"I don't think-"

Cannon stepped in. "You want to ride along to the shop, maybe give some direction on where to put the rest of the boxes? Or do you just want the guys to drop them off and you and I can arrange things when we get a chance?"

"I'll go." She needed more time to get it together anyway. Tonight they were going to Rowdy's bar and would probably be there late.

Meaning she still wouldn't get a chance to explore that exciting intimacy with Cannon. It'd be better if she stayed busy instead of dwelling on missed opportunities.

Merissa said, "Who all's going?"

"Denver will stay and help me finish up the door, but the rest are heading over there."

She finished off her drink. "I'll go along, too, then." Hooking her arm through Yvette's, she said, "Happy to lend a hand."

Cannon caught Yvette before she could leave. His attention took in her disheveled hair, her flushed cheeks. He brushed dust off the end of her nose. "Be careful."

She found it difficult to tease with her awareness of him so keen. "Afraid one of the guys will drop something on me?"

Using utmost care, he smoothed her hair. "Let them do the heavy lifting."

"Hey, I'm not a complete wimp."

"You're not a fighter either." He drew her up and against his chest and his mouth touched hers, featherlight, as stirring as a storm.

When he released her, she touched her lips.

Which prompted him to kiss her again. "We have to leave for Rowdy's at six." He held her chin up with two fingers beneath, his gaze warm and admiring. "Give yourself plenty of time to do whatever you want to do to get ready."

"You don't want me to go like this?"

Giving a small shake of his head, he whispered, "You'd start a riot."

Now, what did that mean? She was a complete mess and knew it. She wrinkled her nose. "It's going to take me at least an hour, so I won't be gone long."

Still keeping her close, he studied her face, slipped his warm palm around her nape.

Oh, she knew that look... .

Sure enough, right there with Merissa protesting, he kissed her again, this time longer and hotter. Just what she didn't need, since they couldn't follow through.

Although she had to admit, she would never turn down the opportunity to taste him.

"PDAs," Merissa griped, "especially in front of your sister, are so very uncool."

Cannon grinned as he let her go. "Around Yvette, I can't help the occasional public display of affection."

"I like her," Merissa said, "so you're forgiven."

Yvette wondered if they both meant it. If Cannon did feel any real affection for her, would Rissy be okay with it?

After Merissa got in the car with Yvette, Armie tried to trade places with Denver. But Cherry had decided to stay behind, so Denver wouldn't budge.

It was all pretty hilarious, and definitely distracting.

At the shop, they all pitched in, and not only did they get the boxes unloaded from the truck, they got many of them emptied into the gla.s.s cases and shelves that she'd already arranged around the shop.

Now that she'd scrubbed the floors clean and put out area rugs it all looked amazing, if she did say so herself.

As soon as she got her business license, hopefully within the next two weeks, she'd be able to do a grand opening.

Just as they finished up, she noticed some girls- probably high school age-staring in the big front window. When she looked behind her, Yvette saw both Stack and Armie as the girls probably saw them.

Big, built and shirtless.

She grinned and nudged Merissa.

"What?" Merissa asked as she broke down an empty box.

Yvette nodded at the window.

Snorting a laugh, Merissa also looked at the guys. Or more specifically, at Armie. Unaware of his audience, mostly because he'd been doing his best to ignore Merissa, he reached his arms up, hands locked together and stretched.

Merissa sighed.

The girls outside knocked on the window and waved. When Armie glanced at them, they twittered and flirted and one looked to be adjusting her shirt to show more cleavage.

Smiling crookedly, Armie shook his head, and as he went to look away, his gaze caught on Merissa. The smile faded under a frown.

Merissa tucked her hands under her chin and mocked the girls, giggling as they had, batting her eyelashes, all in all acting foolish.

Yvette and Stack both laughed.

Even Armie cracked a smile.

"Our adoring fan club," Stack said. "Too bad they aren't twenty-one-year-old hotties instead of jailbait."

Yvette remembered a time when she' d been jailbait, shamelessly coming on to Cannon.

Dropping the act, crossing her arms and aiming her ire at Armie, Rissy said, "Or what? You'd mosey out there and offer yourself up?"

"Something like that," Armie replied with identical challenge.

Stack raised a hand. "I would, yeah." He glanced again at the girls, a brow lifted in speculation. "h.e.l.l, if I knew for certain they were eighteen-"

Gasping, Merissa threw up her hands. "You guys are shameless!"

In an aside to Armie, Stack asked, "Does she believe her brother really is a saint?"

