Anything for You: An O'Brien Brothers Novel Read online

  “You’re looking lovely as usual,” Kent said, winking at her.

  Liam happened to open his door at that exact moment and hearing Kent’s comment, he frowned. Since Kent was still looking at her, he’d missed it.

  “Be right back with some coffee,” McKayla said, and she hurried off, red-faced.

  Having worked in several offices, McKayla was used to some of the flirting that went on there. In Kent’s case, she decided he was just being nice and didn’t mean anything by it. He usually gave her a compliment whenever he came in to meet with one of the O’Brien’s, but she’d never felt uncomfortable in his presence until now—thanks to Liam. In her opinion, Liam’s reaction was uncalled for. One: he didn’t have any claim on her, and two: Kent hadn’t said or done anything disrespectful.

  Balancing two coffee mugs on a tray laden with cream and sugar packets, McKayla returned to Liam’s office, gave a quick knock on the door, and entered. As she set down the tray on the corner of his desk, he said, “Thank you,” but then he frowned again.

  She had a feeling she knew what he was frowning at, and it was her fault for bending over right in front of Kent. Quickly standing up, she backed out of the room and closed the door.

  Shaking off her discomfort, McKayla went back to work and was able to check a few things off her to-do list before she heard Liam’s door open and his and Kent’s voices. While they were talking, Liam’s cell phone rang, and he said, “Mind if I take this?”

  “Not at all. I’ll see myself out,” Kent said.

  As Kent approached her desk, McKayla adopted a neutral expression and said, “Have a good day.”

  “You could make it even better,” Kent said, flashing his wide, white smile.

  “How’s that?”

  “Have dinner with me.”

  “I…um…I…”

  “Think about it,” Kent said and slipped her his business card.

  After he left, she glanced down at the card. The front looked the same as the business card they had on file, but then she flipped it over. Kent had written: Personal Line, followed by his phone number and the words Call me.

  McKayla stared at the card, flabbergasted, but then she heard Liam’s door open, and she quickly shoved the card in the pocket of her skirt. If Liam was upset about Kent flirting with her, he’d probably be furious about him giving her his personal phone number.

  “What an ass,” Liam said as he came up beside her.

  “Who?” she replied, as if she didn’t already know.

  “Kent.”

  “He was just being friendly.”

  “Friendly, my ass!”

  “You seem to like that word today,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “How can you make light of it? The guy was so obvious it was pathetic.”

  Raising her eyebrows at him, she said, “Kind of like you?”

  “Ouch,” Liam said, placing a hand over his heart as if she’d stabbed him.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean that.” Even though Liam flirted with her, he was still her boss, and she didn’t want to lose this job. Besides, his version of flirting felt different than Kent’s. She already had first-hand knowledge of Liam’s gentle nature from that night at the bachelor party. And she knew enough about his family to know that he’d never take advantage of her. Liam would never lay a hand on her unless she wanted him to. But she couldn’t want that—ever.

  “I hope you know I would never…”

  “I know,” she said, cutting him off. The conversation was uncomfortable enough without adding to it.

  “Anyway, I didn’t appreciate him treating you like that. I’m sorry for the way he acted,” Liam said.

  “You don’t have to apologize for other men, you know,” she said, trying to brush it off.

  “Maybe not, but if he keeps this up, I might have to rethink doing business with him.”

  Eyebrows raised, she said, “You’d do that because of me?” She honestly couldn’t remember a time when a man had treated her so gallantly. She’d obviously been picking the wrong guys.

  “You’re an employee, and I wouldn’t tolerate anyone treating our employees that way,” Liam said.

  “Uh, Liam? I’m your only employee,” she pointed out, and they both laughed. “But thank you. That was really sweet of you.”

  “Does this mean you’ll go out with me now?”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Damn it!” With that, he turned and walked away, her laughter trailing him down the hall.

  Chapter Two

  “What are we all here for?” Liam asked when he sauntered into Finn and Harper’s house one week later.

