“Yep. Seems to want to hang out here forever.”
Autumn tossed her cap onto the toolbox, grabbed a wrench, and strolled away.
Knowing that was his cue, Keegan followed. “Changed out all the plugs and wires again.”
“But we tuned it up the last time it was here.”
“We did. And here it is again.”
“Mind if I give it a look?”
“Be my guest. You got a lot of experience with heavy equipment?”
Autumn glanced over, her brown eyes smiling. “I know a thing or two, yeah. Helped my daddy out growin’ up. He sells farm equipment.”
Well, that was damn good to know. One day he might need the contact.
“That why you decided to venture into this business?”
She shook her head, her short hair swinging as she tinkered with something. “I got tired of the corporate world. My old life, really. Figured this was right up my alley. Fresh start, I guess.”
“You sure an office job’s what you want?” he asked when she continued to focus on the engine.
Her head turned and a smile formed. “Why do you think I’m in here, cowboy? Figure if I keep showing up, y’all will put me to work.”
“If it’ll get me in good with the boss,” he said with an answering smile, “you’re more than welcome to take over.”
A couple of hours later, they called it a day. Before they headed back to the house, Keegan called Kylie, asked if she needed them to pick up the kids from the daycare. She thanked him for the offer, but evidently Gage was handling it.
Without anyone else to lend their assistance to, they fell into their regular routine of heading home. Keegan was the first to hit the shower, then went to the kitchen to rummage for dinner. While he poked around, never quite making a decision, his brother showered, then joined him. It took Kaden all of a minute to pull out what he wanted because, evidently, he’d planned on steaks and potatoes early that morning.
As soon as he saw the slabs of red meat, Keegan dragged out the small indoor grill his brother had purchased a couple of months ago.
“I think Autumn’s gonna eventually work her way into the shop,” he said absently as he got it set up, snagging the seasoning rub when he was done.
“Nah. I think she likes it as a hobby, but she’s enjoyin’ the rest of it,” Kaden said.
“You know this how?”
“Because I talk to her.” The tone implied the duh.
“Yeah? That all you been doin’ with the boss lady? Talkin’?” Keegan teased.
“You know she’s not interested in men, right?”
Keegan’s gaze darted to Kaden. “Seriously?”
His brother laughed. “Sometimes you’re clueless, you know that?”
A lesbian?
Hmm. Sounded kinda hot.
Shaking off the lewd and completely inappropriate thoughts of his boss, Keegan shifted topics. “What were you talkin’ to Bristol about this mornin’?”
He remembered the way the pair had looked standing in that office. Almost cozy.
Kaden’s eyes cut his way briefly, then turned back to the potatoes he was poking with a fork. “She asked if we were goin’ to the fall festival.”
Seemed an odd topic, but whatever. “When have we missed one? What did you tell her?”
“She asked if we’d participate in the auction.”
“Auction? As in what? We sellin’ Kaleb’s coffee table?”
“Not that sort of auction.”
“Good. I kinda like that coffee table.” He grabbed a beer from the fridge, passed one to his brother. “So what’s she wantin’ to auction?”
“Us. To the highest bidder.”
It took a minute for the words to process. When they did, Keegan barked a laugh, unable to control himself.
“Did you shudder and shriek? Wouldn’t that kinda thing offend your delicate sensibilities?”
“Fuck off.”
“I assume you told her no.”
“Actually, I called Mayor Stewart and told her to count us in.”
Turning his full attention to Kaden, he waited for him to deliver the punch line, because surely this was a joke. Keegan was the type to jump at the opportunity to have women throwing money his way. Kaden was the one who insisted on flowers and wine and shit.
“It’s on Saturday, by the way.”
“You’re serious?”
On a normal day, his tight-ass brother would’ve been quick with the hell no. Then again, Kaden had a thing for Bristol, and somewhere in that warped and twisted brain, he probably figured this was their way in with her. After all, the effort Kaden had made over the last ten months had gone so well.
“What’s the catch?” There had to be one.
“No catch. It’s for a good cause, and Bristol asked nicely. Who was I to disappoint?”
“You’re hopin’ she’ll bid on us,” he accused.
“I’m hopin’ we won’t stand up there lookin’ like a coupla idiots.”
Keegan took a long pull on his beer, let the information his brother just sprang on him set in. “So the girl you’ve got the hots for wants to auction you for a date. You’re quick to say yes and there’s nothin’ you’re hopin’ to gain from this?”
Sounded like heartache waiting to happen.
Bristol Newton had been playing games with them for the past year, stringing Kaden along. Enough to keep his interest, but never enough to allude to the possibility of more. Typical woman shit. And while he wouldn’t turn Bristol down if she asked, Keegan damn sure wasn’t the sort who was interested in playing games.
“I’m goin’ with the flow,” Kaden stated. “Just like you told me to do.”
“Since when do you listen to me?”
“It’s rare, but it happens.”
He grinned, watching Kaden put the potatoes in the microwave. “You got a date in mind?”
“What?”
Keegan chuckled. “A date. You know, the good time we’re supposed to be offerin’. What do you think those eager ladies will be biddin’ on?”
“Us.”
“Wow.” Keegan’s cheeks hurt from his smile. “How exactly do you carry the weight of that ego around all day?”
Kaden’s responding “fuck you” lacked any heat.
“So why’re you backin’ off from Bristol now? ’Cause we both know you’re not givin’ up completely.”
“What would you have done?”
“Hell, I would’ve signed us up a long time ago. But I’m not the one with the hard-on for the daycare owner.”
Not that he would cop to anyway.
Chapter Three
Thursday morning rolled around and Kaden found himself picking up breakfast at the bakery rather than sitting down to a hot meal at the diner. Keegan’s fault, of course. His brother had stayed up too late playing GTA on his Xbox and had refused to get out of bed in time, something that usually happened once, maybe twice a week.
So Kaden had left his brother at the house and ventured into town, figuring he could spring for some donuts before making his way to the Walker Demo office to check on Autumn. He’d learned yesterday that she was having trouble with one of the general contractors. From what he could tell, she had it handled, but he figured he could be the nice guy, check in with the new boss, see if she needed him to have a chat with the guy. Of course, he had to broach the subject without sounding condescending because that certainly wasn’t how he intended it, so the donuts were more of a way to pave the way.