Tucker (In Safe Hands Book 4)

by S. M. Shade

  Jeremy glares as the guy slides an arm around her waist, and Frannie flashes him a grin, as if the little blonde doesn’t bother her. His lips pressed together, Jeremy turns his back and goes back to his conversation with the other guys.

  “Hey, Leah. Happy birthday!” Frannie says, and introduces her date to the rest of us.

  “Thank you.”

  Despite the obvious tension between Jeremy and Frannie, the next few hours are fun. Landon brings out a speaker and the air fills with rock music. Everyone is busy drinking, laughing, and talking.

  At one point, Alex Reed wanders over and sits beside me. Maybe the alcohol has gone to my head, but he looks so damn adorable I don’t even notice I’m flirting with him until a snort of laughter comes from behind me.

  “You’re barking up the wrong tree, kid,” Tucker scoffs. When the hell did he show up?

  My face heats instantly and I turn to Alex, mortified. “I’m sorry. You’re married aren’t you? I didn’t mean to—

  Alex laughs and squeezes my knee. “Don’t apologize. Yes, I’m married. Ian just got here.” He waves over a dark headed guy who definitely fits right in with this group. It’s like hot guys are drawn to each other or something because I swear I’m surrounded by them.

  Tucker’s remark makes sense when Ian smacks Alex on the ass. “Are you over here causing trouble?”

  “Leah, this is my husband, Ian. Ian, Leah.”

  Ian’s eyes sweep over me and his lips tilt up in a smile. “Well, where have they been hiding you?”

  Good god, why do they have to be gay? These two would make any woman surrender her panties and whatever else they asked.

  “Away at college.”

  Ian slides up beside me on the log. “Educated and beautiful. Just like me. I think I’m in love.”

  Alex laughs, shaking his head. “Sorry, I should’ve warned you. His arrogance goes through the roof when he’s drinking.”

  “Are you seriously hitting on me in front of your husband?” I laugh.

  “Well, we like to involve a beautiful woman every now and then, and—

  He doesn’t get a chance to finish his statement because he’s pulled backward off the log.

  “She’s Dare’s sister, asshole,” Tucker growls. “Hands off.”

  It draws everyone’s attention, especially when Ian just continues to lie on his back in the grass, laughing. “Told you so,” he says to Alex.

  I’m not sure what that was about, but everyone is laughing, so I just chalk it up to the alcohol. “Something tells me you and Justus would get along really well,” I tell Ian as Alex grabs his arm and hauls him to his feet.

  The party dies down as most of the guests leave or crash in one of the farmhouse’s guest rooms. It’s late and I’m lying in a lounger by the fire staring up at the stars. It’s so beautiful and peaceful out here. Maybe I shouldn’t be looking for an apartment in the city.

  “You aren’t going to pass out, are you?” Ayda teases.

  “Nah, I’m just buzzed, not drunk.”

  Tucker, Justus, and Derek are deep in a conversation I’ve been ignoring up to this point until I hear Tucker say, “I don’t need someone to pay rent, just be willing to keep up the place and look after the animals.”

  Sitting up, I focus on him. “What are you talking about?”

  Derek shakes his head. “Tucker is looking for a house sitter for the next six months. Maybe one of your school friends?”

  “Me!” I jump to my feet and grab the back of the chair as the world sways before righting itself. “I’ll do it. It’s gorgeous here and I could use the peace and quiet to write.”

  Derek frowns. “I don’t want you out here alone, so far away.”

  “Too bad you don’t get to make that decision.” The look on Tucker’s face pisses me off. He obviously isn’t going to go against Derek. “I’m twenty-three years old for hell’s sake!”

  Ayda squeezes my shoulder and pulls Derek and Tucker aside. They murmur back and forth for a few moments before Derek speaks again. “Fine. I’ll make a deal with you. You can move out here to BFE as long as you promise to always set the alarm, and keep in touch with me or Ayda.”

  Really? That was easy.

  “You also have to let me put some money in your account since you won’t be getting a paycheck.”

