Page 9 of The Love Fix (The Sunrise Cove #8)

“Not talking about it.”

“Works for me. Just know this. I get that he made you doubt your worth on a daily basis, but you’ve got enough money put away

for several lifetimes. You helped me and Misty get into a mortgage we could afford. You take care of Grandpa to save my marriage.

You’re there for anyone who needs you. You’ve more than proven yourself, so it’s time to give up the Superman complex—”

Heath pinched the bridge of his nose. “Cole?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Cole laughed softly, and the both of them heard Daisy’s old truck on the street behind them. Craning their heads, they could

see through the chain-link fence and down the side yard of Daisy’s house as Ashley hopped out of the passenger side and yelled

at Lexi, “I told you, I don’t need your help!”

“Ash, you had two credit cards rejected at the gas station. So I swiped my card. No big deal.”

“I’m not a charity case!”

“But I’m using the truck too,” Lexi said. “And I always pay my way.”

“You’ve paid for everything since you got here. It was my turn.” Ashley jabbed a finger at her. “And we both know you’re only doing all this so I’ll take back what I said about being

done delivering the envelopes with you. All you care about is getting whatever money’s coming to us and leaving. Well, take

Margo’s and just go already.” And with that, she stormed up the front walk.

“My point is that you need that money too!” Lexi yelled.

Ashley’s answer was the sound of the front door slamming shut.

The brothers looked at each other.

“So much for peace and quiet,” Heath muttered.

Cole snorted. “She really grew up to be hot as hell.”

Heath turned his head and gave Cole a deadpan look. “You’re married, asshole.”

Cole laughed, and Heath knew he’d been had.

Cole was still grinning. “You still like her.”

“Just watching the fireworks.”

“Enjoy it, since it sounds like she might bail at any time.”

Heath shook his head. “Not before she sees this through. She’s too smart to do that. And stubborn.” And so damn alluring.

Something about her flashing eyes and irritation at all things ridiculous drew him right in. Feeling his smugly smiling brother

still staring at him, he rolled his eyes. “What?”

“It’s interesting, is all. I’m glad she’s here, since your social life is nonexistent.”

“Maybe my social life is something I’ve kept to myself.”

“I might believe that if you’d gone on even one date in the past few months.”

“Look where dating’s gotten me. Nowhere close to a family like the one you’ve got.”

Cole’s brows vanished into his hair. “You want a family?”

Shit. “No.” Yes... “ Maybe .”

Cole stared at him for a beat. “Should I be worried about you?”

“I’m the big brother, remember? It’s my job to worry about you, not the other way around.” Rising, Heath headed for the back

fence. “You should go inside and make sure Misty isn’t sharpening a knife. Maybe make her that peach tea she likes and get

her to put her feet up.”

“Heath.”

He kept going, shutting the gate on his brother’s oath. Cole meant well, but there were still things Heath didn’t want to

talk about.

Ever.

He headed through Daisy’s side yard toward the truck.

Ashley had been avoiding him for a couple of days.

He still had no idea what had happened with the first envelope delivery, but now he also wanted to know why the sisters were fighting.

He didn’t realize Cole had followed him until Lexi, still in the truck, saw them coming and lightly banged the back of her head against the headrest.

His brother waved at her. “Hey, Lexi. Long time no see.”

She didn’t smile. “The last time I saw you, you’d just peed your pants.”

Cole grimaced. “Third grade wasn’t exactly my year. And I saw you the last time you were here, remember?”

She gave a small smile. “You’re right. My mistake.”

Mistake, his ass. Heath chuckled, ignoring Cole’s dirty look. Then his brother turned back to Lexi. “So what’s going on with

you and Ashley?”

“It’s not our year,” she said dryly.

“What happened?” Heath asked. He could feel Cole’s eyes on him, head tilted with far too much interest at his serious tone.

“And you ,” Lexi said, clearly annoyed as she ignored his question.

“Me? What did I do?”

“Oh, I know this one,” Cole said, raising a hand. “Nothing. He did nothing except lie around in the hammock like some lazy

off-season ski bum.”

“Hmm,” she said.