  “Well, hello to you too,” Finn said, to which Liam gave him the finger.

  “Not in front of the baby,” Julia scolded, turning Ava away from them.

  “What about Connor? He swears all the time,” Liam said.

  “Not anymore. Julia’s whipped me into shape,” Connor said, leaning over to kiss Julia’s cheek.

  “We’re just waiting for McKayla, and then we’ll explain why we called you here,” Harper said, snuggling into Finn’s side.

  Liam tried not to react to the sound of McKayla’s name, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Everyone there knew he was sweet on her, and they teased him mercilessly about it. He grew suspicious when they didn’t.

  And then the front door opened, and in she came. He’d seen her earlier at the office, but she’d changed clothes. Instead of a skirt and blouse, she wore skinny jeans, a flowy top, and black high-heeled sandals. Her wrists were stacked with bracelets that jangled as she hurried into the room looking frazzled, like she was going to be reprimanded for being late.

  “Sorry I’m late,” she said, looking directly at Finn.

  He smiled and said, “Relax. You’re not on the clock anymore.”

  Everyone laughed, and McKayla visibly relaxed. Then she scanned the room as if trying to decide where to sit. Finn and Harper were cozied up on the loveseat, and Connor and Julia were sitting on the floor where Ava was practicing her crawling skills. Liam currently had the couch all to himself, but he patted the cushion next to him, inviting McKayla to sit there.

  Noticing her hesitation, Harper said, “Just sit down. Liam won’t bite.”

  “Promise,” he said, raising his hands in the air and winking at her.

  McKayla reluctantly sat down on the couch, and when she did, he caught a whiff of her perfume. He had no idea what scent it was, but it reminded him of a field of wildflowers on a warm summer day.

  “So, the reason we called everybody here is because Finn has a dilemma,” Harper began.

  “Sounds like a personal problem,” Connor teased.

  “Shut up,” Finn said.

  “There’s a pill for that, you know,” Liam said, adding fuel to the fire.

  “All right, boys, that’s enough!” Julia said, but they were all laughing. Even Ava, who had crawled across the room and was attempting to pull herself up on the couch.

  Liam reached down and chucked her chin. Ava hadn’t been part of the O’Brien family for long, but she’d already wormed her way into everyone’s hearts. She was one of them now.

  McKayla couldn’t resist her either, and she picked her up and gave her loud kisses on both cheeks that made her giggle. Liam glanced over and felt jealous. How he’d love it if McKayla looked at him like that, and he’d take the kisses too!

  “So, back to Finn’s problem,” Harper said. “I’ve already asked McKayla to be my maid of honor, and since I only have one sister, the decision was easy. However…”

  “There’s two of us,” Connor said.

  “And Finn doesn’t want to hurt Connor’s feelings by choosing me to be his best man,” Liam finished.

  McKayla had set Ava back down, and she swatted Liam’s arm playfully. “How do you know he’ll pick you?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? I’m the best-looking brother, so of course he’d want me to stand beside him.”

  McKayla rolled her eye
s while Connor made a choking sound.

  “I think Julia would disagree with you,” Connor said.

  “Well, yeah. She loves you,” Liam said, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice. Both of his brothers had been lucky in love. First, Finn with Harper, a woman who’d lost her husband at a young age and had fallen in love with Finn as he’d helped her heal.

  And then Connor, who’d been a player until he’d met Harper’s best friend, Julia. They’d had a rough go when Connor discovered that he’d fathered a child with his ex-girlfriend, but Julia had stood by him, and they were deeply in love with each other, and with Ava too.

  That left him, the youngest and best-looking brother (in his own humble opinion). His brothers had found their forever loves, but Liam hadn’t been that lucky yet. At least, that’s how he chose to look at it. He’d dated plenty of women, but he’d never been serious about any of them. It hadn’t bothered him until recently, when he’d seen his brothers pair off and start talking marriage and babies. He might be the youngest and most fun-loving one, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want all that stuff too. Someday, he told himself. Someday.

