Page 2 of S.O.S. Billboard

One easy leap had him out of the hole and examining things with a new eye. His appreciation for Ethan’s scheming brain increased. He could see where the boy had carried the dirt from the hole several yards away, then used it to form a berm,smartly covering the pile over with leaves and branches so its appearance wasn’t immediately apparent.

Sharp kid.

The tracks surrounding the hole were many, but Billboard quickly picked up the freshest trail by examining the bent flora. He went with it, following the evidence, but much more slowly this time, determined not to be blindsided again. Once waskindof funny, now that he had a chance to think about it. His misstep would have the guys poking all kinds of fun at him once he told them what had happened. But if he idiotically succumbed twice, Sarge would demand his man-card be revoked. Which…

Yeah.Billboard might agree with that. Butnotfor his lack of awareness this morning. The hit to his masculinity was more because of his current woman situation.

As in…Peggy.

Billboard stopped his forward trajectory, sighed, and paused to examine his female troubles.

Previous to the pretty money manager taking a shine to him, he’d never dated. Never. In high school, he’d been a tall, gangly geek; a nerd who hadn’t been very social, but instead had buckled down to get stellar grades and make his Mama proud.

He’d accomplished that, only disappointing her slightly when he’d eschewed scholarships and joined the Marines; a lifelong dream of his to follow in his long-deceased, Purple Heart recipient father’s footsteps.

In the service, he’d bulked up exponentially, and the women outside of the many bases where he’d been stationed had all wanted him for one thing. His big body.

Not that he’d minded the plethora of sex-on-demand, but it kind of hurt that not one of his hook-ups had ever decided he had a brain or a personality worth sticking around for.

That had all changed when SOS had taken on a case for Jamie Devons’ girlfriend—now, wife—Daisy. Jamie was brotherto Tuck, Daire, and Brent Devons; Tuck who still ran Devons Excavating, and Daire and Brent currently operatives-on-call with SOS. When Daisy got targeted by a money laundering group, SOS had helped the brothers solve the case, and Billboard, in the process, had met Daisy’s good friend, Peggy.

Billboard sighed and leaned his back against a tree, not wanting his thoughts to distract him. Better to suss things out while remaining static, than to be lured into another small-fry ambush.

Peggy had blindsided him the moment they’d met. She was pretty, bright, perky, sassy as all hell, and had let it be known that Billboard was a person of interest to her. It was almost like he couldn’t say no, with how forcefully she’d bowled him over with her attention and ultimately, her affection.

Had he been flattered? Yes. But had his feelings for her, over time, morphed into love, as all their friends had hoped?No.

Billboard was certain it was his fault.

Peggy was his exact opposite.

Where she was gregarious, he was introverted. Where she wanted to go out and squeeze all she could from Boston’s night scene, BB was at a point in his life, post-Marines, where he was just as happy staying home and watching a movie. She was an open book, and he held dark secrets, so when she wanted to talk…

Yeah.That’s where things had really fallen apart. When it came to his past, he’d remained mum. And in regards to everything else… He often didn’t know what to say; what she was looking for, and hence the bickering had begun.

It was small chastisements at first, with them—post spats—making up the uncomfortableness between the sheets where they were very compatible. But Peggy soon demanded more of him than he was able to give, which had led to her also forcing him to find a therapist so he’d “get out of his ass”.

Billboard chuckled drily. Dr. Edwina Blockenship, a recommendation from Mizzay, was the best thing that had come out of his doomed relationship, because,yup, his and Peggy’s romance had finally gone belly-up after a run of six months. But he planned to keep seeing Doctor Ed.

Billboard couldn’t say he was surprised when Peggy had finally called it quits.

Was he disappointed? Maybe. Devastated? Again,no.More like relieved, even though he liked Peggy a lot. The biggest problem was, he still hadn’t ‘fessed up to his teammates or their women that he and Peggy had split, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. There’d be a period of time where they’d try to beat a dead horse and get them back together. Then there’d be a stretch of mourning before, eventually, the ladies would give-up and start harping on him again about his single status, attempting to fix him up.

Not if he could help it.

Billboard pushed off the tree where he leaned, giving himself a much-needed kick in the butt.

Water under the bridge, he told himself, and really, it hadn’t turned out so bad. He and Peggy had parted as friends, and that’s all he could ask for. Women as buddies. Or perhaps, once he’d nursed his insecurities for a period of time, another smattering of one-and-done hookups. He knew he wasn’t material for anything more.

His gut twisted in frustrations because there was one lady…

Nope.

Best to shut that down. It would never happen.

CHAPTER TWO

O’Shea watched the airport carousel go round and round, and still her suitcase didn’t show up.

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