by Glines, Abbi
“Good.” Beau started to get into his truck, but stopped. “Hey, you wanna go play some pool?”
“Aunt Honey working?”
“Yep.”
That meant free beer. I nodded. “Lead the way.”
* * *
LANA
I’d barely made it inside the door when Ashton came racing inside, squealing. She’d made quick work of getting us past her parents and their questions concerning my parents, and up to her room. She closed the door and spun around, smiling brightly at me.
“I am so glad you’re here.”
Her long, blond hair was hanging loose down her back, and her golden tan was already perfect. How did she do that? It had been summer for what now? A week? We shared the same green eyes. That was it. When I was younger, I’d hated her. Not because she was mean, but because she looked like a Barbie doll. To retaliate, I’d been the one who was mean.
“Me too,” I replied as she plunked down on the bed beside me. Getting away from my mother and her endless griping about my dad was a major relief. They’d been officially divorced now for three months, but she still ranted about him daily.
“We’re going to have so much fun. Kayla Jenkins’s birthday is tomorrow night, and she’s having a huge party at her house. She throws one every year. You’ll love it, and you’ll get to meet everyone. Then Beau and I have been talking about a camping trip. Maybe for a week up at Cheaha State Park. We’re going to invite Sawyer, since hiking is his thing, plus some other people. You, of course, are coming too. And Leann is at the beach all summer at her grandmother’s beach house. So I told her we’d come visit her one week.”
Forcing a smile was hard, but I somehow managed. And pushing Sawyer’s reaction to our kiss as far away from my mind as I could, I put all my focus into talking to Ashton.
“That all sounds like fun. I’m game for whatever,” I assured her.
Leaning forward she touched my hair and studied my face. Then her face broke into a huge grin. “You’re wearing makeup and your hair is darker and”—she studied my skirt and top—“you have stylish clothes.”
“I decided it was time for a change,” I replied, unable to suppress my smile.
“Well, you look hot.”
Ashton stood up and started pulling off the cowboy boots she’d been wearing. She’d pair them with a black sundress that barely made it halfway to her knees. It was like God had decided to try his hand at making someone perfect and chose Ashton as his experiment.
“Sawyer said he brought you home. How was he? I mean, was he in a good mood?”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about Ashton still worrying about Sawyer. I hadn’t expected this when I’d planned to spend the summer there. It had been six months since the breakup. Normal people moved on after six months, didn’t they? I mean, she was with Beau. Shouldn’t everything be water under the bridge?
“He, uh, was fine.” Okay, so that was a lie, but I wanted to protect him from her. He wouldn’t want Ashton to know he was still affected by her and Beau.
She let out a sigh and plopped back down on the bed, folding her legs up underneath her and facing me. “Good. He and Beau kind of had some words at the field tonight. I had to jump in Beau’s arms to keep them from tearing it up. That’s why Sawyer left and ended up at Wings.”
I hadn’t seen them fight since we were kids. Surely, they weren’t fighting over Ashton still. “What happened?” I asked, knowing I probably didn’t want to hear it.
“Stupid stuff. Beau didn’t like the way Sawyer spoke to me. It wasn’t a big deal, but Beau got real upset and went on the defensive. They still haven’t found a way to handle me being in the middle.”
The last time I’d been sitting on her bed talking about the Vincent boys, I had told her that she needed to let both of them go. Even then I knew she wouldn’t be able to. They were so much a part of her life. Beau, especially.
“Is Sawyer dating?” I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Ashton let out a short laugh. “I wish.”
That was odd. He was gorgeous, talented, athletic, polite, and funny—how did someone like him go six months without some girl managing to snag a date with him?
“Not even one date?”
Ashton shrugged and pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around the front of her legs. “I think maybe one or two dates. Not sure. I don’t ask, really. Sawyer still acts weird around me, and Beau gets very territorial if I bring up Sawyer. He doesn’t like me talking about him much.”
How sad for Sawyer. Ashton had been a big part of his life since they were twelve, but he couldn’t really talk to her anymore without Beau standing near them. As much as I wanted Sawyer to be over Ashton, I didn’t like the picture in my head. Sawyer, alone, bothered me. He didn’t deserve that. He’d been so good to both of them.
