Love and Romance, etc.

"Wow, what's with the fancy threads, Blake?" Astonished, Vinn looked at his brother's tailored pants and shiny black loafers and feared Blake had been replaced by an evil doppelganger.

"I have a date tonight, smart ass."

"Since when do you iron shirts for a date?" At least Vinn thought that thing was an iron, but then he hadn't seen an iron since Mom hid it from Dillion.

"Are you in love, or something?" Vinn's stomach twisted as he imagined Blake married to one of his former flames and living here under his roof.

"None of your damn business," Blake said, then stopped ironing and looked at him with a speculative glance and added, "Since you have to know—and I know you'll bug the shit out of me until I tell you—she thinks I'm an irritating man." He grinned. "I plan to prove her wrong."

Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad. Vinn ran his palm across the back of his neck, rubbing at the kinks that were forming. Their life was just fine the way it was. He loved women—as long as they didn't live with him. A guy's place should be—like a guy. It should be his little own private domain with no frills or smelly bathroom soap or fancy kitchen wear. Just guy stuff. Guys didn't care if you never cleaned the toilet or eat off paper plates and plastic forks. A girl living here would mess things up! "You're not going to marry her are you?" He heard the apprehension in his own voice.

"Vinn—knock it off. It's just a first date, okay. Will you go bug Dillion for a while?"

"He's not here."

"Where the hell is he?" Blake snarled at Vinn as if it was his fault. "It's his turn to do the grocery shopping."

"He went to some art show with his editor." Vinn scrunched his face at Blake.

"Can't you do the shopping this time? If Dillion goes we'll all end up eating goat cheese and alfalfa sprouts for a week."

"Man cannot live on Cap'n Crunch and Snickers bars alone, Grasshopper."

"Yeah, but man would be a lot happier."

"If you're so picky why don't you go?" Blake asked as he spread a layer of starch to his shirt.

"Because I did it last week. Oh, man, Blake. Starch? You've got it bad."

"Hey! Is anybody here?" A female voice shouted from downstairs. Vinn smiled and felt his blood pressure increase a couple of notches.

He left Blake and his dating problem and sprinted to the top of the stairs to look down at the foyer. He found Page Murphy staring up at him. "Hey, there beautiful," he said finding himself grinning like an idiot at her usual worn-out overalls and cute-as-hell pink t-shirt.

"Who's the one that's got it bad?" Blake yelled from his bedroom.

"Shut up, man," Vinn warned, then felt like an ass when his cheeks heated. He tried to ignore Blake's snicker when he walked down the stairs to greet Page's skeptical expression.

"Heard you got another leaky sink pipe," she said.

"Holy hell, Vinn! It's Niagara Falls in here—" Blake shouted.

Page and Vinn look up at the direction of the shouting from upstairs.

"Yep, just follow the voice from above, my lovely pipe fitter." Vinn threw his arm casually around Page's shoulders and led her up the stairs.

"Does my brother know you're trying to make the moves on his sister, slick?" she asked.

"What can I say? John's a man of the modern world. He believes a woman should make her own choices," Vinn said.

"Uh huh."

As they entered the flood bathroom, Jerry ran out with dripping wet fur soaked and matted into gray spikes.

"I'm surprised Jerry doesn't ram his head into everything," Page said. They were both grabbing for towels to mop up the mess before Blake electrocuted himself with the old leave-it-to-Beaver iron.

"Jerry's memorized this place from his whiskers. That's why we can't move any furniture or he might hurt himself."

Blake walked into the bathroom as he was tucking in his shirt. "Look I'm sorry I can't stay. Page can you handle this mess?"

"No problem, Blake."

"Great. Good. Thanks."

"Sure." Blake turn to leave. Both Page and Vinn held in their smirks. On the back of Blake's shirt was an enormous scorch mark.

"What's with him?" she whispered.

"Don't mind him. He's got a hot date tonight."

"Really? Huh, that's kind of unexpected," she mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean," Vinn asked.

"Uh, nothing. Never mind."

"Yeah, well apparently she's got him in tailspin," Vinn said as he sat on the side of the tub and watched Page do her thing. There was an air of efficiency about her that fascinated him. The sight her in action always got his juices flowing. "She thinks he's irritating, and it's driving him nuts." Vinn thought about it for a minute. "In fact, he's been acting kind of funny lately."

Vinn's gaze slowly slid downward, lazily appraising her. Hey, he was a guy. He couldn't help it.

"He's not irritating. Bossy, maybe. You're the one that's irritating. Now go shut off the water pressure so I can work."

"Oh, I just love a woman in command. It turns me on."

"Vinn, the wind blowing in your pants would turn you on," she said.

"Baby, you really know how to hurt a guy," he said. Then she gave him that look. The one that said, "I'm not sure if I what to kiss you or slug you in the gut." Vinn didn't want to push his luck so he went downstairs.

The doorbell rang just as he was about to walk out the back. He hoped it wasn't someone he knew. He didn't want to feel obligated to invite them in. As soon as Blake left, Vinn and Page would be all alone—hoo ya!

He walked back through the living room to the foyer. Jerry was in his usual window seat licking the water off his fur. "I wish we could train you to answer the door, Jerry."

Jerry looked up with sightless eyes in Vinn's direction, sniffed the air, then went back to his grooming.

Vinn walked over to him and pet his damp silvery-gray head. "I think I'm wearing her down, Jerry. There's just something about a woman who can use a wrench, you know? Yep, Jer, pretty soon, Page is going to realize she can't live without me. You can only ignore sexual tension for long."

Jerry purred while he urged Vinn to continue petting.

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking she's too old for me, but Jer old buddy, three years between two people means nothing where passion is concerned. But you know all about animal magnetism, don't you? Yeah, you don't have to worry about girl problems, pal. You just give them a pitiful look and they come running."

Jerry yawned like a lion with his pink tongue curling up and his pointy teeth fully exposed. He didn't have a single kitty care in the world.

The person at the door became impatient and opted for knocking instead. "Yes! I'm coming. I'm coming." He opened the door to a petite older woman, in a dark gray suit with a crisp white pinstriped shirt. Her shortly cut hair was gray too, making her look like an actor in a black and white movie. The hairs at the back of his neck prickled. "Can I help you, ma'am."

"Hello," she said. Her voice was on the nasally side and she sounded a little like Lily Tomlin.

Vinn took the card she held out to him.

"My name is Hazel Smith and I'm with the Historical Society. I'm here about your house."

"The house?" Vinn looked from side of the porch to the other, wondering what was up. The woman lifted her brow just like his old third-grade teacher used to when he misbehaved in class, then pure trepidation set in.

"Yes. You see, sir," she thrust out an envelope, "We've got a problem." ~

THE LONELY GUYS
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