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Martin’s mottled face to Suzette bounding around the yard as if showing off for poor Fred. He was smitten.
    She sent Martin a piercing look, hoping to convince him she wasn’t going to put up with his insults. “Calm down, please. Fred didn’t get into your yard. He only dug a little hole.”
    “Because I stopped him. Next time, I might not be that—”
    “Next time? I told you it won’t happen again.” Today she understood Nick’s concern.
    As her words charged across the fence, she spotted Nick racing toward them with the expression of a fireman heading for a five alarm fire.
    Martin raised his fist. “He better not or—”
    “Whoa, bro.” Nick skidded to his side and grabbed Martin’s knotted fingers. “What’s going on?” He shifted his gaze from his brother to Steph and gave her one of those I-told-you-so looks.
    Martin snatched away his hand.
    “What happened?” Nick asked, shaking his head.
    She gave a halfhearted shrug. “Fred dug a minute hole beside the fence and—”
    “No need to explain.” Nick eyed Suzette, prancing at his side, and brushed his hand over her fur. “Suzette, are you getting in trouble?”
    Martin’s look pierced Nick. “What do you mean Suzette? She didn’t dig the hole.”
    “Martin, the dogs are getting along fine. You’re the one with the problem. Learn something from your dog.”
    Martin’s nostrils flared. “This isn’t your business.” He spun on his heel and marched away from the fence with Suzette pattering alongside him.
    Steph remained quiet. She had to live next door to the man.
    Nick rested his elbow on the fence post. “Sorry about that. Like I told you, my brother has a short fuse sometimes. He needs to learn a little diplomacy.”
    “That’s not all he needs to learn.” Steph arched a brow. “He called Fred a mongrel.” She gazed into the large yard, noticing Suzette had gone inside. Not by choice, she was sure.
    He leaned over the fence and eyed the hole, grasped the fence post and flung himself over the top rail, then wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. “I can’t believe my brother made a fuss over this.”
    Steph’s chest hummed.
    His arm slipped away, and she stood dumbfounded, admiring his muscular arms while he eyed the hole. Her body ached to be back in his embrace. When her pulse stopped racing, she could finally concentrate. “This isn’t like Fred at all.”
    “Remember, men do crazy things around women.” He grinned at her before turning his attention to the fence.
    Didn’t he think jumping over a fence was crazy? Her mouth curved to a grin.
    “Do you think we should do something to stop him from digging?” He looked at her flower beds, the fresh blooms peeking up from the ground. “Some kind of safeguard.”
    Safeguard? She needed to safeguard herself from her emotions. “Thanks, but it’s not your problem.” She plucked lint from her sweater. “How can two men from the same family be so different? Was your brother adopted?”
    Nick tossed his head back, chuckling. “I’ve wondered that myself.”
    A giddy feeling came over her, and she sensed the expression had bonded to her face.
    “Every time I meet you I like you more and more.” His eyes glinted as he gave her another one-armed squeeze.
    “Thanks.” The touch swept to her toes. She lowered her gaze, needing to turn the subject away from her. “I don’t know what got into Fred.”
    “Males can be impetuous when it comes to the fairer sex.” He lowered his arm as if he had just noticed the hug. “I’d better get inside and deal with the ‘wrath of Martin.’ I’ll do what I can to talk sense into him, and let me know if I can help.”
    She doubted if that were possible now that she’d witnessed Martin in action.
    He catapulted over the fence again, sent her a smile and headed toward the house.
    Steph caught her breath. She loved his smile, but the whole situation gave her an unsettling feeling. She turned her attention back to the hole