Face Value (Next Generation 7)

by Cheryl Douglas

  She scowled when he reached for his phone. “Your ex.”

  “Oh.” He would grill his kids about the new guy when he saw them that weekend. Experience taught him to be over-protective, especially when it came to Amanda’s boyfriends.

  “Does it bother you?”

  “What?” He looked up and saw her pouting. Barely able to suppress an eye roll, he returned his attention to his phone. “No, why would it? Amanda and I have been divorced a long time.”

  “I heard that’s why you went to jail, because you beat up the guy she was dating in a jealous rage.”

  “I don’t wanna talk about that.” He set his phone down and shot her a warning glance. Some topics were off limits, and his brush with the law was definitely one of those things. Most people knew better than to ask him about the details, but Tonya must think their intimate relationship gave her special privileges. She was dead wrong.

  Tucker nodded when he glimpsed J.T. McCall behind the bar. He knew Lauren’s daddy didn’t like him very much, not that he could blame him. Tucker’d lost count of all the times he’d gotten into fights at Jimmy’s, but that was before Tucker’s reckless behavior finally landed him in jail. He’d learned to control his temper. The mandatory anger management sessions helped, but not as much as the fear of being taken away from his kids again.

  Tucker couldn’t contain his smile when Lauren finally walked in. And she wasn’t with a man. Hot damn.

  Chapter Three

  “Oh no.” Lauren groaned when she spotted Tucker and his date. “What the hell is he doing here?”

  Ava’s eyes followed Lauren’s. “Hey, there’s my hair stylist, Tonya. Oh. My. God. Who’s that guy?”

  Lauren couldn’t blame her friend for gaping; she’d had the same reaction. Unable to tear her eyes away in time, she had no choice but to wave when he spotted her staring.

  “His name’s Tucker Brooks. He has a construction company not too far from here.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ve seen him in here before. He’s usually playing pool in the back room, right?”

  “How should I know?”

  Ava smiled at her sharp tone. “How do you know him?”

  “I needed a contractor. His ex-wife is my nail technician. She suggested I pay him a visit, see if he might take the job.”

  Ava wrinkled her nose. “Are you still going to Amanda? God, I had to switch to someone else. That woman gave me a headache going on and on about her personal life. As if anyone really cares.”

  Lauren couldn’t deny she would listen a lot more closely the next time Amanda mentioned her ex-husband.

  “Come on,” Ava said, tugging on her friend’s hand. “I should go and say hi to Tonya. Besides, I want to know if she can squeeze me in for a trim tomorrow on my lunch break. It’ll save me a phone call in the morning.”

  “Uh, you go ahead,” Lauren said, digging her heels in. “I’m gonna go and say hi to my dad. Why don’t I grab our drinks? What’ll you have?”

  “The usual.”

  Resisting the urge to look over her shoulder, Lauren weaved through the crowd. It was busy for a Thursday night, but Lauren wasn’t surprised. Her father’s bar was always busy.

  Lauren was waiting for J.T. to finish with a customer when a big body squeezed in beside her. She didn’t have to face him; she recognized that particular brand of cologne. Sex in a bottle. At least, that’s what it should be called.

  “Hey there,” Tucker said, knocking his fist on the bar. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  The corners of her mouth twitched. “All my drinks are on the house. I’ve got an in with the owner.”

  “Lucky girl.” He smirked. “So, you come to check out the band, or what?”

  “I just didn’t feel like going home to an empty condo.”

  He frowned. “You restore those great old houses, yet you live in a shoebox? That doesn’t seem right.”

  “Who said my apartment’s a shoebox?” It was modern, spacious, and suitable for a single woman. She had been tempted by a few of the rambling Victorians she’d renovated, but she would wait until she had a family to help her fill all those rooms. Her time would come, but she wasn’t in a hurry. She loved the freedom of being single. She could work long hours, eat cereal for dinner, travel when she wanted, and get tipsy with the girls. What could be better? Recreational sex. She had a few nice men on speed dial for whenever she wanted a little companionship.

