.”

“Damn jarheads. Hope they’re staying safe.” Brody frowned.

“You know, I still say you should have joined the Corps.” Like Flynn’s father and cousins had.

Brody snorted. “I’m not into taking orders from anyone. And before you say it, yeah, I listen to your dad, but only because he has such a big mouth.”

“True.” Flynn chuckled. “Me, I knew what I wanted to do the minute my dad let me go with him during the summers on those construction sites. Remember? I’ll never forget Roger Dellford preaching about plumbing being an art form while he smoked that huge cigar. Remember how he’d bring us a beer when Dad wasn’t looking? Man, I loved that guy.”

Brody clinked the neck of his beer against Flynn’s. “Me too. And I’ll add my thanks to Daring Dellford for his insight, his stogies, and his brew. We’ve cleared a shitload this year. If we could add on another team, we’d be golden.”

“Maybe when Gavin comes home, I can convince him to work with Theo. Keep it all in the family.”

Brody nodded. “Sounds good. Now back to our earlier discussion.”

Like a dog with a goddamn bone. “Huh?”

“Dude, lie to your brothers, your mother, your nephew. But don’t lie to me. I know you.”

Shit.
He didn’t want to break Maddie’s confidence, but this was Brody. He might be a pain in the ass at times, as well as a liar and a card cheat, but he was Flynn’s best friend, blood brother, and pretend twin. Had been since kindergarten.

He sighed. “You can’t tell anyone.”

Brody’s eyes gleamed. “I fucking knew it.”

“Swear. I’m not kidding.” He punched Brody in the arm.

“Ow. Okay, I swear. I won’t say a thing to the family. You know I won’t.”

Gratified to see the truth, Flynn wondered how much to say. “I took the girls home last night.”

“
You
did
both
of
them?
”

“Don’t be an ass.”

“Oh, right.” Did Brody look relieved?

“And then I took Maddie out to get some stupid supplies to clean her house.” At Brody’s look of disbelief, he nodded. “Seriously. Vanessa’s got this thing about cleanliness. She’s a little scary.”

“Sounds like it. So, Maddie?”

“We went back to my place. And we, ah, we kind of fooled around.”

“Dude, you fucked her. I know that look.”

“Shut up.” He flushed. Damn it, he felt like a schoolgirl at her first sleepover, spilling secrets he shouldn’t be sharing. “We’re keeping it casual. She’s not gonna say anything to her friends. And if Mike finds out, it’ll just show him he was right not to tell
us
—yeah, you and me—about them moving in in the first place.”

“Hmm. Good point. Okay. I’ll try to keep all teasing to a minimum. Just between you and me.”

“We’re past the fourth grade, numbnuts. Grow up.”

“Maddie of the long red hair and killer bod.” Brody sighed. “I bet that was some piece of ass, huh?”

“Fuck off. She’s not a piece of ass.” Flynn restrained himself from punching Brody right in the face. “She’s a nice person. We connected, but we’re just friends. Don’t push me on this.”

Brody held up his hands in surrender.

Flynn didn’t trust the sly look in his eyes. “I’m not kidding.”

“Hey, point taken. Understood. You and your girlfriend—”

“She’s
not
my girlfriend. She’s too busy starting her new business for relationships. And we have this new team we’re building. I don’t have time either.”

“Bullshit,” Brody scoffed. “You’re not looking because you keep coming up short. Not everyone is like your parents. Those two have some kind of lovefest going on I still don’t get. But you might find a woman if you’d lower your standards. How many women in this day and age are actually stay-at-home moms who worship at their husband’s feet?”

“Are we talking about Beth McCauley?” Flynn drained the rest of his beer. “That woman raised us, yeah. But have you ever seen her worship Dad?”

Brody frowned. “Ah, no. But we both know that’s what you’re looking for, why your slutty girlfriends never measure up.”

“First of all, they’re not slutty.”

“Half of them are fuck-buddies. Go ahead. Deny it.”

