Page 12 of Bad Boy in Her Bed

Janie Carter greeted her in the garden, her gloved hands filthy.“Hey, sweetheart!”she called over.“Keep me company while I get these marigolds in.”

Perching on the edge of the flower bed, she passed over a plastic container of delicate seedlings.“It’s looking good.The hydrangeas are getting big.”

“I’m a little worried about the hosta in that far corner.It hasn’t come up yet.”Patting the dirt down around the little plant she’d just placed, she sat back on her heels.“Amy Hansen mentioned seeing you and one of those Baker boys on the trails this morning.Is he a runner, too?”

“Subtle, mom.”

“Just making conversation, honey.”She smiled.“Is this the same one you were dining with earlier this week?”

Laughing, she shook her head.“No.I’m cycling through all of them in the hopes of setting the rumor mill ablaze.Yes, it’s the same one.And he’s notone of those Baker boys.His name is Birch, and he’s a nice guy.”Glancing around to make sure the neighbors weren’t outside listening in, she squatted down beside her mom, her stilettos sinking into the soft grass.“He doesn’t talk about himself much though.At least, not about anything about his family except his younger brother.”

“The swimsuit model?River?”

“Swimsuit model?No, he never mentioned that one.”She chuckled.“The one in university.Grey.”

Tugging her gloves off, her mom pulled her phone from her pocket and opened her messaging app, scrolling until she found a series of photos.“Karla sent me these a few days ago.I’ll say one thing about Colton and Willa Baker, they passed along some very pretty genetics.”

Scanning the photos of a gorgeous man outfitted in various swim trunks, she could see the resemblance to Birch.Both were tall and muscular, long-limbed and strong-thighed.She recognized two of the tattoos on his chest, pieces she’d seen in the Serpent’s Tongue album.River’s dark hair had streaks of gold in it, but he had the same square jaw, thin lips, and straight nose.

The biggest difference was their eyes.While River’s held a playful glint, Birch’s hazel ones were hard and cagey, constantly scanning his surroundings as if preparing his attack.

Or retreat.

Handing the phone back, she helped collect the discarded flowerpots.“He looks a lot younger than Birch.”

“Birch must have been the one who took custody of the younger two boys when Colton was murdered.That was…oh my, time passes.That was around thirteen years ago.”Clucking her tongue, her mom shook her head.“As if Colton’s death and Winter’s arrest weren’t enough drama around here, no one was willing to take in the boys.Their mother apparently signed away her parental rights years beforehand and your Birch had to step up so his brothers stayed out of the foster system.”

Doing the math, Jocelyn frowned.“He would have been eighteen.Jeez, mom.Why didn’t anyone help him?Help them?Why didn’t you or dad step up?And he’s notmyBirch.”

Her mom went silent for a few minutes, smoothing the soil around the marigolds.“I wish I could say dad and I hadn’t joined the rest of the town in our judgements, but I can’t.If memory serves, the younger boys were nine and thirteen?Maybe fourteen?Not easy ages, especially since the teenager already had a reputation for stealing and fighting.But once the dust settled, the gossip slowed until Birch went to jail, so he must have been doing a decent job raising his brothers.”She got to her feet and collected her gardening tools.“Are you staying for dinner?”

“Thanks, but no,” she replied, mulling over what she’d learned.“Birch is picking me up in a bit and we’re heading to the movies.I’ll call you after work tomorrow though, okay?”

After a quick hello and goodbye to her dad, she drove back to the hotel to get ready for her date, half of her feeling guilty over hearing more of Birch’s story from someone else and the other half glad she had another piece of the puzzle that was the guy she was falling for fast.

Because it didn’t matter how bad the town believed Birch to be, he was nothing like the vipers she swam with in the swamps of the New Jersey coastline.

Chapter Six

Birch did afinal check of his pockets before leaving the house, groaning when he realized he’d grabbed both sets of shop keys.Glancing at the time, he jogged to his truck and drove off, hoping Ryder wasn’t feeling too chatty.

After all, he had a date.And there was no way he would be able to hide his jangled nerves from his friend for long.

Back in high school he’d taken a few girls on actual dates.Done the whole dressed nice and bring flowers deal.But between the reactions he received from parents when he showed up on their doorsteps and his own father’s unpredictable behavior leading to last-minute cancellations, he eventually gave up.

Lucky for him, Jocelyn informed him they were going on a date.No asking involved.And since she was staying in a hotel, the chances of her parents sending him away were low.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to wine and dine some of the women he’d met over the years, but casual hookups at parties and bars fit better for a guy who needed to be on call for two rowdy boys twenty-four seven.His rare free Saturday nights were spent wondering when his phone would ring to pick River up from the cop shop or pull Grey out of another unsuccessful attempt at a sleepover.

Dating wasn’t in the cards.

Pulling up to Serpent’s Tongue, he left his truck running and ran in, almost knocking Jay off his feet.“Hey, sorry man,” he apologized, tossing the second set of shop keys onto the desk.“You here for that piercing you were asking about yesterday?”

Jay paled and looked over his shoulder at Ryder who was walking out of the back room.“Uh, yeah.Yeah.Just got it.”

“Well damn, show me,” he demanded good-naturedly as he walked over to the mini fridge to grab a juice box.“Unless you got it on your dick.”

Accepting the juice, Jay drank it down in two gulps and crushed it tight in his hand.“Yeah.It’s, um, down there.”Backing up a few steps, he gave an awkward wave.“I better get going.Have a good night, guys.”

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