Page 112 of Need You Now

Lacey slides close to him. They’re still in eyeshot of the group, so she slips a covert hand into his. The feel of her skin on his has him shivering. He leans in. “I’d give anything to fuckin’ kiss you right now.”

“Yeah, well, you should have stuck around longer this morning.” She tosses her hair, her narrowed green eyes curious. “You were gone when I woke up. Where’d you go?”

“Sneakin’ out before we got caught.”

It’s a lie. A white one, though. He had snuck off to pick up Lacey’s locket. He met the pawnshop guy in town at a diner. Gave him a thousand bucks and a weekend stay in Nashville for his trouble. It also let Seth do some last-minute Christmas shopping. Usually, he and Luke traded six-packs on Christmas Day, but he’s never shopped like this before. But hell if he ain’t gonna learn. Especially for Lacey.

Tomorrow, he’ll give her the locket. But not in front of everyone. It’s a sensitive topic with the mugging, and he wants to make sure she has space to process it.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he teases. “You tryin’ to say you missed me?”

She scoffs. “Hardly.”

He laughs, then turns an eye to the lake. Winston’s dipping a toe in, his paws and nose covered in mud. Seth gives a sharp whistle and the dog’s head snaps up. “C’mon,” he shouts. “Let’s go.”

Lacey frowns, seeing the mud. “Seth, if that dog—”

But it’s too late. Winston bounds into the ATV, rocking it like a boat, and lands right on Lacey’s lap.

She punches Seth’s arm. “You asshole,” she groans, but she’s laughing, wiping at her white puffball of a jacket. Mud streaks her dark leggings. “I’m never gonna get this out.”

Seth waggles his eyebrows. “I’ll help you clean you up later.”

Her eyes spark. “You wish.”

With a wild whoop, he takes off, heading back to the house.

The ATV parked, Lacey and Seth cross the yard. Winston bounds over to a grateful Sal, who herds him into the house.

“Hell of a time, Kincaid,” Griff hoots, taking a swallow of his beer. “My kind of day when I’m winnin’ against Taylor.” He extends a broad hand. “Pony up, man.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jace grumbles, handing Griff a twenty-dollar bill. “Another round?”

“Good Lord almighty, ain’t you had enough?” Griff raises a brow. “How much you lost now?”

Emmy Lou takes a step toward Jace, her eyes troubled. “Jace.”

Seth frowns, catching the tail end of the conversation.

What the hell is Jace doing? Sure, it’s a bet between friends, but Jace shouldn’t be betting. Two years ago, he came close to losing the farm. Luke bailed him out. But now ...

Luke, holding Sal on his lap, his hand fanned out over her stomach, meets Seth’s gaze. And he’s opening his mouth, to say what, Seth doesn’t know, when an engine cuts the lazy haze of the afternoon.

Seth’s ears prick in the familiar rumble.

They all turn to see a dark Polaris fishtailing across the dusty makeshift road. It parks itself next to Seth’s ATV and then out of it comes Beau Dallas.

Seth groans. “That’s it. I’m sellin’ June.” Anything that invites comparison to this guy ain’t happening.

Luke chuckles, but his eyes are hard, his wary gaze on Beau.

“Hey, y’all!” Beau calls out, swaggering over. “Thought I’d mosey on over and see what all the ruckus is about!”

The group gathers in front of the fire, and instantly, the atmosphere is charged. As taut as the men’s fists. Luke grasps the back of his neck. He looks like a headache’s coming on and that headache’s Beau Dallas.

Emmy Lou whispers, “What on earth is he still doin’ here?”

“He didn’t have anywhere to go,” Sal murmurs.

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