Conceal (The Barker Triplets 3)

“Well are you?” Tucker wouldn’t give up.

“Janice and I are sleeping together. Is that what you want to hear?”

“Well, sure, but what Beau and I really want to know is whether those boobs are real or not.” Tucker chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. “What do they feel like? Are they hard or soft or…”

“Will you drop it?” Jack snapped. “I’m not discussing Janice’s tits with you, alright?”

“Christ. You and Beau must have shared the same bowl of Wheaties this morning.”

Jack glanced up at Beau and Beau shrugged. “You don’t want to know.”

“Mom called,” Jack said. “Did Tucker tell you?”

“Yeah,” Beau replied, irritated that the focus had shifted back to him. He thought of bringing up Janice’s tits again, but didn’t get a chance.

“So, what’s up with you and that Barker girl?” Jack’s eyes didn’t waver and Beau exhaled loudly, glancing out across the Lake once more.

“Nothing,” he said eventually.

“Huh,” Tucker said, earning another dark look from Beau.

“What?” At least I didn’t call you Hollywood.”

Beau was out of his chair like a shot. He grabbed Tucker’s T-shirt, hauled his startled brother out of his chair and with a bit of effort tossed his ass into the lake.

“What the fuck?” Tucker sputtered, coming up for air, treading water as he stared up at his brothers on the dock.

“I warned you.”

Tucker laughed. “I guess you did.”

Jack got to his feet and stood beside Beau. He was dark like Tucker, though instead of the edgy, rocker look Tucker sported, Jack was all GQ. He was their father’s double and for as long as Beau could remember, Jack had been his hero.

The guy who set the bar. The true star of the Simon family, no matter what most people thought. Jack Simon would end up in the White House one day. Beau was sure of it.

“So, you know mom isn’t going to let this Barker thing go,” Jack said quietly. “Especially because you haven’t called her back. She doesn’t like being ignored.”

“Mom and I don’t need to discuss my relationship with Betty Jo. It’s none of her business.”

“So there is something going on between you two.”

“What?” he glanced at his brother sharply and shuffled a few feet away, shoulders hunched and tight.

“Look, I don’t know much about her, but I get Mom’s concern. She’s a known drug user, she likes the booze and she hasn’t been real selective about the men she’s dated in the past. Jesus, wasn’t she involved with that guy who OD’d in France? A guy who was married to someone else?”

Beau had to take a moment because the rush of anger that rolled through him was pretty intense.

“What happened to Lane Summers?” Jack asked.

“She’s old news,” Tucker piped up.

“Too bad,” Jack retorted. “Now she seems like a nice girl.”

“Her tits are real,” Tucker offered.

Beau shot Tucker a look that promised retribution.

“So, this Barker girl? Is there a reason for us to worry?” Jack said.