Page 20 of Bourbon and Lies

The truck comes to a rolling stop in front of our makeshift stand–two camping chairs they took from his back shed and apiece of plywood that balances on two upside-down sand pails. It’s probably the most time I’ve ever spent doing anything with kids and it’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time.

Julep barks from the front seat.

“Well…would you look at that? I’ve been looking for flower crowns,” he says with a lightness to his tone. That damn baseball hat is back and all I can think as he comes around from the side of his truck is that a cowboy hat might look better. He lifts Lily in one arm and wraps his other along Lark’s shoulders. “First week of summer break and you two are already trying to start a hustle?”

He spares me a glance as he smiles at the two girls. And my eyes jump to his forearms as they flex. I can’t help but take him in. From his boots to the scruff along his jawline. It’s shaved tighter than the last time I saw him. The thicker mustache is tamed back to the same length. “Haven’t seen you in a while,” he says without looking at me.

“Haven’t heard you in a while either.”

I watch as he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He glances at me again as he hoists Lily up higher in his arms. That’s when I notice the back of his neck is flushed red. And maybe I shouldn’t push it. Maybe I should just let what I heard and the way this man clearly doesn’t know what he thinks of me just fizzle out. But I’m feeling good, well rested, and a little more at ease today.

“How’s your hand?” I ask, looking at his knuckles that were bloody. It takes all of my power to keep a straight face as I trail my eyes back to his.

His eyes flit to mine, tilting his head just a pinch to the side. “Got your band-aids, but I didn’t need them. I took care of it on my own.” And it’s like I just got sucker punched, right in the gut with massive butterflies that swoop low and with so much force that they turn my cheeks hot.

As he starts asking the girls questions, his eyes stay trained on me. “Lark, your dad knows you’re down here?”

Lily shifts her eyes to her older sister. And it’s pretty clear by just one glance from one to the other that their dad has no idea where they might be.Shit.

“I should have asked them that sooner. I really hadn’t thought about it until you were pulling up.” I smile at Lark. “We got caught up having so much fun, time seemed to get away from us.”

“I told him we were coming to your house.” She holds out her arms, getting defensive. “Which is where we started, but then you weren’t home, and Laney said she wanted to pick flowers.”

I raise my hand. “Guilty.”

“Next time, if I’m not home, just check in with him, okay? And as much as I’m glad Laney was nice and hung out with you guys, she’s new around here and might have had things to do.”

“I wasn’t busy. Thank you for the company, girls,” I say as I stand from behind our little table shop.

Lily smiles at me, speaking up eagerly before I go. “Laney, do you want to come to Uncle Ace’s breakfast barbecue tonight?” She looks at Grant. “She’s new. Like you said. And we can get to know her better that way.”

He smiles at his niece, and then tilts his head my way. “Miss Laney probably has plans.”

Lark chimes in, “She doesn’t.”

“I don’t,” I say with a laugh. “And breakfast for dinner sounds amazing.”

He clears his throat, and then walks away with the girls. Julep jumps up and starts barking after them.

“See you at dinner, Laney,” Lily yells out, followed up by a giggle as he hoists her over his shoulder.

I can’t stop looking at him as he jokes around and smiles with his nieces. It’s almost as sexy as hearing those words again.Almost.

Chapter 11

Grant

“It’s goingto be the biggest party this county has seen in a very long time,” Lincoln says as I meet Griz’s eyes, and he rolls them at me. Lincoln likes to showboat. He’s like Griz in that way.

“You picked a good time to show up, Laney,” Ace chimes in from the head of the table. “You’ll get a taste of what a real Kentucky summer feels like, and then at the end of it, we celebrate.” Then he fucking winks at her. And it pisses me off way more than it should.

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?” I chime in. “Asking one of your...” I pause. I know I’m being a dick right now. “...friendsto stick around.”

Ace’s eyes move over to Laney’s, and they exchange a look that says something’s there. And that makes my stomach sink. My brothers have plenty they keep close to the vest. Ace keeps things about the business from me. He and Lincoln have plenty of dealings that I haven’t been privy to. At first, it was because I was the youngest, but then it was because I was a cop. We agreedto keep me away from anything that I wouldn’t approve of or would have to turn a blind eye to. They’re good men, and I knew they didn’t want to put me in a position that would jeopardize my moral compass. But right now, whatever exchange Ace and Laney just had has my leg bouncing. I’m more annoyed than I should be.

“Is there going to be a carnival too, Dad?” Lark asks Lincoln, waiting for another pancake from the griddle.

“What about animals?”

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