Page 74 of Love You
Be responsible.
Win had been hearing those words his entire life. His family stuck by him throughout the Britney ordeal but he’d known all along what they’d been thinking. He could see it written across their faces. Good ol’ Win, the womanizing screwup. The guy who dropped out of the US Olympic team because he couldn’t get serious about anything. The lesser brother who was easily distracted and struggled in school. The one who barely made it through college.
He’d been typecast for so long, he wouldn’t even know how to play another role. So he did what he did best. He walked away.
He was halfway down Main Street when he remembered he had a mountain biking group at eleven. Time enough for a green shake at the Juicery and to clear his head. TJ was just dead wrong. This thing between him and Darcy . . . he didn’t know what it was. He only knew that she made him laugh and she made him feel things he’d never felt before. And when she was done using him for his body, he’d probably feel like shit. Karma was a mean bitch.
He got his protein drink and was on his way back to GA to load up when he bumped into Boden.
“You look like someone stole your lunch.”
Boden frowned. “That Rachel Johnson is one of the most difficult people I’ve ever dealt with.”
Win jerked his head in surprise. “We talking about the same Rachel Johnson? Tart Me Up Rachel?” Because she was one of the nicest women in town. She always put in a good word for GA with the tourists who stopped in at her bakery. She was always the first to donate food to one of Glory Junction’s charity events. She taught a free baking class at the women’s shelter. She’d even caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey, who’d publicly raved about Tart Me Up. Before Delaney had moved to town, everyone had held out hope that Colt would get his head out of his ass and date Rachel.
“That would be her. She’s got a real dark side.”
Dark side. Since when? “Oh yeah, how’s that?”
“First off, she’s a control freak. Ask Foster. The three of us get hired to do a lot of events. It’s easy money and I’m saving to buy a brewery. The woman wants to tell me where to set my bar up, what to serve, and how the hell to dress. Like this is my first freaking rodeo. I don’t even think her buns are that good.”
Win’s brows winged up. “Which buns would those be?”
“Her sweet buns, you asshole.”
Win laughed. “As much as I’d love to hear more, I’ve got a date with a group of mountain bikers. I’m sure you and Rachel will work out your differences.”
“Doubtful,” he said, and continued up Main Street. Win had never seen the affable Boden so worked up, at least not since Dale busted up his bar and Win’s face.
He loaded his bike in his Jeep and took off for Royal Slope. In winter, the resort boasted some of the most challenging designated ski courses in California. In spring and summer, cyclists bombed down the mountain at breakneck speed.
His group consisted of four experienced mountain bikers from Oregon who wanted to learn the trails. To borrow the cliché: It was a tough job but someone had to do it. Because of assignments like this one you couldn’t pay him a bazillion dollars to ride a desk full-time.
Six hours later, he was breathing hard and feeling good. All he’d had to do was get his cyclists up the mountain, point them in the right direction, and they’d ridden until they’d run out of steam. Starved, the five of them grabbed dinner and a beer afterward, then Win went home to soak off the grime.
He found TJ sitting on his doorstep.
“Are the rest of them coming so you can triple-team me?”
“Nah, just me. How’d the ride go?”
Win unlocked his door and waved his hand across the threshold to let TJ in first. “I know you didn’t come here to check up on my tour so you can cut the shit.”
“Let’s go look at Reggie’s house.”
Win dragged his shirt over his head and ducked into the bathroom. Whatever TJ really came for could wait until Win showered.
“You got anything to eat?” TJ called through the door.
“Check the refrigerator.” Shit, Win remembered that Hilde’s pie plate was still in there. Since it wasn’t monogrammed it could’ve come from any number of people.
He turned the water as hot as he could take it and got in the tub. It didn’t last long. The old complex didn’t have those tankless water heaters like GA, TJ, and Colt had. When he got his new place he was going to get one too. He dried off, checked his phone to see if Darcy had called, and turned it off just in case she rang him while TJ was here. Sneaking around sucked but Darcy didn’t want anyone to know and whatever they were doing was so new and tentative that he had to agree with her.
He came out to find TJ eating dry granola.
“Your food sucks.”
“If you want good food go to a restaurant or Josh’s house. Here, I’ll show you to the door.”