  Tucker watches my reaction as my cheeks heat up. I hate being treated like a child. “Fine,” I growl. “When can I move in?”

  “The sooner the better,” Tucker replies.

  “How about tomorrow?”

  Tucker shrugs. “Fine by me. You can take the spare bedroom.”

  Joy and excitement rush through me at the prospect of having this beautiful place all to myself for six whole months.

  “I’ll help you get packed up in the morning,” Ayda promises.

  * * * *

  Whatever Ayda said to convince Derek to be cool with my moving out has faded by morning.

  “It’s almost winter,” he argues. “What are you going to do if it snows and the power goes out?”

  With a snort, I shake my head. “I’ll run out and play in it until I get frostbite.”

  Derek shoots Ayda a look when she giggles. “It’s not funny.”

  Ayda throws her arms around him and drops a kiss on his lips. I’m kind of fascinated by the way my huge, scary brother just melts at her actions. I hope I find someone to love me like that someday.

  “She’s a grown woman, babe. I’m sure she could start a fire in the fireplace. Now, grab that last box and let’s go.”

  Through a lot of grumbling and protests, Derek helps me get all my stuff moved into Tucker’s place—my place for the winter.

  Tucker has his truck loaded with a couple of suitcases when we arrive. He walks me through what needs to be done for the animals on a daily basis, with Derek following along behind us.

  After he pulls away a few minutes later, I practically have to shove Derek out the door as he keeps giving me warnings you’d give a teenager left home alone for the first time.

  “I’ll be fine. Now, let me enjoy my solitude and go be with Ayda and Ollie,” I tell him, giving him a hug. “Love you.”

  “Love you too, critter.”

  Finally, he’s gone and I’m alone for the first time in a long time.

  My first night alone, I plan to eat junk food and veg out watching television. I can start writing tomorrow. After all, I have six months and it feels like an eternity right now.

  Chapter Two

  Tucker

  Great. Just fucking great. Everything fell through and it turns out I’m not leaving town after all. Leah isn’t going to be happy when she has to go back to Dare and Ayda’s after only two days.

  I know I’m just distracting myself from the devastation of the news I received today, but it’s something I can’t even think about right now. Instead, I focus on the drama I know is coming when I get home. The drive is interminable and I make a last minute stop for a bottle of bourbon. Something tells me I’m going to need it.

  It’s dark when I arrive and a wonderful smell smacks me in the face as I let myself in the kitchen door.

  Leah stands at the counter in a t-shirt that barely brushes her hips, and the way blood fills her cheeks when she sees me, I assume she’s not wearing much underneath.

  “Sorry, should’ve called and warned you,” I mumble, rushing from the room.

  The sight of her creamy skin, and those shocked blue eyes sent a wave of lust through me that was immediately followed by guilt. I can’t be with anyone, let alone Dare’s little sister. She’s just a kid. Okay, so she’s in her twenties, but she’s still ten years younger than me. I can’t think with my cock.

  When I go back downstairs a few minutes later, Leah is dressed in leggings and pulling a pan out of the oven. “What are you doing here?” she asks, placing a pan of lasagna on the table.

  “I live here.”

  “Not for the next six months.”

  “Plan has changed,�
�� I reply. Yeah, I’m being a dick. I hate to disappoint her. I don’t want to see the sad look on her face when she realizes she has to go. She doesn’t look sad when she replies, though. Her glare makes me want to look behind me and make sure the paint isn’t peeling from the wall.

  “Well, mine hasn’t.” She shoves a plate and silverware toward me. “What’s going on?”

  “My plans fell through. I’m not leaving.”

  Crossing her thin arms, she leans back against the counter. “Neither am I.”

  “Uh-huh.” I grab a drink and sit at the table. There’s no point in arguing when I know how this is going to go. Spooning a helping of lasagna onto each of our plates, I remark, “So, would you like me to call Dare or do you want the honor?”

