The Billionaire Playboy(51)

“Are you sure? I don't mind.” The more people working the sooner she and Jake could continue what they started.

“Jake's right. We’ve got this. Go on in.”

“Don't say I didn't offer.” Charlie didn't have a good reason to argue with her brother so she carried the remains of their snack and went inside.



Jake watched her walk into the house then joined Sean at the back of his truck.

“Gonna be around long?” Sean asked.

“Till Monday.” Jake pulled a large box out of the truck bed.

Sean reached for another as well but didn't pick it up. “Does Charlie know about your pregnant ex? If not I suggest you tell her.”

Jake didn't miss the threatening tone of the statement. He wanted to hate the guy for it, but if the tables were reversed he could see himself doing the same thing. How many times had he done similar things on Sara's behalf? More times than he cared to count.

“I don't want her hurt. Understand? And your arm wouldn't be the first I've broken on my sister's behalf without her knowledge.”

He didn't doubt Sean could do it without breaking a sweat either. Charlie's brother reminded him of a brick wall. “She knows everything O'Brien. Just for the record it's not mine.”

“Glad to hear it,” Sean said, his voice losing its menacing tone.

If whatever existed between him and Charlie was going to continue he didn't want any bad blood between him and her family. “Are we good then? Or is this going to be a problem?”

“We're good.” Sean slapped him on the back before lifting his box and starting toward the house. “A reporter stopped at Quinn's Hardware asking questions about you,” Sean said before disappearing down the stairs around the side of the house that led into the basement.

And today just keeps getting better. “Just me?” Jake wondered if Marcy Blake made that stop before or after her stop at the Victorian Rose.

Sean dropped the case he carried and motioned for Jake to do the same. “At least while I was there she only asked about you, but I left before she did. Why?”

Jake heard a trace of the threatening tone from before return to the other man's voice, and he wondered if Charlie realized just how protective her brother could be. He doubted it.

“She stopped here this morning,” Jake said as he headed back outside.

“And Ma was a wealth of information,” Sean said before Jake could comment any further.

“You could say that.” Once again he felt guilty for dragging Charlie and her family into this new scandal.

“Leave it to her. She just doesn't know when to stop.”

The need to defend Maureen O'Brien's behavior fueled Jake's next comment. “It's not her fault. Marcy Blake could get a corpse to talk. That's why she's so good at her job.”

Sean stopped near his truck and leaned against the side. “Ma means well, but she likes to talk, always has. I hope she didn't say too much.”

“Nothing that Marcy couldn't find out from some other source.” Jake reached for another box. “But you should be prepared for other reporters if and when Marcy writes about Charlie coming to Newport with me.”

Sean groaned and pushed away from the truck. “Great. Just what we need. More chaos around here.” He pulled the next case off the tuck bed. “On second thought it might be good for business,” he said after a minute. “After people read the President's son stayed here they might figure it's good enough for them too.”

Sean walked toward the house. “Hey, maybe I should put a plaque outside the room you used. Billionaire playboy Jake Sherbrooke slept here. What do you think? Maybe I could charge a premium for that room.”

Jake heard Sean laugh as he disappeared down the basement stairs. Guy's got a strange sense of humor, Jake thought following him down. “Always glad to be of service. Do you want me to sign it for you?”

“I like the way you think, Sherbrooke.”

It took a few more trips to empty the truck but eventually all the boxes were stacked in the basement.

“You want a beer?” Sean asked closing the door to the storage room in the basement behind him.

He wanted to find Charlie and pick up where they'd left off in the gazebo, but sharing that information with her brother was out of the question. “Sounds good.” Jake followed Sean to the opposite side of the basement.

“Do you play?” Sean asked as he opened the door to the refrigerator.

Since the pool table stood between them, Jake assumed Sean was referring to pool. “A little but not since college.” He accepted the ice cold bottle Sean handed him.

“I don't play much anymore either. But before we started the bed and breakfast I used to play in a league. Now I get together with a couple of guys maybe once a month to play.” Sean took a long swallow from his beer. “You up for a game?”#p#分页标题#e#