Abby grins. “Right there.”

Spencer and I both look at her and he asks, “Are you sure?”

Clasping her hands in front of herself and bouncing on her toes Abby nods. “I promise.”

Groaning in relief, I straighten. When my sister invited me over, she hadn’t mentioned it was to help Spencer carry an antique wooden armoire up their stairs and into one of the spare rooms. It weighed a ton.

“Yes, thank you both so much for moving it.”

Spencer looks at me. “I could use a drink, want one?”

When I nod, Abby says, “I’ll grab them.”

Spencer shakes his head and crosses the space to kiss her cheek. “I’ve got it. Besides, didn’t you want to ask him something?”

She squares her shoulders and turns toward me. “Let’s go sit in the den.”

Why do I feel like what she really meant was let’s go check out this pirate ship plank? I’ve heard it doubles as an awesome diving board.

Wondering what she’s up to, I follow her downstairs.

Settling herself on her oversized sectional, she pats the seat beside her.

Dutifully, I sit.

Abby twists her mass of light brown hair and secures it to the back of her head with a clip so big it reminds me of the claw in one of those toy machines at the movie theater. “Are you all done with your latest flip?”

To stay busy and make extra cash in the winter, I’ve flipped a few houses over the years. Abby usually finds them for me.

“I haven’t started on it yet, but it doesn’t need much.”

“Would you consider renting it out instead of selling it?”

I frown at her. “I don’t want to deal with being somebody’s landlord.”

“What if you knew the person you’d be renting to?”

If she asked me a couple months ago, I’d wonder if she was talking about herself since it took forever for her boyfriend Spencer and her to find a place. No one else I know is looking to move. “Who?”

“Lucy Olson.”

Yesterday I had a front row seat to watch her boyfriend maul her with his mouth. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Abby is annoyingly good at reading people. It’s awesome for her realty work but a pain in the ass otherwise.

She tips her head to the side like she can smell blood in the water. “Why not?” She doesn’t give me a chance to reply. “Did something happen between you two?” I open my mouth, but she’s still too quick. “You swore you were never going to mess around with a woman in a relationship again.”

I cover her mouth with my hand. “Will you let me speak?”

She narrows her eyes at me before nodding. It’s a mistake to drop my hand when I do.

“Don’t you ever cover my mouth again.” She smacks my arm, hard.

Rubbing it, I reply, “You wouldn’t shut up. And, nothing has happened. Her boyfriend isn’t a fan of mine though. Every time I’m around he pisses a figurative circle around her.”

She frowns. “I hate it when guys do that.”

I pause and try to imagine Spencer acting jealous. Nope, can’t picture it. He’s smart enough to know Abby is crazy about him in a forever kind of way.

“What if I show it to them without saying it’s yours and see if they’re interested?”

Deciding against admitting I’m attracted to Lucy, I ask, “Why my house?”

Spencer walks in with the drinks and claims the seat closest to Abby. After passing them out, he leans back and stretches his arm out across the back of the sofa behind her.

Never in a million years would I have pictured the guy who tutored me in high school, ending up with my sister. It wasn’t because he was a nerd. Nope, it was because he was so shy and Abby has always been a people person.

Now I couldn’t imagine either of them with anyone else. Their personalities compliment each other effortlessly.

Abby grabs her drink. “Inventory is so low on rentals right now. The places we looked at were crappy and I think your flip house would be perfect for them.”

“Problem is, I plan on selling it, not renting it.”

She rolls her eyes. “As long as you’re making money off the rent what’s the big deal with keeping it?”

Reaching for my drink, I frown at her. “Didn’t know hanging out with you meant manual labor and a lecture. It’s been a blast. When can we do it again?”

She kicks my shin. “Shut up. Besides, being a landlord isn’t awful.”

I lean forward to look around her to Spencer. “Did you two start renting out houses and not tell anyone?”

Abby leans forward to block my view of him. “Don’t be a jerk and pretend it’s not a good idea. Just think about it. It’s not like you were going to list it until spring anyway.”

“There’s a reason for that.”

She waves her hand as if it’s no big deal. “So what if the place needs a little work. Don’t act like I’m not the one who sold you that house. The work it needs is cosmetic at best. This way you can still do the work while having someone else pay the mortgage.”

“They’re not going to want me working on it, little projects or not, while they’re trying to live there.”

What I don’t say is, I’d rather not be so close to someone I can’t have.

“What if I just show it to them? None of this matters if they don’t like the place.”