Cole’s smile faded as he clearly realized that while he’d been just joking around, he’d somehow stepped in it. He glanced

uneasily at Heath, who just smiled, deciding not to even attempt to change Lexi’s opinion of him, instead leaning into a false

narrative he’d actually cultivated. Because as long as she was on the fence about him as a human being, he could tell himself

he wasn’t into her. A lie, of course. He’d always been into her, far more than was good for either of them.

“Uh...” Cole took a step back. “I’ve got to get going. It was nice to see you, Lexi.” He grabbed Heath’s arm. “Need to talk to you real quick.”

Heath let himself get pulled back to the fence. “What?”

“So that went well.”

Heath shook his head. “Seriously? That’s what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“That, and to mention that for someone as smart as you are, you’ve retained nothing you’ve ever learned about women.”

Heath crossed his arms. “Do tell.”

“You obviously like her, and yet all you do is bait her. Why?”

Heath pleaded the Fifth. Mostly because he had no idea.

“Look, you should let her see you. The real you.”

As if revealing the deepest, most intimate parts of himself were something to throw around with Lexi, who no doubt would fling

them right back at him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You sure about that?” his brother asked. “Because you never agreed with Daisy’s idea to leave the sisters these tasks. You

even told her so, more than once. You worried about Ashley having to face Daisy’s murky past, and yet now you’re encouraging

her to do it so that, what? You can keep Lexi here for six weeks instead of standing in her wake as she once again vanishes

back to the East Coast?”

“Enough. Shit .”

Cole crossed his arms. “You going to deny it?”

They stared hard at each other for several painfully long seconds, enough time for his brother to flash him a knowing grin.

“Didn’t think so.”

Heath’s insides tightened, a part of him wanting to swipe that smug superior look right off Cole’s face—with his fist.

Cole just laughed. “You want to have a go, old man? Like we used to?”

Heath turned his head and met Lexi’s gaze. Since she was still in the truck, still wearing sunglasses, he couldn’t see much

of her thoughts, but he didn’t need to because he could sense her unhappiness.

Not good.

He’d been sitting on this plan of Daisy’s, along with the envelopes, for nearly a year as requested. And after all the woman

had done for him, he couldn’t fail her on this. Not when he knew Daisy’s motivation behind the envelopes wasn’t about her,

but about Lexi and Ashley spending time together, learning to be there for each other, becoming sisters of the heart.

Obviously, that wasn’t going well. They needed a bridge, and he had a feeling that bridge was named Heath. Great. And since

Lexi didn’t appear to be in any hurry to get out of the truck and face her sister, he strode away from Cole and back across

Daisy’s yard, where he helped himself to the seat Ashley had vacated.

“No,” Lexi said, pointing for him to get out. “I’m going to the grocery store. Alone.”

“What happened between you and Ashley? Does it have something to do with delivering Margo’s envelope? Neither of you have

told me how it went.”

Her mouth tightened.

Oh good, they were going to do this the hard way. Reaching over, he pulled off her sunglasses.

Those honey eyes narrowed, glittering dangerously as she snatched the glasses back. “Get out,” she said. “I’m in a hurry.”

“For groceries?”

She grimaced and he laughed. “Yeah, first rules of lying out of your very fine ass—you have to keep track of said lies.”

She muttered something under her breath about damn nosy neighbors with sexy indolent smiles who thought they were God’s gift.

“Sexy, huh?”

“I also said indolent,” she snapped.

He shrugged. She sure as hell wouldn’t be the first person to underestimate him.

“Are you getting out or what?”

“Or what.” He could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. “I could use a few things from the store.”

“No. Sometimes I get road rage walking behind people in the aisle. I don’t need an audience.”

He smiled. “Sounds like fun.”

Lexi ground her teeth. “Fine, I’m not going to the grocery store. I’m running an errand, and I don’t want to discuss it.”

“I’m a great wingman.”

“Are you a silent wingman?”

“I can be.”

She pointed at him. “Not a single word.”

With a salute, he buckled up, adjusted the seat, and rolled the window down.

“Please, by all means, make yourself at home while you encroach on my life.” Muttering something about nosy-ass neighbors,

meddling sisters, and mothers with agendas, she put the truck in drive and hit the gas.

