Page 2 of Sweet Home Louisiana

“You could have warned us.Quick text or something.”

She frowned.“I didn’t realize you all neededwarning.”

You all.Not y’all.Seemed that Maddie had lost her drawl living in California for the past twelve years.

Hell yeah, he needed a warning she was on her way.The same way he needed warnings about hurricanes and anything else that was going to blow into his life and potentially turn everything inside out.He needed a chance to batten things down.Like his emotions.

“Would have been nice, that’s all I’m saying.”He realized he was being kind of a dick.He took a deep breath.She was here because her brother, Tommy, had owned thirty-five percent of Boys of the Bayou.He’d left that to Maddie when he’d died eight months ago.And now she wanted to sell.He and Sawyer and Josh, the remaining three partners, now had thirty days to convince her not to do that.

They didn’t want some stranger coming into the business they’d inherited from their grandfather and that had been a part of their lives for as long as they could remember.But they also couldn’t afford to buy her out.Maddie being the fourth partner, the silent partner that lived two thousand miles away and simply got her share of the money via check once a month, was perfect.They just had to convince her to keep the status quo.

And him being an ass to her within her first ten minutes in town was probably not the way to do that.

She was already wary of him.Understandably.The last time she’d spent more than a few hours in Autre, Owen had put her brother in the hospital.Sure,he’dbeen in the bed next to Tommy, and really, Tommy had started it, but that didn’t change the fact that Owen’s actions had freaked her out.

Tommy had just found out that Owen and Maddie were planning to elope.Tommy had said Owen could marry Maddie over his dead body and that had sent Owen over the edge.

And him and Tommy through a plate-glass window.

That wasn’t the only time he’d been an idiot over her, but yeah, seeing him and Tommy in matching hospital beds had worried her.

Probably rightly so.

Madison Allain had taught him the true meaning of beingcrazyabout someone.

He needed to get a grip.And he needed to keep that grip for the next thirty days.According to the Boys of the Bayou partnership agreement, she had to give them thirty days’ notice before changing any part of the agreement.That included selling.Sawyer was determined to use that thirty days to convince her she wanted to keep her share.

One month wasn’t very long.Just four weeks.

Owen could keep his shit together for that long.

Maybe.

“I’ll take you over to Sawyer,” he said, giving her a smile.He bent to grab his shirt from the dock where he’d stripped it off earlier.

It was June in Louisiana.Anyone working outside did so in as little clothing as possible.But as he pulled the soft green Boys of the Bayou tee over his head, he couldn’t help but grin a little.He didn’t mind making this first impression on Maddie.

Yeah, he scared her, but he made her crazy, too.Maybe even crazier.The things that had happened in Autre from the time his lips first touched hers, to the time she got in the car and drove out of town for the last time were pretty legendary.

So he should be scared of her, too.When this woman touched him, he became a bit of a dumbass.Okay, a great big dumbass.Butsheset shit on fire for him.Literally.

He’d taught her to use a nail gun rebuilding the shed she’d torched.He’d also warned her ex-boyfriend—and the reason for the blaze—to steer clear of the backyard while she had that nail gun in hand.Wade Hillson had fucked up big-time at that Valentine’s Day party.It had led to Owen and Maddie’s first kiss, so Owen hadn’t beentotallypissed, but he’d still threatened to throw Wade off the Manchac Swamp Bridge.A bigger threat, however, was definitely Maddie putting a nail gun to Wade’s junk.

That history and chemistry between him and Maddie was going to make Owen’s life hell for the next thirty days, but he didn’t mind thinking that she might feel a little of the torture, too.

“Is there any chance I could just waithereuntil Sawyer comes back?”Maddie asked as he stepped forward.

“You don’t want to go to Ellie’s?”Ellie’s was Owen’s grandma’s bar.It was where Cora, Maddie’s grandma—and Ellie’s best friend since they were kids—worked, too.Cora ran the kitchen and Ellie tended the bar and kept the patrons—mostly old fishermen and tourists—in line.It was also where everyone in their big, boisterous family gathered.For just about any and every occasion.Or just to shoot the shit and catch up.They were over there planning Maddie’s return right now.

Maddie sighed.“I don’t know if I’m ready to see themallat once.”

Yeah, their families were a lot, especially when all together.And excited about something.They were definitely excited about Maddie being home.

“I don’t suppose that bottom drawer of the file cabinet in the office still functions as a minibar?”she asked.

Owen chuckled, surprised that she remembered that.But her grandpa and his had been best friends and had started the company to take people out hunting and fishing on the bayou.It had evolved over the years into the tourist attraction it was now.All of the kids had spent plenty of time down on these docks and in t growing up.The office had always had a drawer full of candy and one full of liquor.

“It does, as a matter of fact,” he told her.And taking the edge off of…everything that was to come…wasn’t a bad idea.

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