Free Brush of Shade by Jan Harman Page B

to pretend even harder for the
next few days, knowing he’d see through my charade.
    He studied my
face, giving my chin a gentle squeeze. “Wide shoulders, remember? You can talk
to me about anything. Now as for why I’m here, the bed you’ve been using and
your aunt’s fold out cot and dresser belong to my family. I’m half of the
pickup crew.”
    “Only half?” I thought of the older gentleman. Surely he
wasn’t up to moving furniture? It occurred to me that I hadn’t seen the driver
of the sedan exit the vehicle.
    “My brother got
conscripted. I came upstairs to make sure you were out of the way.”
    “I’m not a child
underfoot.”
    “Just a rather
slim, young woman who’d be sporting several bruises had you collided with that
four poster.”
    I remembered his
groan. “Speaking of bruises, do you need some ice?”
    His smile melted
my bones. A warm hand closed about my arm. “Let’s get you settled into the
kitchen.”
    “Isn’t this
cozy,” a voice very much like Shade’s said from the top step. “I can see the
attraction. She’s a pretty little thing. Shame on you,
brother, for holding out.”
    I was staring.
It was justified. Who would’ve thought a small community like this could
produce two such utterly gorgeous guys?  
    “You can call
this miscreant, Shadow. We’re twins,” Shade said.
    Except for the
yellow blond hair styled to form spikes across the top of his head and warm
turquoise eyes instead of cool, crystal blue, Shadow was practically a mirror
image of his brother. I realized as soon as he stepped onto the landing that
Shade was the taller of the two, while Shadow was heavier built across the
chest, although he was by no means stocky. Where Shade had opted for jeans and
a simple gray, crew-neck shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, his
twin in his button down, cotton shirt and khakis looked overdressed for moving
furniture.
    “Now don’t go
giving Olivia the wrong idea. I’m a fine, upstanding member of the community,”
Shadow said, his tone neutral but his eyes took me in and seemed to harden.
    Shade snorted.
    I held out my
hand. “It’s nice to meet you. My aunt and I appreciate the loan of the beds.”
    Shadow nodded
and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Just doing our
duty.”
    “Speaking of
which, make yourself useful; start taking the bed apart. Come on, Olivia, I’ll
introduce you to my Grandpa Fern,” Shade said, holding his twin’s gaze as we
past.
    “Anxious to be
of service, exalted one,” Shadow muttered under his breath.
    Shade started to
turn around. I gripped his arm as though to steady myself. His jaw worked, but
he guided me away. I waited out his mood until we were outside the kitchen
door. “You didn’t mention having a twin brother.”
    “Guess it didn’t
come up. Technically we haven’t had that many conversations.”
    “Any other
siblings I might run into around town?”
    “Nope.”
    “Kind of unusual
names,” I said when he put his hand on the door.
    “Think so?”
    “Of course not. I can’t begin to count the number of people
I’ve met around the world with the names Shade and Shadow.”
    “Why polite,
Olivia, is that sarcasm?”
    “I get it.
You’re embarrassed to tell me how you got those nicknames. If I ask your
grandfather will he tell me tales of boyhood adventures gone amiss?”
    His amused
expression dissolved. “Do not ask him anything.”
    My smile froze
on my face. “Well, don’t let me hold you up. I’m perfectly capable of banal
social conversations.” I twisted free of his restraining arm and shoved the
swinging door open. As it swung shut in his perfect face, I thought I heard
laughter coming from the front door.
    After my aunt’s
polite introduction, she removed herself to the farthest corner of the room
where she proceeded to rearrange the silverware drawer. Shade’s grandfather
grunted in the general direction of the door, and then turned to bore holes
into the back of my aunt’s head.