There was something about watching her concentrate.

Maybe it was the way she furrowed her brow in displeasure when she got cut off or how she looked in a tee, jean shorts, and wedge sandals on her feet, making her legs look ten miles long.

Interacting with her as a grown-up fascinated him.

Physical attraction to her aside, he’d been prepared to have complicated feelings about her.

For one thing, she seemed to still be at war with the memory of the woman who’d been a pseudo mother to him.

He understood that Daisy had had her problems, big ones.

He also understood she hadn’t been the best parent.

But she also had most definitely not been the worst.

That honor went to his father.

But even if Lexi couldn’t forgive the woman who’d saved Heath’s life on more than one occasion, the woman had taken Ashley

in as her own, raising her... Didn’t that tell Lexi anything about her mom at all? That there had to be some innate goodness

in her?

Maybe “complicated” was too mild a word for his feelings.

They drove through Sunrise Cove and... kept going. He glanced over at her, but she seemed disinclined to explain. She had

her window down too, the wind in her hair, and she looked... relaxed.

When he realized they were driving around the lake, he began to relax too. For years, every waking—and sleeping—moment of

his life had been consumed by work, by ambition, by what he’d thought had been love. He’d walked away from all of that, and

now, being here, not worrying about where they were headed or what her mysterious errand was, felt like a luxury.

They’d been on the road for forty-five minutes, driving south around the lake, when he slid her a look. “Starting to wonder

if I’m being kidnapped.”

That earned him a half smile. “You’re just now worrying about that?”

He shrugged. “I wanted some peace and quiet.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “And you thought I could provide it?”

He grinned. “You’re right. What was I thinking?”

She snorted, then glanced at him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“Is this life here in Sunrise Cove enough for you?”

“If you mean being near and close to my family while living in what is not only one of the most gorgeous places in the world

but also has a laid-back, easygoing vibe that lowers my blood pressure... yes.”

She slid him another look. “You have a way of answering questions that seems designed to make me feel like I got a piece of

your life but in reality tells me very little.”

He chuckled. “You’re one to talk.”

“Do tell.”

“You hide behind a razor-sharp tongue and a don’t-get-too-close vibe.”

With a snort, she cranked the music a little bit more. He didn’t mind. He’d already figured out where they were going. What

he didn’t know was why.

Two hours from when they’d left Daisy’s house, Lexi pulled down a quiet, slightly neglected street and parked. “Definitely

not a grocery store,” he murmured.

“Smart-ass.”

“This is Margo Schutz’s house,” he said. “Where you and Ashley delivered envelope number one a couple of days ago.”

“Yes. And no.”

A woman came out of the house and, without glancing at them, got into an old RAV4 and drove off.

“Stay here.” Lexi jumped out of the truck and started up the front path, a white envelope sticking out from her back jeans

pocket.

“Well, that’s too much to pass up,” he said to no one, and followed, catching up with her bypassing the front door to head

along the side yard to the back.

Where he found her letting herself in the back door. “B and E?”

She jumped, then glared at him. “It was unlocked,” she hissed. “And what part of ‘stay in the truck’ did you miss?” She tiptoed

into the kitchen, pulled the envelope from her back pocket, and leaned it up against the coffee maker on the counter.

“She wouldn’t take the envelope,” he guessed.

“I mean, who refuses a big fat check?”

“If I tried to hand you one from me, you’d most definitely refuse.”

Her lips quirked, and he pointed at her. “I saw that. You almost gave me a smile.”

“Because you’re ridiculous.”

“So you would take a check from me?”

“Hell no. But Daisy liked Margo. Liked her so much that she wanted us to give her money.” She looked around at the cabin that

was clearly in need of repairs and lifted her hands. “I don’t get it.”

“There’s need,” he said softly. “And then there’s need .”

Their gazes locked and held, and something that felt too uncomfortably real passed between them. “You do realize that there

was a camera at the front door,” he finally said.

“Which is why we’re at the back door.”

“Where there’s one, there’s always—”

“Hands where I can see them!” a man called out from behind them. “ Now! ”

With a sigh, Heath slowly lifted his hands and turned in unison with Lexi to face the cop on the stoop.