If what Abby said was true about the other rentals she showed them, I’m sure they’ll love my flip. Not one person who has laid eyes on it hasn’t.

If it had been listed on the open market, I’m sure there would have been a bidding war for it.

The previous owner had moved into a rehabilitation home and had sadly passed. I knew because I took care of her landscaping and was there when her kids came to go through her things. Neither of them were local and both were independently wealthy.

This house was a sad reminder they didn’t want to deal with. Half joking, her son had offered to sell it to me for its last appraised price. They were pleasantly shocked when I said yes.

“Can I think about it?”

She folds her arms over her chest and tries not to look annoyed. Try being the operative word.

She’s my big sister, I’ve literally known her my entire life and would do just about anything for her. Deep down we both know I’m going to let her show them the house and if they want it, I’ll rent it to them.

Still, it’s my obligation as her brother to make her sweat a little and work for it.

While she continues her piss poor attempt at hiding she’s frustrated, I finish my drink to keep from laughing.

Once done, I stand. “I need to hit the road.”

Abby stands as well. “Are you sure? You can stay longer and hang out, you know.”

Spencer chuckles and Abby twists to look at him.

He grins up at her. “You said you know.”

Understanding dawns and she giggles.

I glance between them. “I don’t get it.”

Abby shrugs. “It’s a Naruto thing.”

My sister is obsessed with anime. Clearly, she’s dragged Spencer into it as well.

“Figured as much.” I start making my way to the front door. “I have to say I’m disappointed in your Halloween decor.”

That was a low blow.

She gasps behind me as if I shot her with an arrow.

“I have a week. That’s plenty of time to carve up some pumpkins and decorate the front porch.”

I turn to see both Abby and Spencer have followed me.

Spencer sets his hands on her shoulders and gives them a squeeze. “Don’t worry. There’s a stack of decorations in the mudroom. Halloween will be celebrated in all its glory. She even got us cost—”

“Don’t say what they are,” Abby cuts him off. “They’re a surprise.”

Spencer nods with an affectionate smile.

I lift my hands. “You can show them the house on the condition they not know it’s mine.”

Abby blinks in confusion. “Why not? I thought that would be a bonus since they’ve already met you.”

My fingers wrap around the doorknob. “Like I said before, I don’t think the boyfriend likes me.”

She nods before her eyes narrow. “Did you hit on Lucy?”

I lean down so we’re eye to eye. “No, and I don’t get why people keep asking me that?”

Spencer laughs.

“Who asked?”

I shrug noncommittally.

Abby’s hand flashes out and she pinches me before I have a chance to stop her.

Rubbing my arm, I glare at her. “What the hell was that for?”

She folds her arms over her chest. “Negative reinforcement. I’m going to hurt you every time you act particularly stupid and maybe you’ll stop.”

I lift my hands. “All I did was talk to her. I swear I didn’t hit on her.”

One side of Spencer’s mouth hitches up. “It’s possible her boyfriend is jealous and sees Gideon as a threat because he exhibits characteristics he considers to be attractive to Lucy.”

I nod in agreement and point to my sister’s boyfriend. “Yeah, what Spencer said.”

Abby reaches past me to open the door for me. “Whatever. You can go.” She pauses before giving me a mischievous grin. “Unless you want to stay and carve pumpkins with us.”

I make a hasty retreat. “Nope, I’m good, but save the guts for Finley. I bet she could make a kick-ass pumpkin pie.”

I make it onto the porch and see Abby now has her hands on her hips. “Why couldn’t I make a pie?”

I look at Spencer. “Good luck with that.”

She shouts something in what I’m guessing is Japanese at me and slams the door.

I laugh the entire way to my truck.

It’s not until I’m on the road that my thoughts return to the possibility of Lucy and her boyfriend being my renters.

Shit.

Not only do I have no desire to be a landlord, this set up sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. If what Spencer said is true, her boyfriend is going to be a pain in my ass.

Since I have some energy to burn, I drive to my flip instead of the bar I was planning to grab dinner at.

The first floor of the house is your basic ranch, with the bedrooms on one side of the house and the living areas on the other. What drew me to it, other than how well it was looked after, was the converted attic bonus room. It gets tons of natural light from its four large skylights. On more than one occasion, on a clear night, I’ve laid down on the floor and gotten lost in the night sky.

I may not be able to point out and name the stars the way Spencer can, but I can appreciate their beauty.

