“You didn’t have to be so speedy,” I said and left Beau to handle the cooking. “The meat comes off in about five minutes. I’m going to walk him out.”
“’Course.”
Chandler, my steady friend through thick and thin, deserved more than the silent treatment, but Beau didn’t see it that way in the least.
As we went for the back door, my hand found my friend’s shoulder, and I gave a squeeze. “You’ve been my anchor for as long as I can remember,” I said, my tone thick with appreciation. “Thank you for everything. You didn’t have to move so fast.”
“Yeah, I did,” Chandler chuckled. “I’m roasted in my spot every time he puts that death glare on me. Dude’s possessive of you, and I hit him the wrong way. He won’t let me make it up to him.”
“I get why it seems that way, but he’s really a good guy,” I said, feeling like the class structure between him and Chandler was more Beau’s problem these days than anything to do with me. With his hand on the doorknob, I stopped Chandler, gripping his forearm. His questioning gaze met mine. How did I tell him how much his support meant to me? The quick shake of my head brought no words forward. My feelings were indescribable. “Thank you.”
Chandler waved off my appreciation as if it were nothing more than a nuisance. “No need for that. I thought you were crazy like everyone else, but I figured someone’s gotta look out for you.” His perfectly manicured brows lifted. “And Beau came back just like you said he would. Showed us all.” I continued to stare into eyes that were as familiar to me as my own. He’d been a tremendous best friend to me.
“Get over here,” Chandler said, pulling me into a bear hug. “You deserve the best, but you have to ensure your happiness too. You constantly give more than you receive in everything you do.”
With my eyes shut tight, I held on. An era was ending. He let go of me before I was ready and moved out of my hold. “I’ll never be far,” Chandler whispered. Maybe there was a tear in his eye just like mine.
“Me too,” I murmured, watching him slip out the back door. The cold wind stole my breath as Chandler jogged toward the moving van parked haphazardly along the side of the house. With a cleansing inhale, I locked the door and started in the direction of my new life.
“I didn’t listen but figured this might be difficult for you. You good?” Beau asked, standing like a sentry in the middle of the living room.
“Yeah.” I went for my guy, wrapping my arms around him. He drew me close, both his arms circling me protectively, givingme a perfectly pressured hug. “I’d be better if you bottomed sometimes.”
I lifted my gaze to watch his eyes roll. He let his arms drop from around me. “You let nothin’ go. I need time. Stop buggin’ me about it. So, when’re you cashin’ that check?”
We were cut from the same cloth.Touche.
One month later
Dallas, Texas
“Come on!” Dash’s repetitive use of those words, and deep tenor of his voice, bounced off the walls inside the bedroom. “It’s lonely out here.”
I barely cast a glance at the swimming pool where Dash’s head bobbed in the water. He was the ultimate mood-setter. Right now, he had romance on his mind. The sparkling twinkling lights and smooth music promised a good time. The pool heater held the temperature at a warm eighty-degrees. The inside pool lights were off. One bedroom window door panel was strategically cracked open to lure me outside. Of course, the scene designed for romance beckoned me, but my mind was preoccupied.
“I can’t swim for an hour after I eat,” I shouted loud enough for the crazy guy in the pool to hear. I was busy planning my future. On FedEx’s secure site, I dug through the two-page list of different owners who had their trucks and routes up for sale.The prices encouraged me. All I needed now was time and credit building under my belt. My goals were set. Maybe by the end of the summer…I’d be able to beat Scott’s income if I owned my own truck.
“Beau, that’s just an old myth. Don’t worry. I’ll act as your personal lifeguard. I could probably get you out of the pool, and my CPR skills are rusty, but I’m certain I remember the basics.” I heard a splash of water hit the closest closed window panel.
Man, he had no patience. I peeled my gaze off Dash’s laptop screen to catch a glimpse of his blond head and shoulders poking out of an innertube.
“Stop ignoring me.”
What an intriguing scene. The pool and backyard had their charm, but with Dash in the mix, it was pure magic. Why was I in here when he was out there?
A mischievous sneak attack began brewing in my head.
I’d been skipping my workouts, losing some of my bulk muscle. After nine hours of heavy lifting and loads of cardio a day, I didn’t want to come home and spend hours of my evening lifting and away from Dash. So I sought some pretty weighted boxes to lift at work and used his limited in-home gym equipment whenever he did. I could feel the decline in my tone, but I also wanted it to happen. I’d only ever been this buff due to my father. Which was technically another really good reason to lose the muscle.
What I hadn’t lost was my inner athleticism. With a sudden burst, I leaped from my chair, whipping off my T-shirt and tossing it away as I ran. One foot landed on the flower bed mulch, the other on the Cool-Crete freezing cold concrete. With no hesitation, I dove headfirst into the pool. The warmth of the water was as perfect as Dash kept saying. Since the inside pool lights were off, it allowed me to swim along the bottom untilI reached Dash’s feet and tugged him under. It required some muscle power due to the innertube.
I sprang up like a rocket, the innertube did too. Dash took longer. I had my hand poised to send a wave splashing when he came up. The way he sputtered around when breaching the water made me pause and reach out a hand to help steady him.
Once I determined that he’d live and got him back to the tube, an unexpected splash of water hit me straight in the face. Now it was my turn to cough and flail. He’d gotten it straight up my nose.
“Why did you do that?” Dash asked and whined at the same time. “Fuck, Brooks, my hair.”
Of course, the hair. I rolled my eyes. He always kept it on point while I secretly preferred his natural look. His tousled locks only added to his charm. There was just something about a wet-haired Dash that got me.
