Claimed by my Best Friend's Brother

Chapter Two

Noah’s POV

One Year Later

Hoisting up the planks of wood from the flatbed of my truck to my shoulder, I turn toward the house just as the sound of a car engine attracts my attention.

Seconds later a car door slams across the road before a voice calls out to me.

‘Noah!’ the familiar sound of my closest friend Eden reaches me, and I quickly drop the planks, pulling off my work gloves so I can open my arms to embrace the woman who barrels into my chest, folding into me easily.

‘Gorgeous! To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?’ I ask affectionately, pulling back and taking a cursory look around her as her smile grows.

‘He’s not here’ she laughs, shaking her head at me as I feign shock.

‘Please, that neanderthal is probably behind one of those trees over there with binoculars waiting for you to leave so he can murder me for touching you’ I reply.

Eden giggles, ‘he’s not that bad’ she mutters, but even she has no conviction in her voice because when it comes to Eden, Harrison Cadell is that bad. He takes her safety beyond seriously, especially after that wacko tried to hurt her after she moved here. He also doesn’t like the fact that Eden and I are friends, he hasn’t liked me since he laid eyes on me in fact.

‘So, he really let you out unguarded’ I say slowly, raising an eyebrow, ‘you have a tracker, don’t you? Empty your purse woman, I want to see it.’

The blonde woman slaps my arm playfully, laughing, ‘shut up, I do not have a tracker’ she argues as I side eye the phone in her hand. Glancing down she blushes, ‘OK, I have that find a friend app on my phone but that’s purely for a safety issue, we all have it’ she defends herself.

I break out in a laugh, pulling her in for another hug, I actually love the fact she’s found someone who loves her as deeply as Harrison does, the man literally worships at her feet, there is nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy.

‘Yeah, I get it, Hallick and I both have the same app attached to my sister’s phone’ I admit, ‘he likes there to be a backup to his back up plans’ I add at her amused expression.

Eden nods, grinning, ‘that man sure does take his protection to the extreme’ she admits.

‘*cough Harrison Cough*’ I retort, holding my fist up to my mouth, earning myself another slap.

‘What can I say, our guys like to know we are safe, maybe when you find yourself the one, you’ll be the same’ she teases.

I pretend to shudder, covering my chest with my hand, ‘and deny the ladies all of this?’ I reply.

‘Omg, you are such a man w.hore’ my best friend chokes out, laughing.

‘If you got it flaunt it my friend’ I chuckle, lifting my arms and flexing my biceps as Eden pulls a face.

‘Eww gross’ she groans, covering her eyes as I laugh before grabbing her hands away again.

‘So, why are you here?’ I ask finally, releasing the woman, and ruffling her hair affectionately.

And there it is, the look I hate, the pity look, the one I have gotten every damn day since my dreams of the NFL crashed and burned around me from my sister’s piece of s.hit husband who blindsided me in an attack, and wrecked my shoulder. The look I get because instead of playing pro ball, I’m a handy man, working odd jobs as I try to figure out what the hell I want to do with my life.

I look down at my friend, and find her biting her lower lip, a sure fire tell that my best friend is hiding something and I’m not going to like what she wants to say.

I roll my eyes, ‘just spit it out’ I grumble, reaching down for the wood again and hefting it back into the bed of my truck so I can restack and lift it again.

She meets my gaze, taking a deep breath, ‘I want you to come and work for Cadell Security’ she rushes out. It’s so fast I know I had to have misheard her because there is no way on this God’s green earth that she thinks her fiancé is going to hire me let alone that putting us in the same building is a good idea.

‘Sorry?’ I stutter, ‘what did you just say?’

Eden’s face is pained as she repeats herself, ‘I want you to come and work for Cadell Security’ she sighs.

I study her face, waiting for her to c***k and start laughing about what is obviously a joke, but she just stares at me hopefully.

‘Eden, you can’t be serious’ I groan, ‘Harrison is never going to hire me, hell, he doesn’t even like me being in the same room as you.’

The woman in front of me shakes her head, ‘he does like you’ she argues, cringing as I give her a disbelieving look. ‘OK, he doesn’t like you per se, but he DOES need more people, and you would be perfect.’

I start to shake my head, but she rushes on quickly, ‘come on, you know you’d be good at security’ she wheedles. ‘You’re strong, fast, you have quick reflexes and a sharp eye, you can take down anyone in a tackle without causing serious injury and your likable. The clients will love you, especially as, despite popular opinion, you can turn off the charm and blend into the background when needed.’

