The Other Twin

She looked at her phone. The call had already connected.

She pulled it to her ear. “I’m sorry. I didn’t...”

Nathan’s hands slapped against his thighs.

“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” a woman asked.

“I...I don’t have one. I dialed accidently.” She forced the words out.

“Are you sure?” the woman asked.

“Yes.”

There was silence on the line. Then the operator asked, “Do you need help?”

“I heard a noise, but it’s nothing.” At least she hoped it was nothing. What was Nathan doing here?

After the woman checked one more time, she hung up. What if they sent a patrol car anyway? The Fitzgeralds might decide she wasn’t worth all the trouble she always caused. She shivered. Only last year, Gray and Abby had saved her and Josh from her brother-in-law, Levi.

“You didn’t convince me nothing was wrong. And I know everything’s all right.” Nathan smacked the wall. “I’ll be lucky if I’m not in jail within the hour.”

She jumped. “Why are you here? You worked until almost nine.”

And not just last night, but for the entire week since she’d helped him measure. Not that she was checking on him. While tucking Josh in bed, she’d glanced out the window and Nathan’s truck had still been in the lot.

“I’m... I just...” Nathan shrugged. “I want to live here while working on this project.”

“Here?” she squeaked. No way.

“Yeah. In the carriage house.”

She hated the idea of Nathan living next door. Even in the dim light she caught his blush. “Why?”

“You saw how slow I am.” He paced into the room and then back. “This is the first major project I’ve handled for the company.”

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“Story of my life.” His fingers rattled against his jeans. “If I’m living here, I can work more hours.”

“But no one’s lived here in years,” she said.

He waved her over. “What do you think?”

She nodded, wanting him to walk in front of her. No way was she letting him get between her and the door.

He rolled his eyes and held up his hands like he was harmless.

He wasn’t harmless, but she followed.

A trouble light hung off a fixture, the orange cord dissecting the room. The apartment was a mirror image of hers. The kitchens backed up to each other and the closed door was probably one of the two bedrooms. Sitting in the middle of the living room was a canopy bed that used to be in her apartment.

“What was the thumping?” she asked.

“I moved the bed to access the water valve.” He indicated an open panel in the living room wall.

“That’s a strange place to put water valves.”

“It’s probably here because the carriage house didn’t have running water when it was built.” He crouched next to a wrench.

A wrench could do a lot of damage. Cheryl made herself smaller, less of target. And hated her actions. Her hands formed ineffective fists. All the good years with Brad and she was back to her childhood. Because of Levi.

“You’re shivering.” Nathan’s gaze dropped to the thin T-shirt she’d slept in. His nostrils flared. “Are you cold?”

“I’m fine.” But the heat in his eyes made her shake harder. She wished she’d thrown on a bra.

“I think this apartment will work for me.” His gaze snapped back to her face. “I’ll talk to Abby.”

“Sure.” She backed out of the room. “I’d better check on Josh.”

She dragged her kitchen door closed, turned the lock and sank to the floor. Her nipples had pebbled from Nathan’s hot look. Only Brad had made her feel like she was desirable.

She didn’t want to feel that way about Nathan. He was trouble. With his swearing and drinking, he’d be a terrible role model for Josh.

She couldn’t let him live next door.

CHAPTER TWO (#ude503103-cdd4-5a28-985d-341a1794c188)

THIS COULD WORK. Nathan shut off the water and unplugged the trouble light.

He moved into the hallway just as Cheryl’s lock clicked.

She’d been shaking earlier. Fear? He’d heard some of what had happened last year. Her brother-in-law had been stealing her military survivor checks. Instead of stopping him, she’d run away but the asshole had found her at Fitzgerald House. Gray and Abby had protected Cheryl and her kid. He couldn’t imagine such a frightened woman standing up for herself.

But she’d checked on the noises he’d been making. Shoot, this morning she’d actually called the police. That was something.

Once Jed, his site supervisor, showed up, they mapped out the day’s tasks. Then he headed over to the B and B to catch Abby. He might even snag breakfast. Food was a perk of working at Fitzgerald House. Usually Pop or Daniel reaped those benefits.

The Fitzgerald sisters, Abby, Bess and Dolley, were like his sisters. The Foresters and the Fitzgeralds even spent holidays together, so he wanted to make sure Abby’s restaurant was perfect.

Cheryl also spent holidays with the Fitzgeralds, but he couldn’t think of her like a sister. This morning her T-shirt had been worn and nearly transparent. Her nipples had tightened as he’d stared.

He shifted, his jeans growing snug. He had to keep remembering—she had a kid.

But Cheryl’s body rocked.

He peeked in through the kitchen window and spotted Cheryl’s kid sitting on a small sofa, drawing.

The door was open; the scent of sugar and spices had his mouth watering. He grabbed the door handle.