“No,” he replied with a grin. “We don’t want that.” With one more kiss, he was out the door and, five minutes later, cruising out of town toward the lake. Red and pink painted a picture of the early evening sky, and with his window down and fresh air on his face, he felt like he was in a good place. Maybe the place to make that next move, something he’d been contemplating for the last few days.
He wanted Poppy one hundred percent of the time, in his home, in his bed. He smiled at the thought, though it slowly faded as he took a right onto Main Street. Because as much as his life was good, better than ever, actually, he couldn’t shake the feeling it was out of sync. Like he was two steps behind and he’d never get it right.
It made him wonder. Was he like his mother? Would he screw this up without realizing he was to blame because he didn’t think he deserved better? It was a hard truth that he’d never had a functioning adult relationship in his life. When he was barely an adult way back when, that summer with Poppy had been about the closest he’d come. And he’d managed to screw it up because he’d let his father rule his emotions. Even though Boone had been the one to leave town after that big fuck-you to the old man, it was his dad who’d controlled all of it. He’s set everything in play, and Boone had reacted.
Boone shook the gloom from his mind and decided to enjoy the night with his friends and the woman who’d fallen back into his life like a gift from God. He knew they needed to talk about things, and he planned on laying them out first thing tomorrow.
By the time Boone reached River Road, he was feeling damn good. That was until he pulled into his driveway, his intention to grab a quick shower and head over to Nathan’s. There was a sliver Mercedes SUV in the driveway with personal plates, parked in his spot.
GUD2BME
Good to be me. Great.
Boone cut the engine and slid from his truck just as two long, slender legs exited the vehicle, followed by a lot of skin and a sky-blue dress that barely covered her butt or the perky breasts he’d paid for.
“Hey, sugar.” Lips that shone from deep-red gloss parted in a smile, though she didn’t remove the large shades that covered her eyes. Probably because she knew they looked good on her.
“I guess I missed the memo,” he muttered.
Seemed that his ex was in town.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Poppy was about to head inside and check her phone for what seemed like the thirtieth time, when she heard Boone’s voice. It slid over her skin like warm water, and she shivered as the tight spring inside her relaxed a bit and she could breathe. She’d been anxious since she and Link had arrived at Molly and Nate’s. Anxious for a lot of reasons, but it was the nameless ones that were giving her the most trouble.
She turned and looked over the railing with a smile, which faltered when she caught sight of the blonde woman at his side, smiling up at him as if he were a yummy treat she was going to enjoy later. She was tall, with silky hair and runway-model legs that went on for miles. Her dress wasn’t exactly appropriate for a backyard party, but then, with a body like that, why not?
Poppy knew who she was, of course she did, and she pasted that smile she’d lost back in place as she made her way down the deck stairs to the patio below.
“Who is that?” Molly asked as she stepped onto the patio. Amber said something to Cam and the boys and laughed, grabbing hold of Boone as she did so. They didn’t look separated. That green-headed snake called jealousy flushed Poppy’s cheeks a dark red.
Shit. She took a step back. She needed to get it together before she went over there. Or maybe she should let Boone come to her?
“Poppy?”
“Oh.” She looked at Molly, and it took everything in her not to make a face. “Boone’s ex.”
“I hate her already.”
“You don’t know her.”
“I don’t have to. She’s had a child, and her hips are smaller than mine were in middle school.”
“What’s that about your hips?” Nate grabbed his wife from behind and planted a big kiss on the side of her neck. His hands slid down to her waist. “I like your hips just fine, woman.”
Molly slapped him away with a laugh. “That’s good to know, because I have a lot more of them than she does.”
Nate winked at Poppy. “Who’re we talking about?”
“Boone’s ex.”
“Amber’s here?” He yanked his head up.
“You know her?” Molly asked, taking a step back from her husband.
“I’m a sports agent, Moll, I’ve met her several times.” He looked over the top of Molly’s head, eyes narrowed. “This isn’t her scene. I’m surprised she’s here.” He frowned. “Actually, why is she here?”
“That’s a good question,” Poppy replied, moving past the couple. “I think I’m going to find out.”
She walked toward Boone and Amber, who were now surrounded by at least five men, all of them single, because the married ones knew better.
“Hey,” Boone said when he spotted Poppy, that half grin she called hers in place as he slowly extricated himself from Amber and the boys to meet her. He immediately scooped her into his embrace and planted a kiss on the side of her cheek. “You look amazing.”
“So do you,” she replied as he let her go.
A heartbeat passed. Maybe two. Something shifted or didn’t feel right, and Poppy bit her lip nervously.
“Sorry I’m late. I got caught up at Mom’s, and then, well…” He glanced back toward Amber, and Poppy followed his gaze.
“Why is she here?” Poppy asked, hoping she didn’t sound desperate or childish or, more to the point, jealous. And right now? She was rocking red-hot jealousy big-time. And she had no right to. Boone had never given her any reason to feel this way.
“Hell if I know.” Boone ran his hand across the back of his neck. “She gave me some bullshit story about promising to take Benji back-to-school shopping.” He raised an eyebrow. “That’s never happened in the past, and I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
“She’s up to something, then.”
“Yeah.” Boone turned back to her. “My guess is that she’s found out about you, and she’s come all this way to check you out because Amber has never been the kind of woman who likes to share. Even when it’s something she doesn’t want.”
“Maybe she wants you back.” Poppy watched him closely. When he didn’t shoot down that idea, those nerves hopping around inside her began to vibrate.
“Doesn’t matter what she wants,” Boone replied, lifting her chin so she had to look up at him. “You get that, right?”
Poppy nodded, because she didn’t trust herself to answer.
“Don’t worry about Amber.”
“But why is she here?” she managed to ask through all the sawdust in her mouth. “With you?”
Boone leaned close. “She’s a drama queen. She’s difficult, and it was easier to bring her with me than stand in my driveway and argue about it.”
“She’s staying at your home?” The words slipped out, and she would have grabbed them back if she could have.