I wake up with a new sense of purpose but, first things first. I need coffee. When I enter the kitchen, all my hopes are shattered. There is no coffee. I ransacked the pantry and every cabinet only to find a box of hot chocolate packets with tiny marshmallows. Who drinks this stuff? I guess I need to make a grocery store run. Sofia won’t be coming back to work till next week and I can’t live without coffee much less function like a normal human being.

After I get dressed, I grab my purse and head to the store. On the way to Main Street Market I call Mrs. Grimes and she informs me that there is some crucial information missing from my packet. She is sending a flash drive by courier later today. I thank her for all her help and promise to keep her name out of this.

The market is exactly as I remember. Willy is still standing at the door greeting the customers as they walk in, and the amazing aroma of fresh baked goods hits you immediately. I grab a cart for the coffee, food, and toiletries that I need. Last but not least, ice cream. Once I have enough supplies to get me through the next week, I checkout and load up my car.

Before I leave the parking lot, I decide to text Oren and let him know about the flash drive being sent to me today. I can only do so much on the computer, and I’m pretty sure I’ll need his help with whatever Mrs. Grimes is sending me. I hear the ding of the text while driving, but I refuse to look at it until I get home. Texting while driving is a big no-no.

After I unload my goodies, the first thing I do is make a large pot of coffee. You would think Dad would have one of those Keurig’s or some new fangled cappuccino maker, but no, he has a good ole Mr. Coffee. Dad always drank his black. He said it would put hair on his chest. That’s probably why I have always drank mine with lots of cream and sugar. A lady does not want a hairy chest. I take my first sip of the heavenly nectar and it immediately makes me feel human again. That one sip wakes me up enough to remember that I have a text I haven’t opened.

It’s a response from Oren. He wants to confirm our meeting at their place tonight at six and remind me that they will provide dinner. I reply back that I appreciate his help and dinner sounds great. I go back to drinking my lifeline when I get another text. This one is from Cash. It says “Italian, Chinese, or Indian?” I’m glad Cash will be there because his accounting expertise will be a big help. I just hope North won’t be. For some reason, when I get around all four of the brothers together, I become a hormonal teenager. I send a quick text back, “Surprise me.”

I refill my coffee and head to Dad’s office. My laptop is in here sitting on the desk, and I need to get organized before Zoe moves back. I google contractors and find a company that builds greenhouses. I make the call to Envirohouses and tell them just what I need, leaving out exactly what I plan on growing. The nice man, Mr. Erickson, has agreed to come over first thing in the morning. He tells me that he has never turned a guesthouse into a greenhouse, but he’s up for the challenge. One thing done and about a million more to go.

Dad’s office is still a mess, and I can’t concentrate, so I spend the rest of the day tidying up. I’ve never been able to work in chaos. When everything is either back in place or thrown away, I check my phone and see that it’s already four o’clock in the afternoon. I need to shower before I can head over to the Michaelson house. I hope they’ve ordered something good since I’ve only had coffee today and I’m starving.

After my shower, I throw my wet hair into a messy bun since it’s way too hot to use a blow dryer. I put on my Rag & Bone denim capris, a pink tank top, and my Marc Jacob daisy flip flops. Tennessee is hotter than satan’s butt crack this time of year, so makeup is pointless. Lipgloss and light mascara is the only thing that won’t melt off my face.

I arrive at their house twenty-five minutes later, noticing first the immaculate lawn. Their house isn’t as large as I expected. Instead, it’s a simple two story ranch-style with a long front porch. I’m still taking it all in when Ridge opens the door to my car and pulls me out of the front seat. “Glad to see you again, sugar. Dinner just arrived and if we don’t get in there fast, Cash will have eaten it all.”

That’s all I needed to hear before I hightail it in the front door and follow my nose to the food. The kitchen counters are covered in different takeout boxes. I see ones from Mr. Ho’s, the Chinese restaurant downtown, Cafe Prego, which is my favorite Italian bistro, and Vagina Tandoori Indian Cuisine. Yes, that is the actual name of the restaurant. I couldn’t make that shit up.

Cash clears his throat, “Surprise.”

I giggle at that. “I guess you couldn’t decide?”

He gives me a megawatt smile and asks, “Why choose?”

“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” I grab a plate and put a little bit of everything on it, then sit down at the bar. I dive right in, moaning in ecstasy.

Oren walks over and puts a water down next to my plate with an astonished look on his face.

“What?” I then look around and notice the three guys staring at me. I look down at my shirt to make sure I haven’t dropped a noodle or something on me.

Ridge has a huge grin on his face. “We’ve never seen a girl eat like that. Most girls order a salad and pick at it.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you calling me fat?”

“Oh, shit no. I’m just saying, you eat like you've just got out of prison.”

I glare and point my fork in his direction. “One, I haven’t eaten anything all day. Two, I happen to enjoy a good meal. And three, it’s not polite to stare while a lady is eating.”

All three brothers immediately turn around and start making their own plates. I swear they are whispering to each other under their breath, but I couldn’t care less. This is the best meal I’ve had in weeks. After dinner is over, I help the guys pack up the leftovers and Oren suggests we head to his room where he keeps his computers.

