“Same here, man,” Mark said as they went through one of those ritual handshakes.

Chandra smiled. “I hope we get to see you again.”

“I’m going to walk Gabriel to the door. Be right back,” Serenity said. She and Gabriel made their way out front. “I appreciate you always staying to help with the cleanup.”

“Anytime, baby.” He dipped his head and covered her mouth in a gentle kiss. “I’ll talk to you later.”

She nodded, closed the door behind him, and laid her head against it.

“Serenity? You okay?”

Serenity startled and whirled around at the sound of her sister’s voice. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Chandra leaned against the wall in the entryway and scrutinized her like an organism under a microscope. “Hmm. So that was Gabriel. The brother is one good-looking man. And with those hazel eyes and that beard hugging his face like a shadow giving him that sexy, dangerous kind of edge…yummy. I see why you’re having trouble remembering that agreement.”

“I’m not having—” The pointed look on Chandra’s face stopped the lie in its tracks.

She came into the living room, sat on the sofa, and patted the space next to her. “Talk to me, Serenity.”

Sighing, Serenity went over and sat. “He makes it hard not to fall for him.”

“Him helping clean the kitchen wins points in my book any day. Though I’m sure he probably just did that to make a good impression with us.”

“He does it every time we eat together.” Along with doing whatever is needed to assist with the meal, cutting her grass, checking on her when he knew she had long days. All the things she’d wanted when she’d been looking for that kind of special relationship.

Chandra’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious? Honey, he might just be a keeper. And don’t forget, he did your yard today.”

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “And last week and the week before that. Pretty much every week since he moved here.”

“So help me out, Sis. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is I don’t want to be the only one risking my heart. And what part of he’s not planning to stay here didn’t you understand?” If I can have these and the brownies for the rest of my life, I’m never leaving. Gabriel’s words came back to her. She knew he hadn’t been serious, but her traitorous heart leaped at the prospect anyway.

“If it helps any, I think he’s right there with you. And I think there’s more going on between you than either of you realize. I saw the way he looked at you.”