“Welcome to the Jungle” started blaring, and Ashton reached for her cell phone.
“You cannot already be in bed,” she purred into the phone. It had to be Beau. “Really? Oh, okay, well, that’s good. I’m glad the two of you are out together.” My ears perked up, and I studied my fingernails, trying to appear as if I weren’t completely curious about the conversation.
“I love you, too. Be careful, and remember he doesn’t drink much, so get him home safe.” Was Sawyer drinking? With Beau?
Ashton smiled. “No, I love you more.”
Oh, please.
“I’ll keep it beside my pillow. Call me as soon as you get home.” She lifted her eyes to smile brightly at me. “Yes, we’re catching up. Okay, love you. Bye.”
She dropped her phone into her lap and let out a happy sigh.
“I know you don’t like how things went down and that Sawyer was hurt, but I love Beau so much, Lana. I’d do it all over again if I had to. I hated hurting Sawyer, I really did. I’ve never been so happy. Beau is wonderful.” Her voice went all dreamy, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
Chapter 5
SAWYER
I still couldn’t figure out why I was there. Sure, I’d been to Kayla’s birthday parties every year since seventh grade, but that had been because Ash had wanted to go. This year what Ash wanted no longer mattered, so why the hell was I there?
Spill Canvas blared through the speakers outside. The pool had several different-colored strobe lights pointed at it from an upstairs balcony, making the water appear pink, purple, green, and yellow. Teak loungers surrounded the pool along with tiki torches. Last year Jake had bumped into one of those and an umbrella had caught on fire. Before it could get too out of hand, Beau had picked it up and chucked it into the pool. We’d laughed about that for weeks afterward.
I made my way over to the self-serve, makeshift bar right outside the pool house, which basically consisted of large metal tubs filled with ice and drinks. If I was going to endure tonight, I needed alcohol. Lots of it.
“Sawyer!” Ryan Mason slurred. “The man has arrived.” He was already drunk. That was no surprise. The Mason boys were the owners of the land where we had our field parties. Ryan’s older brother had started the parties years back.
I nodded his way and reached for a bottle of Corona that was hidden under ice cubes.
“That’s it, buddy. Drink up. Ain’t got to impress the preacher’s daughter anymore, do ya?” Ryan called out from the middle of the pool. He was lying on a float with some girl snuggled up beside him. I was pretty sure she had gone to our school.
I didn’t respond to his asinine comment. Like Ash cared about that. Hell, she’d left me for Beau. Twisting off the top and throwing it into the recycle bin beside the drinks, I took a long swig of my beer. The cold liquid didn’t make me feel better, but at least it tasted good.
Turning to walk back to the house and maybe find a television so I could turn on SportsCenter, I took only a few steps before the glass doors opened and out stepped Ashton, Beau, and Lana.
Ah hell, I should’ve stayed home. Ashton waved at Kayla and pulled Lana over to wher
e Kayla was lounging with some of the other girls we’d graduated with. Beau’s eyes met mine, and he sauntered over to stand beside me. Both his hands were tucked into the front pockets of his jeans.
“Didn’t think you’d come to this,” Beau said in way of greeting.
Shrugging, I held up the Corona in my hand. “Free beer.”
Beau grinned and nodded. Free beer was definitely something he understood. His eyes didn’t leave Ash as she chatted happily with the other girls. The tiny cover-up she was wearing over her bikini left little to the imagination. She’d never dressed like that when we’d dated. That probably had been another one of her attempts at being perfect for me. What bullshit.
“Better be Lana you’re checking out,” Beau warned.
I shifted my eyes to Lana and was surprised to see her in a pair of really tiny shorts. Her legs weren’t tanned like Ash’s, but they were long and shaped exactly like hers. The pale, creamy color was delicate-looking. I ran my gaze up her body and took in the way her hips flared just below a very small waist that was completely visible through the halter top she wore over her bikini. It was odd that she had so many freckles on her face. The rest of her body looked so perfectly smooth that she appeared almost airbrushed.
