Page 14 of A Little More

Dewey whistled low under his breath. “I take it back. If she wanted you to leave, then I’d be the first one there to help you pack. Mr. Simmons was right about this one. She blows Catherine out of the water.”

“Jealous?”

“Worried.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Besides, who would look after my mom?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Ms. Peggy has never needed anyone to look after her. I think she only let your father think he was in charge.”

That was true.

Lexi pushed a dark curl away from her temple as she stopped in front of them. “Hi.”

Dewey stepped up first and held out his hand. “I’m Dewey.”

“I’m Lexi.” Her smile looked a little uncertain. That was a normal reaction to Dewey by most strangers, especially female ones.

“What do you say we forget Nash and run away together? I’ll let you pick. The Bahamas or Canada?”

She tapped her finger on her chin, her lips pursed together. “I’m going to go with the Bahamas. Once it gets cold in Canada, I’m afraid I’d have to leave you. I hate the snow.”

“Nash, we haven’t fought over a girl since tenth grade, but this one might be worth it.”

Lexi shook her head. “I’m sure there are other women worthier of a fight.” She pointed at the smoldering barn. “I hope no one, or animal, was hurt in the fire.”

“They got the horses out before the fire department arrived,” Nash said.

“You both look like you were in the middle of it.”

Dewey leaned back against the grill of the truck. “Volunteer fire department. The fire started about four in the morning.”

She assessed the damage from where she stood, her teeth chewing a moment on her lower lip and distracting Nash a whole hell of a lot. “I don’t think that’s structurally salvageable.”

Nash moved a fraction closer. He could almost smell that sweet flower scent over the smoke. “I agree.” He’d missed seeing her. Their phone calls had run longer and longer each time they spoke, but it didn’t come close to watching the intelligence play across her face as she scanned the building for structural flaws.

He’d pushed their relationship at dinner with Juliana with a few subtle touches. He wanted more. With the seductive way her eyes swept down to his dirty boots and back up, he didn’t think he had a snowball's chance in hell of staying platonic. It would only be platonic on one side if she chose to ignore the connection they had.

To conceal pretty much every thought coursing through his mind, he asked, “How’d you find us?”

“Your mom sent me down here.” Her face lit up. “I forgot. Wait a second.” She took purposeful steps back to her car that highlighted her long legs.

“Close your mouth, boy, before you drool.” Dewey laughed when Nash sent him a shut-the-hell-up look. “I thought the barn would catch on fire again the way you two looked at each other. I really don’t think my Bahamas offer is still on the table.”

“How—” Nash wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. “Never mind.” If Lexi looked at him a certain way, he’d discover it for himself. Dewey was a lot of talk and no action when it came to women. Only his close friends knew that. He always ended up being the “friend” to most of the women he dated.

Lexi leaned inside her car, and Nash had to look up at the blue sky. Blue jeans on Lexi were something else.

“What I don’t get is why, if you’re so damned set on never tying the knot again, you let yourself even look twice at her. Brother, you’ve never fooled around with a woman and itnotled to marriage.”

Lexi started back from her car, his mom’s familiar tea jug in her hand along with a few plastic cups. “She lives in Atlanta. There’s no way this thing between us can go farther. I simply want a few dates.”

A few long kisses. Each time they touched, their electric chemistry made him wonder if their attraction would burn out as quick as it started.

“Ms. Peggy sent this.” Lexi set the cups on the hood of the truck. Did she realize how perfect she looked? Standing there in boots and jeans, pouring a cup of sweet tea. How could he not try and charm a kiss from her? A kiss wasn’t a forever commitment.

“Nash?” Lexi held the cup out, her eyebrows raised. “Is something wrong?” He needed to get his act together and not turn into a creepy guy that stared at women. He’d leave that to Mr. Simmons.

Dewey smirked. “Don’t mind him. He’s either exhausted from the fire or rusty with his game.”

---