Jason – he was no boyfriend. And no hookup either.
Apparently, the guy was Arden's cousin – a low-level administrator at the nearby community college. He'd owned the house for three years now. And in spite of his early reluctance to sell, he'd come around soon enough, thanks to some creative pressure applied where it counted.
I'd learned all of this just today, courtesy of Mason, who handled the business side of things.
I considered his question. "What's the problem?"
Shit. Where to begin?
I said, "So you knew that her family owned it?"
"Sure, I knew," he said. "Why do you think I bought the place?"
I gave him a look. "I bought it, not you."
"Yeah. And I did the deal." He gave me a tight smile. "So you're welcome."
I'd already thanked him once, and I wasn't about to do it again. He'd wanted to handle it. And me? I'd wanted it handled while I kept the construction side of things running on schedule.
He did his thing. And I did mine. Until now, it hadn't been a problem.
But this? It was a problem – one I hadn't seen coming.
A few weeks ago, I'd spotted the house while scouting a different property on a neighboring street. That property had been a dud.
But the house on Lakeview had it all – good bones, a killer location, and plenty of room for improvement. It would be great for the show, and even better for the city. And the neighbors? Hell, they'd be sending us thank-you cards by the time it was done.
The place was a mess, inside and out. As bad as it was, it was a miracle it hadn't been condemned.
As far as purchasing it, the deal had been in the works for weeks. During this time, no one – including my prick of a brother – had said a single word about Arden Weathers.
I gave Mason another hard look. "Why didn't you tell me who owned it?"
"Because it wasn't worth mentioning."
It was a lie, and we both knew it. Mason held a grudge for longer than anyone I knew, me included. And that was saying something.
Sure, Arden and I had a history. And that history was on the explosive side. But Mason should've known better.
My discussion with him ended the way it always did, with stoic silence on his part and a good deal of profanity on mine. By the time I stalked out his office, neither one of us was happy.
But hey, what else was new?
And now I was running late. I'd meant to check in with Arden at noon. But noon had come and gone hours ago. The day had been a shit-show already and showed no sign of improving – not after last night.
In my mind's eye, I could still see her – gazing up at me with those big, tearful eyes. She'd been on her knees, and not in a good way.
It had surprised the piss out of me.
I hadn't expected her to do it.
After all, it was just a house, even if she did have a habit of poking her nose where it didn't belong.
Last night, I'd been plenty ticked-off – and with good reason, too. She'd busted into my house, and then insulted the hell out of me.
She'd called me vile.
Arrogant, too.
I felt my jaw clench. What else had she called me? By now, I could hardly remember.
But I did recall her begging me for a project that was already in the works.
I'd been pissed. And I'd taken it too far. But hey, I didn't deserve all of the blame.
On top of the other bullshit, she'd acted like I'd force her to have sex with me as some sort of payment.
What the ever-loving fuck?
It was the worst kind of insult. I didn't pay for it. And even if I were heading down that sorry road, I'd never want anyone who wasn't willing and eager.
Arden Weathers? She wasn't willing, eager, or my type. We weren't friends, and I didn't like her, but I did owe her an explanation, and maybe an apology, too.
Like all unpleasant things, I figured I might as well get it done and call it good.
It was a decent plan, or so I thought until I spotted a certain white SUV in the driveway on Lakeview.
Shit. From the looks of things, trouble had come early.
Chapter 11
Arden
With murder in her eye, the blonde hissed, "I said, 'Put it back.'"
I glanced around. Yes. She had said that, just a moment ago. But I still wasn't quite sure what she meant.
A full hour had passed since her surprise arrival, and she'd spent most of that time hunkered down in the SUV, talking to whoever while I made uneasy chit-chat with Roy.
I was trying to be a good sport. Really, I was. But between the blonde's rudeness and the realization that Brody had made me beg merely for the fun of it, I was feeling more than a little cranky.
I gave the blonde an annoyed look. "Put what back? The mower?" If that's what she wanted, I'd be all too happy to return it to the garage across the street, if only to escape all the drama.
I probably would've left long ago, if not for the fact that I'd been hungry for more information. And Roy, for his part, had fed me plenty.
Turns out, my grandparent's place was one of several properties they were featuring during the show's upcoming season. Apparently, Brody had picked this one personally and had even mentioned the possibility of living here after the house was fully restored.
The jerk.
The way Roy talked, this had been Brody's plan all along – not that Brody had bothered to enlighten me himself.
I knew why, too.
It was because he was a total vindictive bastard. That's why.
And now the blonde was saying, "I don't mean the lawn-mower. I mean the lawn."
Huh?
When I gave Roy a perplexed look, he appeared to
