by Lori Foster
Good old Phillip caught her wrist.
Yeah, it took all Boone’s willpower to keep his feet glued to the floor and his fists at his sides.
Oblivious to the rage emanating off her, Phil turned his head toward Boone. “She’s with me.”
“Is that right?” Doesn’t look that way to me, thank God.
With a twitch of her elbow, April deliberately knocked over her water glass, and it spilled all over the dude.
With a curse, he released her and jumped to his feet. “Goddammit, you did that on purpose!”
Surprisingly, April got in his space. “Yes, I did. You’re lucky that’s all I did. Don’t ever. Not ever again. Put a finger on me.” From that dire threat, it took her all of two seconds for her to compose herself again.
Smiling without a care, she hitched her purse strap over her shoulder and said to Dawn, “Sorry for the ruckus. It won’t happen again.”
“Entertaining,” Dawn replied, her eyes wide.
With a self-confidence that made Boone’s dick twitch, April turned and walked out of the diner.
He needed no further proof that the shy, sweet, caring girl he’d known had grown into a woman with backbone and courage.
The impact she had on Boone left him torn.
Chase her down and confess his undying love—or wait to make sure old Phil didn’t go after her?
Phil helped him decide when he stalked up. “She’s mine.”
It was laughable that the dude would still be singing that song. Was he that delusional? Or just hoping to dupe Boone? “Seriously, not the impression I got.”
“Oh, she is,” Phil informed him with ludicrous confidence. He held out his hand. “I’m Phillip Downey, by the way. Used to instruct April in college.” As if scoring a point, he said, “She got her first photography job because of me, so for one thing, she owes me.”
“She gave you a pity date.” Boone ignored his hand. “That wasn’t payment enough?”
The hand slowly dropped. So did Phil’s brows. “April said you used to live here, but just moved back, so you probably don’t realize. She likes to accept dates with damn near anyone. Hell, everyone. Doesn’t mean anything. She still comes back to me.”
Boone couldn’t help the laugh that just sort of snuck out. He tried to rub it away, but knew his mouth was still curled.
Still, he sounded dead serious when he said, “You should heed her warning.”
“Yeah?” Folding his arms, Phil sneered. “What warning is that?”
“Don’t ever touch her again.” Boone walked away. When he pushed through the diner doors, he scanned the street—and was surprised to see April waiting for him.
She smiled. “Took you long enough.”
CHAPTER FOUR
TRYING TO COVER her still-simmering anger, April asked, “Where are you parked?”
He nodded at an old Chevy truck across the street.
“Great.” She started off, her stride long. “Let’s go.”
Boone hurried to catch up to her. “Go?”
“For a quick talk.” She flashed him a determined smile that made him pause. “That’s all.”
Her mood teetered somewhere between rage, embarrassment and firm resolve. She didn’t care what everyone else thought, but Boone? His opinion mattered. It always had.
As they reached his truck, he waited, probably unsure of her plans. Heck, she wasn’t entirely sure; she knew only one thing. Boone could not see her as a damsel in distress.
She looked at the tailgate, but people she knew milled around the sidewalk. The town square in Buckhorn was always busy, at least until early evening when most of the establishments closed.
The town she adored still adhered to old-fashioned rules, like dinner with family, Sundays off and common courtesy. Men like Phillip Downey didn’t belong here.
Men like Boone absolutely did.
“Mind if we sit in the cab? This time of day, the sun is grueling.” And I’m already drawing too much attention.
“Sure.” He rushed to open her door for her, saw her seated, then fished out his keys as he circled around to the driver’s side. Soon as he had the ancient vehicle started, he jacked up the air-conditioning.
“Thank you.”
He nodded, then sat back to survey her. “So... What’s up?”
How to explain? She started and stopped three times before simply stating, “Phillip Downey can be a trial on a good day. But he’s my trial.”
His head jerked back. “Are you kidding me? You’re interested in that fuck?”
“What?” Rethinking what she’d said, April gave a quick denial. “No, of course not. Phillip is an absolute ass and everyone knows it. But he’s my problem to handle.”
The tension eased out of Boone’s shoulders. “Doesn’t have to be.”
Oh, she could tell by the simple way Boone said it that he was chomping at the bit to intercede. Unacceptable. “Under no circumstances will you defend me. I know that whole scene looked bad—”
“Actually, seeing you like that was a hell of a turn-on. Hottest thing I’ve ever witnessed.”
“You...what?” Would Boone continually take her by surprise? Yes, she’d known him years ago, but in so many ways...she hadn’t. She definitely didn’t know this Boone. “What do you mean?”
“You.” Boone’s gaze, now a mellow green, tracked over her slowly in great appreciation. “In that sweet little getup, looking all feminine as fluff while scorching Phil to ash?” He gave a low whistle. “You, lady, were something to see, and yeah, it was incredibly hot.”
Well. The old Boone would have jumped in, fists first, to defend anyone, but especially a female. Now, he’d not only kept his cool, he left her to handle things.
Yes, he’d been right there, and she’d felt his readiness to assist, but...he trusted her to handle it?