“I think she likes you.” Beau’s words broke into my thoughts. I tore my gaze off Lana’s dark copper curls and looked at my brother.
“What?”
“Lana. She asked about you this evening. Wondered if you’d be here.” Beau smirked. “I think she might have a crush on the quarterback.”
I shifted my attention back to Lana at the same time she peered over her shoulder, and our eyes met. She froze, as if in shock I’d been looking her way. Ashton’s cousin wasn’t hard on the eyes and she was really sweet. I took another drink of my Corona as I played around with the idea of talking to Lana to get my mind off Ash.
“Told ya,” Beau said in an amused tone.
Maybe he was right. Lana’s mouth lifted in a small smile, and I remembered how soft her lips had felt under mine. It’d been one helluva kiss.
“Come on. Let’s go get you something a little stronger than a beer. It’s time you moved on from Ash before we end up beating the shit out of each other again.”
Beau headed for the pool house and I followed my brother, reluctantly breaking the lingering gaze Lana and I had held longer than I’d expected.
LANA
Beau pressed his hand on the lower part of Ashton’s back in a territorial way as he led her toward the stairs. I watched as she fought between the desire to go with her boyfriend and her duty to stay with me.
“I can’t leave Lana,” Ashton whispered.
Beau grabbed her waist and tugged her up against his chest. His eyes never once left her face. “Lana is a big girl and won’t mind if I steal you away for a few minutes . . . or more.” He lifted his hazel eyes and grinned at me. “You don’t mind, do you, Lana?”
Like I was going to piss off Beau Vincent by admitting that I really didn’t want to be left alone. Shaking my head, I forced a smile. “Um, no, that’s fine. Y’all, uh, go do whatever.”
Beau turned his gaze back to Ashton. “Please come with me.” His voice had dropped, and his eyes became dark and pleading. No way Ashton was going to turn him down now.
“Okay,” she whispered without giving me a second glance. I watched as Beau led her up the stairs. Surely, she wasn’t going to have sex with him in Kayla’s house. Shaking my head, I turned to head back outside. Maybe Sawyer would be alone, and I could work up the nerve to go talk to him.
Before I reached the door, Sawyer walked inside. His eyes seemed a little glassy and his normally perfectly styled hair was messy. I stopped and watched him as he scanned the room until his eyes found me and stopped. A slow grin spread across his lips, and he sauntered toward me. Was he staggering a little?
“Hey, Lana, what you doin’ all alone?”
I swallowed the nervous knot in my throat as he stood so close to me that my arm was touching his. “Uh, well, Ash and Beau went . . . ” I pointed toward the stairs, unable to tell him what they’d gone to do.
His amused smile became an angry snarl as he shifted his focus to the steps, as if they were repugnant. Great, I’d gotten him all worked up over Beau and Ashton again.
A hand closed around mine, and I squeaked in surprise. Sawyer chuckled and slipped his warm fingers around my cold ones. “Come on, sweet little Lana. You can come entertain me since you’ve been left stranded. Besides, I’ve been looking at those long, sexy legs all night. You make them shorts look real good.”
I gaped at him as he pulled me over to an empty couch. Had Sawyer just said my legs were sexy? I didn’t have time to think about his statement before he was pulling me down to sit on his lap.
He buried his face in my hair and inhaled loudly. “Damn, you smell good,” he murmured. One of his hands slipped around my waist and spread out across the front of my bare stomach while his other hand wrapped a strand of my hair around his finger.
“Feels like silk,” he whispered, and ran my hair across his lips. After experiencing an initial shock, my heart started racing. This was the closest I’d ever gotten to a boy, and the fact it was Sawyer terrified and excited me all at once.
His nose trailed up my shoulder, and then he began nuzzling my neck. I couldn’t help the shiver that ran through me when his warm breath tickled my ear. The hand on my stomach inched up a tiny bit, and he turned me around so that I was facing him.
“You feel real good, Lana. Makes me forget everything else,” he murmured as his hand cupped the back of my head and gently guided my mouth to his.
