Page 5 of The Beautiful Mess

The man’s expression sobered immediately, and his posture went from relaxed and drunk to erect and astute. “Sorry about that.” He extended his hand toward Kerry’s, who reciprocated the gesture without question. But before their palms met, the guy pulled his free arm from around his back and slapped an envelope against Kerry’s hand. “You’ve been served.”

Kerry’s fingers tightened reflexively around the envelope, even as his brain tried to reject what was happening. The knot of dread festering in his gut for the past twenty months ruptured and sent poisonous bile spreading throughout his body. The urge to vomit overwhelmed him, but he kept his shit together. Kerry had mentally braced himself for the possibility of a lawsuit ever since Keith Bozeman’s botched rescue attempt, but did it have to happen on the anniversary of his dad’s death?

“Kerry.” Keegan’s tentative voice teased his ears seconds before a gentle touch landed on his shoulder.

The comforting gesture only amplified the tension gripping Kerry’s body and reminded him of the mistake he’d nearly made. Kerry had been seconds away from kissing Keegan in the middle of the dance floor before the process server interrupted them. He glanced up from the envelope to see the man had already disappeared into the crowd, as if the dancers had swallowed him whole. Could they do the same for him?

Life had really fucked him over lately, and the bastard hadn’t bothered to use lube. Kerry had only wanted to let off steam, forget his troubles, and hide from his sorrow. He’d planned to hook up with a guy who looked nothing like the one taking up too many of his thoughts. Keegan’s remarks about infiltrating Kerry’s life and his accusations of avoidance had landed too close for comfort. Admitting the truth would’ve hurt Keegan, and Kerry would rather let someone saw off his dick with a rusty, dull knife than hurt a person who’d become dear to him. So Kerry had settled for a half-truth he’d been willing to share. Keegan bothered him, just not in a way either of them were ready to handle. Even that had blown up in his face when their conversation veered into a territory that scraped his nerves raw and resulted in a near kiss.

“What the hell was that?” Sven asked angrily, pointing at the envelope.

“Whoa!” Keegan said. “How’d you get here so fast?”

“I saw that weirdo making his way toward you guys,” Sven said. “One minute, he was striding purposefully through the bar as he searched the crowd, and the next, he was faking intoxication as he staggered toward you guys on the dance floor. I saw he had something in his hand, but I couldn’t see what it was. I was out of my chair and halfway to you when the guy bumped into Kerry and handed him the envelope. Thank goodness the guy wasn’t holding a weapon.”

Kerry sighed and pulled away from Keegan’s touch before he leaned into it. “This might be just as deadly,” he groused. Kerry would survive a lawsuit, but Hart’s Creek Rescue might not, and the business meant everything to him.

“Fucking Chuck,” Sven snarled.

Just hearing his former employee’s name was enough to make Kerry seethe with anger. He’d purchased the rescue business from Benny Johnson, a longtime family friend, after working for the man for fifteen years. Benny had hired Kerry after he graduated high school and taught him everything he’d learned about the business. Kerry had worked his way up the ranks, getting promotions over guys who’d been there longer, which had ruffled a lot of feathers. The resentment had only grown when Benny chose Kerry to be his successor over Chuck Dahl, a hotheaded know-it-all who’d had a decade of seniority over Kerry. The curmudgeon liked to blab around town that Benny only chose Kerry because of his wealthy connections and easy access to the funds to buy the business. It was complete bullshit. The mountainside town and the surrounding county were named after his ancestor, but the bankers who approved his loan hadn’t given a shit about that. They’d only cared about assets, credit scores, and the business plan to pay back the loan.

Kerry had kept Chuck on the crew after Benny’s retirement, and the older man made him regret his kindness until the day Kerry had no choice but to fire him. Chuck had been surly and insubordinate on a good day and negligent and reckless on a bad one. And on the very worst day, all his negative personality traits had linked up to create a tsunami of suck, where Chuck the Fuck turned Keith Bozeman’s routine vehicle crash rescue into a near catastrophe. Kerry thought he’d exercised perfect control afterward when he calmly told Chuck the Fuck to take a hike and never darken his doorstep again. He wished he could say that was the end of the saga, but the legal document in his hands said otherwise.

“Dad warned you this might happen, Ker Bear. Everything is going to work out just fine.”