  I think Dare trusts me as much as can be expected since we aren’t really close, but he’s seriously overprotective when it comes to Leah. There’s no way he’ll be cool with her living here with me for six months. I’m sorry to screw up her plans, but I have bigger things to worry about. This should sort itself out.

  Mumbling something I’m sure isn’t complimentary, she drops into the seat across from me and takes a bite of her dinner. “In case you haven’t noticed I’m over twenty-one and I couldn’t give two dry fucks what Derek has to say.”

  “Uh-huh,” I repeat, wolfing down the food. We eat in silence for a few minutes until I get to my feet. “You’re a good cook. Thanks.”

  “I’ll do the cooking as a thank you.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Huffing, she shoves her plate into the dishwasher. “Is that all you can say?”

  Her plump lips press together in agitation and it’s too fucking cute. Leah is usually so upbeat and smiling. I’ve never seen her really pissed off.

  “I think that covers it.”

  Leaving her fuming in the kitchen, I walk out to my workshop and call Dare. “Hey man. I’m sorry, but there’s been a change of plans. I’m not leaving town after all.”

  Dare laughs. “Leah is going to skin you alive.”

  “I believe she’s already plotting it.”

  “Tell her we’ll come help her pack up in a few hours.”

  “Yeah, you might want to run that by her yourself. I’ve been informed you aren’t her boss and she’s staying.”

  There’s a moment of silence before Dare replies. “She wants to stay there…with you?”

  “Apparently.”

  “And you said it was okay?”

  “No, I told her to call you or I would.”

  Dare sighs. “I’ll be by in an hour or so.”

  Call me a chicken shit, but I have no intention of going back inside and arguing with Leah. When she realizes she has to go, she might start crying and that’s one thing I’m not equipped to deal with. Give me an enemy to fight, a target to shoot, something to fix or build, and I’m in my element. Crying women…no clue. And I already feel helpless enough today after the news I’ve received.

  One thing I’ve learned over the years is there are some bad things you can’t prepare for, no matter how far in advance your warning is. Some problems can’t be solved. Some changes can’t be fought, only accepted, and the road to acceptance is a damned obstacle course of anger, fear, and despair.

  I grab some sandpaper from my workshop and head outside where a nearly finished picnic table waits. Working with my hands always takes my mind off of things, and before long the repetitive rasping of sandpaper on wood calms my brain. I’m admiring my work, trying to decide whether I should stain it tonight or wait until morning when Dare pulls in. Tonight it is.

  I give him a wave as he heads inside, and he flips me off. Fair enough. I don’t envy him at the moment. That’s one upside of not having family or getting too close to people; there’s no drama to deal with. Nobody else’s problems to stress over when I have plenty of my own.

  By the time I have the table stained and moved under the carport awning for the night, Dare re-emerges, a grim expression on his face.

  “Good luck, buddy!” he calls, heading to his car.

  Wait. What? I catch up with him just as he climbs inside, and he shakes his head. “She’s stubborn as fuck. Short of carrying her out over my shoulder, I don’t know what the hell to do with her. Looks like you have a roommate for the winter.” His eyes narrow. “Do I need to remind you she’s my baby sister, who has been…victimized in the past?”

  Fuck fuck fuck. “Of course not, but what am I supposed to do with her?”

  “My suggestion would be to stop showering, stink up the house, and play country music all the time. Send her running,” Dare laughs.

  “Shit’s not funny,” I grumble.

  “Not from your side of it,” he agrees. “Call me if she gets herself into trouble.”

  With those words he pulls away, leaving me standing in the driveway with no idea what to do next.

  Roommate.

  Fuck me.

  * * * *

  “So, let’s get some ground rules straight,” Leah says, placing a platter of bacon and eggs on the table. I waste no time filling my plate and digging in. I’ll say one thing for her, the woman can cook.

  She was in her room when I went back inside after Dare left last night, so this is the first time I’ve seen her since we became roommates. “Ground rules. In my house,” I state.

  “Our house for six months, so yeah. Rule number one, clean up after yourself,” she says while I shovel in the food. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible. That’s my plan for the next six months. Be somewhere else.

