Why don’t you come in and have a seat while we wait for Garrett?” she offered.
Asher smiled and moved to follow her, but Becket shook his head. “Actually I’d like to get a head start and look around your property if that’s okay? Would one of you ladies like to show me around?” he asked glancing at all three of them briefly.
Rayne bit her lip and looked at Cleo and Ivy who had been surprisingly silent throughout the introductions. Ivy was part owner of their home so she motioned to her sister.
“Ivy can show you around.”
Ivy glanced at her quickly, looking a little nervous but nodded her head and smiled at Becket. “Just follow me,” she said and opened the front door and walked out onto the large front porch.
Becket disappeared after her, leaving her with Cleo and Asher. She motioned toward the living room and smiled as she noticed Asher staring at Cleo. She was glad now that her friend had dressed up a little. Cleo was the only person she knew who was completely comfortable in her own skin whether she was dressed up in pearls and a formal or wearing yoga pants and no makeup.
“So Asher, I didn’t realize that Murphy Landscaping had two other part-owners. You seem kind of young to be a business owner.”
Asher sat back comfortably and smiled. “I have a degree in business management and I’m over that end of things. Garrett is over landscape design and Becket is over all the heavy lifting. He does rock walls and anything that has to do with a back hoe. We just opened our nursery last month so we’re excited to expand.”
Cleo cleared her throat and crossed her legs. “That’s pretty impressive. Most guys your age are still partying and working at Starbucks.”
Asher glanced at Cleo and smiled slowly. “My brother raised me to be a man not a boy.”
Cleo smiled back at him as Rayne blinked in surprise. “Wait, Garrett raised you?”
Asher tore his eyes away from Cleo and nodded. “My dad was a trucker and my mom took off when I was five. Garrett’s been looking out for me my whole life. When he joined the Marines he sent back every penny he could and paid for me to go to college. I’d be a little ungrateful if I just turned around and wasted my life and everything he worked so hard to give me.”
Rayne felt her heart warm and she smiled at Asher. “How old are you Asher, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Asher shook his head. “Not at all. I just turned twenty-six. Garrett’s three years older than me. He’s the best brother anyone could have.”
Cleo stood and walked over to Asher, sitting down next to him on the couch. “That is so sweet. I’m an only child and I always wanted a brother or sister. Hanging out with Rayne and Ivy is the closest I’ve ever come to it.”
Rayne smiled and then jumped up as she heard the doorbell. She left Cleo and Asher talking and hurried to the front door. She opened it up, an easy smile on her face.
“Hi Rayne. You’re looking beautiful as always.”’
Rayne felt panic slam into her chest as she stood face to face with her half-cousin, Graham Mitchell. He looked exactly the same as he had the last time she’d seen him at her parents’ funeral. Smooth, stylish and handsome. He wore an expensive suit that fitted his position as CEO of Mitchell Co., a company that manufactured soaps and bath gels. But she knew that underneath the handsome veneer was a bully and possibly a murderer. He looked tan and fit and had taken to shaving his head, making him look even more dangerous. His eyes held
Asher smiled and moved to follow her, but Becket shook his head. “Actually I’d like to get a head start and look around your property if that’s okay? Would one of you ladies like to show me around?” he asked glancing at all three of them briefly.
Rayne bit her lip and looked at Cleo and Ivy who had been surprisingly silent throughout the introductions. Ivy was part owner of their home so she motioned to her sister.
“Ivy can show you around.”
Ivy glanced at her quickly, looking a little nervous but nodded her head and smiled at Becket. “Just follow me,” she said and opened the front door and walked out onto the large front porch.
Becket disappeared after her, leaving her with Cleo and Asher. She motioned toward the living room and smiled as she noticed Asher staring at Cleo. She was glad now that her friend had dressed up a little. Cleo was the only person she knew who was completely comfortable in her own skin whether she was dressed up in pearls and a formal or wearing yoga pants and no makeup.
“So Asher, I didn’t realize that Murphy Landscaping had two other part-owners. You seem kind of young to be a business owner.”
Asher sat back comfortably and smiled. “I have a degree in business management and I’m over that end of things. Garrett is over landscape design and Becket is over all the heavy lifting. He does rock walls and anything that has to do with a back hoe. We just opened our nursery last month so we’re excited to expand.”
Cleo cleared her throat and crossed her legs. “That’s pretty impressive. Most guys your age are still partying and working at Starbucks.”
Asher glanced at Cleo and smiled slowly. “My brother raised me to be a man not a boy.”
Cleo smiled back at him as Rayne blinked in surprise. “Wait, Garrett raised you?”
Asher tore his eyes away from Cleo and nodded. “My dad was a trucker and my mom took off when I was five. Garrett’s been looking out for me my whole life. When he joined the Marines he sent back every penny he could and paid for me to go to college. I’d be a little ungrateful if I just turned around and wasted my life and everything he worked so hard to give me.”
Rayne felt her heart warm and she smiled at Asher. “How old are you Asher, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Asher shook his head. “Not at all. I just turned twenty-six. Garrett’s three years older than me. He’s the best brother anyone could have.”
Cleo stood and walked over to Asher, sitting down next to him on the couch. “That is so sweet. I’m an only child and I always wanted a brother or sister. Hanging out with Rayne and Ivy is the closest I’ve ever come to it.”
Rayne smiled and then jumped up as she heard the doorbell. She left Cleo and Asher talking and hurried to the front door. She opened it up, an easy smile on her face.
“Hi Rayne. You’re looking beautiful as always.”’
Rayne felt panic slam into her chest as she stood face to face with her half-cousin, Graham Mitchell. He looked exactly the same as he had the last time she’d seen him at her parents’ funeral. Smooth, stylish and handsome. He wore an expensive suit that fitted his position as CEO of Mitchell Co., a company that manufactured soaps and bath gels. But she knew that underneath the handsome veneer was a bully and possibly a murderer. He looked tan and fit and had taken to shaving his head, making him look even more dangerous. His eyes held
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