Page 78 of Sweet Home Louisiana

The tourists returned the greeting with big smiles.

“So we’re gonna head out,” Owen said.“The airboats are a lot of fun but they’re also pretty loud.You’re gonna need to wear those to protect your ears.”He pointed to the headsets that hung in front of each seat.“And you won’t be able to easily talk to each other or to us until we get out to our first stop.But once we get out there, we’ll stop and look around and tell you a bunch of cool stuff and you can ask us questions.We’ll make a few different stops and…we’ll just have a really good time.”

The riders were clearly excited, and Maddie found herself smiling in spite of the fact she was about to get on an airboat.In spite of the fact she was about todrivean airboat.

She climbed aboard and took her position on the seat at the back of the boat.She looked around.Everything was very familiar.

“You ready?”Owen leaned in and adjusted the metal box under her seat.

She took a hold of the rudder stick with her left hand and put her right foot on the accelerator.She gripped the armrest of the tall seat with her right hand.“I think so.”

Owen reached over and peeled her fingers off the cracked leather.He squeezed them, then put a bottle of water in her hand.“Hang onto this instead.It’ll make your passengers less nervous.”

She gave him a smile.“Do I look nervous?”

“Yep.”

She was.She felt jumpy and like she was losing her battle to not get involved by the minute.But honestly, she’d only lasted about a week before she’d started to feel a part of everything.She wasn’t sure why the hell she’d thought that she could fight it and win.Naiveté?A faded memory?Overestimating how muchshehad changed?

Plain old hope?

She’d hoped this would be easy.

It wasn’t going to be.

“It’s just a boat ride,” she said.

And that was just good old lying to herself.And him.

He nodded.“Yep.Exactly.”

Owen didn’t believe her, either.

“So let’s do it.”

“Okay.”

He leaned in a little further and she realized that he was only pretending to make adjustments.

“Just so you know, you’re kickass and even if we only have you for a month, I’m really glad you’re here.”

Shocked, she stared at him as he leaned back.

He gave her a grin and a wink.“And you look fucking gorgeous right now.”

Maddie knew her mouth was open as he turned and started toward the front boat.She looked gorgeous right now?Her hair was a wavy, frizzy mess from the humidity and pulled up under a cap.She’d given up on makeup days ago.She was wearing shorts and a tank top.And she no doubt looked completely uncomfortable—physically and emotionally.

Gorgeous?If so, she’d been trying way too hard for over a decade.

She watched Owen climb aboard his boat and give everyone a huge smile.He said something to the kids sitting on the edges and they laughed.He leaned in and shook an older man’s hand and then he went down on one knee in front of the man’s wife.She had white hair and there appeared to be a cane leaning against the bench seat next to her.Maddie couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she saw Owen put a hand over his heart with a smile that was less bright and charming and more sincere and touched.The woman reached up and patted his cheek, and Maddie, even without knowing what they were saying, felt her heart flip.

He was such a good guy.

It wasn’t that it was a huge revelation.Of course he was a good guy.

It didn’t surprise her that he was good with kids.He was basically a big kid himself.It didn’t surprise her that he was good with guys—and women—his own age.He’d been a flirt and a good old boy his whole life.It didn’t surprise her that he was good with older people.He’d grown up laughing and loving with a whole group of the older generation that, while maybe not typical in a lot of ways, had instilled a respect and affection that was clear now.

Crap.

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