  She glances around the kitchen and continues, “Which doesn’t seem to be an issue since the place is pretty clean. Rule number two, let me know if you’re having friends over. I need quiet to write. Rule number three—

  She doesn’t get any further because I’m on my feet, chucking my empty plate in the sink. “Sorry, kid. My house, no rules. Leave the dishes.” I toss a credit card on the table. “For groceries,” I add, and make a quick exit.

  Her little bossy act is cute, but this is feeling a little too domestic. Fortunately, I have things to do outside. Winter is just around the corner, and when you live out in the boonies like I do, you need to be prepared.

  First thing on my list today are the barn doors. After the heat and humidity of the summer, they’ve swollen a bit and are no longer flush when you close them. I was out at the crack of dawn this morning to feed the animals and release them into the small pasture, but was surprised to see Leah had beat me to it. As much as I don’t want the hassle of a roommate, I am glad to have a little help.

  When Dare first showed me this place, the pigs were the only animals, other than Humper, the eternally horny dog. I realized that being around animals has a calming effect on me, and I like the idea of producing some of my own food, so I’ve since added goats and chickens.

  The goats are mainly there to help keep the grass trimmed, but the chickens provide me with more than enough fresh eggs. I know what it’s like to be hungry, and I don’t plan to suffer like that again.

  Humper flops down in the shade as I adjust the doors and sand down a few rough spots. After tackling that problem, I climb into the loft and bring down the portable heaters I use to keep the animals warm through the winter and test them. They work fine, so I set them aside for future use.

  Grabbing a can of gasoline, I do the same to the two generators, and find them in working order as well. I’ve only had one power outage that lasted long enough to need a generator, but I have a stubborn kid to look after now, so I need to make sure I’m ready. They both roar to life without a problem, so I store them again.

  My garden is in full bloom with the last vegetables of the year, so that’s where I’ll be spending the rest of the afternoon. I love having the fresh veggies through the summer, but I’m not interested in preserving and canning, so I just drop off what I can’t eat at Striking Back’s shelter.

  It’s funny how things have worked out. Dare was the one to bring me into his organization, I
n Safe Hands, but not as a hacker. My computer abilities are limited to checking email and Googling. When I first moved in here it was to keep an eye on things and make the place appear normal, giving ISH a place to dispose of the bodies of predators. They’ve since decided not to kill anymore and signed the place over to me permanently. When I protested I had done nothing to earn such a place, Dare suggested that his friend Mason, who runs Striking Back, could use another security guy and needed someone like me who can keep his mouth shut.

  So, my life went from being a homeless nothing to a part-time farmer, part-time bodyguard, and now full-time baby sitter.

  All in all, I’m more content than I ever thought I could be. I get up early, care for the animals and crops, and head out to wherever Mason needs some muscle that day. He usually only needs me a couple days a week, but the pay is more than enough to sustain me. It’s the boredom in-between that eats at me. Too damn much time to think.

  Woodwork has always been a hobby of mine, and just recently a local furniture store noticed the patio set I built for one of the women relocated by Striking Back. They made me an offer to sell the stuff I make through them for a cut of the profits. It’s been a lot more lucrative than I expected. I’ll have to stop in and let her know I’m accepting orders again, now that I’m not leaving.

  I spend the rest of the afternoon working in the garden and there’s not a peep from Leah. Maybe this won’t be so bad.

  She’s sitting on the rear, screened-in porch with a notebook in her lap when I enter, a frown on her face. It isn’t until the door falls shut with a thwack that she looks up and realizes she isn’t alone. I give her a quick nod and head inside for a shower. I want to make a quick trip to town before it gets too late and the stores close.

  When I return downstairs, she’s sitting on the couch with her tablet. “Do you want me to make something for dinner? There’s still leftover lasagna.”

  “I’ll grab something in town.”

  She’s on her feet and pulling on her shoes before I can finish tying mine. “You’re going to town? I’ll ride with. We need some things from the grocery store.”