Page 13 of Bad Boy Crush

“And Hunter seems interesting.”

“Who?” That was a name he hadn’t heard before.

“The state champion of the Paul Bunyan festival games.” Lou’s tone said duh.

“There’s a state champion?” Ant resisted rolling his eyes. The festival “games” featured men in lumberjack attire showing off their axe and knife skills. She’d asked him if he was going to be involved since there was a chain saw carving contest. As good as her encouragement felt, he’d declined. It was an easy no. He had nothing to prove—especially in an exam-like setting where he’d be judged by a panel of “experts.”

Hard pass.

“Yes, and state champion Hunter Medway is dropping by to check the grounds before he competes next weekend. He agreed to let me interview him after I talk with Sofie.” Lou’s excitement was evident. Under normal circumstances, he would encourage her to chase her dreams or whatever, but the mention of this lumberjack guy rubbed Ant the wrong way.

Maybe he’d stick a bit closer to Lou than he’d originally intended.

five

Lou had read up on Pate Mansion online, but the articles hadn’t done the structure justice. The regal stone building stood in front of a cluster of full-grown trees—pines, maples, and oaks. Twenty acres of cleared and wooded land stretched out behind the structure, all of which Donovan Pate had inherited from his late grandmother. Since then, Ant had told her that the Pates had sold the rear of the property, and the cottage sitting on it, to Faith and Connor McClain.

“This place isn’t a mansion. It’s a castle.” Lou ducked her head to peer out of the windshield at the pointed turrets scratching the blue summer sky overhead. She wasn’t much for fairy tales, but romantic vibes emanated from this house.

“It’s a cool place,” Ant said in his usual mellow tone.

“Does anything impress you?”

He shot her a grin that made her stomach liquefy. His earlier remarks about how hot she was and that bit about hiding her knees had made her overly warm. She needed to get a grip. They were learning how to be friends again, and without Liam around. No reason to complicate things. Compliments aside, Ant seemed like his old self. Laid back, funny, comfortable to be around. After being so completely out of sorts when it came to him, she welcomed the change.

Her purse on her shoulder, she walked up the cobblestone driveway, Ant by her side. His fingers grazed her lower back as she climbed the porch steps and rang the doorbell. She turned to thank him for being here. Not that she couldn’t have introduced herself to the Pates on her own, but Ant’s support made it easier. She’d been toughing life out on her own for too long.

“Ant—” Before she could say more, the door swung open, and the mansion’s owner was looking down at her from his towering height.

My God.

Lou hadn’t prepared herself for—well, any of it. Not the silver-blue eyes, the long black hair, or the tattoos tracking down both of his arms. She hadn’t expected a toddler on his hip, either. A boy with dark hair and dark eyes, his fingers stuck in his mouth. She didn’t know what she’d expected of Donovan, but a drop-dead gorgeous man with a kid in tow hadn’t been it.

“You must be Lourdes.” He offered a tattooed hand, the one not curled around his boy.

“Yes. You must be Donovan Pate.”

“Donny. Hey, Ant. Didn’t expect you here today.” His lips curled into a bad-boy smirk that was as dead sexy as the rest of him.

A small girl, her sandals slapping the parquet flooring, ran up and hugged her daddy’s leg. “Hi, I’m Scallop!”

“Nickname.” Donny dropped his hand to her head and ruffled her hair. “Long story. This is Miranda.”

“Hi, Miranda. I’m Lourdes.”

“Want to see my toys?” The girl’s blue eyes danced with excitement.

“No, no. You two have a date with Grandma,” said a dark-haired woman who came to stand beside Donny. “Sofie,” she introduced herself to Lou. “Nice to finally meet you in person.”

“You too.” Lou liked Sofie instantly. Her face was heart-shaped and friendly, and her curves—barely contained in a short black skirt and pale pink button-down shirt—reminded Lou of her own less-than-svelte body. Seriously, they could share a closet. An older woman who Lou assumed was “Grandma” strode into the wide foyer as Lou and Ant came inside. After a brief introduction, Sofie’s mother, Sylvia Martin, collected the kids and corralled them upstairs.

“Faith is in the office. You’ll meet her next,” Sofie said. “We have drinks—water or wine, your choice.”

Yes, they were going to get along perfectly.

“Sounds like our cue to leave you to it,” Donny said. “You need me, I’ll be outside.”

“Hunter should be here any minute. Keep an eye out for me?” Sofie asked him.

---