by Vella Day
Tasha agreed about the small doses part. “I can’t imagine partying all the time. It seems like a lonely way to live.”
After Lily came over and delivered their drinks, Chey held up hers. “I totally agree. To a happy life.”
“Amen,” they said in unison.
* * *
Burke had been uncomfortable talking about Tom in front of Alden Wilder, but his father had seemed fine with it. Finally, he and his dad left the café and headed home. If he thought being with his dad was hard, seeing his mom cry completely shredded what was left of his heart.
When he’d walked in, she’d been with Julie Wilder balling her eyes out. Once more, he had to rehash what had happened to Tom that night. From the intensity of their reaction, he suspected his parents would be in shock for years to come. Even worse, they thought he had the answers, and that was the furthest thing from the truth. They kept asking him why Tom had taken so much drugs, and all Burke could do was hold up his hands and shrug.
Several of the neighbors had stopped by and brought over food, since that was what good friends did, but after a few hours, he couldn’t handle seeing his folks in so much pain.
“Mom, would you mind if I go out? I need some air.” Normally, he wouldn’t have asked, but he didn’t want to cause his parents any more dismay.
“Sure, hon.” She hugged him for the hundredth time. “Just be careful on your bike, and please don’t drink too much. You know how I worry.” She never did approve of his mode of transportation, or his partying ways, for that matter.
All he could do was nod. Outside, he hopped on his Harley and called his best friend, Wade Black, another bear shifter. Wade was a year older, which put him between Burke and Tom. All three used to hang out in high school. Even though Burke and Wade had escaped from Hidden Hills, they’d kept in touch. Burke’s dad had told him Wade had just come into town yesterday for his father’s birthday. The timing was perfect.
His friend answered. “Hey, man. Long time no hear. What’s up?”
Clearly, he hadn’t learned of Tom’s death. “I’m in town for a bit. Want to catch a beer at the Cove?” He’d wait until they were face-to-face before telling him about the tragedy.
“Sure. I just got in last night myself. Mom’s doing it up big for Dad’s birthday celebration next week. You want to meet now?”
“If you’re free, I’m on my way there.”
“Sure.”
Before Wade changed his mind, Burke disconnected.
As much as he wanted to ride without his helmet, being reckless would be stupid. While the summer night air was perfect for cruising, the trip downtown would remind him of Tom too much—where they used to hang out, which buildings they’d trashed on Halloween, and which parking lots they’d taken girls to make out with. Christ. If he didn’t push this horror aside, he might end up like his brother—unhappy and in denial.
When Burke entered the bar, the band was playing, and the place was packed. Wade waved to get his attention, and Burke headed his way.
When he reached the table, Wade stood and clapped him on the back. “Didn’t expect you to be home.”
“Let me get a drink, and we’ll talk.” Wade already had his beer.
Focused on locating a spot to catch the bartender’s attention, Burke wedged between two lovely ladies and held up a hand. With hungry glances, the women swiveled on their stools. Last week, he might have worked the angle, but not tonight.
A thirty something, female bartender stepped up to him. “What’ll you have?”
“Jack Daniels on the rocks and keep them coming. I’ll run a tab. Name’s Burke.”
“You got it, Burke.” She quickly fixed the drink and handed it to him on a napkin.
Once back at the table, he blurted out what happened. “Tom overdosed last night.”
“Holy shit. No way.” As expected, Wade was devastated. Tom had been a good friend of his, too.
They talked about his brother’s path to destruction and the things Burke could have done differently.
“You can’t make someone do something they don’t want to,” Wade said.
“Maybe.” Burke had heard the platitude too many times, but somehow he believed that if he’d listened better or been firmer, Tom wouldn’t have gone over the edge.
Wade lifted his beer. “To Tom.”
Burke tapped his drink. He didn’t want to spend the evening getting more depressed. “So what have you been up to?”
“Doing a little of this and a little of that,” Wade said.