He wanted to, but he couldn’t. The odd thing was that he didn’t consider Maddie one of them. “Let’s discuss
you
and
your
hang-ups.”

Brody turned and looked for the remote. “This isn’t about me.”

“Sure it is. If you were busy with your own slutty girlfriend, you’d stop hounding me.”

Brody laughed. “Who says I’m not busy?”

“The fact that it’s Sunday and you’re sitting here with me. That the most you have to do on a Saturday is drool over Abby Dunn.”

Brody’s face darkened. “I did not.”

Bingo. Now to exploit the weakness. He hated to go there, but Brody needed a wake-up call. “You think I didn’t know about your thing for Lea?”

Brody blanched. “It wasn’t like that.”

Flynn softened his voice. “I know. We all loved her like a sister, but you saw something more. Christ, Brody, she looked exactly like the picture of that centerfold you used to keep under your bed. The one you found in seventh grade. Remember?”

Brody’s cheeks had gone from white to dark red in an instant. “This is not what we were talking about.”

“Sure it is. I’m friendly with Maddie, and you have a thing for her best friend, Abby. Don’t ignore it.”

“You want me to forget this conversation? Fine.” He glanced around. “Where the fuck is the remote?”

“Brody, relax. Abby is really nice, but she’s not Lea. Once you get past the appearance, you’ll see there’s someone else in there. Even Mike said so. He’s not into her.”

They sat a moment in silence.

“How can you tell?”

Flynn forced himself not to smile. “Trust me. Mike might miss Lea, but he knows the difference between his wife and a look-alike. If he’d had a thing for Abby, I would have been able to tell. And think about it. Mom would have been shoving her at him on Saturday.”

Brody relaxed. “Good point. She pretty much left Abby alone. Then again, she sure was shoving Maddie at you.” The smirk on his face returned.

“She did not.”

“Sorry to say, she kept tabs on you the whole day. The only reason Mike and I dragged you away from your girlfriend? Bitsy ordered us to.”

“Hell.” If his mother sensed his interest in the woman, he’d be smart to duck her calls for a few days. His phone rang, and his heart raced on the off chance Maddie had phoned. It continued to ring.

“You going to answer your ass?” Brody asked with an evil smile. He found the remote but kept the mute on.

“Fuck.” Flynn dragged his phone out, saw his mother’s number, and put it back, disappointed but refusing to acknowledge why. “Look. You know I’m seeing Maddie on the sly, and I know you’re a pussy too afraid to put a move on Abby.”

“Dick.”

“Back at you. So let’s agree to disagree and watch the friggin’ game.”

Brody’s smile soured. “Fine. But if you don’t at least tell me if she’s a natural redhead, I’ll go to your mother with my suspicions.”

Flynn allowed the slow, satisfied smile he’d been hiding to stretch his mouth wide.

“Hell. At least one of us had a good night.” Brody held the sweating bottle to his forehead. “Lucky prick.”

Lucky indeed.

Maddie still couldn’t believe it. She’d aced her interview with Flynn’s aunt. The woman had a huge clientele and reputation as a top independent realtor in the Seattle market. And she’d been more than enthused about trying Maddie on for size as a staging consultant. After all Maddie’s stressing, in one short meeting, Gardner’s was born.

She knew she should have been patient, but she had to share her good news. She wouldn’t let herself think of failure. Instead, she was determined she’d succeed. Calling her mother would seal the deal. No going back now.

While she relaxed in the living room, she dialed the number and waited.

“Maddie! Good to hear from you, honey. Hold on.” Michelle jostled the phone. After a minute, she picked it up. “So how are you? You hung up pretty fast last week.”

Fast? They’d talked for a solid half hour. “I’m sorry about that. You see—”

“But I suppose I should stop lecturing you about men. Not as if I’m an expert.” Her mother’s self-effacing humor helped take the bitterness out of her words. “You’ll find someone if it’s meant to be. But at least you’re no longer with Ben.”