Not wanting to hear about any of Cannon's escapades, Yvette interrupted. "I can't thank all of you enough. Just look at this place now." She turned a circle, giddy with exuberance. "It's almost full and I still have more boxes."

"What else will you need to do?" Stack asked.

"Nothing more today." A glance at the time on her phone told her she needed to get home and get ready.

"Well, if you need me, just let me know."

She smiled at Stack.

"Same here," Armie said.

Marveling at their generosity, Yvette nodded. "You're all...wonderful."

"It's how it works," Armie told her. "Cannon's saved my a.s.s more times than I can count."

"Me, too," Stack said.

"I know about you," Rissy told Stack before she turned to Armie. "What'd he do for you?"

"Not your business, Stretch." He pulled on his shirt. "Let's just say we're family, okay?"

"Not you and me," Rissy said.

He scowled at her. "I was talking about Cannon and me."

"I'm his sister."

"Is that a news flash?"

Speaking over them, Stack said, "They squabble like siblings, don't they?" With an arm around Yvette, he said, "If we're all done here, I need to get back to the rec center."

Armie said, "Merissa is heading that way. She can take you and I'll go with Yvette."

Merissa opened her mouth to argue, but must have changed her mind. "Sure. Come on, Stack. We'll talk. About things." She shot a look at Armie so he'd know exactly what she wanted to discuss.

Smirking, Stack murmured, "Oh, the stories I can tell... ."

As they disappeared out the door, Yvette expected Armie to blow, but instead he laughed.

"You aren't worried?" Turning out lights, then digging the keys from her purse, Yvette rejoined him.

"No." He took the keys from her and, after they stepped out, locked up everything. "Stack enjoys needling me, but he'd never tell anything he shouldn't. He's as dependable as they come."

"Such a big secret," Yvette mused. "Now I'm dying of curiosity."

Not taking the bait, he opened the truck door for her. "Gotta know, huh?"

"Oh." Surprised at how he'd said that, she shook her head. "No, I was just-" He closed her door and walked around to the driver's side.

"You realize what a great guy Cannon is, right?"

"Absolutely." Reaching out, Yvette put her hand on his forearm. "But, Armie, really, I wasn't prying. It was a bad joke."

"It's all right." He started the truck, but didn't yet pull away. Staring straight ahead, he said, "I was once accused of something...pretty bad. The sort of thing no up-front guy wants to be accused of."

Feeling his emotional distance, Yvette retreated. "I'm sorry," she said again.

He chewed his lip, then shook his head and put the truck in gear. After a quick glance at the road, he pulled away from the curb. "I hadn't done it, just so you know."

She had no idea what "it" might be, but she nodded. "Okay."

"Cannon knew it, too. No questions asked. No doubt. He believed in me one hundred percent."

Sounded like Cannon. He was a man of very strong convictions, and obviously a great judge of character. "I'm glad he was there for you."

"If he hadn't been... I dunno. It would have gotten pretty ugly. But Cannon did what he always does. He got involved. Found the right people who could clear me, stood up for me even when others didn't." He flexed his shoulders, cracking his neck. "Feel free to ask him about it if you want."

"I don't need to." She could tell it was a very private, still-painful incident for him. "I trust Cannon, and if he trusts you, that's good enough for me."

Armie relaxed enough to wink at her. "See, this is why you fit right in."

Did she? She hoped so. Around Cannon's friends, she felt more at home than she had since moving to California. "The thing is, that's between you and Cannon. It doesn't obligate you to me by extension."

"Sure, it does."

"No-"

"If Rissy needed something, you'd try to help her out, right?"

Without thinking about it, she said, "Of course."

Satisfaction curled his mouth. "Because she's Cannon's baby sis, and you care about Cannon."

G.o.d help her, she loved Cannon. Always had and probably always would. There wasn't much she wouldn't do for him.

Clearing the melon-size lump out of her throat, she squeaked, "Yes."

"There you go. Accept the helping hand when any of us offers, okay? We'll be offended otherwise. And seriously, we're all annoying as s.h.i.t when we're offended."

He spoke of "us" and "we" as if the fighters who utilized the rec center were always of one mind. And maybe, when it came to certain things-like Cannon- they were. She didn't really know what to say, so she said simply, "It's very much appreciated."

"And fun, right? Everyone enjoys hanging out together. It's not as though hanging a door or moving a few boxes takes all that much effort."

"I had fun."

"Good."

He turned down the street toward her house. They saw that the door was up, and it looked terrific. Better than the old door. Probably more secure, as well.

"Dirtbag."