Sawyer cleared his throat and looked up at her. Almost as if he hadn’t realized he’d been staring. He glanced around and scowled at everyone. Several turned away and went back to their breakfasts and conversation. Then he focused back on her. “Just thinkin’ that you probably weren’t in danger of overheating in those boots after all.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t have much on under there.”
She looked down again. She had on denim shorts. They seemed pretty simple and basic. She wasn’t an outdoorsy girl, so she didn’t have a lot of work-outside-in-the-heat-and-dirt type clothes. Hiking, boating, skiing—all things her older brothers had loved—were a little tough for a girl who couldn’t trust her endurance and balance. Not to mention that her packing strategy was driven by the careful, always-be-prepared, you-better-take-it-just-in-case voice in her head rather than any attempt at minimalization and efficiency.
“Is there a dress code in here?” she asked him, putting a hand on her hip.
Everyone in the place had denim on, except Kennedy.
“No…I wouldn’t say there is.” Sawyer ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Maybe you should keep the life jacket on though.” He looked slightly pained suddenly.
Juliet frowned. And unbuckled the front of her life jacket. She shrugged out of it, tossed it on top of her boots, and then reached for her hard hat. She took it off and placed it on top of the bar. She ran a hand through her hair and watched Sawyer take in her whole outfit under the safety gear.
His gaze raked over her and she completely lost track of the fact that there was anyone else in the room with them. She stood in front of him, barefoot, in short denim shorts, a fitted black tank top with spaghetti straps, and…that was it. She had more clothes in the car, of course, but she’d dressed for potentially falling into alligator-infested waters rather than sitting in a bar having breakfast that morning.
She felt her cheeks get a little warm, her nipples get hard, and her skin tingle everywhere Sawyer’s gaze touched. And his gaze touched a lot of places. Seemed she did have a lot of skin showing.
It was hot in Louisiana at the end of July. Everyone knew that. Even people who hadn’t done research into what the average temps and weather was like this time of year knew that. She knew that the average temperature was ninety-two degrees, rarely dipping below eighty-seven degrees, and that the humidity was around seventy-nine percent.
So, she’d dressed accordingly. She’d thought.
But it was becoming very clear, very quickly, that she hadn’t prepared fully for coming to Autre.
Because she hadn’t expected Sawyer Landry.
Then again, she wasn’t sure she could have prepared for Sawyer Landry.
“Okay, partner meeting.” Josh suddenly appeared at Sawyer’s side and clapped him on his shoulder.
“Maddie’s not here though,” Owen said, joining them. “We’ll have to go get her.”
“Yeah, you go on,” Ellie told him. “Juliet is just fine here with us.”
Sawyer just grunted at that, but he did let Josh turn him away.
“Be careful you don’t slip in that puddle of drool there by your feet,” Owen said to Sawyer, shooting Juliet a grin and a wink, just before Sawyer put his elbow into Owen’s side, hard.
Owen grunted then and the men headed for the door.
“So, you’re a lawyer here to build us a new dock,” Ellie said, pouring a cup of coffee and setting it and a small glass of orange juice on the bar in front of the empty bar stool.
Clearly she expected Juliet to take the seat.
Without any better—or really any other—option, Juliet started to climb onto the stool. She felt her left foot stick to the floor for just a second as she lifted it, and she grimaced slightly.
“There’s a ninety-eight percent chance that’s beer or coffee creamer you just stepped in,” Leo told her, swiveling on his stool to face her, his coffee cup in hand.
Juliet settled on the stool beside him. “Do I want to know what substances might fall into that other two percent?” she asked.
“Maybe not,” he said, with a nod. “But I can promise it’s not urine. Or floor polish, for that matter.”
“Fuck off,” Ellie told him.
Juliet gave a surprised laugh.
“Hey, I said it definitely wasn’t urine,” Leo said. “I know you cleaned that up.”
Juliet’s eyes widened. “There was urine?”
