Page 54 of Sweet Home Louisiana

“Those websites where people review their trips and the places they go and things they do while on vacation,” Owen said.

“And women reviewyou guys?Not just the tour?”

“Oh, they definitely review us,” Owen said, nodding.“We had a huge contest going on for a while between the four of us.Whoever got the most stars each week got all their beer paid for Friday night.”

Maddie rolled her eyes.“Nice marketing plan.”

Owen grinned.“Ask me who won the most free beer.”

“No.”She turned on her heel and started toward the office.

“Come on, ask me!”he called after her.

She turned back at the doorway, looked him up and down, and said, “Sawyer, right?”

He laughed.“Yep.”

She nodded.“The serious brooding guys always make us girls want to take care of them and kiss it all better.”

The stab of jealousy shocked him.“That right?”he said with a little growl in his voice.

“Yeah.And if we could just get him to stop yelling at people about wearing their life jackets and keeping their hands inside the boat, he could lock that top spot in for good.Chicks really dig scars.”Then she disappeared into the office.

He watched her go with a smile.He was relieved, and happy, that they were back to joking around after what had happened in the office.

And he wasn’t jealous of Sawyer.Much.

8

“Are you aware that alligators in the swamp are attracted to the scent of Old Spice?”

Maddie stepped into the front office the next morning to find Kennedy on the phone.She was lounging with her feet propped up on the counter and twirling a piece of her hair, but she looked annoyed.

“Seriously,” she said to whoever she was talking to.“And they hate Armani.”She paused.“I don’t think Armani makes hip waders, sir.”

Maddie was amused, but she gave her friend a curious look.

“You seriously have a money clip that looks like an alligator?”Kennedy asked into the phone.She rolled her eyes.“They also go for the pretentious ones first, just so you know.”

Maddie stepped forward.“Who are you talking to?”

Kennedy swung her feet down off of the counter.“Hey, Maddie’s here now.”She paused, listening.“Well, yes, I do still feel like you would make a terrible swamp boat tour company owner.”She listened again as Maddie’s eyebrows rose.“Email?What’s that?”She again rolled her eyes.“Nope, we don’t have all those new-fangled inventions down here on the swamp.Sorry.I guess you should have taken better notes.”

She held the phone out to Maddie.

“Who is it?”Maddie asked, afraid of the answer.

“Bennett Baxter,” Kennedy said with mild disdain in her voice.

“And you were giving him notes about living down here?”Maddie asked.Bennett actually had a decent sense of humor, so she wasn’t too worried about Kennedy insulting him, but…it was Kennedy.And Kennedy did not want Bennett here.

“I was giving him notes about why he won’t last two days down here,” Kennedy said.

Maddie nodded.“Right.Okay.”She took the phone and lifted it to her ear.“Hey, Bennett.”

“Maddie,” the bayou-crazy billionaire greeted.

Maddie found his obsession with the swamp endearing, actually.And convenient, of course.Along with his huge bank account.

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