Feeling both flattered and empowered, she drew a breath and concentrated on not grinning. To make sure they had no misunderstandings, she stressed, “I can handle Phillip.”
“And then some,” Boone agreed. He tugged at his ear, and ruined it all by saying, “But don’t underestimate him, okay?”
“Here we go.” April dropped back against the seat, closing her eyes for a heartbeat before frying him with a glare. “This is exactly what I’m talking about.”
Instead of heeding her annoyance, he reached out a hand to touch her cheek, grazing her skin with his knuckles, coasting his thumb over her chin. “Sometimes when we’re close to something or someone, we can’t see them clearly. I get the feeling you see Phil as pathetic. From the outside looking in, I see him as psychotic.”
April sighed. Was his attitude the remnant of their past? After all, the last time he’d seen her, she’d been the pathetic one. Even earlier today, she’d floundered around, unsure what she wanted with him, one minute skittish and the next sympathetic.
With him touching her now, it wasn’t easy to think except that she needed him to know that she wasn’t still a starry-eyed giddy girl who romanticized reality. “Phillip Downey is unpredictable. Do I pity him? Yes. Would I underestimate him? Nope. Those two things combined are why I agreed to see him today—”
“And why you chose the public diner?”
“There, you see? I’m not dumb.”
“I’d say compassionate, not dumb, so please don’t put words in my mouth.”
Hmm, well, compassionate wasn’t an insult so she’d accept that. “Fine, but you need to understand. Phillip’s chased me ever since I took his class. Sometimes he seems obsessed, other times harmless. The inconsistency alone gives me pause. But he was right about one thing—I did owe him for my first big break.”
“Payment made, I’d say.”
“Receipt given,” she agreed. “You were raised here, Boone, so you know that my family isn’t without influence. Phillip might l
ive outside Buckhorn, but he’s been around long enough to know that. Standing up to him or anyone else is easy because I have the entire family’s reputation behind me.”
He raised a brow. “Your dad and uncles weren’t in that diner.”
“Standing beside me or not, everyone knows if you mess with me, you mess with the entire clan.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Are you warning me?”
“Just explaining that what you saw in there was me swinging the clout of my family like a wooden club. Dad, Uncle Sawyer, Uncle Morgan, Uncle Jordan, Garrett, Shohn, Adam, my current in-laws like Tucker and Noel...any one of them would dismember Phillip for being rude to me.”
“Maybe you should clue them all in.”
April rolled her eyes. “Have you forgotten Buckhorn? That little scene will reach home before I do. It’ll be all I can manage to keep them from going after him.” She softened her voice, but sharpened her message. “I don’t need another champion, Boone. That’s all I’m saying.”
He scrutinized her long enough that she started to grow breathless, long enough that she squirmed a little in her seat.
The particular expression he wore was intimate, heated, and April couldn’t help reacting to it. No man had ever looked at her as if he both cared about her well-being and fiercely wanted her. It was a potent mix.
Finally, Boone said, “If I promise to do my best, is that good enough?”
Good enough for what? She bit her bottom lip, saw his gaze zero in on her mouth, and she inhaled sharply. The sexual tension was new to her, and she knew it was because of Boone. “Thank you.”
Moving his hand to her shoulder, he fingered the tiny strap of her sundress. “I like this. A lot.” His intent gaze roved over her and he shifted closer. “An innocent dress hiding a killer body and ball-busting attitude.”
His hand was warm against her shoulder, his voice more so, and April knew she was sinking fast. “I only bust balls when necessary.”
His smiled turned knowing as he drifted his fingers up to toy with a lock of her hair. “I can’t decide if you’re salty or sweet.”
Not leaning in to kiss him was incredibly difficult. With a sad excuse for a laugh, she opened her door and escaped her own weakness—namely Boone. Now out of reach, she spoke through the window. “Maybe I’m both.”
Dead serious, he replied, “I wouldn’t mind tasting you to find out.”
And of course she immediately envisioned his mouth on her in several select places. Flushing, she drew a breath. “Remember what I said. No interference with Phillip.” That was one problem she intended to handle on her own.
Boone nodded. “Will I see you around?”
The hopefulness in his voice tugged at her heart. “This is Buckhorn, remember? I don’t see how you can avoid it.”
“Come see me, April. Anytime.”
Not sure how to reply to that offer, she smiled and closed the door. Boone wasn’t just dangerous to her pride.
He was dangerous to her heart.
* * *
SHE HADN’T EXAGGERATED. For the next two weeks, Boone saw April everywhere.
He met up with her cousin Adam one evening, joining him at the school to catch up on old times, and there was April, photographing the new track. Every time he hit up the diner, she was either coming or going. He saw her at the post office and the bank.
One morning he went to the offices at the construction site to finalize a deal with Gary Buchanan, his boss from ages ago who was now retiring, and April was there. Apparently, the local paper wanted pictures of them making the deal, since Buchanan had been around a long time and Buckhorn residents were glad the business would stay in local hands.
It felt good to be considered local.
It felt even better to keep seeing April.
Each time she was cordial, asking about his progress on the house, how Sunshine was faring and if he’d “settled in.”
