“I figured we’d be taking care of that ourselves.”

“Why stop there? Believe me, you’re in for a treat. I’ll put the flowers in water for you. Do you have a vase?”

“Ah . . . I don’t think so.”

“I’ll find something. And I didn’t forget you,” she said to D.A. while he rubbed against her legs. She opened her purse, produced a massive rawhide bone.

“What, did you take down a mastodon?”

Laughing, she pointed until D.A. managed to sit on his wagging tail. “It was a bitter battle, but I won.”

D.A. clamped it in his teeth, pranced over into the living room to collapse and gnaw.

Hope smiled up at Ryder. “So?”

“I’ve got some wine in the kitchen.”

“Just what I need after defeating a mastodon.”

She glanced around—discreetly—as she went back to the kitchen with him. She’d been in his home once, but hadn’t seen much more than the bedroom.

She liked his space, his use of color and comfort, and the detailing of the wood. She knew he and his brothers had built it, as they’d built Owen’s and Beckett’s.

If she ever found herself in the market for a house, she’d make sure it was a Montgomery Family Contractors project.

She loved his kitchen, the easy efficiency, the clean lines—dark woods, open shelving, glass-fronted cabinets.

“Is it all right if I look for something to put the flowers in?”

“Sure. I’ve probably got a jug or something.”

He poured the wine while she hunted. “I heard there was a glitch with the inspector at MacT’s.”

“Picking nits is all. We’ll deal with it.”

“I saw it the other day. God, it’s going to be fabulous.”

She found a clear pitcher, filled it with water.

“First round’s on Red Hots.”

“You can count on it,” Hope said as she arranged the flowers. “I love your house. It’s very you—and your brothers. Your mother, too, I’m betting with the landscaping. All the Montgomery family touches.”

“Nothing gets done that everybody doesn’t have a hand in.”

“It’s nice. We’re not very handy, my family. With the practical things, I mean. My mother’s creative and artistic, and my father can discuss any book or movie ever written or made, but neither of them can handle anything more complex than a screwdriver.”

“It’s people like that who keep us in business.”

“They have their repair people on speed dial. Personally, I like being able to do minor repairs myself.” She caught the smirk, narrowed her eyes. “I can and do make minor repairs. Do you think I call you or your brothers over every time something needs a hammer or screwdriver? I have my own tools.”

“Are they those pretty ones with flower handles?”