  “While you’ve both given me valid reasons not to choose either one of you as my best man, I still have to,” Finn said, shaking his head.

  “And we thought it’d be best to do it the old-fashioned way,” Harper said.

  “Which is?” Connor asked.

  “We’re going to have you draw straws.”

  “Well, that’s sophisticated,” Liam said drily.

  “You got a better idea?” Finn asked.

  Directing his attention to his future sister-in-law, Liam said, “Isn’t Julia standing up in the wedding too?”

  “Yes…”

  “It’s simple, then. Connor should stand up with Julia because look at them. They can barely stand to be two inches apart.”

  “Which leaves you to stand up with McKayla,” Harper said as if she hadn’t already thought of it.

  All three brothers gave her the O’Brien stare-down.

  “What? What did I do?” Harper said, feigning innocence.

  “Ahem,” McKayla said, clearing her throat loudly. “Do I get any say in this?”

  “No!” they all replied.

  “What happened to drawing straws?” McKayla argued.

  “If Connor and Liam agree to this arrangement, we won’t have to,” Finn said, ever the voice of reason.

  “No problem here,” Connor said, giving Julia a squeeze.

  Liam felt like he’d just been given the best present ever, better than the Hot Wheels racing set he’d received as a kid. Shifting to face McKayla, he smiled and said, “What do you say? You and me rockin’ it out at Finn and Harper’s wedding?”

  Raising her eyebrows, McKayla said, “Rockin’ it out? What are you—fifteen?”

  “Fifteen going on twenty-eight, baby.”

  McKayla sighed. “It sounds like I don’t have a choice.”

  “Oh, come on. It won’t be that bad. Since we’re the only single ones, we can make fun of my brothers behind their backs, get drunk, and give bad speeches. It’ll be fun!”

  “Are you hearing this?” McKayla said to Harper.

  Harper ignored her. “Now for the other thing we wanted to tell you.”

  “There’s more?” Liam said. Now that he’d been given the good news about standing up in the wedding with McKayla, he was anxious to leave. Not too anxious, though, since McKayla was still sitting next to him. He’d prefer on him, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

  “Instead of having the traditional bachelor and bachelorette parties, Harper and I want to have one party with all of you,” Finn said.

  “Oh yeah? What kind of party?” Connor asked as he bounced Ava on his lap.

  Liam still couldn’t believe that Connor was a father. He was getting pretty good at it too, even though Liam wouldn’t admit that to him. While he loved his brothers, they were all competitive, and Liam never liked to admit that they were better at something than he was.

  “A camping trip,” Harper said excitedly.

  McKayla raised her hand, her bracelets jangling loudly. “Hold on. Some of us don’t camp.”

  Liam laughed and patted her knee. “But those of us who don’t can learn.”

  Scowling at him, she said, “Learn how to camp?”

  “Why do you say that word like it’s a disease?” he asked.

  “It’s just that…”

  “Don’t worry, Kay. It’s a modern campground with running water and electricity,” Harper said.

  “But…”

  “And we all have campers, so you’ll have someplace to sleep,” Finn added.

  “But…”

  “She can sleep with me,” Liam stated a little too enthusiastically.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Excuse me?” McKayla said. “Why do I feel like I don’t have any say in this either?”

  “Well, you sort of do,” Harper said. “It’s just that Finn and I will be staying in his camper, and…”

  “Connor, Ava, and I will be staying in Connor’s camper,” Julia said.

  “Which leaves you and me in my camper,” Liam said with a satisfied smile. He couldn’t believe his luck tonight. So far, he was two for two!

  “I take it your camper has two bedrooms?” McKayla ventured.

  Everyone laughed louder that time.

  “What’s so funny?” she said.

  “There aren’t really bedrooms per se,” Liam said. “It’s a pop-up camper. You know, kind of like a tent on wheels.”

  “I thought you said there’d be running water,” McKayla said, frowning at Harper.

  “Well, there will be in the public restrooms,” Harper said, slinking down in her seat.