  He laughed. “Don’t get all riled up. I’m sure your place is nice.”

  His laugh, deep and rich, glided over her like melted honey, heating her from the inside out. “So Amanda was right. She said you were dating a girl half your age.” Lauren clamped her hand over her mouth. What was she thinking? She needed to stay on his good side if she wanted him to agree to complete the renovation.

  His eyes shone with amusement as he hooked his boot over the railing and inched closer. “She’s not quite half my age. Just how old do you think I am?”

  “Thirty-eight.” Even if Amanda hadn’t told her, she would have guessed he was approaching forty from the subtle lines fanning out from his dark eyes and bracketing his mouth. “But it’s none of my business. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything about your date.”

  “Why not? You were right.”

  “I was?”

  “Yeah, she’s too damn young for me.”

  “How old is she?” What was wrong with her tonight? Blurting inappropriate questions like she had a right to delve into his personal business. Her mama would be so ashamed.

  He chuckled. “Old enough to know better than to hope a guy like me is going to change.”

  “So, why are you going out with her?” Open mouth, insert foot. “Forget it, don’t answer that.” When she saw her father was tied up with customers, she tried to draw the attention of one of his employees, but they were all swamped.

  “I don’t mind answering your questions.”

  She turned just in time to get pinned by his hot gaze.

  “Maybe I was just killing time with Tonya until…” He licked his full lips. “Someone better came along.”

  Lauren was surprised she was still standing. Her legs felt like rubber, her palms were sweaty, and her hands were trembling. If he didn’t leave, she was bound to say something that would give new meaning to the word crass.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

  She spun around and saw her cousin’s fiancé, Justin, and his best friend, Mitch. Thank God. “Hey, what are y’all doing here?” She smiled when Mitch hugged her. He was handsome, but they’d decided early on to stay friends. Getting romantically involved would be awkward if it didn’t work out, given their relationships with Anna and Justin,

  “We just stopped in for a beer. Anna had some work thing,” Justin said.

  “I didn’t know you were back in town.” Lauren kissed Mitch’s cheek before hugging Justin. “You should have called.” They often went out for dinner or drinks, either alone or as a foursome.

  “I just got in today. I was gonna call you tomorrow. You wanna get together for dinner tomorrow night?”

  “I’d love to.” She felt the tension radiating from the big man beside her. “I’m sorry. Justin, Mitch, this is Tucker. I’m hoping he’s going to agree to do some work for me. My other contractor broke his arm, and I’m kind of in a fix.”

  Lauren watched Tucker shake hands with the two men. He seemed decidedly friendlier toward Justin.

  “Justin Hunt, the race car driver, right?”

  “One and the same.” Justin clasped Tucker’s hand. “You follow racing?”

  “When I have the time.”

  “Cool. Hey, if you’re a friend of Lauren’s, I can hook you up with tickets if you wanna come out to the track some time.”

  Lauren wasn’t surprised by Justin’s offer. He was so generous. Her cousin really lucked out when she found him.

  “My son would love that.” Tucker grinned. “My daughter, not so much.”

&nb
sp; Justin laughed. “How old is your son?”

  “Twelve going on twenty.”

  “What’s he in to?” Justin asked.

  “Sports, cars, music, you know, the usual stuff.”

  Lauren heard pride in Tucker’s voice when he talked about his kids, and she respected him more. Whatever his faults, his children clearly meant the world to him.

  Tucker glanced at the table he’d abandoned. Ava was getting up to leave, and Tonya was shooting daggers in Lauren’s direction.

  Lauren thought, Insecure much? Not that she could blame the poor girl. Keeping a man like Tucker would take a lot of woman. Women probably humiliated themselves all the time just to get his attention. Lauren vowed he would never count her among them.

