“I know.” Matt didn’t mind the fact that she was guarded. What he minded was the fact that she was guarded around him. Why would she feel the need to wear glasses around him? Didn’t she trust him?
“What? You expect her to open up and spill all her secrets to you?” Jake shook his head. “You expect too much.”
“I expect trust. Is that too much to ask?”
Jake shrugged. “It’s everything. Trust is serious. More serious than sex. Think about it. When you trust someone, you’re giving them the power to hurt you.” He drained his beer. “That’s scary stuff. Like saying, ‘Hey, here’s a really sharp knife. Stab me in the chest with it anytime you like.’”
“I would never hurt Frankie.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“So what is the point?”
“She had a rough time growing up, you know that. Her mom is scary. Remember the last time she visited? She pinned me against the wall.
I almost lost my virginity right there in Frankie’s kitchen. It’s no wonder Frankie is guarded.”
Matt remembered Paige telling him that boys had hit on Frankie at school, assuming she was like her mother and that sex was guaranteed.
Like mother, like daughter.
“I don’t know how to handle it.”
“You’ll figure it out. Getting wounded creatures to trust you is your special gift. If you don’t believe me you only have to look at that damn cat.”
“Are you comparing Frankie to a cat?” Matt shook his head. “How did you ever get any woman, let alone my sister?”
“I used my abundance of natural charm.” Jake yawned. “How’s work? You never return my calls. Are we breaking up?”
Matt was too preoccupied to smile. “I’m snowed under. I’m in the middle of a big project and I’ve lost a key player.” His skill lay in design and hard landscaping and much of that was already completed. They still had to deal with lighting and furniture. He’d planned three log seats, and had completed one of them. His problem was the planting and it would remain a problem until he could find someone to take Victoria’s place. “I need to try and recruit someone with Frankie’s skills.”
Jake shrugged. “So ask Frankie.”
“What?”
“Why bother trying to find someone like Frankie, when you can have Frankie. If she has the right skills, give her the job.”
“She already has a job.”
“So you’ll need to be creative. Find a way.” Jake paused. “The best way to get someone to trust you is to spend time with them. You have the perfect excuse right there under your nose.”
Matt stared at Jake, wondering why that solution hadn’t occurred to him. “Sometimes,” he said, “you’re not a bad friend.”
“I’m the best friend on the planet. You love me. That’s why we’re getting married. And we’re going to live happily ever after.”
“Until I divorce you.”
“You couldn’t afford to divorce me. We haven’t signed a prenup.”
Chapter Two
If you want unconditional love, get a dog.
—Frankie
“We had a call from Mega Print. Remember them? We ran their office party last month.” Paige checked all the requests that had come through overnight. “The vice president of sales wants regular dog walking. Can we cover that?”
“I’m on it. I manage everything canine.” Eva slid into her chair and toed off her running shoes. “Matt recommended a fantastic dog-walking business called The Bark Rangers on the Upper East Side and so far our clients are impressed. The owners are twins. My new favorite game is trying to tell them apart. They’re called Fliss and Harry.”