The same intense hunger I’d felt the last time we’d kissed overtook me. His tongue darted out and licked at my bottom lip and he groaned. Sawyer Vincent groaned as he licked and tasted my mouth. I pressed closer to him and ran my hands through his dark locks, hoping this kiss didn’t end as abruptly as the last one had.
When his tongue swept into my mouth, I was the one to groan. He tasted like something dark and dangerous. Cautiously I touched my tongue to his. Both his hands gripped my waist and picked me up to straddle him as he ran his hands up my back and pulled me tighter against his chest. His mouth left mine, and I started to protest until he began trailing kisses across my jawline and softly nipped my earlobe and kissed a trail down my neck. I wiggled anxiously as heat pooled in my belly and a strange tingling began to occur between my legs.
“Yo, Saw, get a room, man,” a loud voice called out, breaking through my fogged brain. I stiffened, jerking out of the warmth of Sawyer’s embrace. I’d completely forgotten that we were in the living room! Other people were around us. My face was on fire. I chanced a peek at Sawyer, who was watching me with an amused grin.
“Don’t go getting all shy on me now, Lana,” he drawled, squeezing my sides with his hands.
Who was this Sawyer? He was so different.
“Sawyer! What are you doing?” Ashton demanded from behind me, and I scrambled off his lap like I’d been doing something wrong.
“Well, Ash, I’m doin’ exactly what it looks like I’m doin’,” Sawyer replied.
“You were all over Lana!”
“Yeah, baby, I was. Your cousin is a sweet little thing. And she wasn’t fighting me. I’m pretty damn sure she was enjoying herself too.”
Hoots and whistles came from somewhere around us. I couldn’t seem to do anything but stare at Sawyer in shock.
“She’s off limits. Do you hear me? Don’t you dare use her—”
“Use her? Really, Ash? You think that’s what this was about? Because, baby, it ain’t. I can be attracted to other girls. It is possible.” The pleased tone in his voice was unmistakable. Why was he so pleased?
“That’s not what I meant,” Ashton all but yelled.
Sawyer raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Really? ’Cause that’s sure what it sounded and looked like from here, sweetheart.”
“That’s enough, Sawyer.” Beau’s voi
ce startled me, and I turned to see him walking into the room. Oh, good Lord, he was mad.
“It ain’t me this time, bro. She started it.” Sawyer didn’t sound worried at all about the fact that Beau looked ready to hurt someone.
“And if you don’t shut your drunk-ass mouth, I’m going to end it.” Beau’s voice was cold and even.
Sawyer wasn’t drunk, was he? I stared at him; he just looked relaxed. When my dad had come home drunk, he’d been loud and mean. Sawyer was sweet and gentle—or he had been before we’d been interrupted.
“Lana, just come on. We need to go,” Ashton demanded from her spot beside Beau.
Sawyer’s hand reached over and grabbed mine. “Don’t leave,” he said in a pleading whisper. That was all I needed. I’d come here for one reason: to get Sawyer Vincent to notice me. I wasn’t about to leave when I had his attention.
“I want to stay here awhile longer, if that’s okay,” I replied, hoping Ashton didn’t get angry. Not that she really had a reason to be.
“But he’s—”
“Not your business,” Sawyer said, interrupting Ashton.
Anger flared in Ashton’s green eyes, and Beau pulled her tight against his side and whispered something to her. She seemed to relax a little, then nodded.
“Okay, fine. Stay. But do not let Sawyer drive you home. Beau and I’ll come back and get you when you’re ready. Just call.”
I nodded. Sawyer hadn’t promised to take me home anyway. That sounded like a good plan.
“Glad you two are leaving. Lana and I needed a room,” Sawyer announced, standing up rather unsteadily and tugging me up beside him. Laughter from the audience we’d drawn was the wake-up call I needed.
Jerking my hand out of his grasp, I mentally cursed my fair skin and the blush I knew was covering my face and neck. Maybe Sawyer was drunk. I hoped he was, because insinuating to everyone around us that we were going to go do something in a bedroom was not something the Sawyer I knew would do.
