“Why you so riled up to get back to this town?”
“Would you believe me if I said it was because my heart is full of charity?”
“Hell no. I’d say there’s a woman involved and I’d also hazard a guess that it sure as hell ain’t Lane Summers. Actually, I’d hazard a guess that the female in question is Betty Jo Barker, and we both know that’s not a good idea.”
Beau tossed his rod into the boat and started packing up his tackle. “Why are you so hell bent on disliking Barker?”
“Cute. You guys trading nicknames now?”
Beau closed his tackle box and shrugged. “Seriously. You don’t even know her.”
“No,” Tucker said. “I’ve never met her in person. And I know that half of that shit they play on TMZ and print in those rags isn’t true. But I also know that where there’s smoke there’s always a spark. She’s a mess, Beau. Bad news.”
“She’s not a mess.” The words slipped out before he even thought them and Tucker paused, falling back onto his seat near the bow.
“She’s not a mess,” Beau repeated. “She’s human. She’s made mistakes. We all have.”
He blew out a long breath and glanced away, confused by the way he felt. He wasn’t on a mission to save, Betty. Not really. But he sure as hell wanted to help her. He owed it to her for what he’d done.
That’s all this was. Nothing more.
So why did he feel as if he was on the cusp of something much larger? Beau Simon was thirty-three years old and he’d never been in this place before. A place where a woman he barely knew had somehow become part of his everyday thought process. She’d been the last thing on his mind when he’d gone to bed the night before—alone—and the first thing he’d thought of when he’d woken up this morning. He’d sported a raging hard-on, a bad attitude, and a headful of images of Betty. Naked. Twisted beneath him.
If he was going to work with her, Beau was going to have to get this shit under control. All those fantasies—those memories—of her long legs, that hair, that mouth and the way they’d rocked into each other as if the world was ending. That passion wasn’t for him to examine or remember.
It was in the past and for this movie to work—for him to get her on board and make it work—that’s where all of that stuff had to stay.
“Okay.” Tucker was pulling up the anchor. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Beau whipped his head around, a grin on his face. “Yeah? You coming to New Waterford with me?”
“Sure. Someone’s got to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life.”
A frown crossed Beau’s face. “Really. And what would that be?” He might be willing to give Tucker a bit of leeway most days—hell, the guy had had his heart ripped out, but there was only so far Beau was willing to let him go when it came to his personal life.
Tucker chuckled and suddenly the darkness in his eyes evaporated, if only a little. “I’ll let you know when I figure
it out, brother.
* * *
The Simon boys packed up and were ready to hit the road in less than two hours. Sylvia, the local lady who looked after their cottage, came in as they were leaving, with groceries and cleaning supplies. Jack and his girl were due up in a few days and she came weekly with the staples.
She wished them a safe trip and then they were off.
It was a perfect day to be out on a bike. The wind was non-existent, the sun warm and the open road incredibly appealing. Beau opened his throttle and it didn’t take long for him to disappear into his bike.
He had to give it to Forest. The guy had built him something special. It was all shiny chrome and black leather—understated and not too flashy—with an engine that growled and a ride that gripped the road.
The sound was like an electric pulse that beat inside him, and around 90 miles an hour, the scenery became nothing but moving flashes of color. It was quiet and loud at the same time. Peaceful but exhilarating.
It was hard to describe, and only another biking enthusiast would understand. By the time they reached the outskirts of New Waterford, the sun was high in the sky and it was early afternoon.
Beau and Tucker rolled down Main Street in a leisurely fashion, while overhead banners waved in the breeze, announcing the Celebrity Ball tournament. A group of girls near the Dairy Queen turned and watched as they sped by, a few of them thrusting their hips out and waving provocatively.
Beau grinned and nodded as he motioned to Tucker to turn into The Grill. He’d called Logan Forest before they had left the Muskokas, just to make sure he could stay in the loft, and Forest had told him he’d be at The Grill right about now for a nice, cold beer.
The brothers parked their bikes near the outdoor patio and Beau stripped off his long sleeved shirt, garnering a whistle from the waitress working outside. Beau and Tucker both turned around and the woman’s mouth hung wide open.