Instead, she went to work trying to turn the stem, fighting, sweating, and swearing every time the metal slipped with no change, until she heard a car door. Then another. And another. And men’s voices, footsteps, and—
“Beth? Where are you?”
“In the back,” she called, pushing back from the fruitless task.
Ken came around the back…followed by another man. And another. And another. And—
“A few friends wanted to help,” he said, taking in her wide-eyed expression.
She wasn’t sure whether to thank him or…stare. She recognized a few of them from the day at the fire station, but not all of them.
Immediately, Ken was on the ground next to her. “You okay?” he asked, his voice soft and concerned, his eyes so direct she felt like melting.
“I am now,” she said, earning a hint of a satisfied smile. “I fell,” she admitted, and not just because she should tell him everything that might impact the baby, but because she wanted to.
His expression registered a flash of fear, but it was gone so fast she wasn’t sure she saw it. “Are you injured?”
Now he sounded like a medic and firefighter. “No, I honestly don’t think so. I slipped in the water, but I didn’t notice anything hurting or feeling different. Still, I promise I’ll call my doctor as soon as her office opens and tell her what happened.”
He looked hard at her, then nodded. “I trust you.”
She sighed a word of thanks and jutted her chin toward the water valve.
“The handle broke off,” she told Ken. “It was closed and not broken last night, I’m sure of it.”
“Moonshine,” he called to one of his men. “Get me a wrench.”
“Is the house open?” he asked.
She closed her eyes. “You guys are going to go in there and take over everything, right?”
“Yep.”
“And I’m going to let you.”
“Yep.” He touched her nose in a gesture that from anyone else would have been condescending, but from Ken it was sweet and somehow supportive. “Let me help you, Bethany.”
She didn’t even think about arguing. “The sliders into my bedroom are open to the patio. That’s the only way in and out without my key. I turned the breakers off.”
He turned to the two men behind him. “Jimbo, Irish, head in, check everything, and assess the damage.”
Smiling at her, a young man handed the tool to Ken, who went to work, still firing orders. In ten seconds, he twisted the valve stem, and the water stopped with a clunk to the pipes.
He shot her a satisfied look.
“The power of good tools,” she said under her breath. Of course, big muscles helped, too.
“Who you calling a tool?” he teased with a wink.
When she smiled, he leaned closer to study her. “Are you sure you’re okay? No pain? No bleeding?”
“None at all,” she promised him. “I’m fine. We’re…fine.”
The shadow of a smile crossed over his face again. “We. Your favorite word.”
Right at that moment, with him helping her…it wasn’t a bad word at all. She returned the smile. “I hope we can dry out this house and fast.”
He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’ve got my team, and they’re the best in the business. Relax.” He took another look at the valve. “So, vandalism?”
She shook her head, not quite ready to buy that theory in this neighborhood, but gave him a smile. “But thanks for not assuming I’m an idiot.”
He drew back. “Who would assume that?”
“Well, I was the last person to touch that valve last night.”
“You think you were the last person to touch the valve last night.” He inched her to the side, tossed another order at one of his men, then headed to the patio where the other two had opened the sliders. “Stay here.”
Two other firefighters, in the same Navy T-shirt and camo fatigues as Ken, came around the corner, carrying a bright red gas-powered water pump between them.
He’d brought the damn cavalry!
“Miz Endicott,” one said, nodding. “I’m Jenkins. Remember me?”
“And I’m Mike, aka the chef.” He grinned. “Can we get past you and start drying things up, then?”
“Of course, thank you.”
If she hadn’t been pregnant, she could have done all this. She could have rented a pump and checked all the circuits and closed up the outlets. She could have dried out the house and fixed the valve—eventually—and handled her problem on her own.
But this way was so much…nicer. Big, strong, handsome helpful men who jumped when Captain Cav issued an order.
Two hours later, the house was secure, most of the water was out of the kitchen and dining room, and a water damage and remediation team was on the way to set up industrial fans to dry out the walls and floors so mold wouldn’t grow.
Oh, and Beth had five new firefighter friends, plus a crush on their captain the size of a small house.
* * *
Ken walked into the living room after sending his team off, hearing Beth’s voice from the back of the house. He figured she was on the phone and hoped like hell it wasn’t a friend she planned to stay with since she couldn’t live here, for a couple of days at least. The whole morning he’d been planning how he’d persuade her to stay at his place.
But something told him Miss Independence wasn’t going to jump all over that idea—or him.
He surveyed the house again, which was clean but still damp. Even with the remediation crew coming and the fans they would set up to dehumidify, it would be a day or two until the house was truly habitable. And it was Florida; the likelihood of mold growing was almost a guarantee. The fans would be screaming like jet engines, and no one in their right mind would sleep here.
Not when she could sleep with him. Which was wishful thinking, but the idea had planted and taken root. Now he had to see if he could sell her on it.
He turned as Beth came down the hall, a phone to her ear.