  “You guys are scaring her,” Liam said, patting McKayla’s knee again. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ll take good care of you.”

  Shoving his hand away, she stood up. “Am I free to leave now?”

  “Well, we thought we’d order pizza for everyone,” Harper said.

  “Yes. Stay and join us,” Finn said.

  “I can’t,” McKayla said. “I have a date.”

  Liam frowned. Okay. So, two out of three ain’t bad.

  Chapter Three

  While McKayla liked hanging out with her sister and the O’Briens, she felt relieved once she’d left Finn’s house. She didn’t think it was wise to be around Liam any more than she had to be. It was bad enough that they’d be standing up together in Harper’s wedding and going camping. Plus, there’d probably be other events leading up to the wedding that they’d both be invited to. Spending all that extra time together could be dangerous.

  Pushing open the door of the brewery, she scanned the bar, looking for her date. She’d told Dylan she’d meet him there around eight o’clock, and it was already after eight, but she’d assumed he’d wait for her. They’d only gone out a few times, but she liked him. He seemed like a decent guy, especially compared to the last guy she’d dated.

  “Can I get you a table?” the hostess asked.

  “No thanks. I was just looking for my date.”

  “Aren’t we all?”

  McKayla laughed. “Maybe you’ve seen him—tall, reddish-brown hair, beard…”

  “I thought Prince Harry was taken,” the hostess quipped.

  A regular comedienne, this one.

  When McKayla didn’t laugh, the hostess said, “I haven’t seen anyone with that description, but you could wait at the bar. Maybe he’ll still show up.”

  McKayla nodded, walked over to the bar, and took a seat facing the door so she wouldn’t miss Dylan if he walked in.

  The bartender came over right away, and she ordered a glass of wine. Glancing around the bar, she noticed that it was mostly men sitting there, and suddenly, she felt out of place. Maybe I should have taken a table after all.

  She’d almost finished her first glass of wine when she spotted him. “Shit,” she whispered under her breath. But it was
too late. He’d already seen her and was headed straight for her.

  “Well, if it isn’t my lucky night,” he said with a grin.

  “Hello, Kent.”

  “Are you here alone?”

  “Not exactly. I’m waiting for my date.”

  “Would that be Liam?”

  “What? No! Liam’s my boss.”

  “Right. My mistake.”

  McKayla looked past him at the door, praying that Dylan would walk in and save her. It was one thing to talk to Kent in the office, but here, she felt strangely vulnerable.

  “I’ll join you until your date gets here,” Kent said, helping himself to the seat beside her.

  Who does that? If she’d thought she could chase him off, she’d been wrong. Her only choice was to make the best of it until Dylan arrived. And if he didn’t show, she’d make her excuses and leave.

  After Kent gave the bartender his drink order, he said, “So, how long have you been working for the O’Briens?”

  Work talk. She could handle that. “About six months.”

  “Do you like it there?”

  “Yes. The O’Briens are good people to work for.” She glanced at the door again, but there was no sign of Dylan. She wondered how long she should wait before leaving. While she didn’t want to be impolite to a client, she also didn’t want to give Kent the wrong idea.

  “Looks like you might have been stood up,” Kent said before taking a long slug of his beer. “Lucky me.”

  That did it. The situation was making her more uncomfortable by the moment, and she needed to get out of there.

  “Can I get you anything else?” the bartender asked.

  “I’d like to cash out,” McKayla said.

  “Be right back with your bill.”

  After he’d walked away, Kent said, “What’s the rush?”

  “Dylan and I must have gotten our wires crossed. He might be waiting for me at my apartment.”

  “Your apartment, huh? Do you live around here?”

  “No.”

  Luckily, the bartender returned with her bill, and averting her gaze from Kent’s eyes, she fished her wallet out of her purse. But before she could open it, he clamped a hand around her wrist. He was a big man, and his grip was almost painful. He’s not trying to hurt me, is he? But when she looked into his eyes, he was smiling.