“Is it Carter?” Beau says, his gaze trained on the door as the douchebag himself scans the room, his gaze eventually locking on mine before moving to Pen.
Sauntering over with a swagger he absolutely cannot pull off, I brace myself for the inevitable fight.
“I see she’s already passed you up for someone else, Lake,” Carter says with a sneer as he glares at Harlan.
“Can I beat him up now?” Beau murmurs quietly.
“No,” I tell him.
Not yet at least.
Reid snorts before leaning over and shoving his tongue in Harlan’s mouth. Carter gapes and Pen snickers.
“That’s Reid’s boyfriend,” she says sweetly, and it takes everything inside me not to shove this guy out the door so he can go back to where he came from. “Why are you even here?”
“Closing a business deal if youmustknow,” he declares haughtily.
“No, you’re not,” Wren snarks, her eyes glued to her phone as she types out a message before looking up at him. “He turned you down flat. Guess you’ll have to run home to your mommy and daddy empty-handed.”
“That isnotwhat happened.”
“Where’s Giselle?” Pen asks, and I see there’s only amusement in her expression as she waits for him to answer.
“Home, waiting for me like a woman should.”
Wren gasps as Beau leans toward me. “Now?”
“Not yet.”
“So, you thought you’d harass your ex-fiancée before hitting the road?” Pen says, getting up and moving around the table to sit on my lap.
Carter’s nostrils flare, the confirmation that she’d moved on from him withmethe obvious reason for this little detour.
“So it’s true,” he says with a snarl. “You gave up our life for this?” Carter waves his hand around. “No job, slumming it with this guy in some bullshit tourist town, and?—”
“Now?” Beau pleads and I nod. “Fucking finally. Time to go, asshole, and if you ever come into my town and insult my family again, I will?—”
The words are cut off as Beau pushes Carter through the restaurant and out into the street.
“Should someone help him?” Harlan asks, his gaze bouncing between us.
“Nah.” Jesse smirks. “He’s still got a lot of pent-up frustration at not getting to fight you. He’ll be fine.”
“You guys are ridiculous,” Reid mumbles as Harlan lifts one shoulder and lets it drop.
“I would have deserved it.”
Returning a minute later, Beau shakes out his hand before dropping back into his seat, a huge smile plastered on his face.
“You really beat him up?” Pen asks, a little startled.
“Nah, he swung first and so I got my shot in.” My brother shrugs. “My shot was better.”
“You’re the unsung hero, Beau,” Jesse says, the words heavy with sarcasm.
“I know. Someday I’ll meet a worthy adversary.” Grabbing his beer, he downs it before motioning for a refill and turning back to us. “Until then I’m stuck with you fuckers.”
“The horror.” My sister laughs and Beau shoots her a wink as I bury my face in Pen’s hair and breathe her in.
