Casey sighed somewhat wistfully, wondering if he had made a tactical error in telling Natalie about himself. He had thought she deserved to know the truth about him, and he’d hoped the information would encourage her to open up to him. Instead, she had reverted to a distant acquaintance, making small talk with him, even working alongside him without any semblance of intimacy between them. There hadn’t even been a goodnight kiss since he’d told her he was an attorney back in Dallas. And she still hadn’t told him the identity of her visitor yesterday morning.
She finally appeared late that afternoon. She’d let Buddy out and she wandered out behind him, studying the spa while Buddy trotted down the steps and into the yard. “It looks nice,” she said, walking slowly around the tub. “I’m sure this will be a popular feature.”
“That’s the hope.” A little sweaty from the hard work he’d done that day, he pushed a hand through his hair. “We filled it and added the chemicals, so it will be ready to use tomorrow. Kyle said you should definitely try it out and let him know how you like it.”
“Where is Kyle?”
“He got a call from one of the other rentals. Apparently someone’s toddler flushed a toy down the toilet and now they have a plumbing crisis.”
Natalie grimaced. “That can’t be fun.”
“No. Part of the job of being a property manager, though.”
She put her hands into the pockets of the jacket she wore over her sweater and jeans. “It’s getting chilly.”
“Yeah. The forecasters are predicting rain later tonight.”
“Yes, I heard.”
They were actually talking about the weather. And wasn’t that depressing?
He moved closer to her, looking down into her face. The urge to kiss her was so strong that it was all he could do to keep any distance between them. His voice was husky when he said, “Natalie—”
She gazed up at him, her lips parting just a little.
He cupped her face in his hands. “I wish you would—”
“Casey? Hey, Case, you here?”
The call from the other side of the cabin made him drop his hands with a frown. “That’s weird. That sounded like—”
Craning her neck, Natalie asked, “Like who?”
Casey released a little sigh as two tall, dark-haired men rounded the side of the cabin, calling his name. “Like my cousin Aaron,” he said. “Looks like you’re about to meet the rest of the terrible trio.”
Despite their identical faces, friends and family could instantly tell the Walker twins apart, something they had achieved deliberately. Andrew wore his almost-black hair very short, almost military in style. He favored dark clothing, grays and blacks and dark denim, and black boots. Aaron had allowed his hair to grow longer, so that it waved slightly around his face and on the back of his neck. He dressed more casually than his twin, choosing brighter colors and trendier styles.
Casey had heard some girls insist that Aaron was the better- looking twin, even though there was no discernable difference in their facial structure, only their personal styles.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” he demanded, staring at them with narrowed eyes.
“We came to bring you home,” Aaron answered cheerily. “We decided you’ve played handyman long enough. We also figured that Kyle would thank us for preventing you from doing any real damage.”
“Kyle told us where to find you,” Andrew added, glancing from Casey to Natalie and back. “He said you had kind of a mess here from installing the spa and that you could probably use some help cleaning up.”
“Looks like you’ve got most of it under control,” Aaron said, glancing around. “The spa looks great.”
Remembering his manners, Casey moved forward. “Guys, this is Natalie Lofton. Natalie, my cousins, Aaron and Andrew Walker.”
He pointed to each of them as he said the names. He could tell by the way she looked at each of the twins that she was noting their differences and would remember. “It’s very nice to meet you both,” she said.
Andrew nodded. “Good to meet you, too.”
“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Aaron said, speaking over his brother.
Both of them studied her rather closely, and Casey suspected they were making her feel a bit like a zoo exhibit. She cleared her throat and said, “I need to get back to my laundry. Can I get any of you anything?”
They all assured her that they were fine. Excusing herself with a pleasant, if somewhat distant smile, she went inside, leaving Casey with his cousins. Buddy stayed outside, moving between Andrew and Aaron to be petted by them.