Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (bts books to read TXT) 📕

Oliver’s eyebrows shoot to his forehead, and he half chokes on his limonada that we’re having with our tacos. “You . . . let my kids eat cake for breakfast? Now I know why they came back last time begging to go spend the night at your place. Best keep that between us and not let Mindy know.”

“What can I say? Your daughter gives me those big puppy dog eyes of hers and I can’t do anything except turn on the cartoons and go get some cake.”

Oliver laughs, nodding. “Yeah, she’s good at that. Okay, we’ll keep it between us because if Mindy finds out, you won’t get a chance to babysit again, and I happen to like being able to take my wife out on the town every once in awhile. If you ever find a woman you want to marry, don’t forget to do date nights. Keeps things solid, sane, and spicy.”

“Sounds like a recipe for a good taco too,” I wisecrack, and Oliver shakes his head. He knows I’m not listening, and he knows why.

“Okay, well thanks for checking on the house this morning. I’ll have Martha get in touch with the heavy equipment contractors, see what we can get out there. As soon as I know, I’ll get in touch with you on another property. Sure you won’t do more scouting for me?”

I shake my head, offering him my hand. “No dice, Oliver. Besides, I heard Cassie’s been doing well for you guys on that. She even skipped our run last weekend because she was, and I quote, ‘gonna impress that man if it’s the last thing I do.’ Apparently, you’re that man. Lucky bastard.” I laugh.

Oliver nods. “Yeah, well, you should find the time for more than sharing a coffee downstairs. Seriously, both of you have momentum now. You can let off the gas a little bit and hang out for a change.”

“You trying to play matchmaker with me?” I ask, and Oliver laughs. “What?”

“Caleb, I would be a horrible matchmaker. No, that’s just general advice, and I know you two are friendly, that’s all. Find the time when you can and hang out a bit. Be good for both of your mental health.”

I think about it and nod. “If I find the time, sounds good. She’s fun to joke with—you know how she is. Thousand and one laughs, and then I want to kill her.”

“Yeah, I know someone just like that,” Oliver says, meaning his wife, and I roll my eyes. “Anyway, take care, and don’t eat too many of those cookies. You never know if one of my mom’s friends has slipped something into the mix. You might find yourself tied up in someone’s basement.”

I laugh. “Sounds more like something Mindy or Roxy would do. Should I check your basement sometime for ropes, whips, and handcuffs?”

Oliver growls mockingly, shaking his head. “Think I gotta get back to work. See you later, Caleb.”Cassie

“Hey, Martha, it’s Cassie,” I say into my phone as I check that I’ve got everything I need. I’m quite the packer. Even going to the grocery store involves a packing list for me. And airports? The security guys there hate me with a passion. “Listen, I’ll be out of the office today. I’ve got my eyes on three different properties that might be good purchases.”

It’s not a total lie. I do plan on spending most of the day working, but if I get done early, I still have some shoes to buy. I tell Martha a few details just in case she needs to get ahold of me, then I hang up and plug my phone into my dash dock where it’ll work as my navigation if I need it. I’m terrible with driving directions. I don’t think I could get myself from the office downstairs to the cafe if I didn’t have it sometimes. Thankfully, I already input the three addresses for today’s journey, and I check my other supplies. Laptop in case I need to send a serious email or something—check. Frappe from Mindy’s Place for my morning caffeine buzz—check. Shoulder bag with my camera, wallet, and of course, all the other stuff I need to make sure I look good if I happen to run into Tom Hardy while I’m out—check. Always gotta be prepared. That’s my motto.

I fire up my engine, and Roxy’s cover of Hallelujah starts up. Damn, that girl can sing, and while she’s not my entire playlist, it’s a great way to start the morning. I cruise, letting my body relax as I get ready for a day in the ‘mobile office’. I’ve always enjoyed this part of my job, working outside the office. Investigating new properties is fun. I always feel like I’m part Sherlock Holmes, part Storage Wars, and part True Detective. House Hunters? Please. I’m serious with this. I’m not going to be worrying if the kitchen has granite countertops or not. I’m looking for the deal.

It’s probably the most fun part of my job. Most people, when they go looking for a house, they want the good stuff. They’re looking for new carpets, fresh paint, all the bells and whistles. We’re not. I want to find the worst house in the best part of town, pick it up at a steal, sink fifteen thousand into it, and either rent it out or flip it for twenty percent profit. In fact, the best way to get Steele Solutions to cut a check for your property is to make sure the carpet needs to be replaced.

It takes me about fifteen minutes to get to the first house, a two-bedroom for sale by a couple that’s moving up and out. It’s adorable and I love the all-brick construction, but as I get out of my car, I make sure to lock the doors. Our small town is nowhere near as bad as some of the nearby big cities, but every town’s got ‘that area’, the part of town where the