Maddie silently counted to ten before she spoke. “You’ll never guess what happened.”

“Okay. I’m waiting.”

She didn’t know why she found it so hard to tell her mother, even after her pep talk. It was as if saying it made it more real. “I’m my own boss now. I left Hampton’s Designs to start my own company. Gardner’s. Great name, huh?” she joked.

Her mother didn’t say anything.

“Mom?”

“You’re happy? This is a good thing? I thought you’d planned on branching out a few years from now.” In the background, the hustle and bustle of the diner could be heard.

“No, no. It’s all good. Hey, why do I hear noise? Am I taking you from work? I thought you had Tuesdays off.”

“I’m fine. You worry too much.” Her mom laughed. “I took Sheila’s shift tonight so she could take mine tomorrow.” A pregnant pause sat between them. “I have a date.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going on a date. Can you believe it at my age?”

“Mom, you’re only forty-four. That’s a far cry from ancient.”

“Thanks.” Michelle chuckled. “I’ve seen Hank every day for the past three years, but I never noticed him before. And then the other day, he asked me to dinner. Me. A tired old woman, dating.”

“You’re not old.” She’d never heard her mom sound so excited. “Tell me about him.”

Their conversation lasted an hour, and her mother disconnected after a lengthy discussion about her date and Maddie’s career change. Maddie was excited about the future, but out loud, she reminded herself to be cautious. “Maybe. It’s not a done deal, even though I hit it off with Linda.” Then she circled back to the topic that floored her.

Her mother had a date. With a man. And she’d sounded thrilled. So why did her mother having a real social life, not just with friends or family, feel so odd?

“When you start talking to yourself, you need therapy.” Vanessa’s dry voice startled her.

“Damn it, don’t
do
that.”

“And don’t curse in front of the kid.”

She glanced behind Vanessa to see Colin McCauley grinning at her.

“Ooooh. You said a bad word.”

“She sure did, kiddo. Now let’s go see what Abby’s up to.” Vanessa shot her a smug look before toting the boy down the hallway.

More than curious, Maddie rose and joined them in the kitchen. Abby and Vanessa seemed engaged in a glaring contest while Colin munched on Maddie’s precious bag of frosted animal cookies. Cookies that should have been hidden in her secret stash.

“What’s going on?”

Vanessa shrugged. “I took an early day and ran into Cameron. He was supposed to watch over Colin after camp let out for the day, but he’s behind on a project, so I offered to help.”

Maddie couldn’t help it. She laughed. “
You?
”

“I’m more than capable of watching a small child.”

Abby smiled through her teeth. “Yes,
you
are. Need I remind you I’m writing right now?”

Vanessa blew out her breath. “Fine. Hey, Colin. Want to play some computer games?”

“Sure.” He followed her down the hall toward the office—Abby’s office—trailing crumbs.

“I thought you were working.” Confused, Maddie felt like she’d started from the wrong end of a book.

“I
am
.” Abby tore out of the room, yelling for Vanessa.

Maddie had a headache. Too nervous last night to sleep, she’d been up all hours reviewing her pitch and presentation materials. Today’s meeting and the call to her mother had about exhausted her reserves. And though the impress-me pumps she’d bought for the meeting had worked like a lucky charm, they pinched her toes.

She grabbed her purse and trudged up the stairs when her phone buzzed. Expecting the inquisition from Robin or Kim, she answered. “Hello?”

“Son of a bitch!” The voice sounded suspiciously like Flynn. He swore again, even louder, and she pulled the phone from her ear, wincing. A crash, bang, and Brody yelling about Flynn’s dubious parentage came through with a burst of static.

“Flynn?”

“Damn it.” Silence, then the static disappeared. “Maddie? Hi. Sorry about that.”

Giddy as a schoolgirl, Maddie practically skipped to her room and closed the door behind her. She sat on her bed, not bothering to hide her smile or her nervous jitters. Her knee bobbed like a jackhammer.

“Where are you?”

