Page 4 of Bad Boy Crush

Shitty timing on his part, he guessed.

The fault lines from tucking his feelings away for so many years had carved serpentine paths in his chest. Which explained the earthquake-like shake in his gut when he glanced up at the sunroom and found Lou looking back at him.

She was wearing a black Knight Time concert T-shirt, her hands clasped protectively over the front. He waved. She didn’t.

“Have it your way, Lourdes,” he said to no one as he stuffed earplugs into his ears. He adjusted the pair of safety glasses on his nose, fired up the chain saw, and got to work.

An hour later, Ant stopped sawing to swipe the sweat off his brow with the bottom of his T-shirt. Today was gearing up to be a hot one. Some of the luckier Evergreeners had taken to the water to cool off. Speedboats raced along the waves, making him wish he was on one of them. A refreshing dip in the lake would feel amazing right about now.

He frowned at the mess around him. He’d barely made a dent. Hopefully, Connor would call him back and offer to pitch in, or else Ant would be chunking up this big bastard alone. He didn’t mind the hard work. He did mind being in Lou’s space for longer than she’d appreciate. He was walking a fine line with her as it was.

His throat was parched. He was either going to have to trek back to his truck for his water bottle or go inside like a grown-ass man and ask her for a glass of tap.

“Shit.” It was fast becoming the word of the day. He had to say hello at some point. Might as well be now.

It wasn’t like he was nervous to speak to her. They’d been friends—good friends—for years. He wasn’t sure what they were now. Not enemies. Acquaintances, maybe? That word left a bad taste in his dried-out mouth.

He’d never had the opportunity to date her or love her. They hadn’t had the chance to crack open their insides and spill their secrets to each other. He cared about her, though. She was more than beautiful. She was funny, inquisitive. Encouraging. He still wasn’t accustomed to her habit of praising his talents or bragging about him to others. Over the last year and a half, that was the one thing that hadn’t changed. She might have stopped hanging out with him, but she still commended his work and offered her approval—if begrudgingly. Today was a good example of the latter. But she hadn’t stomped out here and told him to leave yet.

The distance between them had eaten away at him like acid. She’d done her best to pretend she didn’t care, but she did, he knew. He’d come to understand her need to put space between them after she’d found out what Liam had done. Now that time had passed and the hurt was less raw, he wondered if she was acting more out of pride than protection.

He pulled the fedora off his head and ruffled his hair with his fingers. It’d grown out a few inches. He’d decided to let it go a few more. He was sick of the same-same. Maybe he’d grow it to his shoulders just for shits and giggles.

He swiped his hands on his jeans, noting that they were vibrating along with his teeth after running that damn contraption for the last hour, and started for Lou’s back stairs. He was surprised to find her standing at the window once again. He put a boot onto the first step as his cell phone rang.

“Hey man,” Ant greeted.

“Got your message,” Connor said in response. “I’ll be home Wednesday. I’m at that conference in Georgia.”

“Shit. I forgot.”

“No reason for you to remember. I won’t be staying a second longer than I have to since I left my wife and kid back at the Cove.”

“No reason for me to remember the conference where you’re a keynote speaker?” Ant admired Connor’s humble nature and the love he had for his family, but the guy had a right to celebrate his wins. Connor had patented a lavender plant when he was younger. The patent had brought in money that had already covered his daughter’s college fund, and she was just eighteen months old. “Course I remember. You’re a big fucking deal.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Connor said, but Ant knew his friend was smiling. “Guess I missed one hell of a storm. Phone’s been ringing off the hook this morning with requests for help. I feel bad I can’t be there.”

“Ah, don’t. It was a bad one, but we’ll have it under control in a few days’ time.”

“Any damage to your place?”

“I lost a walnut tree in my backyard, much like Lou’s here.”

“Walnut.” Connor whistled. “That will make some nice furniture.”

Ant glanced up at the window. Lou’s expression was curious, which beat the hell out of the way she usually looked at him—or didn’t look at him.

“Thanks for calling me back,” Ant told Connor. “And hey, knock ’em dead with the speech.”

“Thanks, man. Later.”

Ant pocketed the phone and climbed the remainder of the stairs where he met Lou at the patio door. She slid the glass aside, silently inviting him in.

“Sawdust is clinging to every part of my body.” He showed her the wood chips dotting his arms. “You don’t want me inside.”

“Fair enough.” Stoic, she stepped onto the back deck, a pink fabric wad against her middle.

“Whatcha got there?”