  “Well, it was nice meeting you guys, but I should probably get back to my table.” Tucker nodded in the direction of his abandoned date.

  “Hope to see you around.” Justin smiled and waited until Tucker walked away before he said, “He seems like a nice guy.”

  “I don’t know.” She watched him return to his table, her mind filtering through all the terrible things his ex-wife had said about him. “I haven’t decided what to make of Mr. Tucker Brooks.”

  ***

  Tucker tried to focus on Tonya, but his eyes kept drifting to Lauren. She was dancing with Mitch and had been for the last three songs. They seemed close. A little too close. Tucker couldn’t help but wonder whether they were sleeping together.

  “Hello?” Tonya said, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “What the hell is with you tonight? You’ve barely taken your eyes off Lauren McCall since she walked in.”

  Damn. He couldn’t afford to be that obvious if he and Lauren worked together. “You know her?” He pushed his plate aside before tossing his paper napkin over the remaining food.

  Tonya lifted a shoulder. “She comes into the salon, but she sees Kate.”

  Tucker had heard Tonya complain enough to know Kate was the owner of the upscale salon. “Huh. You know very much about her?”

  “Aside from the fact they’re filthy rich? You know her mama’s Nikki McCall, right?”

  Tucker should have put the two together. Of course, her mother was the beloved queen of country music, and Lauren’s uncles owned and operated one of the most successful record labels in the world. If he thought Lauren was out of his league before, he realized they didn’t even belong on the same planet.

  “If you’re thinking she might be interested in you, think again. That girl only dates rich guys.”

  Ouch. “I don’t give a damn who she dates.” Liar. “She needs a contractor, and I’m thinking about taking the job. Nothing more.”

  “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

  He narrowed his eyes as he brought his soft drink to his lips. “Really? Why’s that?”

  “Spoiled princesses like that are always impossible to please. I oughta know. You should see some of the grief they give me.” She rolled her eyes.

  He really hated when Tonya rolled her eyes. The action reminded him of his daughter teasing him about being out of touch.

  “Trust me, you don’t wanna be anywhere near one of those girls if you cut even a quarter of an inch too much off their hair. Bitches, I tell you, the lot of them.” She squealed, almost piercing Tucker’s ears. “Oh my God!” She pointed at a girl across the bar. “There’s Kelly. I haven’t seen her since high school. I have to go and say hi.”

  “Have at it,” Tucker said. He could use a little quiet time to collect his thoughts. Lauren was walking off the dance floor, and her partner was heading in the opposite direction. When she walked by his table, he beckoned her closer. “You wanna take a spin with me?”

  She looked a little surprised. “Uh, where’s your date?”

  He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “She’s over there talking to a girlfriend. Come on,” he said, tugging on her hand. “I love this song. Don’t make me sit it out.”

  No question about it, he was flirting, and as ill-advised as it was, he couldn’t seem to help himself. He wanted nothing more than to hold Lauren, to feel that taut little body fuse with his. Even fully clothed, he expected it to be the highlight of his year.

  “Okay,” she said. “If you don’t think she’ll mind.”

  He held her hand as they walked to the dance floor. Leaning over, he whispered, “Can I tell you a little secret?”

  “What’s that?” she asked, turning those big blue eyes on him.

  He was in so much trouble. If he wasn’t careful, she’d have him wrapped around her little finger, dropping his own projects just to finish hers on time. “I don’t care if she gets mad.” He grinned.

  She smiled back. “You’re so bad.”

  Tucker pulled her into his arms. She felt even better than he’d imagined. She was tiny, at least a foot shorter than him without heels, but she still sported curves in all the right places. Lord have mercy. She was the kind of woman who would have him jumping through hoops inside of a week if he wasn’t careful.

  She rested her hands on his biceps since she was too short to loop them around his neck. “So, have you given any more thought to my job?”

  He chuckled. “Is that your not so subtle way of asking me whether I’m going to take it?”