Weren’t they two peas in a pod? At least Burke had made his mark in Pennsylvania. He wasn’t sure about Wade and his ability to strike it rich.
His friend looked around and stilled. “I know what will cheer you up.”
Nothing short of his brother coming back to life could accomplish that. He downed his drink. “What’s that?”
Wade nodded to one corner of the room. “There’s Emmaline, Tasha, and Chey. Want to join them?”
“Not particularly. I’m not exactly good company tonight.”
Wade pushed back his chair. “Come on; it’ll be good for you.”
His friend picked up his beer and threaded his way around the tables. “Thanks, buddy,” he telepathed, but being alone wasn’t what he wanted right now, so Burke followed behind. As he neared, his chest tightened and his pulse raced, almost as if he was in heat or something. This odd reaction only seemed to happen when he was around Tasha. Sure, she’d grown into a beautiful woman, but she was a librarian—not his type at all.
* * *
Tasha glanced up and tightened her hold on her glass. Oh, crap. Wade Black was headed their way, and right behind him was Burke. She’d worked hard not to think about him or his brother, but she couldn’t avoid him now. When she’d seen him at the café, her body tingled in all the wrong places, and she thought she might be coming down with something.
“Ladies,” Wade said, glancing at all three of them. “Ms. Emmaline, would you do me the honor of a dance?”
She shot a look to both of her friends. They’d just been talking about which men in town were players and which ones weren’t, and both Burke and Wade were at the top of the first list.
“I’m good.” Em held up a hand.
Wade was tall, dark, and packed with muscles—as were most bear shifter men. “You afraid of us bears, wolf lady? Come on.” He puffed out his chest.
Knowing Em, she’d rise to the challenge. “Sure. Why not?”
She was so predictable. Once they headed to the dance floor, Lily came over. “Can I refresh your drinks?”
“I’m nursing mine,” Tasha said. She’d already had two, which was one more than her limit.
“I could use another one,” Burke said.
Before Tasha was able to extend her sympathies, Storm rolled in. As soon as he slid next to Chey, her friend’s eyes lit up, and their kiss lasted a bit too long for Tasha’s comfort. Given they were engaged, she wasn’t surprised at the passionate exchange.
Chey pulled away, but still looked deep into Storm’s eyes. “Want to dance?”
It was one of Chey’s favorite pastimes. According to her, Storm didn’t feel the same way. “Sure.”
His brows rose, probably sensing Chey was trying to get him away from the table. For that, Tasha would make her pay. Having Burke next to her—alone—had her pulse racing. It was stupid since they’d grown up together, but somehow, her inner animal was doing odd things. It was weeks past mating season, so she shouldn’t suddenly be hot.
“How is your mom holding up?” she asked, trying to shift focus off her hormonal urges.
“As well as can be expected. It was nice of your mother to come over. I know Mom appreciated it.”
Lily delivered Burke’s drink and he chugged it. “Another, please.”
Lily’s mouth pinched. “Be right back.”
Tasha was surprised she’d bring him another one. She had a strict rule about drunks: she didn’t like them.
“So how long do you plan to stay in town?” Tasha sucked at talking to good-looking men.
“Depends. I have a good construction job in Pennsylvania, but now I’m not too sure what I’ll do. I thought I’d see if I can pick up an odd job around here for as long as Mom and Dad need me.”
That was nice of him. “The library just hired Archfield and Kress to build an addition. You might check with them.” She shouldn’t have mentioned that. The last thing she needed was Burke working where she did.
“I’ll look into it.”
Lily brought his drink, and Burke looked up at her and smiled. “Thanks, babe.”
As soon as Lily left, Tasha faced him. “Really? You called her babe. She’s married.”
He faced Tasha, acting as if he saw no harm. “Doesn’t mean she can’t be hot.”
If she hadn’t been at the table alone with him, Tasha might have left, but that would have been cruel to both of them. She needed to be around her friends, too.
