Free Time of Possession (Seattle Lumberjacks #5) by Jami Davenport Page B

into a tighter ball and did a
one-handed shot into the garbage can, not even touching the rim,
for a three-pointer. It just figured he was good at everything.
    “Looks that way. I didn’t even know the
place was for sale. He never put up a sign or said a thing about
it.”
    Harris’s eyes narrowed, and he rubbed his
chin. “Hmmm, that’s just fucking wonderful. You got a lot of stuff
to move?”
    “Not really. I’m a minimalist type of guy,
but I have animals. That’s going to be the problem.”
    Harris waved his hand. “Not one damn bit. I
know just the place. My sister has a full daylight basement, which
is a mother-in-law apartment. Separate entrance, its own kitchen,
bathroom, and a fenced yard for the animals.”
    “Which sister?” Brett held his breath and
searched his memory as to whether or not Estie had a daylight
basement in her ranch house. He’d never paid much attention because
it’d been dark, and he’d been too busy drooling over Harris’s
sister.
    “Estie.” Tyler said that one word Brett
longed to hear.
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Part of
him thought it was an excellent idea; the rest of him didn’t get a
vote.
    “She loves animals and does a lot of her
work at home so she can take care of yours, too. We’ll move you in
next Tuesday after we win this upcoming playoff game and earn a bye
for the first round of the playoffs.”
    “Green Bay has to lose for that to
happen.”
    Harris shrugged. “Whatever. You take care of
your part and let fate deal with the Packers.”
    “Look, I can’t move into Estie’s basement.
It’s just—”
    Harris pinned him with shrewd, assessing
eyes. “It’s just what?”
    “Are you sure she’ll be okay with this?”
Brett couldn’t tell Harris he had a raging crush on his sister and
that he either took a cold shower or took care of himself every
night while thinking of her. Harris would definitely castrate
him.
    “Positive.” Harris grinned. “Where else can
you find a place that’ll take animals and rent to you month to
month? Let’s face it, Gun, you make the playoffs, and you’re
getting a big contract as a starter somewhere, so you don’t want to
get tied up into a long-term lease. Estie’s getting married so she
doesn’t need to commit herself to a renter when she doesn’t know
what the future holds.”
    Brett was torn between his head and his
heart and the impossible task of pleasing both. Harris made the
decision for him.
    * * * * *
    There were times Estie wanted to shove her
brother in a bottle, cork it, and throw the bottle in the Pacific
Ocean. Let some other poor sap deal with him. This was one of those
times. The guy could be a total prick and love every minute of it.
Case in point: Christmas dinner. He’d invited Brett and didn’t say
one damn thing about it to Estie.
    Not that Tyler would think it would matter.
And it shouldn’t. But it did.
    He’d also invited Zach and Kelsie and hadn’t
told her about them, but Brett? Damn. Sure, it wasn’t her
house or Ty’s—it belonged to their cousin Derek and his wife,
Rachel. But still. Brett and Richard in the same house for an
afternoon? Double damn.
    Estie did her best to appear interested in
every boring conversation and family drama event going on in the
room and avoided Brett at all costs. The last thing she needed was
someone noticing the hot glances he cast her way or the longing in
her gaze as she drooled after him when he wasn’t looking.
    Derek’s large family room had a bar with a
full array of alcohol. Estie availed herself of a few drinks in a
failed attempt to relax. Considering the way Brett and Richard shot
daggers at each other, it’d be a long day. Pretty soon they’d be
lifting their legs and marking their territory.
    Unable to tolerate the tension any longer,
she excused herself to help her mom and Aunt Bonnie, Derek and
Danielle’s stepmother, in the kitchen. Estie was a passable cook,
better than Freddie, who’d been banned from the