I follow Oren up the stairs and into his room. Holy hell. There’s a small bed up against one wall, so small I don’t see how Oren fits on it. The walls are painted a slate grey that matches the carpet. The bedding is charcoal grey with a few black pillows tossed on it. The reason for such a small bed, is the desk he has takes up more than half of his room. It’s an L-shaped desk that goes from one corner of the room and wraps around to the next. There are two oversized rolling office chairs, and papers everywhere. On top of the desk are two computers, that I can see. One computer is hooked up to four monitors, the other has three. I turn to look at Oren. “Why in the world would you need seven computer monitors? And what is with the kid sized bed?”

Cash walks in behind us. “Oren is a minimalist about everything but technology. Besides, he usually falls asleep downstairs in the game room or in one of these desk chairs.”

Oren is rubbing the back of his neck looking down at the floor. I didn’t mean to make him feel bad. Yeesh Alice, get some decorum.

I shrug my shoulders and plop down in one of the chairs. “I get that. My apartment looks barely lived in due to the fact that I was always studying or at school. No need to decorate a place that I rarely had time to enjoy.”

This seems to loosen Oren back up as he sits in the other chair, rolling it over beside mine. He holds out his hand. “Okay, let’s get started.”

I pull the flash drive out of my pocket and pass it over. There are butterflies in my stomach when my fingertips brush the palm of his hand. Either my inner hormonal teenager has perked back to life, or that Indian food is gonna have me in the bathroom later. Truthfully, I hope it’s the Indian food because I don’t have time to convince my inner teenager not to jump this man’s bones, or boner. I facepalm myself at that thought and then remember I’m not alone. I look up to see all three guys are now in the room. Oren is in the chair next to me with one eyebrow quirked up. Ridge is leaning against the wall with his very muscular arms crossed against his also very muscular chest. Cash is sitting on the bed leaning against the headboard.

The sound of the front door closing and keys being tossed brings us all out of our awkward silence. Ridge pokes his head out of the door yelling, “There’s food in the fridge!”

Oren turns around, puts the flash drive into the closest computer, and just like that, everything is back to normal. As normal as you can get while sitting in a gorgeous man’s room surrounded by his equally gorgeous brothers. The first time I met the twins I couldn’t tell them apart, but now I can see the differences in them. They are both over six feet tall with sandy brown hair and piercing hazel eyes, but Ridge is a little more muscular. Oren tends to stay back and blend in while Ridge holds his shoulders back and uses his size to intimidate. Ridge usually wears a cocky, know-it-all grin, while Oren’s face is more serious. I’m pulled from my thoughts of the twins when North comes stomping into the room.

“There is barely any food left. Y’all couldn’t have saved me enough to at least make a plate?”

Cash chuckles. “Blame Alice. She became a human garbage disposal.”

North seems to have finally noticed I’m in the room and he instantly frowns. “What is she doing here?”

I glare in his direction. “She was invited here after she asked for Cash and Oren’s help. As for the food, you snooze you lose, and I have no clue why the caveman is here,” I say while pointing at Ridge.

I turn and give Cash the middle finger. “I told you I hadn’t eaten all day, and if we were still in the kitchen, I’d stick my fork up your ass.”

This has Cash actually doubled over the bed laughing.

Oren clears his throat. “Alice, you need to see this.”

I roll my chair over to Oren and look at the four monitors in front of him. “Oren, I have no idea what I’m looking at.”

He points to the one on the far left, closest to me. “This is the last financials you have that we looked at yesterday.” He then points to the monitor next to it. “This is the true financials. Do you see a difference?”

I look back and forth between the two, and yes, I do see a difference. Almost a ten million dollar difference. “Why is the original financials showing almost ten million less on the books than the one Mrs. Grimes sent over?”

“Someone is slowly siphoning money from the company into another account somewhere. You have an embezzler in Du-Kane, Inc., Alice.”

“Son of a bitch.” I turn my head around at the sound of North’s voice. “Damn, Alice, I’m sorry.”

“Can you trace this, Oren? Tell me who and where all the money is going? It looks like Du-Kane, Inc., is already in the red. At this rate, there won’t be anything left next year.”

Oren runs a hand through his hair and nods his head. “Yeah, I can do that. It will take some time, but I can trace the money. If they’re doing it at the office, it’ll be easy. If this is someone who knows what they are doing, they will have done it offsite and masked their steps. I can let you know in a few days, either way.”

“I don’t understand what happened to him. When I was a little girl he was always at our house. He would bring me gifts, play with me, hell I spent hours laying on the floor coloring with the man.” I run my hands down my face. “He and dad had a falling out my first year of college. Dad said Uncle Richie was being an ass, and not to worry about it.”

I push back from the desk and rise to my feet. “I appreciate your help, Oren.” I look around the room at the rest of the brothers. “Thank you all for dinner. I need to get home.” I walk past Ridge and head out of Oren’s bedroom, and down the stairs. Before I can get to the door, a warm hand grabs me around the wrist. I look over my shoulder to see North.

“Look,” he shuffles his feet and looks at something over my shoulder, “I know we haven’t exactly been friendly, but my brothers and I are here if you need anything.”

“Thanks, North. I really appreciate that.”

I give him another moment to let go of my wrist, and once he does, I turn and walk out the front door straight to my car.