‘Eden . . ‘ I whine, my head falling forward.

‘Please Noah?’ she whispers, her hand falling on my arm, ‘I think this could be good for you, this might just be what you are supposed to do. Do you really want to do odd jobs for the rest of your life?’ she asks, forcing my gaze up to hers. Her eyes are filled with not just compassion but worry, for me, that I’m never going to find my way, and she’s right, I don’t want to be a handyman forever, it was just supposed to be temporary, an easy way to make money and use my strength in a positive way while I got a plan together.

I groan loudly, I can never say no to this woman dammit, how someone I see as a sister can have so much control over me, I’ll never know.

‘Send me the details’ I mutter in defeat.

Squealing loudly, Eden lifts her phone, manically pressing the screen as she types furiously seconds before my own phone beeps with an incoming text.

‘Done!’ she sing songs, practically bouncing with excitement, ‘I’ll let Harrison know that you are going to be applying so he can look out for your email.’

I grunt reluctantly, yeah, look out for it so he can hit delete and pretend he never saw it.

‘I’ll send over a resume this afternoon’ I reply, ‘it’ll give me something to do after I finish fixing old man Jenkins step for him.’

Nodding, Eden gives me another quick hug before saying she has to head back to work and rushes over to her SUV, bought by the one and only Harrison Cadell for his future wife. Yeah. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that he’s going to wait much longer to get her down the aisle, I’m surprised he’s let her drag her feet this long.

Lifting my hand, I wave as Eden drives past, beeping her horn at me before I turn back to my truck and lift up the large planks once again with ease.

Carrying them toward the front of the house, I lay them down and get to work pulling up the rotten boards that need replacing.

‘You want to watch yourself’ a gruff voice mutters from above me and I glance up to find Mr Jenkins leaning against the railing of his porch, coffee in one hand as he studies me. ‘Cadell don’t take kindly to anyone sniffing around his girl’ he adds.

I smile, yeah, I’m also used to everyone thinking I have a thing for Eden which couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only is the woman one of my closest friends, my heart already belongs to someone else and has done for more years than I care to admit.

‘Nothing going on there old man’ I reply, ‘I already told you, Eden and I are just friends, she came to tell me about a job opening.’

The older man straightens up, ‘you packing in the handyman business?’ he demands roughly, ‘who’s gonna paint the fence in my back yard?’

I roll my eyes, Mr Jenkins was friends with my grandfather, it’s why I do all his work and for pretty much cost of materials.

‘You know I’ll be over to paint that damn fence for you’ I snort, ‘just like I used to come over and mow your lawn after practice and paint this porch every summer.’

Mr Jenkins grumbles, ‘thought you was leaving me high and dry, I’d have to get that Gubber asshole to do the work. Lazy ass, I saw what he did to Rosie Burns at number one hundred and seven’s front door, the paint runs were shocking.’

I shake my head, hiding my smile, ‘I’ll be here on Saturday to do your fence’ I repeat, ‘and I’ll be here every Saturday after that if you need me.’

The old man nods slowly, fishing in his pocket and pulling out some bills, ‘I’m hungry’ he grumbles suddenly, ‘go get me one of those bacon and cheese subs from Daisy. Oh, and tell her not to keep trying to put lettuce and s**t in there as well. I know what she’s doing, and I don’t need no rabbit food. I’m eighty seven years old, I can decide what damn filling I want.’

I chuckle, standing up and dusting off my hands on my jeans before taking the money.

‘Don’t try and climb over this’ I order, eyeing the man shrewdly, ‘I’ll be back in twenty minutes, you need to get out, you go down the back porch and out the gate, I don’t need to be carrying your ass to the hospital with a broken hip.’

The old man waves me away, ‘I’m not an invalid’ he mutters, ‘young asses, always thinking I’m incapable because I’m old. I fought in a damn war boy, I’ve run into gun fire, you cry to your mama when you get a papercut.’

I just smile up at the man who was like a second grandpa to me, shaking my head. ‘yeah, yeah, you are a born and bred superhero’ I agree, ‘but you can’t damn fly so down the back porch if you need to get out.’

Leaving the old man muttering to himself, I head back to my truck, sliding in behind the wheel and starting the engine, my chest tightening at the prospect of seeing the one woman in this world who has always had me in knots.