“I’m in hell, with Satan’s personal plumber—Brody Singer.” She heard Brody yell something before Flynn continued. “I just wanted to know how the meeting with Aunt Linda went. Wait a minute.”

“Who, me?”

“Sorry. No.
Brody, wait a minute.
Now, Maddie, tell me about your day.”

“Are you in a well?”

“Feels like it. So how’d it go?”

The excitement that had so exhausted her only moments before returned full force as she repeated her conversation with Linda.

“That’s terrific. My aunt’s a real shark when it comes to her business. If she liked you, you must be good.”

“Yeah, well, next week will prove it. I have to stage a place. I’m checking it out tomorrow.”

“Sounds like your new job is taking off.”

“Maybe.” She paused, her mind still stuck on her mother’s alarming news. She needed neutral feedback. Flynn had a decent relationship with his own mother. He might serve as a sounding board. “Can I ask you something?”

“Flynn, come on!” She heard Brody yell in the background. “This is fucking
heavy.
”

Flynn ignored him. “Sure, Maddie. Take your time.”

She couldn’t help laughing. “Poor Brody. I’ll make this quick. I would have asked Abby, but she knows my mom, and I need someone impartial. My mom is going out on a date.”

“A date?”

“Yeah. Some guy she says she’s known for years. They’re going out tomorrow night, and I feel weird about it. I want her to be happy, but I don’t know.” This was stupid. The man had a job to do. She should talk to Abby about her mom. “Heck, you’re busy, I should just—”

“No, hold on. Let me think.” She heard another crash. “Ignore that. You love your mom, right?”

“Yes.”

“I take it your dad isn’t in the picture if she’s going on a date.”

“He was never in the picture.”

“Got it.” No lengthy pauses, no judgmental silence. “How old is she?”

“Forty-four.”

“Wow. That’s young.” To his credit, he didn’t do the math. “Sure you should be concerned. She’s young enough to give you another brother or sister.”

“Oh wow. I hadn’t even thought about that.” She blanched, not able to envision her mother having sex. “The thought of my mom doing… That’s gross.”

“Trust me, it’s even worse to hear them going at it. Don’t ask.” He muffled the phone. “
Brody, one more minute.
I’m back. Look, it’s natural to care about your mom. But if you want her to be happy, and she seems happy, what’s so weird about her dating?”

“Nothing, I guess. I just don’t want her to get hurt.” Hell, one careless mistake twenty-seven years ago had changed her mother’s entire life.

“Does she get hurt a lot? Bad choices with guys?”

“No. This is the first time I know of that she’s been out on a date.” As she said it, she heard the words and felt like a complete moron. How could she think her mother hadn’t had sex in nearly thirty years?

“So it’s been how long since her last date?” More creaking, then what sounded like rushing water.

“Should you get that?”

“Nah, Brody’s got it.”

“My mom’s never dated, that I know of. Since I was born, it’s always been just me and her. But that can’t be right. Can it?”

“If she’s a nun, maybe. She probably didn’t tell you about it. Then again, maybe she put all her energy into you. Who knows? But if it were me, I’d be cheering for my mom to have fun and mingle a little. It’s not healthy for a person to be so alone. Take Brody. He’s like a hermit, and I keep nudging him to get a life.” The swearing behind him suddenly sounded muffled.

Flynn returned. “Oh man, I hope you didn’t hear too much of that.”

She cringed, not sure what Brody suggested could be physically possible. “Thanks for listening.”

“No problem. You feel better?”

To her bemusement, she did. “Yeah.”

“Well, congrats on dealing with Aunt Linda and living to tell the tale. Now I have to go fix what Brody broke. Talk to you later.”

He hung up before she could thank him again. And then she called her mother. “Mom, it’s me again.”

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I know you’re busy, but… This isn’t your first date since I was conceived, is it?”

“Um, not exactly.”

Relieved, she smiled. “Good. I’d hate to think of you being alone for that long.”

“Not even I could handle that.”

