'Maybe this is our first renter,' she called out, laughing now.
Kate glanced at Kiera as she stood. 'You think that could be Reece?'
'No,' she said. 'He's gone to Europe. He left a message for Isabel that he was leaving, and he hoped she'd think about their future together while he was gone.'
Kate replied. 'Oh dear. Well, at least he's away from Silver Springs.'
'Kate, your first renter is here,' Isabel called out from the hallway.
'What in heaven's name…' Kate whispered.
Both she and Kiera stood just as Isabel, grinning from ear to ear, walked into the kitchen. Dylan Buchanan was right behind her.
Kate was so astonished to see him she fell into the chair. Isabel introduced him to Kiera, who was moving forward to shake his hand. Kate couldn't find her voice to say hello. Or good-bye.
'We've heard so much about you,' Kiera said. 'It's nice to finally meet you. It wasn't possible for us to go to Kate and Jordan's graduation. Were all the Buchanans there?'
He nodded and smiled. 'There are a lot of us. We probably would have overwhelmed you.'
He deliberately ignored Kate as he carried on a pleasant conversation with her sisters, answering questions about Nathan's Bay and Boston.
Kate was still reeling from the surprise. All she could do was stare at him and hope she wasn't blushing. Her face felt warm, though. Was blushing a telltale sign of guilt? But what did she have to feel guilty about? As if she didn't know. How about having hot, amazing sex all night long with her best friend's brother. Yep, that would do it, all right.
Oh my, he looked good. But untouchable, she told herself, even as she was remembering how warm and hard his body had been pressed against hers. Enough. He was untouchable, she repeated. The one-night-only special was over and done with, and the sooner she got him out of her house the better for her peace of mind.
Could a man grow taller in just a couple of days' time? No, he just seemed taller because he towered over Isabel. When Kate was finally able to stop gawking at him, she noticed that both of her sisters were pretty impressed with him, too.
Isabel looked starstruck, and Kiera couldn't stop smiling; however, she was a bit more astute than Isabel. She kept looking back and forth from Dylan to Kate. She knew something was going on, but Kate didn't think she had figured out what just yet.
Isabel was telling Dylan something he found amusing. That lopsided grin of his was outrageously adorable.
Kate finally shook herself from her stupor and stood. 'Why are you here?'
When he looked at her, she wished he hadn't. The smile was gone. She couldn't define the exact look on his face, but she would have to say it was somewhere between aloof and homicidal.
'Kate, where are your manners?' Isabel asked, shocked by her sister's surly tone.
Kate circled the table and offered him her hand. 'It's lovely to see you again.' Her speech took on a pronounced southern accent, but then it always did get thicker when she was nervous. She couldn't help that any more than she could help his effect on her.
He glanced down but didn't shake her hand.
Okay, she'd tried the southern lady approach. Time to get rude again.
'I repeat, why are you here?'
'Kate, what's wrong with you?' Isabel asked. She sounded appalled. 'You're being terribly impolite.' Turning to Dylan, she asked, 'May I offer you something cold to drink? How about some iced tea or perhaps a soda?'
'No thanks,' he said.
'Why don't we all go into the living room? That would be so much more comfortable,' Kiera suggested as she hurriedly gathered the bills into a stack and set them aside.
Dylan wasn't paying any attention to Kiera or Isabel. He was staring at Kate. He knew he'd shaken her when he'd walked into the kitchen, and it was just fine with him if she felt uncomfortable. She deserved at least that for leaving Boston and not telling him.
As if she could read his mind, she said, 'Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?'
'Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?'
'Leaving where?' Isabel asked.
'Never mind,' Kate said.
She folded her arms and frowned at Dylan as she took a step toward him. 'I spoke to Jordan just a couple of hours ago, and she's doing fine, so I know you aren't here because of her. Did she know you were coming? No, she couldn't have. She would have told me.'
'Actually, she sent me,' he said with a shrug.
She took another step closer. 'No,' she said suspiciously.
'Yes, she did,' he insisted.
'Then you'll be staying with us?' Isabel asked eagerly. 'I'm afraid Kiera and I will be leaving tomorrow, but I'm sure Kate would love to have the company,' she continued, casting a warning glance at Kate to cooperate and be hospitable.
'I'm not going to be staying with you, though I appreciate the offer. This is a quick trip. After I talk to Kate, I'm going to check into a hotel. I'll probably be in town only one night.'
'You must stay with us,' she insisted. 'We have the room.'
'If he wants to stay in a hotel, we should let him,' Kate said with a scowl in Isabel's direction.
'You'll stay for dinner?' Isabel asked. When she smiled, the dimple in her cheek was prominent.
Kate had the sudden desire to stuff a dish towel into Isabel's mouth. 'I don't think Dylan-'
'I'd love to stay.' He wasn't sure if he agreed because he was hungry or because he knew it would irritate Kate.
'You'll have a taste of southern hospitality,' Isabel promised.
'Sounds good,' he said.
His cell phone rang. He smiled when he saw who was calling, said, 'Excuse me a minute,' and walked out of the kitchen as he answered.
Kate waited until he was out of earshot and turned to Isabel. 'Will you stop flirting with him? I don't want him to stay for dinner. I want him to go back to Boston.'
'But I want him to stay,' Isabel argued.
'What's going on with you?' Kiera asked. 'From the moment Dylan walked in you've been acting so strange.'
'Rude,' Isabel offered.
'Nothing is going on with me,' Kate explained. 'I'm just stressed. That's all. I just need a good night's sleep.'
'Do you know what I think?' Isabel asked.
Neither Kate nor Kiera seemed interested in hearing what she had to say.
'Isabel, go set the table,' Kiera said. 'Dinner's almost ready.'
Isabel didn't protest. Kiera waited until she'd gone into the dining room and whispered, 'Something is going on. And don't tell me it's my imagination. I can see the sparks between you two, and the way you look at him and the way he looks at you…'
'He looks at every woman the same way. He's got a real fan club back in Boston.'
Kiera was trying to signal Kate to be quiet because Dylan was standing in the doorway again, but Kate was looking the other way and didn't notice.
'Women seem to love him,' she said.
He leaned against the door frame. 'And I love women. No secret about that.' His tone was neither boastful nor apologetic. He was simply stating a fact.
Not the least bit embarrassed, she turned toward him. 'Yes, you do,' she agreed. 'May I have a word in private?'
'Sure thing, Pickle.'
'Will you stop calling me that!' she demanded in frustration.
'Would you like something to drink before you have your private word with my sister?' Kiera asked. She
