Fox - Beware of Doug

Someones moving in.

Brady sat on the front porch with a beer, listening

They had dined at Bistro Bethem and walked down the

What I am afraid of, Brady said, is catching your

In the end hed left her a note. Slipped it

Lily called Megan right away and was assured that Doug

So now you know, Brady finished, exhaling. He rubbed his

Megan was telling me about your pilot, Penelope said, one

Lily walked up to her front porch in a daze,

Brady crossed the darkness of his backyard, unaware of the

Dammit, where was his other shoe?

Lily didnt know what else to do. She saw Megan

Megan has asked us all to come outside for a

The kiss was delicious. She fell into it like a

The trap was laid, the hiding place established, now all

Lily sat with Doug next to her on the wooden

Lily sat in her living room, drinking an iced tea

It took Nathan a moment, but he finally seemed to come

Doug didnt think of him as the New Guy anymore.

Someones moving in.

Nathan made the statement as if he and Lily were parked in a dark alley, wearing night-vision goggles and staking out someones house, instead of standing by the fence in their respective front yards on a sunny spring afternoon. They were watching several large moving men unload a leather couch from a truck into the right side of Lilys Victorian twin house, the nineteenth centurys version of a duplex.

From inside her half, Lilys French bulldog, Doug, could be heard barking as if the four horsemen of the apocalypse were galloping up the driveway. Through the closed window he sounded like a cartoon character underwater. Bwoop-bwoop. Bwoop-bwoop .

My fathers really happy with this tenant, Lily said, watching two of the movers bend an enormous mattress through the front door. It looked even bigger than a king size. Who in the world needed such a big bed? Thats why he wanted me to be here when the guy moved in, in case he had any questions. The guys being bankrolled by a billionaire, as my father put it, so he wont be a deadbeat like Hugh was.

Its a guy? Nathan asked sharply.

Lily nodded. Dont worry, she added. Im sure my father read this one the riot act about loud parties and beer cans in the backyard. You and your mother can rest easy. Besides, this guy works. Hes not in college like Hugh was.

What does he do?

Hes a pilot. Hell be flying Sutter Foleys private jet. Apparently its a full-time job. Despite herself, she was impressed with this. A pilot. It seemed soadventurous.

Nathan nodded. Nice, working for a billionaire. So I guess your friend Megan knows him. I mean since she lives with Foley and all. Did she say what he was like? Is he, like, old or anything?

Im not sure she does know him. Lily leaned slightly sideways as the movers manipulated the long leather couch first one way, then the other, in an attempt to get it through the door. She isnt very involved in Sutters business stuff. She gazed down the street again, expecting that any minute a car would pull into the driveway. Where is he, anyway? I dont have all day. Youd think the new guy would be here, directing the movers, so they know where to put stuff. Doesnt seem very responsible.

Maybe hes on a flight, Nathan said. Maybe hes gone a lot. Could be hell never be around.

Lily glanced at him. That would be great.

Even as she said the words, a motorcycle roared up the street, rattling the windows on nearby houses, then slowed to a crawl and pulled into the driveway. It didnt stop there, however. With a twitch of the drivers wrist the cycle gave a gratuitous growl and pulled right up alongside the moving truck, partially on the lawn, over the front walk to a patch of grass next to the flower bed lining the right side of the porch.

It was out of the way of the movers, she gave him that. But it stood in the front of the house like the prized possession of a redneck in a trailer park.

The motorcycles rider wore a brown bomber jacket, faded and frayed jeans, a sweatshirt that seemed to fit snugly across a wide chest and drape loosely over a trim middle. He pulled off his helmet to reveal straight brown hair with a side part and dark sunglasses over a lean face.

He straightened his legs, swung one easily over the saddle, and settled the helmet on the seat of the black-and-chrome beast.

A bomber jacket on a pilot, Nathan said sourly. What a clich.

Lily laughed, but could not take her eyes from the pilot. At least the sunglasses arent mirrored.

He looked like trouble, she thought. Had her father actually met this guy in person? There was no way hed be less difficult than Hugh had been, she could tell just by looking at him. Hugh at least had been nineteen and intimidatable. This guy was an adult who worked for a billionaire, and it was obvious simply from the way he moved that he had confidence enough for several normal men. Besides, he was a pilot. Didnt everyone know about pilots? They were all cocksure and obnoxious. She knew. Shed seen Top Gun.

In addition to everything else, he was good-looking. That was immediately obvious. In her experience, that meant a parade of bimbos through the house, not to mention parties and drunken revelry on a regular basis. Then there was that motorcycle. He might as well have been landing the jet in the backyard for all the noise that the bike made.

Oh Daddy. She sighed, shaking her head. Why didnt he let her rent the place out? Shed offered, more than once. He always told her not to worry about it, that hed take care of it, that she should just concentrate on grading papers or whatever the hell it was she did at that college.

The new tenant chatted with one of the movers a minute, gestured toward the house with broad, casual sweeps, laughed, then turned and headed for Lily and Nathan.

One of you Lillian Tyler? he asked, nearing them with a loose-legged stride. He removed his sunglasses in a smooth, practiced move.

His smile was pleasant, she had to admit. And he had hazel eyes that crinkled appealingly. A man who went into every situation knowing hed be liked.

That would be me. She raised her hand. Most people call me Lily.

He reached out to shake. Brady Cole. Nice to meet you.

She took his hand, and their palms met, his was warm and dry, hers cool in his grip. The guy exuded confidence even through his skin, she thought.

And this is Nathan Williams. She gestured toward Nathan. He lives next door with his mother, Edie.

She watched as Brady Cole shifted his gaze to Nathan, smiled easily, and moved his hand from hers to Nathans. Good to meet you, Nathan.

Nathan nodded once and shook the offered hand. Lily noted the flush in his cheeks and knew he hated meeting new people. It wasnt that he was shy, exactly. He just wasnt good with change.

Glad I got to meet you so soon. Your dad said youd be keeping an eye on me, so I just want to say Ill be on my best behavior. Brady Cole grinned at her, his eyes direct.

So her father had read him the riot act, she thought. That was good. But this guy was going to have to do more than talk about good behavior. He reminded her of one of her good-looking students who thought he could charm her into a better grade than the work merited.

Then well get along just fine. She let a pert smile tilt her lips.

His grin grew devilish. He also said I should keep an eye on you. Apparently he doesnt think youre safe down here all by yourself. I get the impression hes a little protective.