“Okay, well, I just want you to have a good time.” She didn’t want to say it but couldn’t help it. “
And
use
protection
,” came out as one word.

Her mother started laughing and didn’t stop. “Oh, God. Now I have the hiccups. Wish me luck tomorrow, sweetie.” She disconnected, leaving Maddie satisfied and happier than she had a right to be.

Her mother had a life. Her future had started to unfold itself. And wonder of wonders, her friend, her casual, neighborly new friend, had called to see how her day had gone.

She lay back on her bed, closed her eyes, and felt the smile creep over her face.

***

Abby yanked Vanessa out of the study while Colin looked at her iPad. “What the heck are you doing?”

“I told you. We need to grill him. Use your wiles and find out what you can. I’m simply taking advantage of an opportunity here. Didn’t you say the other day you’re ahead of schedule?”

She frowned. “Yes, but—”

“You love Maddie like a sister, right?”

“I do, but—”

“Isn’t it best if we find out if you-know-who is a loser before she falls for him? Because in case it’s escaped your notice, they have a thing going.”

“He hasn’t called her since Sunday.”

“Oh? Have you checked her phone recently?”

Abby conceded the point. “No. Okay. I’ll put off my work, but you’re cooking.”

“Deal.”

Vanessa caved way too easily. Abby groaned. She entered the office again and found Colin on the floor staring at a picture of her and her sisters. “Hi.” He seemed shy now that Vanessa had gone. “You’re in kindergarten, right? Or I guess, going into first grade after the summer.”

He nodded.

“So, um, what do you do at summer camp? Math, reading?”

No response. He just blinked at her.

“Do you dance?”

“No.”

“Do you sing?”

“Sometimes.”

“What do you sing?”

He started with “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and by the time Vanessa announced dinner, Abby and Colin were singing “The Farmer in the Dell” after two renditions of “Bingo Was His Name-O” and “Old MacDonald.”

They finished their song and washed their hands in the bathroom, readying for dinner. Abby smiled down at the little hands next to her own.

“You look like my mommy.”

Abby’s smile disappeared. “I know.”

“But you’re not her. I know that.”

He sounded mature for a five-year-old. “I’m not your mommy, no. But I’d like to be your friend.”

“But not my new mommy?”

“Ah, no. I like your dad, but I think we’ll just be friends. Is that okay?”

Colin looked her over, and the similarities to Mike were uncanny. Then he smiled, and his blue eyes brightened. “Okay. Can I tell you a secret?”

She leaned closer. “Sure.”

He whispered, “I like Vanessa, but she’s kind of scary.”

“I know. She scares me sometimes too.” She did her best not to laugh.

He grabbed her hand. “Do you think I could have a soda while I’m here?”

“Sure, Colin. We’ll share one.”

Seeming pleased with his new buddy, he smiled and pulled her down the hallway toward the kitchen. She saw no sign of Vanessa but two plates of food had been carefully laid out on the table.

Two sodas, crunchy spaghetti, and a limp salad later, Colin still hadn’t told her anything useful about Flynn.

From what she’d learned, Flynn could burp louder than Brody but not louder than Colin’s dad, who held the record for longest and loudest belch. Flynn was a middle child, which Mike referred to as the one needing the most attention. Flynn was also thirty-one, lived in a cool apartment by Pike’s Place Market, and drove Colin to school sometimes in an awesome truck. A standard. As in, it had a gear shift. It amazed her what Colin retained. And then she struck gold.

He guzzled more soda. “And he likes kissing girls. Gross.”

Hmm. “Really? I don’t have any uncles, but my sister likes kissing boys. She has a husband and two kids. And my other sister has four kids.” And was working on husband number three, but she didn’t mention that.

“Uncle Flynn likes kissing a lot.” He turned accusing eyes on her. “He kissed Maddie. Right on the lips.”

“He did?”

“Well, she kissed him. And after she left, he just mooned after her. I heard Daddy tell Uncle Cam that. And then Uncle Cam said something about Uncle Flynn being gone.”