The music changed to a slow dance, and Tasha twisted around, expecting to see both couples return. Instead, they remained on the floor, almost as if they were giving Burke a wide berth.
“You want to dance?” he asked.
He must have misunderstood her glance, and her heart stuttered. “I don’t really do that.” I’m clumsy and awkward.
“Come on. For Tom.”
That was low. Burke held out his hand, and she placed hers in his. The moment their fingers touched, something inside her caught fire. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
Chapter Three
Burke had asked Tasha to dance in part because she would have pummeled him with questions about Tom if they’d stayed at the table. It was who she was, and right now, Burke needed to forget.
Holding her hand, he led her to the already overcrowded dance floor. Just his luck, they were playing a slow song.
He found a clear spot on the floor, and as soon as he pulled her close, his inner bear went crazy. His cock stiffened and adrenaline poured through his veins. Jesus. He shook his head, trying to clear it. This was Tasha in his arms—the girl who helped him get through English class, the one who built a fort with him when he was ten, and the one who never told his folks that she’d stumbled upon him and Carrie Ann drinking under the bleachers after a basketball game. He had to remind himself that Tasha wasn’t his usual one-night stand. She was a good girl.
Sure, she had perfect skin, eyes the color of dark chocolate, and a body a man could get lost in, but shit, he’d come home to bury his brother, not bury himself inside a woman. If he were honest—which he wasn’t ready to be right now—Tasha had always had an effect on him. It was the biggest reason he’d tried to keep her at arm’s length since they were teens.
“Burke, you’re squishing me.” Tasha looked up at him with pleading eyes.
Fuck. “Sorry.” He loosened his grip. The only way to cope was to put on his charming façade. “Seems I can’t get enough of you.”
Her brows furrowed. “Try harder.”
The laugh that escaped surprised him. It must have been the effect of the alcohol, but it felt good to let loose. Burke inhaled deeply, her linen scent invading his body. It was stupid to torment himself like this, but it gave him a jolt of much-needed pleasure. It probably wasn’t wise to feel again, but he needed some hope and goodness in his life right now.
When the song ended, he didn’t want to move. Tasha was different from the girls he hung out with. She knew him—knew his fears—at least until he’d turned thirteen. Then everything changed. She got big tits and his hormones kicked into high gear. He’d never understood what it was about her that threw him off balance.
“Come on, Burke. The band is taking a break.”
His eyes started to roll back in his head, but he tensed his muscles to wake up. “Okay.”
This time, she grabbed his hand, and he was forced to follow. Burke never let anyone take the lead, but he was a bit drunk. As soon as he sat down, he polished off the rest of his drink. God that tasted good.
“Hey, Lily!” he shouted.
Tasha placed a hand on his. “You don’t have to shout.”
He faced her. “I don’t?” His words slightly slurred. “How else am I going to get her attention? I need another Jack.”
“Like this.” She raised her arm and pointed to him.
The bartender looked up and nodded. Seconds later, another drink appeared in front of him. “Last call, big boy,” Lily said.
“What are you talking about? It’s early. I’m just getting started.”
“Then take it someplace else. We don’t cotton to drunks in here.” She ripped the bill from her pad and placed it in front of him.
“That wasn’t very nice.” He raised his glass and downed half the contents.
“Burke,” Tasha said. “Getting drunk won’t bring Tom back. Nothing will.”
Well, fuck me.
* * *
Burke Devereaux wasn’t Tasha’s problem, but guilt would ride her hard if something happened to him on his way home. It wasn’t even nine, but if Burke went in search of more booze, there was no telling what trouble he might get into. “How about we call it a night and get out of here?”
Crap, that sounded like a proposition, and that wasn’t what she’d meant. She planned to take him to his parents’ house, and once he slept off his drunk, his dad could bring him back in the morning to pick up his cycle.