“He’s just a piglet!” the brunette who was sitting with Kennedy called. “And he’d never been in a bar before. He got excited.”
“A piglet?” Juliet asked. “A real piglet?”
“He’ll only eat if Tori is holding him,” Ellie said. She beamed down the bar at Tori with clear affection. “She’s a vet. All of the animals love her. He’s still getting used to being without his mama, so Tori keeps him with her a lot.”
“Is he here now?” Juliet looked around. She didn’t know much about animals, but the pictures of piglets she’d seen were cute.
“I have a sitter for him today,” Tori said.
“A…sitter. For your piglet?” Juliet asked.
Tori shrugged. “He’s a little needy right now.”
“And he pees on the floor?”
“Just that one time,” Tori insisted. Then she added, “That one time here.”
Juliet grinned at her.
“That spot is right behind your bar stool,” Ellie said to Leo as she refilled his coffee cup. “So, it’s definitely not beer. The last time you let a drop go to waste you were probably…” She shook her head. “Hell, I don’t even know.”
Leo nodded. “You got that right. And by that logic, it means it’s also not gumbo.”
“By your seat, it’s not mouthwash or cologne, either.” This came from another older woman who had just come from what Juliet assumed was the kitchen. She had short salt-and-pepper curls, and was plumper than Ellie.
Leo chuckled, clearly not offended.
“It’s also not blackberry juice,” the woman said. “Since you forgot to pick any blackberries up.”
“Oh, I’ll bet it’s frosting,” Leo said to Ellie. “From that cinnamon roll Cora threw at me two days ago when I forgot the blackberries.” He lifted his cup for a sip, seemingly unbothered by having breakfast pastries thrown at him. And unapologetic about the blackberries.
Cora set a plate of toasted bread, a little dish of jam, another dish of what looked like whipped butter, and a knife in front of Juliet. “Apple butter,” she said, pointing at the second dish. “You let me know what else you want, sweetie.” Then she looked at Leo. “It actually could be apple butter,” she said. “I threw toast at you yesterday when you forgot them again.”
“Yep, that’s true.” Leo just nodded, sipping again.
Okay, so the older generation here had food fights on a regular basis. Interesting. Then Juliet bit into a piece of sourdough bread with strawberry-rhubarb jam and instantly decided that throwing food in here was a travesty. If it was even half as good as the toast, it would be downright sinful to do anything but eat it and sob with pleasure.
“You’re a lawyer, huh?” Ellie asked.
“I am. Most of my work is as a patient advocate, working with people who were having a hard time navigating the healthcare system and dealing with their insurance companies. I also lobby for healthcare issues in D.C.”
“And you’re from Virginia?” Ellie asked. “You grew up there?”
Juliet nodded. “In Alexandria. My dad’s an investor. My mom was a stay-at-home mom.”
“You have brothers other than Chase?”
Juliet shouldn’t have been surprised Ellie knew of her brother, she realized. “I do. Two older.”
“You close with your family?”
“Um, Chase and I are pretty close.”
That seemed like a good enough answer for Ellie because she just nodded and went on. “Do you have a boyfriend?” Ellie pushed the coffee cup in front of Juliet closer.
Juliet coughed slightly, finished chewing, and swallowed. She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
“Husband?” Ellie asked. She nudged the little ceramic pot of cream closer to Juliet’s cup.
“No.”
“Ex-husband?”
Well, they weren’t subtle here. “Nope.”
“Are you heartbroken?” Ellie pushed the container that held sugar and sweetener packets closer.
“Not heartbroken, either,” Juliet told her.
She’d dated but hadn’t been serious with anyone since her first year of college. The What-If and Yeah, But games got a little…um…tiresome for a lot—okay all—the guys she’d gone out with. Because she was really good at both games. She could go on and on and on.
Sawyer had seemed fine with the games though. Like maybe he could even hold his own against her. He intrigued her. She couldn’t deny it.
The people in her life were one of two extremes—either they hovered, or they quickly grew frustrated and left her alone completely. Her parents and a couple of girlfriends fell into the first category. Her brothers fell into the second.
