Good with His Hands(21)

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DUSK WAS FALLING across Decatur as Sean drove to his parents' on Sunday  evening. His mom had called earlier in the week, insisting that both  her sons come over for a belated birthday celebration and see the  pictures from Hawaii.

"I managed to get them loaded onto my computer," Keely Grayson had said  proudly. "All four hundred and thirty-three! Bryce says there's  something he can do so that we can watch them on the TV. Like an  old-fashioned slide show."

Four hundred photos seemed a bit extreme to Sean. Still, he was looking  forward to the Never-Ending Slide Show more than he was looking forward  to seeing Bryce. For once, Sean would welcome one of his brother's  last-minute cancellations. Keely hated it when her sons fought, but Sean  wasn't sure how they could be in the same room without that happening.  When he thought about how Bryce had made Dani feel, his temper bubbled  and boiled like one of the active volcanoes his parents had just  visited.

Even though Dani had backpedaled, saying Bryce didn't technically  insult her, when she'd mentioned the "uncomfortable elevator ride" and  his implied disapproval, there'd been an expression on her face that  veered dangerously close to shame. It was one thing for Bryce to  occasionally hint that Sean was inferior. A degree of sibling rivalry  was natural. But the idea of Bryce, of anyone, making Dani feel bad  about herself? Sean's gut tightened in a knot of protectiveness and  anger.

As he flipped on his blinker and moved into the turning lane to make a  left onto his parents' street, he realized the luxury sedan in the  opposite lane belonged to his brother. Sean suddenly found himself  anxious to turn. If he got a moment alone with Bryce, he had a few  opinions he could get off his chest before they had to make nice in  front of their parents.

But there was a steady stream of oncoming traffic. Watching his  brother's car make its way to the cul-de-sac, Sean knew he wouldn't have  a chance to catch up with him. Goosing the accelerator and speeding  down the residential street would earn his folks' dismay and snide  remarks from Bryce.

By the time Sean parked in the driveway, his mom had already thrown  open the door to greet Bryce on the wide wooden porch. The paint was  peeling badly. Sean would have to check his schedule to see when he  could apply a new coat.

He and Bryce had inherited their build from their father, a big, blond  bear of a man, but they had their mother's coloring. Keely Grayson  shared their light eyes and dark hair, although hers was liberally  streaked with shining silver. She was a cheerful, vivacious woman, but  she worried about her boys. Nothing made her tense up faster than the  suggestion that something might be wrong in their lives. She also  despaired of getting either of them married off, what with Bryce's  "workaholic bent" and Sean's "skirt-chasing ways."

Lately, there was only one skirt he wanted to chase. As he climbed out  of the SUV, he thought that his mom would probably be cheered by the  news that Sean was interested in someone specific. But he couldn't  figure out how to mention Dani without the story rapidly devolving into  the type of anecdote you didn't confide to your parents.

"Sean!" She waved from the front porch. "Both my boys here at once. This is what I call a good day."

"And all those days you spent in sunny Hawaii?" Bryce teased without  looking in his brother's direction. "They were what-slow grueling  torture?"

She chuckled. "You know what I mean."

Bryce hoisted the box of imported bottled beer he carried. "I should put these in the fridge and say hi to dad."

"He's out back, getting the grill ready. See if he needs any help."

With an obedient nod, Bryce disappeared into the house.

Sean loped up the stairs and hugged his mom. "Welcome back, world traveler."

"You been behaving yourself since I saw you last?" she asked.

He grinned. "No, ma'am." It occurred to him that Bryce had probably never once been asked if he was behaving himself.

"Before you go inside, you should know that your dad is probably going  to ask your opinion on some home improvement projects. If you love me,  you'll discourage him. I swear, ever since he retired, when he gets  bored, he knocks down a wall and I end up living with plaster and  plastic sheets all over my house. He needs some other hobbies," she  grumbled.

"Could be worse. He could spend his days hanging out at strip clubs."                       
       
           



       

She harrumphed, but her eyes were twinkling. "At least then I'd get some peace and quiet around here."

They entered the house together, and Sean knew from the cinnamon-spiced  scent that his mom had been baking. He resisted the urge to close his  eyes and revel in the aroma that, to him, equaled home. "Apple pie?"

"Your favorite. And French silk for your brother."

In the Grayson household, the tradition was birthday pies, not birthday  cakes. Maybe if he'd made his birthday wish blowing out a candle on  homemade pie, it would have come true and Dani would be speaking to him  again. There were moments when he glimpsed encouraging signs of  progress-the way she'd sighed his name and leaned toward him in the  model home two days ago-but those tiny moments hadn't been enough to  change the big picture.

He ducked into the kitchen, grabbing one of his dad's flip-top beers  from the fridge. "Hey, Mom, has Dad ever seriously screwed up?  Romantically, I mean?"

She put her hands on her hips. "The year he got me that steam mop for  Valentine's Day comes to mind. Of course he's messed up, honey. We both  have. We're only human. What's this about?"

"I..." The words there's this girl hovered on the tip of his tongue,  and he suddenly felt as if he was eleven years old, having an afternoon  snack and telling his mom about the cute brunette who won the  fifth-grade spelling bee. She'd been out of his league, though. He'd  never made above a B minus in spelling. "Never mind."

She studied him shrewdly. "Any time you mess up, a heartfelt apology is a good start."

"Without admitting to anything, let's assume I already tried that."

"Really?" She looked startled by that information. He supposed he did  have a track record of being stubborn. "Well, flowers are-"

"Mom?" Bryce came in through the screen door at the back of the house.  "Dad has questions for you about how long he's supposed to cook your  salmon."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she muttered. "I already went over this with  him. Any time you give that man something to throw on the grill besides a  burger or a steak, he gets as flustered as if you asked him to prepare a  Baked Alaska. I'll be right back."

With his mom out of earshot, Sean wasted no time. "I understand you talked to Danica."

Bryce took a swig of his beer. "She told you that? I didn't realize the two of you were on speaking terms."

"We're... That's beside the point. Whether she's speaking to me or not, she deserves your respect."

"I disrespected her?" Bryce asked indignantly. "Oh, that's rich, coming  from you. I don't know her well enough to feel anything for her, except  sympathy that she got mixed up with you in the first place."

Sean ground his teeth, unpleasantly reminded that she'd only been  "mixed up with" him by accident. He wasn't the brother she'd wanted. Of  course, maybe if she'd known Bryce better and realized how pompous he  could be...

"Honestly, I don't know why she'd care about my opinion, anyway," Bryce said. "She didn't seem to like me very much."

Hearing that qualified as the high point of Sean's day.

"On the other hand." Bryce gestured with his bottle. "She didn't seem  to like you very much, either. Made a crack about how she was glad there  weren't any more of us."

"She's upset. Understandably. But I'm working on that."

Bryce stared at him for a long moment. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"But I meant what I said about her not liking you. You've never had a  problem getting dates. Why are you pursuing her? You should-"

"What, just give up?" Great brotherly advice-tell the loser to cut his losses.

To hell with this. Sean decided to see if his dad could use his help.

But as he left the room, he glanced back at Bryce. "It may surprise you  to hear this, but I do succeed at some things." He just didn't know yet  whether persuading Dani to give him a second chance would be one of  them.





      10

DANI WAS WRITING up new listings Thursday midmorning when her cell phone rang. She checked the screen. Meg.

"Hey." She leaned back in her chair. "I was going to call you later. Do  you have any lunch plans? The couple I was showing houses to canceled,  so I have an unexpected, sinfully indolent gap in the middle of my day."