Burke fished out two twenties, placed them on the table, and stood. At least Lily would get a good tip.
Wade piped up. “You’re leaving so soon?”
“Got me a hot date.” Burke wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
Oh, boy. She’d never live this down. Tasha pushed her chair back and got up. “I’ll see he gets home safely.”
“Talk to you tomorrow, buddy,” Wade said.
Because no one tried to convince him otherwise, the others must have agreed that he needed to sleep it off. Burke slid his arm around her waist, but she wasn’t sure if it was for support or pride after being cut off. If Chey and Storm hadn’t been there to keep Em company, Tasha might have insisted Burke stay since the bar served coffee.
“Let’s go, party boy.”
Tasha hoped she wouldn’t regret this. With her arm around him for additional support, she led him out of the bar. The air, while warm, was more refreshing than the bar’s, and she was glad to get away from the smell of stale beer and the stench of body odor.
Burke half-dragged her to where the motorcycles were lined up. “Oh, no, you don’t,” she quickly announced. “I’m driving you home.”
He laughed. “Sorry, sweetheart, I never spend the night. I’ll need my hog to take me back once we finish.”
Heat flamed her face. He was talking about sex? She faced him and shook his arm. “Burke. It’s me, Tasha. Let’s get in my car so I can drive you to your parents’ house.”
He placed his helmet on his head and stuck his hands in his pocket. “I don’t want to go there. Too much sadness. Can you imagine the fuss my mom would make if I came home with al..alcohol on my breath?”
Yes, she could. Hopefully, his mom would lock him in his room until he came to his senses. The sad part was that Tasha understood why he’d had so much to drink. However, if he’d planned to get drunk, the smart thing would have been to ask Wade to chauffeur him for the night. “You should have thought of that before you got stinking drunk.”
“Stinking drunk?” his voice escalated. “I’ve only had a few drinks. I’m good.”
He swung his leg over the seat. The man was too huge for her to pull off. “You’re in no shape to be on your bike.”
Tasha didn’t want to come off as a buzzkill, but the man could hurt not only himself but someone else. ‘Friends don’t let friends drive drunk’ flashed in her mind.
“What kind of bike is this?” she asked. Her goal was to distract him enough to get the key away from him.
“Only the best hog on the road.” He stuck the key in
the ignition, making her goal harder. “It’s a Softtail Deluxe. You like it?”
“It’s a beautiful bike. Would be a shame to wreck it.” She ran her hand over the engine casing and quickly yanked the key from the ignition.
“Hey,” Burke shouted.
That was kind of fun in a sick sort of way. She strode back to her car, believing he’d follow. The next thing she heard was a loud crash and a lot of cursing. She whipped around. Oh, shit, Burke was on the ground with the bike on top of him. “Oh, my God.”
She raced to help. If she turned into her bear form, she might be able to lift the bike, but she hadn’t shifted in forever. She looked around for someone strong, but before she’d taken more than a couple of steps toward the bar entrance, Burke slid out from underneath the bike.
He dusted himself off and righted his Softail Deluxe. “I’m good, but maybe I should take you up on that ride.”
That made her chuckle, partly from the relief of not having to locate someone to help. “Sure, biker boy.”
Burke appeared to have sobered up a bit after that. The fall must have shaken some sense into him. She showed him to her car, but this time she didn’t wrap her arm around his waist. Every time she touched him, her body reacted too much.
Burke was quiet on the way to her house. She understood why he didn’t want to distress his parents by showing up in his condition, but they’d have to assume he hadn’t been in the best of shape if he didn’t come home until the wee hours of the morning.
Ugh. That meant she’d have to drive him the four miles back to town for his bike once she pumped him full of sobering coffee, but that scenario was better than having her neighbors see a man come out of her house early in the morning.
“What will you tell your mom? That you’re staying with Wade?” She definitely didn’t need him to mention that he’d stayed at her place, especially since Mr. Devereaux was her father’s Beta.