Page 123 of The Maxwell Brothers

Aaaaand that’s my heart sighing. He could not possibly be sinfully hotandhave a decent personality. He might have been a bit cocky—though in his line of work, it was probably a necessary evil—but to be sexy and caring? It should have been illegal to be both. "Thanks for coming here today.”

“Will you be here at every training?" he asked, fixating his molten brown eyes on me as he opened the car door.

"No, but I’ll be here next time just to make sure everything is going smoothly."

"I can't wait."

After he left, I went to my office. The headquarters of The Illinois Volunteer Society was in Bucktown. I was currently in the Ashburn neighborhood, so I got on a bus, planning to use the long ride to write some emails on my phone. My job mainly consisted of looking at each of our volunteers and finding an activity that would interest them, then, of course, setting up everything.

I was pleased that I’d been right in Tyler’s case. He looked genuinely thrilled after today’s meet and greet.

The office was empty when I arrived, but that was normal since most of us were out in the field most of the time. I knew my sister, Emma, was here somewhere, though. She’d promised towait until I was done so we could grab dinner together. Our boss, Henrik, said we were two peas in a pod, and as soon as my sister joined the company, he put her in my small office for us to share.

I headed straight to my chair and sat down. Our office consisted of two long glass desks, leather chairs, and a small shelf for extra paperwork. Emma had hung a brightly colored painting on her wall. I just had a calendar. It seemed practical, though I could admit it was a bit boring.

My mind immediately flew to Tyler, and I started fanning myself, wondering how exactly I was going to handle working with him.

I had met my fair share of celebrities, but he was the only one who made this kind of an impact on me.

Emma burst into the room the next second, giving me a start. My sister looked nothing like me. She took after Mom, with long blonde hair and green eyes. She was also creative, like Mom used to be. I didn’t remember much about Daddy, but Mom always said he had a practical side, so I guess I took after him.

I loved my sister to bits. She was my best friend, though she often said I took my big sister role too seriously. I had to constantly remind myself that we were both adults now. She didn’t need me helping her anymore.

“Tell me everything. Is Tyler Maxwell even hotter in person? He seems like a bad boy.”

“I’ve never seen him on TV. You know I don’t watch hockey.”

She waved her hand, tapping her foot impatiently before leaning against the edge of my desk. “We’re getting off the point. Is he hot?”

“Very.”

“Whew. You noticed. I was afraid you were going to just let that slide, as usual.”

I grinned. "I'm not letting things slide. I usually don't notice, but… well, Tyler Maxwell is in a league of his own. I couldn'thelpbut notice. And besides, he’s very funny and seems to genuinely like kids.”

Emma blinked. “Hmm. Clearly he’s made an impression. So, what are you going to do about it?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know." She wiggled her eyebrows.

I chuckled. "I'm going to do absolutely nothing. He's going to coach the kids, and that’s it. Besides, he’s a bit cocky."

"Oh, I know how you feel about that. But… you're not even a teeny, tiny bit tempted by him?"

"He would tempt any red-blooded woman. The man is practically walking temptation. But I know better."

"Yes, yes. But where's the fun in knowing better?"

"I agree," I said, "but it's not like I even have time to think about stuff like that."

She rolled her eyes. "You can find time if you want to."

That was probably true, but I really had my hands full. I loved my job, but the schedule was quite intensive. When I wasn't searching for volunteer placements, I was busy introducing our volunteers and setting up a plan and whatnot. And most of my free time was dedicated to finishing my house. I’d bought a small bungalow just outside the city, a two-bedroom house that a couple started building last year. They both got jobs in Arizona, though, so they had to relocate and sold the house before they could finish it.

I got the keys already but couldn’t move in. I still had to get the floors and the bathrooms done. So far, I hadn’t had much time to search for construction crews. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how I’d handle it financially. I was still renting my apartment, and I’d already started paying the mortgage. Those two charges ate up most of my paycheck, so I’d probably try to do some of the stuff myself.

I couldn’t believe I was a homeowner at twenty-nine! Ever since I was a kid, I used to daydream about the house I’d own one day. I was sure my parents were smiling from somewhere above us, feeling proud.