Page 19 of Winning His Wager
“Keeping house. Not keeping me.”
There it was, that glare. Every time she mentioned Quade, Fletcher would glower like she had never seen someone glower. She was going to ask Quade if the two men had gotten into a squabble or something. Male egos could be so fragile, after all.
“Whatever. Same-diff.” Dylan was definitely enjoying herself. He was a lot of fun to torment. He had a totally different personality than his big brother Ben. Ben was playful. Fletcher was just…grumpy. Tense—he was really tense tonight. How weird. “Now, canned goods. They have low-salt versions here that are really reasonably priced. Better than the regular. Healthier. I am also watching your blood pressure, you know. I will put in a garden for you, and we can freeze the veggies when we harvest. But in the meantime, canned veggies. The frozen veggies are on sale this weekend too. Food, Fletchie. I know how much it motivates you.”
“Fletchie?” An amused voice said behind her. Dylan turned and just sighed. And stared.
Her sister Darcey was a total idiot.
Talk about a beautiful, beautiful man. Totally worth drooling over.
Martin Tyler was hotness personified. She had learned quickly to keep that thought to herself—especially around Darcey. “Hello, Martin ‘Mostest Hottest Guy’ Tyler.”
“Hi, Dylan ‘Mostest Adorablest Girl’ Talley. So, is it true? You are shacking up with Fletcher out at his place?” Martin looked a great deal like Fletcher. At least through the face. Fletcher was the only Tyler guy she had met who had that really pale strawberry-blond hair. But every Tyler was tall, redheaded, broad-shouldered, muscled, rugged, blue-eyed, and beyondhot.
Well, even Fletcher, if she was honest. He was really hot—it was just offset by the grumpy. What a total waste.
“Of course, I am not shacking up withhim.Nothing real man about him.” Dylan shot Martin a grin as Fletcher got a little bit more growly next to her. “However, I am hishousekeeperfor the next six months. So I have to keep him, you know.”
“Just six months? I see.”
“Well, that’s how long the bet is for, actually. He doesn’t think I can work a real job that the Talleys don’t give me. I have to prove him wrong, you understand. It’s a matter of honor and everything.”
“I see.” He smiled down at her. So deliciously. Dylan always had liked older men. But this one was her oldest sister’s. Daisy had said so. Whether Darcey wanted to admit it or not, Martin wasDarcey’s. And Dylan wouldn’t ever dream of poaching. He looked at Fletcher and smirked. “A housekeeper, huh? Right. I have heard that one before.”
Fletcher’s expression just darkened. Oh, the grumpy was strong tonight. “Can it, Martin.”
“I am so going to have to get me ahousekeepersoon too. That seems to work really well for us Tyler men. Highly effective.”
“Don’t you have someplace to be?” Fletcher asked.
“Don’t be rude, Fletchie.” She smiled at Martin, not missing the humor in his blue eyes. He and Fletcher resembled each other a great deal. Except for, well, the hair and humor thing anyway. “I think he has lived alone, feral, a little too long. As his housekeeper, I have a moral obligation to retrain him.”
“I think that would be hilariously entertaining to watch,” Martin said very seriously.
“I’m sure it would. Tell me, do you always eat so much processed food?” The man had fruit-flavoredcereal, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese and frozen pizza and other type foods overflowing right now. Were all Tyler men that oblivious to nutrition? That could be a serious character flaw. She should probably warn Dusty that Ben might just need to be supervised. “Is it a Tyler guy thing or something?”
“These are comfort foods. I have a trio of kids staying with me for a while. I figured to keep with familiar foods before I intro the healthy stuff.” A look went through his eyes. Dylan just nodded. She’d heard through the grapevine he was a registered foster parent.
They spoke a few minutes, and then Martin took off.
Dylan watched him go with a longing sigh.
“What?” Fletcher asked, just as grumpy as usual.
“That is the most perfect man on the planet, Fletchie. Hot, hardworking, funny, and loves kids. Too bad he is not for me. And, well, everyone knows he is Darcey’s forever. If she ever stops being stubborn and snaps him right up. I can’t poach him since she is my oldest sister. Even though it is very, very tempting. But a seriously hot, gorgeous man like that would never look at a runtling like me, anyway. And Darcey is kind of scary—I don’t want to tick her off at me again. Like never again, actually. She is quite a bit bigger and meaner than me, in case you haven’t noticed. But a woman can dream. Come on, Fletchie. You need some zucchini and butternut. Let’s go.”
* * *
Dylan thoughtMartinwas the perfect man? Martin? Martin could be a jerk sometimes. And she thought Martin was hot?
But she looked at Fletcher like he was a slightly dense child. All the time.
He and Martin didn’t look that much different. Their hair was different, but they were the exact same size. Hell, he and Martin had always favored each other. “I’m hardworking.”
She looked at him like that again. “You most definitely are. It is one of your top three qualities. Very intelligent too. Those drones are pretty sophisticated.”
“I will be just as successful as Martin someday.” His cousin had the best contracting company in the county. The region, really.