  Lauren bit her bottom lip, looking a little guilty. “Maybe.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. He had to give her credit for being honest. “I have to see the rest of the place before I can decide. Besides, I need to give you a quote. I have to warn you, my guys don’t work cheap.” Though Tucker suspected he just might work out a special deal to ensure she still made a profit.

  “The best never do,” she muttered.

  His hand drifted to the curve of her back. “How do you know I’m the best?” He couldn’t resist the urge to tease her. She looked so damn cute when she blushed.

  “I meant…” She shook her head. “Forget it. So, how’d you get into this business?”

  “I had an uncle who was a contractor. I used to tag along with him when I was just a kid.” Anything to get out of that hell hole he called home.

  “Did you know right away that’s what you wanted to do with your life?”

  Tucker chuckled. In her world, people had choices, opportunities. In his world, you did whatever you had to. “I knew I liked building. I was pretty good, so I watched and learned. Before long, he could pay me, and the rest is history.”

  “It sounds like you two are close.”

  His uncle Max had been his lifeline. When his mother and stepfather fought, his uncle’s bachelor apartment was his safe haven… until a drunk driver took his refuge away. “We were.”

  “Is he still in the business?”

  “No, he was killed by a drunk driver when I was sixteen.”

  “Oh.” She squeezed his biceps. “I’m so sorry, Tucker. That must have been awful for you.”

  That didn’t even begin to describe it. One day he and Max were working together, sharing stories about the girls they were dating, and the next he was fighting for his life in a hospital bed. Tucker was still haunted by Max’s last words to him. ‘Don’t let them get you down, kid. You decide who you’re gonna be and become that person in spite of them.’

  For a long time after his uncle’s death, he’d drifted. He got mixed up with the wrong crowd, drank too much, skipped school, and experimented with drugs. Then he met Amanda, and for the first time since Max died, he felt as though someone cared about him.

  “I’m sorry,” Lauren said quietly. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

  “Not a day goes by I don’t think about Max.” A smile tilted his mouth when his uncle’s infectious laughter echoed in his ears. “You never get over it. You just learn how to live with it.”

  “How about the rest of your family?”

  “I don’t keep in touch with them.” The woman who gave birth to him barely qualified as a mother since she married that man, and thinking about his sister was even more painful than thin
king about Max, so he relegated her memory to the deep recesses of his mind. It was the only way he could get out of bed in the morning.

  “Oh.” She looked at him a long time, as though she was struggling with her curiosity. She obviously wanted to know more, but she was too polite to ask. “So, flipping houses, that’s a crazy business, isn’t it?”

  “That’s an understatement. Dozens of things can wipe out your profits. Faulty electrical, plumbing, termites, water damage, mold…” He cringed. “Jesus, those words are my worst nightmare.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven’t been at this as long as you have, but I feel like I’ve seen it all.”

  He grinned. “But you wouldn’t trade it for anything, right?”

  “No way!” She shook her head emphatically. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

  “Yeah, I feel the same way. Re-habbing is definitely my favorite part of the business. Don’t get me wrong, I love the renovations and new builds, but something about taking a run-down house and turning it back into a real family home is pretty cool.”

  “I think so too.”

  She tipped her head back to look him in the eye, and his breath hitched. He wondered if she felt his heart pounding. A different time and place and he may have tried for the kiss he craved, but not there with her daddy looking on.

  “Do you build a lot of new homes?”

  “Some. We’re working on one right now.”

  “How does that work?”

  She ran her hands up and down his arms, and he wondered if she even realized the impact her gentle touch had on him. If she didn’t, she would soon enough because he was helpless to control his body’s reaction.

  “Are they spec houses, or do you build them for clients?”

  Tucker loved that she understood the nature of his business. He’d never dated a woman who cared enough to ask questions about his company, and if she wasn’t already reeling him in with her beauty, intelligence, and charm, that would have been the clincher.