An Imperfect Match / Next Comes Love. Kimberly Van Meter

the other day. His ears pricked again. “Anything? Dishwasher, maybe? How about line cook? I can make a mean plate of hash browns.”

      “I’m sorry, Ms…”

      “Nichols. Annabelle Nichols.”

      “Ms. Nichols. We’ve already hired all the staff we need at the moment. Good luck with your search. Leave your number with Maria up front and I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

      Tough break. He tried not to see the sharp disappointment on her face but she kept forcing his attention toward her. She looked like one of those fine-boned porcelain dolls that cost so much you shouldn’t touch them. He shook off the thought and motioned again to the waitress, ready to get back to the office, when Aaron walked in. Ah hell.

      Dean must’ve racked up a serious deficit in a past life for all the karmic crap he’d been served lately.

      He stiffened, determined to ignore the man, but Aaron had a knack for pissing people off—a talent Dean was sure he perfected in the privacy of his own home—and right now, Aaron was doing a bang-up job of rubbing Dean the wrong way.

      Aaron’s expression lit with a dark zeal when he saw Dean, and it was all Dean could do to remember his manners and not deck the guy right then and there. There was no love lost between them, and both men knew why.

      Dean wasn’t the smooth talker in the family. That was his younger brother Sammy’s forte. And he left him to it for good reason. He’d never excelled at smiling and playing nice when he wanted to do the exact opposite. This was something Aaron knew and exploited whenever possible.

      “Great job landing that new plaza contract, though I don’t know how you managed to talk old man Tucker into selling that slice of land. I’ve been trying for years and the old sucker wouldn’t budge. Mind sharing any tips?” Aaron asked with feigned casual interest.

      “You seem to be doing fine on your own,” Dean said tightly, his gaze returning to the woman giving Steve one last chance to decide that he couldn’t live without her on the payroll. He had to give her points for tenacity. She didn’t give up easily. “You don’t need any help from me,” he added, signaling an end—at least on his part—to the conversation.

      Aaron tracked Dean’s stare and noticed Annabelle, appreciation for her lush curves and ample breasts evident in his lingering look. “Who’s that?”

      “Dunno.” That was mildly correct. Dean didn’t actually know her. Didn’t want to know her. Aaron continued to stare and Dean’s patience slipped. “A little young for you, don’t you think?”

      “Not a crime to look.” Aaron smiled. “I’d say a body like that was made to draw attention. Maybe someone ought to welcome her to the community. Seeing as you’re heading out, I’ll take care of it.” He clapped Dean on the shoulder, which was at best annoying and made Dean want to growl at the liberty, and then headed in the young woman’s direction.

      Good sense told him to leave. But watching Aaron sidle up to Annabelle made his blood boil. Dean looked away, ready to leave, but there was no way he could walk out the door with Aaron sizing her up. Biting off a silent string of curses, Dean followed Aaron, intending to warn the woman off whatever Aaron planned to offer, and, if it worked, he’d enjoy ruining Aaron’s day as a bonus.

      Aaron’s smile faltered briefly when he realized Dean was standing beside him, but he didn’t veer off course.

      “What seems to be the problem, Steve?” Aaron asked the manager with a wide smile but his attention never left Annabelle. “You giving this beautiful woman trouble?”

      To her credit, she didn’t seem impressed with Aaron’s chivalrous act and actually inched away to provide a wider buffer between them as she answered for Steve. “No problem. Just looking for a job. Thanks though.”

      “And I told her there aren’t any openings right now,” Steve said, shooting Annabelle a regretful look. “But, like I said, leave your name and number with Maria and we’ll keep you in mind.”

      Steve left and Annabelle’s expression showed her disappointment, which Aaron was quick to capitalize on.

      “I’ll bet I could find some work for you. What’s your name, sweetheart?” Aaron asked. “Are you new in town?”

      “Annabelle Nichols,” she answered, glancing at Dean for a brief second. Her soft brown eyes seared into his with a force that threatened to knock him back, but she didn’t acknowledge him otherwise. She had freckles, he noted with surprise. Faint dots of color sprinkled the bridge of her nose in a way that could only be described as terminally cute, but her long red hair fell in loose, inviting waves—

      He jerked imperceptibly at the direction of his thoughts, deciding he was no better than Aaron, thinking things he shouldn’t about someone who was young enough to be…well, a sister.

      At forty-one, he didn’t need to be lusting after a woman in her early twenties. That sort of thing begged for trouble, and trouble he didn’t need.

      “Where you from?” Aaron asked, looking the part of a politely interested passerby, but Dean didn’t buy it. The man had no shame. “Can’t be from around here. I’d remember someone like you,” he said with a boyish smile, and Dean’s desire to punch him intensified.

      But, seeing as he couldn’t deck the man in a restaurant, Dean skewered Aaron with a short look and asked, “How’re Gina and the new baby?”

      Aaron’s gaze narrowed at being caught in his game and a dull stain colored his cheeks. “Doing fine. Thanks for asking,” he answered with a tight smile but didn’t take the opportunity to bow out with his tail between his legs. Instead, he recovered with a grin. “So, what can you do, sweetheart? I might have an opening.”

      “She already has a job,” Dean blurted, ignoring Aaron’s irritated stare and Annabelle’s startled one. He was damn sure not going to let Aaron try to worm his way into Annabelle’s pants under the guise of doing something nice. Yet even as his mouth moved he wondered what the hell he was doing. He’d made himself abundantly clear to Annabelle yesterday, yet here he was looking like an indecisive ass with a bad temper today. To hell with it. That was all before Aaron stuck his nose into it. He eyed her intently. “Don’t you?”

      “I…uh…yeah. I guess so,” she answered. Though clearly confused, she was willing to play along.

      Aaron shot Dean an accusatory look. “You said you didn’t know her. Now she works for you?”

      “I just met her yesterday. I forgot Sammy hired her.” Again, mostly true. So piss off, you philandering prick. Dean looked at Annabelle. “If we’re not paying you enough I’ll see what we can do. No sense in you working two jobs if you don’t have to.”

      “Thanks,” she said, watching him curiously. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

      “Yeah.”

      Aaron’s smile returned, not quite ready to call it quits. Adjusting quickly, he changed tactics. “Trust me, darlin’, you don’t want to work for this grouch. He’s no fun. Come with me and I’ll show you how working for Eagle Construction is better. Besides, from what I’ve been hearing, Halvorsen Construction has had a run of bad luck. No such problems with Eagle. You’d never have to worry about your check clearing.”

      Dean caught Annabelle’s look of alarm and it took everything in him not to clench his fists. Instead, he smiled thinly and said, “Well, it’s true we’ve lost a few bids to an unscrupulous contractor, but at least with Halvorsen Construction you don’t have to worry about the boss trying to look down your shirt or up your skirt.”

      Annabelle moved away from Aaron with a small smile and her next comment made Dean’s respect level go up a notch. “Thanks, but I’m not looking for a good time. I’m just looking for something to pay the bills.”

      “Fair enough,” Aaron said, tipping his baseball cap to her and spearing