Except for Chase. He was right in the middle. He was always willing to help her and sometimes sensed that she needed an extra hand or extra time. But then he just held his hand out or slowed down. He never sighed, or rolled his eyes, or stepped in to do something for her because it would be easier or faster. He just…went along.
“So, you’re single and have your own hard hat and you’re here to make sure your little brother doesn’t turn into an asshole,” Ellie said, leaning onto her forearms on the bar top. Once more she nudged the cup of coffee forward.
Juliet nodded. “Yes.”
“I approve of all of those things.”
Juliet smiled. “You care that I’m single?”
“Well, that way no one here will tell me that I should feel guilty about pushing you toward my grandson.”
Juliet choked slightly on her last bite of toast. She frowned at her plate. How had that all disappeared so quickly? And could she ask for more?
“Need a drink of coffee?” Ellie asked.
Juliet shook her head and swallowed hard. “No, thanks. I don’t drink coffee.”
Everyone nearby paused and looked at her, obviously shocked. And obviously eavesdropping.
She swallowed again. “I like tea,” she said, almost hesitantly.
A second later, a glass of iced tea appeared in front of her. She’d meant hot tea, but this would do. She picked it up and took a drink. And nearly spit it back out.
Sweet tea. She should have known. You had to be careful ordering iced tea in the South if you didn’t like it sweet. Since she preferred hot tea, she didn’t usually have that problem and hadn’t thought of it.
Everyone was watching her, and after her coffee comment, Juliet knew better than to say she didn’t like sweet tea, either. That might be an even bigger sin. She swallowed, gave them a big smile, and decided that she’d rather turn the conversation back to something they all liked.
Sawyer.
“If I had a boyfriend, you wouldn’t push me toward Saw—your grandson?” she asked. Okay, so Ellie hadn’t said she’d push Juliet toward Sawyer. That had just been where Juliet’s mind had gone.
Besides, she didn’t want to be pushed toward anyone. That would be ridiculous. She was only here for two weeks.
But on the heels of that thought was another--Vacation flings are a thing for a reason.
You were far from home, where no one really knew you, and it was all temporary. Just fun. No big expectations. And the guy didn’t even have to know about your penchant for safety plans and traveling with things like ankle braces and bungee cords. Oh, and duct tape. Duct tape was magical.
On second thought, Sawyer Landry very likely knew a lot about duct tape and might just appreciate her appreciation for it.
But the guy didn’t have to know about all of her…idiosyncrasies. A fling could mean simply having sex with a guy with big hands and a half grin and an interesting scar who seemed to think her life jacket was kind of awesome.
“Oh, I’d still push,” Ellie said. “I’d have no loyalty to your boyfriend back home. But this way I don’t have to listen to anyone tell me I should feel bad about it.”
“You’d do it even though it would make you feel bad?”
“It wouldn’t make me feel bad,” Ellie said. “It would make me feel annoyed to listen to them tell me it should make me feel bad. But that’s no problem because you don’t have a boyfriend.”
Juliet liked Ellie. “So do I get to pick which grandson?” she asked, suddenly feeling a little sassy.
Maybe it was the sweet tea or maybe it was the attitudes of the people around her—also sassy, and seemingly very accepting—or maybe it was the look in Sawyer’s eyes when he’d looked her up and down a little bit ago.
Ellie chuckled. “Well, there’s Mitch and Sawyer. Mitch is the handsome one who’s always grinning like he’s up to something. Because he is.”
Juliet glanced over her shoulder. Mitch had to be the one who was leaning back in his chair, his ball cap on backward, grinning at one of the other guys with a grin exactly as Ellie had just described.
“And you know Sawyer.”
Juliet faced Ellie again. The woman was watching her closely, clearly trying to gauge Juliet’s thoughts about Sawyer through her expression or tone.
“I assumed Maddie and Owen were together by the way they acted last week when we met,” Juliet said. “But what about Josh? He’s not an option?”
