Page 55 of Beauty and the Bayou

He took a breath and set his fork down.“I’ve spent a lot of my life taking people out on the bayou.The tours have always been about giving people a little fun and an appreciation for this part of the world.I used to love the big grins and the people who wanted to learn more, come fishing and hunting, camp, hang out for the crawfish boils, get more immersed in everything here.”He sighed.“Over the past few months, I’ve been the opposite.I’ve been all about emphasizing how dangerous and dark the bayou can be.When people get that excited, wow-this-is-awesome look in their eyes, I try to…squash it.I haven’t taken a fishing or hunting group out in seven months.Ever since I freaked out on a guy who wandered off from the group.”He paused and swallowed.“I’ve stopped loving it.But now, with you, I want nothing more than to put you on an airboat and see the wind whipping your hair around and see you grinning and looking around with amazement.”

Juliet knew her eyes were big and round.She hadn’t been expecting any of that.“Nothingmore?”she finally asked, trying for flirtatious.Because God help her if this man wanted her to get into the murky waters of the bayou, she might actually do it.

“Well…” He gave her a sexy little grin.“Maybe notnothing, but I’d love to see you on an airboat.”

“Why?”she asked quietly.

He shook his head.“Not totally sure.Maybe because I get the impression you don’t have a lot of fun and, no matter what’s happened, deep down that damned bayou and those boats are the epitome of fun for me.”

Juliet studied him.“I think it’s great that you love what you do for a living.”

He seemed to think about that for a second.“Thatfuckingbayou,” he said.“It really does mean fun for me.Also, hard work.And family and friendship.It’s brought me closer to the people I love, given me a sense of who I am and where I come from.I’ve also wanted to get as far away from it as I can.It’s made me happy.And it’s broken my heart.”

God, she wanted him.The realization rocked through her.

Sawyer Landry was hot.Period.But he had this sexy, flirtatious side that was mixed with protectiveness.A loyalty and love for his family that was mixed with exasperation.A sense of humor that was mixed with self-deprecation.A strong work ethic that was mixed with a fun, charming side.

He was wounded.Not just his face but something else.She wanted to know everything.

And kiss it all better.

“I don’t know if I’d say I don’t haveanyfun,” she said.“But I don’t have a lot ofphysicalfun.”She blushed almost instantly hearing that out loud and scrambled to correct her words.“I don’t have a lot of fun that requires my body to do…” She realized she wasn’t really making it better, “…things,” she finished weakly.

Sawyer was grinning widely now.“Yeah, I think your body is definitely part of my interest in all of this.”

She blushed even harder but smiled in spite of her embarrassment.“I don’t do strenuous things that require a lot of strength and stamina,” she said carefully.“So hiking and skiing and fishing and boating and stuff like that is out.And just water in general.”

“So basically, everything about the bayou,” he said.

“Kind of.”

There was a beat of silence.Then he said, “You were at least a little into the water idea with the skinny-dipping.Not in the bayou but in a pool.”

She nodded.“But that was pretty much all aboutyoubeing naked.”

Heat flared in his eyes.“I guess you did mention there were lots ofotherways to be naked.”

“Therereallyare.”

“But skinny-dipping…” He blew out a breath.“See, you’re showing me that while I love a good hard hat and life jacket, beingtoocareful means you miss out on some things.”

Juliet sobered a little at that.She couldn’t argue with that.She sat back in her chair and chewed on her bottom lip.They were talking about being naked and that could go in some really great directions.But, this was her chance to share.If she was going to.How much was she willing to tell him?

All of it, she realized quickly.She wasn’t embarrassed about her situation.It was what it was.

“I had a stroke when I was ten,” she said.

Sawyer’s gaze went from hot to concerned in a snap.“What?”

She nodded.“I was at the water park with my brothers and mom.I was at the top of one of the slides, and the next thing I knew, I’d fallen into the pool below.I don’t remember a lot of it, except the terrifying feeling of not being able to figure out how to move my arms and legs to swim back up.I couldn’t think clearly.I couldn’t make my mouth work to blow air out instead of sucking it in.”

Sawyer’s gaze was intense.He sat, not moving or even blinking.

“My brother, Rhett, pulled me out.If he hadn’t been right there and paying attention, I don’t know what would have happened.”She took a deep breath.“I was unconscious when he pulled me out and they rushed me to the hospital, assuming it was because of the near-drowning.Later they determined that I’d had a stroke and that was what had caused me to fall.The near-drowning was a symptom.”

“You had astroke?”Sawyer clarified.“As a kid?”

“It’s more common than you think,” she said.“Mine was mild and, since I was young, I was able to recover more of my function than older people sometimes can.But I have a thirty-percent weakness on my right side and poor fine-motor coordination.I trip often, I knock things over and spill.Most people think I’m just a klutz, and that’s okay, but I have to be aware of those things and I’ve made adjustments.”She gestured to her cup.“I’m not great with fine motor on either side because I was right-handed before the stroke and had to relearn to do a lot with my left to compensate.So neither hand is perfectly coordinated.I have balance issues and feel weaker if I overdo, so…” She shrugged.“I have to be more careful and plan things out and take my time.”She gave him a little smile.“It makes adventurous, spontaneous fun a little difficult.”

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