Page 48 of Beauty and the Bayou

“The yachts are better.”

Juliet was a snob?She didn’t seem like a snob.“Because of the mimosas?”

He could get her mimosas on the airboats if that would make her like them more.

Sawyer frowned at that thought.Why did he care if Juliet liked the airboats?It didn’t matter to him if she wanted an airboat ride or not.Hell, she’d be one less person he’d have to lecture about staying safe out there.

Then again, she was one less person he needed to lecture about safety in the first place.It was one of his favorite things about her.He knew she’d freaking sit where she was supposed to and wouldn’t try to stand up or reach out for a snapping turtle or some dumb thing.

“Nah, she’d like the yacht better than the airboat because on the yacht she’s farther away from the water,” Chase said, picking up his beer.“Those airboats areright there.”He took a drink.

Sawyer frowned.“Right there?You mean down on the water?”

Chase swallowed and nodded.“Yeah.She’s scared of the water.”

Sawyer sat up straight and everyone around the table seemed to pause.“What?”Sawyer asked.

Chase nodded again.“Yeah.She’s scared of the water.Being in it.She almost drowned when she was ten and ever since—”

Sawyer was out of his chair and on his feet.

“—she’s nervous around water,” Chase finished, his eyebrows up.

“She’s scared of the water because she almostdrowned?”Sawyer repeated.“But she’s here building a fuckingboat dock?”He stared at the younger man but was picturing Juliet.

Working down by the water.Alone.

In her life jacket.

Jesus.

“Yeah.”Chase shrugged.“That’s what she does.She just…pushes through.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment.Then Tori said, “Wow.”

“So that’s the deal with the life jacket and everything,” Kennedy said, for once not being a smart-ass.

“She’s just areallycareful person,” Chase said.“It’s not just water.”He looked up at Sawyer.“You’ve seen it.The gloves and the boots and everything.My mom used to freak out about all the bad things that could happen, and Juliet learned to counter all of that by being overly prepared and taking every precaution.”

Sawyer pushed a hand through his hair.Juliet was here, rebuilding the dock, to help the Boys of the Bayou and her brother, in spite of being scared enough to wear the life jacket nearly twenty-four-seven.He shoved his chair up against the table.

“Where is she right now?”When he’d stopped in the last couple of nights and she hadn’t been here, he’d been relieved.It was easier to act nonchalant about her presence in Autre if he didn’tseeher.

That was over now.

“She’s just been going back to Cora’s at night,” Chase said.“She’s pretty sore and tired at the end of the day.Cora told her to help herself to whatever.”

Sawyer paused.“You guys are staying at Cora’s?”

How had he not known that?

Because he’d beennonchalant.He’d beennothovering.Not needing constant updates.Not asking how things were going.

And this is what he got.He hadn’t known Juliet was fucking scared of the water she was working right next to every day.He hadn’t even known that she—they—were staying at Cora’s.

“Yeah.We were going to go over to the motel, but as soon as Ellie and Cora heard that, they insisted we stay with Cora.”

Sawyer nodded.That was no surprise, but he liked it.He looked at Maddie.“Where are you staying?”Maddie had been staying with her grandmother since she’d come home.

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