“Who’s Chuck?” Keegan asked. “And what just happened?” Confusion pitched his voice higher, and Kerry knew he’d see worry brimming in Keegan’s expressive hazel eyes if he turned and met his gaze. So he took a step away from temptation and then another until he was heading toward the door. The air in the room suddenly felt too thick to breathe, and his head throbbed in time with the music.

“Ker,” Sven called out.

Kerry held up a hand, hoping it would stop Keegan and Sven from following, but he should’ve known better. He heard the murmur of their voices close behind him but couldn’t make out the individual words. He suspected Sven was explaining the situation with Chuck the Cluster Fuck to Keegan, which was good since Kerry’s brain cells were too scattered to form coherent words. Once he stepped outside the bar, Kerry halted his hasty escape, tilted his head back, and sucked in a lungful of crisp air, clearing his brain fog so he could focus better. Another deep breath and the throbbing in his temples eased. Stars twinkled like diamonds in the black velvet sky. The bone-rattling bass inside the bar became a mildly annoying background noise. Kerry ignored it along with the whispered exchange happening behind him and cycled through a few more breaths. Sven was right. Kerry had planned for this eventuality when it became clear that Bozeman hadn’t accepted the insurance company’s proposed settlements. Kerry’s stepdad, Steven, was related to Vincent Marino, one of the most successful lawyers in Colorado. Steven received an endless amount of razzing from the family for having a cousin named Vinny, who was also an attorney. The family looked for any excuse to quoteMy Cousin Vinny.Maybe Kerry hadn’t found himself in a backwoods town facing a potential death penalty, but that didn’t ease the heaviness in his chest. He’d need his Vinny to pull out all the stops to clear his name too.

“And tonight of all nights,” Sven said.

“What’s significant about tonight?” Keegan asked.

Kerry wasn’t going to talk about his father’s death, and Sven would keep his mouth shut if he knew what was good for him. He turned and faced his stepbrother with a raised brow. “You’re the only one I told about my plans tonight.”

Sven gasped at the insinuation. “I’m appalled you could even think I’d betray you like that.”

Keegan put both hands on his hips and turned to square off against Sven. “You told me Kerry was tending bar tonight.”

Sven bit his bottom lip to fend off the sheepish smile forming, then arranged his features in a serene expression. “Did I? I must’ve gotten Kerry’s schedule confused.”

The showdown between friends promised to be an adorable diversion from his legal troubles and other woes, but Kerry couldn’t afford to get distracted. “Hey,” he said, pulling their focus to him. “I know damn well you wouldn’t betray me like that, Sven. The process server probably followed me here.” Kerry had just wanted to get even with him for meddling with his Friday plans. He knew damn well his brother would talk his way out of the corner he’d painted himself into, and Kerry didn’t need to stick around to see it. “Which one of you is driving?”

Keegan raised his hand. “I am.”

“Good.” Kerry wouldn’t have to worry about them getting home safely after Sven sucked down that massive cocktail. The bartenders at the Thirsty Cowboy loved Sven and used a heavy hand when mixing his drinks. Kerry turned his gaze to Keegan. The play of moonlight and shadows turned his handsome face into a work of art, accentuating his sharp cheekbones and full mouth. Hazel eyes shimmered with an emotion Kerry struggled to name, something melancholy that tugged at Kerry’s heartstrings. “I don’t say things unless I mean them, Kee. Don’t hide from me.”

Keegan swallowed hard and nodded.

Kerry released a soft growl and pulled the man into his arms for a hug. He pressed a soft kiss to Keegan’s temple, then moved his mouth to Keegan’s ear. “There’s a lot more I want to say, but now isn’t the time. Maybe we can chat tomorrow night.”

Keegan tilted his head back to make eye contact. “I’d like that.”

Kerry knew he should release the guy and step back, but he couldn’t seem to resist the warmth radiating from both Keegan’s body and gaze. “Maybe when Sven isn’t around to cause trouble.”

Keegan tensed in his embrace, and his expression cooled slightly. Kerry regretted ruining the moment by bringing up Sven’s meddling. Then Keegan stepped back, forcing Kerry to lower his arms. Keegan turned to face Sven, giving Kerry his profile, but his irritation was still evident with the limited view. Kerry didn’t know Keegan’s full lips could form such a thin line. Kee’s brow furrowed in what Kerry knew would be a deep V of disappointment. Sven widened his eyes with his trademarked mock innocence but still took a step back from potential danger. “I think you owe us an apology.” Before Sven could play dumb, Keegan laid it all out for him. “You lied to me and manipulated Kerry into dancing with me.”

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