Truth was, he hadn’t done shitola to the house yet. Whenever he thought about it, he got so damned nostalgic it made him want to run.
From the person he’d been, from the mistakes he’d made.
He’d spent most of his time working on the land around the house, and on the dock and boathouse. Now that it was in working order, he couldn’t put off the remodel any longer.
He needed to get it together, and that included stocking his shelves—and eating in his own kitchen.
After promising Sunshine that he wouldn’t be gone long, he drove to the local grocery to stock up...and as luck would have it, April was there.
Seeing her brightened his day and made the prospect of shopping a lot more appealing.
She hadn’t yet spotted him behind her, but he’d know that tight little figure anywhere, along with the way she walked and the set of her shoulders.
This time she wore capri jeans and a halter. The top tied behind her neck, showing her shoulders and part of her back, then fit like a smock around her waist. She wore her hair twisted atop her head, exposing her vulnerable nape. Blue flip-flops slapped the linoleum floor with each lazy step she took.
The woman shopped for food the same way some people perused a museum.
Apparently, he really would run into her everywhere—just not at his place, where he most wanted her. He was attached to the house. He needed April. What if he couldn’t have both? No, he refused to believe that.
Rather than keep trailing behind her, admiring her ass, he pushed his cart alongside hers. “Hey.”
She turned her head as if coming out of a daze. “Boone! Hey.”
Amused, he asked, “Daydreaming?”
Twin spots of color bloomed on her cheeks, proving he’d hit the nail on the head.
“Interesting.” God, how he loved teasing her. “What exactly were you mooning on, April Kasper?”
“Oh,” she said, all airy and offhand, “this and that.”
Boone hoped he factored in there somewhere. “That’s a pretty blush for this and that.”
Her lips twitched into a smile. “Mostly I’m just trying to decide on dinner.”
Since the aisle they walked held boxed snack cakes and cookies, he laughed. Indicating his own cart, he said, “I can throw in another steak if you’re ready to put me out of my misery.”
Her mouth pursed and she seemed to give it some thought, almost stopping Boone’s heart.
Hoping to help sway her, he said, “Sunshine’s missed you.”
Her eyes filled with humor. “Has she? And did she tell you that herself?”
“We’re close. We communicate without words.”
Grinning, she shoulder bumped him and started her cart rolling again. “What time are you thinking?”
“For dinner?” Damn it, he couldn’t help but get his hopes up. For two weeks he’d been giving casual invitations damn near every time he ran into her, hoping she’d accept.
Each time she’d oh-so-nicely turned him down.
She was so damn kind about it, he was starting to think she didn’t regard him with any more intimate interest than she did Phillip. “Anytime that works for you. Name it and I’ll have it ready.”
“Well...” She looked around, but no one paid them any attention. “I was going to the park to get some photos. They have grills there...?”
Damn it. He’d hope she’d come to his house.
He wanted her to take that leap past old embarrassment and bad feelings.
He wanted to have it all.
He wouldn’t get it today, so he’d settle for progress. “Are dogs allowed?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s go pick out your steak.”
* * *
APRIL KNEW SHE should have felt guilty. Boone looked shocked to see half her family with her in the park, already manning grills and setting up badminton and cornhole sets. Colorful bla
nkets were everywhere and animals ran amuck.
Green eyes slanted her way and he murmured, “Dirty pool, Kasper. You could have warned me.”
A smile tugged at her mouth despite her best effort. “I could have. But look at Sunshine. She’s excited to be here.”
The dog stood at alert, ears up, facing forward.
“It’s a dog park,” April explained. “You can let her loose as long as she’s friendly.”
“None friendlier, but I better introduce her to everyone first.”
Before he could take a step forward, her uncle Sawyer, the eldest of her uncles, strolled over.
April gave him a do not start look, which he gleefully ignored.
“Boone, right? Haven’t seen you in a while.” He held out his hand, and Boone took it.
“Yes, sir.” Boone didn’t seem at all uncomfortable. “Good to see you again.”
As a doctor, Uncle Sawyer had, in her opinion, the most amiable personality. He saw things others didn’t, and she hoped he approved of Boone.
“I heard you bought Gary’s business.”
Boone nodded. “The same crew is staying on. Nothing much will change except that Gary can sit back and put his feet up now.”
“Glad to hear it. Gary’s a good man who’s earned his retirement.” He turned to smile at her. “Something to tell me, April?”
“Nope.” Knowing Sawyer was the least intrusive of her relatives, April kissed his cheek, then surprised Boone by kissing his too, before taking Sunshine’s leash. “I’ll walk her around. The grill is hot, so feel free to get started.”
Then she abandoned him.
Grinning as she did so.
Boone wanted to be home. Well, being home in Buckhorn included her big nosy family. If he held up against them, maybe, just maybe, she’d be able to talk herself into visiting him at his house.
* * *
BOONE HAD TO ADMIT, he was having a great time. April’s family was as nice as he remembered. Older, a few of them a little more mellow yet still occasionally outrageous, and full of love. Everywhere he’d turned, someone was sneaking a kiss, holding hands, leaning into each other—or smiling at him.