Page 15 of Finding Home
“So is Beau going to be moving in?” Ryder asks, and I swear I feel Everett stiffen beside me.
“That’s the plan. I’ll figure something out.”
“Well, let me know if you need anything,” he says before kissing my cheek and walking away.
The silence that lingers between Everett and me is tense, like anything could snap it.
“This Beau your boyfriend?” Everett finally asks, and I laugh. I laugh so loudly the other guys look our way before quickly turning back to what they were doing when Everett levels them with a look.
I shake my head. “No, Beau is not my boyfriend. He’s a friend.He just got back from his enlistment. His mother owns the café, and in turn my apartment. Beau’s going to be moving in, and I’m looking for something else.”
Everett stiffens. “They’re just kicking you out?” He sounds outraged and protective at the same time.
“I’ve known Beau was coming home for a while, Diane gave me the heads up. Worse comes to worse, I can stay at my parents’. Beau hasn’t been back to town since he left. Moving in with his parents would be too much. He needs to ease back into everything, so he needs his own place.”
“So, he’s not going to live with you?” he asks, sounding almost relieved.
I bite the corner of my lip and turn to face him. “Why, Everett? Would that make you jealous? Do you not like the thought of me living with another man?”
He keeps his barriers up, not showing anything on his face, but the tension in his body sends heat through me, because that tells me he does have negative feelings at the thought of me living with another man.
I chuckle. “Relax, Mr. Grump,” I say patting his peck. “I’m not living with Beau.”
I turn and call, “Ry, I’m heading out.”
He waves, and I head back out to my car.
NINE
EVERETT
After Chloe leaves, I make my way over to the guys, who are still gathered around the table with the tins of cookies.
“Thompson,” I call. He and the rest of the guys face me.
“Yeah, Chief?”
“You’re on rig washing duty.”
He opens his mouth slightly, looking stunned. “They were just washed before Labour Day weekend.”
I settle into my stance, feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed over my chest, not budging one bit. “I said they need to be washed again. You can ask for help, but you’re in charge of making sure they’re spotless.”
He clamps his mouth shut and stares at me. I know this isn’t going to earn me any good will here, but at the moment, I’m grappling with feelings I don’t even want to voice to myself, and he’s the cause of them. I see a cookie left in one of the tins and reach through the group of men, grab it, and walk to my office, making sure the door is closed behind me.
Settling in my chair, I take a bite of the cookie, and this time I don’t hold back my moan of pleasure, because this is one of the best fucking cookies I’ve ever had. I’m not a sweets person. I don’t seek them out, but when Chloe handed me that cookie, there was no way I was going to turn it down. I accepted it to appease her, but the second I took that first bite, I wanted more.
I don’t know how I was able to eat the damn thing with the knots my stomach was in after watching her laughing and dancing with Ryder fucking Thompson. I only know the man as much as what’s in his file, but seeing him that close to her and the way she looked utterly at ease ate at me. And I know I can’t get into a relationship with her. No way. I don’t have the time, and I don’t need another person in my life whoneedsme. I have enough shit to deal with. I don’t need some woman who’s going to want my time and energy right now.
The more I see her interact with other men in this town, the more pissed off I get. I know I have no fucking right to. I wonder what she’d say if I asked her for another night together. No strings, just getting it out of our systems.
I shake my head, because that’s a ridiculous thought.
I’m a grumpy bastard, only grunting responses at the men for the rest of my shift. When I show up at Grandma’s, the first thing she asks is, “What crawled up your ass and died?”
I shake my head, because of course not only did she know within seconds of seeing me that I’m in a foul mood, but she had to ask it like that.
“Nothing,” I grunt, and she rolls her eyes. “Lila ready?” I ask.
