Page 48 of Fall for Him

Derek waved a confused hand. “What are you talking about?”

“Dy-lan,” she enunciated his name with the same inflection his mother used whenever he was in trouble, “only called our brothers to help with the joists when I’m just as knowledgeable even if I don’t match their brute strength.”

“Hey—”

“You worked with your dad too?”

Felicity beamed. “Yeah. I was barely out of diapers when they took this photo of me pulling on my dad’s toolbelt. I was a big oops, so my parents thought they were all done dealing with babies by the time I exploded on the scene.”

Dylan cringed. “I really wish you’d stop giving me those visuals.”

“Your mom let you just go to work sites?” Derek asked.

“I was”—her green eyes flashed as she made air quotes with her fingers—“supposedly not a natural fit for typical childcare.”

Dylan arched an eyebrow “When they tried to send you to preschool you pushed the other four-year-olds and threatened to feast on their flesh if they stole your teddy bear again.”

“I was a four-year-old with a fourteen-year-old brother”—she twitched her head at Dylan—“who watched the Lord of the Rings movies—extended cut, obvi—basically every day of the summer. Like I was going to let that daycare bully Chad Saglio take Mr. Wiggles for a third time.”

“See what I have to deal with?” Dylan shook his head.

Felicity’s face went smug. “I screamed ‘I am no man’ and then ‘I will kill you if you touch him.’ It was a very dramatic moment. My earliest memory.”

“You’re such a liar. You just know you said that because it’s on the official report they sent home when they kicked you out.” Dylan shook his head. “You really did go through a major Eowyn phase, didn’t you?”

“God, I hope you have that report framed somewhere.” Derek laughed.

“My mom put it in my baby book. Sixth kid, so I actually think that’s the only thing in there. But yes. It’s emblematic.” She affected a wistful posture. “Alas, my severe horse allergies kept me from becoming an actual Rider of Rohan.”

“Allergies, i.e., you’re afraid of horses.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

Derek elbowed him in the ribs. “So… with the contractor work…”

“Oh yes.” She grinned. “My dad built me this portable play space, but as soon as I could hold tools, I was learning. My carpentry skills are almost as good as Dylan’s.”

“Her tile work’s better. She’s more patient than I am with the boring stuff.”

“If the nurse thing doesn’t work out, you both should pitch a reality show for HGTV. Brother-sister nerdy reno team. You could build hobbit houses or something.” Derek’s eyes twinkled with his broad smile.

Dylan’s heart galloped as if actual Rohan horse hooves were clip-clopping against his ribs.

Derek’s attention flitted between them, his smile going even wider.

“What?” Dylan said.

“It’s…” Derek shrugged. “It’s just nice.” He looked at Felicity. “You remind me of my best friend when she talks like that. That’s all.” He nodded once. “I think you’ll do alright as a nurse. Won’t take shit from anyone. You got a good sister, Gallagher.”

Woof. Dylan was back to being called Gallagher, then?

Dylan hid disappointment by focusing on his sister. “Thanks. I sure do.”

“You’re probably lucky enough not to have sisters who show up at your doorstep whenever they fight with your mom.” Felicity nuzzled Gus’s head.

Dylan didn’t miss Derek’s small flinch. “My youngest sister Michelle more does the ‘I’m going to make impulsive apartment purchases I can’t afford’ thing. Amy, my other sister, is literally the most cynical but also the most brilliant and functional human on the planet—she’s a tax accountant like my mom. So, no. If anything, I’d have to crash on Amy’s floor and risk waking up to an attack by my four nephews.” He held up his phone, showing Felicity the wallpaper photo.

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