“All right, thanks. I’ll swing by and pick up the keys when I have a chance.” She walked into the living room, sliding her phone into her back pocket, an overstuffed tote bag on her shoulder.
His heart sank. “Where are you going?”
“My dad has a house on the market a few blocks from here. It’s empty, but I have an air mattress in the garage, so I’m going to move in there until I can come back.”
“Don’t do that.” He came a little closer, wishing he had finesse in these kinds of situations, but he’d always be blunt. “Stay with me.”
Her eyes widened a little. “That’s…”
“So much easier and smart. No air mattress.” He reached out and touched her chin, lifting it a little. “I have a second bedroom.”
Not that he wanted her in it, but he had to go slow or she’d run like a scared rabbit.
“Do you think that’s smart?”
“Genius, actually.”
“Seriously, Ken, we’ll…” She fought a smile. “You know we will.”
He definitely hoped they would. But he reminded himself that wasn’t supposed to be the selling point. “You’ll be so much more comfortable in my house than some empty place with an air mattress. Plus, I have Sally.”
“Well, yeah. Sally’s a bonus.”
He could feel the seismic shift as she started to warm to the idea. “And a boat,” he added. “We can take a sunset cruise.”
“All that and my problem-solving firefighter.” She sighed.
“Beth, I don’t mean to step in and solve your problems,” he said, reaching to take her hand. “Helping someone isn’t taking control, and letting someone make your life comfortable isn’t waving a white flag over your independence.”
“I know. You’re right. I’ll stay there. For a day or two, no more.”
He squeezed her hand. “Good call.”
“But…” She looked around. “I still don’t understand how this happened. I know the valve was s
ecure when I went to bed. And now I’m going to lose so much time.” Absently, she touched her stomach. “I have a lot of work to do.”
He looked outside as an engine revved on the street. “Your water guys are here. I’ll wait while you set them up and—”
“No, you go and get some rest. Leave me your address, and I’ll come later. I still have some things to do here and some business in town.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Not really thinking, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“Uh…good-bye?”
She smiled up at him. “You know I could have done all of this myself. It would have taken longer and cost me more, but I could have. So, thank you very much.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, sliding an arm around her. “And as you know, I think all that DIY stuff is hot. But thanks for humoring me and letting me show off all my boys and our skills.”
“They are nice…skills.”
He laughed and reluctantly released her to go outside, exhaustion pressing as he zeroed in on a bright yellow Corvette that had pulled up. Definitely not the mold remediation team.
Ken walked toward the man who climbed out, sizing him up, guessing him to be mid-thirties, with the perfect amount of calculated scruff and a decent build.
“Who are you?” the man asked.
“I take it you’re not here for the leak.”
The other man looked Ken up and down, mostly up, since Ken had him by a good two inches. Ken had long ago abandoned his blues and wore a filthy undershirt and wet jeans that had been crawling in dirt and floodwater.
“Which sub are you?” the guy asked.
“All of them,” Ken replied. “How about you?”
“I’m the special one.”
Ken’s fist tightened, but he stayed cool. “Can I help you with something?”
The guy inched back. “I’m here for Beth.”
Who was this guy?
“RJ?” Beth’s voice came from behind the screen door just as she pushed it open. “What are you doing here?”
RJ. Her half brother.
“Meeting your new boyfriend.”
She popped out the door, frowning at both of them. “He’s not my boyfriend. And, actually, you already know him. RJ, this is Ken Cavanaugh. Ken, my brother RJ Endicott.”
“Really.” RJ looked surprised, then extended his hand.
“RJ. It’s been a while.”
“Twenty-some years,” RJ said. “I think I was twelve when…you two dated.” RJ shook his hand, still eyeing Ken.
Beth immediately came closer. “What’s up, RJ? Do you need something?”
“Rumor has it you’ve had a flood.”
“Rumor?” she choked. “Nobody knows that.”
“I happened to be with Bob Kinsley’s administrative assistant when you called this morning. He had his phone forwarded to her.” He gave a fake angry look. “Thanks for the interruption, sis.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I did call him since he’s flipping a house one street over and I thought he might be close by.”
“How bad is it damaged?” RJ asked.
She shrugged. “Some, but I can handle it.”
“So, what, you went to bed and didn’t turn off the water?” He threw a look at Ken. “I guess you were distracted.”
Ken opened his mouth, but Beth was too fast, placing a quieting hand on Ken’s arm but a warning look for her brother. “Sounds like Bob Kinsley’s admin pushed you out of the wrong side of the bed. I don’t need your help, but thanks.”
He laughed. “But I’m right. You forgot to shut off the water. Rookie mistake.”
“She did not forget to shut off the water,” Ken said, the need to defend her strong. “Someone broke the valve. On purpose.”
RJ blinked. “Damn. Place is going to hell in a handbasket.” He gave a look past Beth. “Um, are you too busy to talk? In private.”
After a moment, she nodded, her expression softening. “Come on in, RJ. Ken was just leaving.”
“I’ll see you soon, Beth.” He made sure it wasn’t a question, and he hoped to hell her little brother didn’t try to talk her out of staying with him.