After parking, I go straight to the bonus room. It’s my favorite place in the house, and didn’t need much other than some new sealant around the skylights and a coat of paint.

Even though the room is done. I find myself coming up here whenever I come to this house just so I can have a place to gather my thoughts.

There’s no point in worrying about it now. I’ve already said yes to Abby showing them the place. And, I know they’re going to want it. They’d be crazy if they didn’t.

The thought of letting this place go after I sold it is easier to accept than the idea of still owning it but not being able to come up here the way that I’m able to now. The agency Abby works for does off property management. That might be the way to go.

The easier solution would be to learn how to say no to my sister. Thing is, my brothers and I all have a soft spot when it comes to Abby. It’s near impossible to say no to her.

Pulling out my phone, I order some food to be delivered, and then I push up my sleeves and get to work.

Nice as the bones of this house are, it’s gotten messy inside with the work I’ve been doing. Right now, it’s not in shape to be toured.

I make my way to the centrally located kitchen. This was the last room I was working on. About half of the cabinets are sanded. Before I started, I hung sheets of plastic in its doorways to keep the dust from covering the entire house.

With my shop vac, I clean up the worst of the debris and prep the other half of the cabinets. I wait until after my food has been delivered and inhaled to start sanding. I work well into the evening, staying much longer than I originally intended to, losing myself in the rhythm of the work.

When the last door is sanded, I clean up most of the mess I’ve made. If my schedule will allow it, I can come back tomorrow to do the first coat of stain. I know white cabinets are what’s popular right now, but I couldn’t bring myself to paint over the beautiful, high-quality wood these cabinets were made from.

I decided to go with a warm honey shaded stain to keep the colors light and showcase the wood.

I chance my reflection in one of the windows. The temptation to run the hose of my vacuum over my hair is real. Instead I shake and brush as much dust off as I can, and vacuum the floor again.

I’ll need a shower when I get home. A soak in my hot tub might do me some good too.

When I reach my house, the extra long day of work catches up with me. I forgo a dip in the hot tub in favor of crashing for the night.

My phone blinks with a notification. Someone must have called while I was in the shower. There’s a missed call with no message from a number I don’t recognize.

I brush it off as a wrong number until I see an incoming text from it.

Unknown: Hey Gideon. It’s Nikki. You told me to text you if I ever broke up with my boyfriend. Any interest in some rebound sex?

The fact that I won’t hook-up with anyone in a relationship is widely known, so this isn’t the first time I’ve received a text like this. Problem is, the name Nikki isn’t ringing any bells.

I could chance asking her for a pic but the likelihood she’d get pissed I don’t remember her is high. No way I’m going to risk meeting up with her on the off chance she got my number from someone other than me.

The thing about this text that makes me pause, is what if I did know this person? What would I do? I know what I’ve done in the past. I’ve gone and gotten laid.

Rebound sex is awesome. They’re still semi-pissed at their ex and borderline hate all men if they’re the ones who got dumped but for some reason all that frustration ups their sex game like crazy.

They use me to prove to themselves they’re still sexy, they do still have it, and they can land a guy like me. All that pent up energy and the fact that I’m no slouch in the sack is a recipe for an awesome fuck.

Even with all of that, why does it seem like the thrill is gone?

These one night, or sometimes longer, stands have begun to blend.

Ignoring my phone, and the invitation on it, I retrace my recent social engagements. The biggest one was easily Asher and Paige’s wedding.

For the first time since I can remember, I only had Eli and my niece and nephews to hang out with. Eli’s wife Brooke wasn’t there, not that her absence was a surprise to anyone. Those two have run hot and cold for the last three or four years.

All my other siblings were paired off. Sure, there was a hot bridesmaid but she had a date and apparently a minimum net worth rule for any guy she hooked up with.

I probably could have convinced her to make an exception, but the scary thing is, I didn’t want to.

Since then, it’s been more of the same at every family dinner, barbecue, or get together. I’m the third wheel of my entire family right now.

As exhausted as I am physically, it’s my thoughts that keep sleep from claiming me. What’s the point of random hook-ups if they all end up being the same in the end? And, will I end up being the creepy single uncle at family events in the future.

I read somewhere, or heard on TV, the longer you live alone the more particular you get about things being a certain way. That’s how our uncle, the one who sold Asher the lake property, was.

Growing up, it was Asher who was the constant loner. He was the one I worried about getting so set in his ways that he’d never change. Maybe I should have used that time to worry about my own future.