She wasn’t interested in Josh. He was very good-looking and had been very nice last week. But no, it was Sawyer who was the Landry occupying her attention. Just Sawyer.
“No, Josh is not an option.” The vet with the piglet that peed on floors was the one to answer.
Ah. He was taken. By the vet. Juliet gave her a smile. “Got it.”
“So I guess the question is if you’re into the flirty, troublemaker type or the broody, bossy type.”
Broody and bossy. No question. At least as of Sawyer Landry saying, “What the hell is going on?” and then grabbing the back of her shorts.
“Honestly?” Juliet asked. “The brother I’m here to bail out of the mess he caused? Flirty, troublemaker type. I think I’m full-up on those.”
Ellie gave her a satisfied grin. “No broody, bossy brothers?”
Juliet sighed and was surprised to find herself taking another sip of sweet tea and not hating it. “No. Just impatient, selfish brothers, other than Chase.”
Ellie frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are they impatient with you?”
“Oh yeah. I’m four and six years younger than them. And I had…trouble keeping up with them.” Lord, she’d almost said, “I had a stroke when I was ten.” She never let that spill. But with this woman, it was so easy to just talk. It seemed that everyone here was just accepted as they were, and Juliet was shocked by how quickly she’d relaxed around them. “They’re into things like kayaking and hiking down into the Grand Canyon,” she said of her brothers.
“And they didn’t want to take you to the Grand Canyon?” Ellie asked.
That one hurt, she had to admit. Some of the things they’d wanted to do, surfing for instance, she hadn’t regretted being left out of, but the Grand Canyon…yeah, she’d wanted that one. She shook her head. “They like to go hard and fast. Just not my thing.”
Ellie was studying her eyes, and Juliet could tell that the sharp older woman could see that it wasn’t because staying home had been Juliet’s preference. But Ellie didn’t call her on it or press with more questions and Juliet appreciated that.
They were all adults now. Ryan and Rhett were both in their early thirties and Ryan had a serious girlfriend, who went on their ski trips with them. It wasn’t just the sports that they’d decided Juliet couldn’t keep up on. They’d assumed that a three-week trip around Europe would be hard for her, too.
The truth was, it would have be
en hard for them because she would have needed to research everything and plan a pretty strict agenda and haul along a lot of paraphernalia for all of the what-if scenarios. She could bike around Italy, dammit. She just needed elbow and knee pads. And a helmet. And a first aid kit. But then, she took first aid supplies wherever she went.
“Well, we don’t go hard and fast down here,” Ellie said. “Long and slow and laid-back is more our style.”
Juliet smiled at that. “Sounds like my kind of place.”
Just then the door to the bar opened and again everyone turned to look. Juliet wondered if they did that no matter what, or if everyone who was usually here for breakfast was present and accounted for, so they knew it was a stranger coming in.
This time it was Chase.
He was on time for a change. Already a positive difference.
He sauntered in, seeming to not notice that everyone in the place was looking at him.
“Good morning,” she greeted him as he stopped behind her stool and she swiveled to face him.
“Hey. So, I saw your car. Where’s all the stuff?”
“Being delivered in about a half hour.”
“The stuff?” Leo asked.
“The wood and some of the tools I rented and…” She shrugged. “Stuff.”
Brandon had helped her by sending a list of materials and tools she’d need and she’d ordered everything from a lumberyard and supply company. She’d bought a few things. It probably didn’t hurt to own a power drill and a hammer and that electric handsaw, for instance. Those seemed like things she could have use for again possibly. But there were wrenches and a nail gun and other tools on Brandon’s list that seemed excessive for a woman who was less than perfectly coordinated even with steak knives.
“We’ve got tools,” Leo said, seeming confused about why she would have done that.
“I don’t want to be a bother,” she told him. “Chase and I are going to fix this and I didn’t want to put anyone out.” Don’t be a burden was her life motto, after all.
Beauty and the Bayou: Boys of the Bayou Book 3 Page 5