Chapter Ten
After checking out the damage, RJ dropped onto her white leather sofa with none of the concern that Ken had shown for dirtying it. She prepared for some comment about Ken Cavanaugh, but RJ looked too wrapped up in his own thoughts to pursue it.
“What’s up, RJ?” she asked.
He let out one long exhale. “I need money.”
“Shocker.”
“No, Beth, I don’t mean money like a loan. I mean money like a…purpose. A job. A career.”
“Don’t tell me, my little brother is growing up.” She stood in front of the chair, not willing to commit to the long conversation that sitting would imply.
He didn’t laugh at her joke. If anything, the anguish on RJ’s sharp features deepened. “Your little brother is about to become a father.”
She fell into the chair with a thud. “What?”
Grim-faced, he nodded.
“Bob Kinsley’s admin?” God, she hoped it was the woman he was in bed with that morning, although with RJ, one never knew for sure.
“Of course. Her name’s Selina Montgomery.”
“I can’t believe it.” She fell back, barely aware she put a hand on her own stomach. “Are you…do you…what are you going to do?”
He looked at her, his blue eyes so much like their dad’s and her own, but full of pain. He didn’t answer right away, making her realize she was literally holding her breath as she absorbed the fact they were in the same situation.
“Oh, we’re getting married. I love the shit out of that girl.”
Or not. “Oh, RJ. That’s awesome!” She practically jumped out of her chair to join him on the sofa and hug him.
But he didn’t return the embrace. “I’m not worthy of her, Beth.”
“Of course you are! And you’re the father of her baby.” The minute the words were out, they hit her hard. Why would she think Ken’s role in their baby’s life would be diminished? She certainly didn’t want that for her brother.
The sudden insight made her burn with shame.
“But I’m such a loser.”
“You are not!”
He leaned back and gave her a get real look. “I’ve essentially lived off Dad’s money when I don’t have a steady job, which is never.”
“You did that real estate stuff in LA,” she said encouragingly. “You sold a thirty-thousand-square-foot office building in Van Nuys. Not many people can say that.”
“One deal and then I came home with my tail between my legs because LA commercial real estate is a shark tank and I was chum.”
That was true. “But you’ve been talking to that recruiter, and she thought there might be something for you over on the mainland, right?”
He puffed out a breath and shook his head. “Fell through. Face it, Beth. I suck. I take after my mother, whose entire existence has been built on taking things from other people—like Dad’s money.”
Her heart cracked when he said it, mostly because the truth couldn’t be denied. Nadine had married Beth’s father when he was at his most vulnerable, just a year and a half widowed with a baby daughter. And at twenty-two, she’d secured her future with a baby of her own almost immediately after she got the Endicott last name.
When that marriage had inevitably broken up, she hadn’t even wanted her young son. She’d taken the cash, which had to have hurt RJ in indescribable ways. And Beth always thought it explained a lot of his problems, and gave RJ a pass on some of his poorer life decisions.
But this? This wasn’t really a decision, as she well knew.
“Well, now you have a chance to be a different kind of parent,” Beth said, pressing his arm. “And you’ll find the right career. I know you will.”
“You’d think there’d be something for me at EDC.?
??
She couldn’t argue that. “Dad offered you a job in the commercial department.”
“A very low-level job,” he said bitterly.
“You could work your way up.”
“Landon won’t have to work his way up,” he shot back. “He’s going to walk into the CEO’s office.”
Maybe, maybe not. “He has business experience,” she said.
“And Josie,” RJ added.
“Even if Landon is CEO, maybe he’ll give you a job,” Beth said. She would, if she took that role, which would be another reason for her to seriously consider Dad’s offer.
“Landon give me a job?” RJ snorted. “Maybe goats will fly to the moon.”
She tried to laugh, but Landon treated RJ like the black sheep so many families had, especially when they had three different mothers. But RJ had always held a place in Beth’s heart, no more than right now.
She gave him another hug, fighting the overwhelming urge to confess that she was going to be a parent, too. But something kept her quiet. It was still a secret she shared with Ken, and now…now something felt different.
Maybe it was seeing how much this affected her brother. Ken must be feeling the same things, and she’d been so busy clinging to control that she hadn’t given him this same consideration.
“So tell me about this Selina Montgomery. Will I like her?”
“I think you’ll love her,” he said. “I sure do.”
A pang of envy twisted her heart as she leaned in closer. “How do you know? Are you sure it’s not the fact that you’re having a baby together that you love?”
“I loved her before she got pregnant,” he said.
As it should be. “What’s she like?”
“Awesome. Smart, funny, and so chill. She’s going to be a great mom.”
“Oh, RJ.” She put her head on his shoulder and blinked against the sting of tears. “You’re going to be a great dad.”
“If I get my shit together.”
“You will. When’s the wedding?” she asked.
“I’d like to wait until I have a real job,” he replied. “I know that sounds stupidly old school, but I have to provide for her. Baby’s due November twenty-second.”