Chapter 27

The sweatfrom the water I'm chugging feels just as good on my hands as it does going down my throat. I nod at Marcus, who pats my back as I walk down the side of the stage. I smile at a few people who say, "That was wonderful," and, "You and Griz on stage like that brings back old memories." Griz has always been a bit of a show-off. So when he taught his only willing grandson how to play the harmonica, you bet I'd end up on stage with him at whatever fair was happening in the county. It makes him happy, so I do it. Otherwise, I could go without every set of eyes in our entire town staring at me. Except for one. The second I looked, I found her eyes on mine. And fuck, I couldn't look away. No, that set of eyes made me want to give my best performance.

I couldn't look at her earlier. I've been so caught up in my head about forgetting Fiona's birthday and the promises I made to Del that I didn't know how she fits in. Losing Fiona and all that guilt for not being there, not catching who had done that to her myself, I've been stewing in it for years. It's been easier just to shut everyone out. Until her.

When she called me cowboy today, I couldn't figure out how to tell her that I'm trying to figure out what the fuck I'm doing. That I'm still punishing myself for something she knows nothing about and she's unfairly getting the repercussions from it. I don't know her whole story, but I know she's been through enough.

Watching her laugh with Hadley shakes me. Fuck, that woman laughs with her whole body. She doesn't half-ass anything. And here I am, fucked up over the fact that as much as I want her, I don't know how to have her. How do I keep a promise to remember someone and still move on? And in my gut, I'm scared I won't be able to keep Laney safe, especially from the way that death seems to linger near me.

I drag my palm along the nape of my neck, but it's an actual slap on the back that knocks me out of my head. Lincoln slides a beer in front of me. "You look like you're thinking about someone a little too hard over here, brother."

I smirk, because he's not wrong. And it wouldn't be worth denying it. He can be a dick, but he knows exactly who I'm looking at. He just wants me to fess up.

"Nice set up there with Griz. I didn't realize you still had it in you to play in front of a crowd. The girls are going to be so mad they missed it."

I hum in response as I watch Laney. She's swaying her hips against Hadley, and I'm not going to lie, it's so damn hot. Around the edges of the dance floor, between picnic tables and high-tops, there are plenty of people watching the both of them.

Lincoln follows my line of sight and then hollers, "Yeah, Hads!" He laughs. "Jesus, they look too fucking good." He glances around the green. "There better not be any kids still up watching this."

I lean on the high-top table, taking in the crowd, rowdy and peppered with plenty of faces I know. The band switches to a cover band, and with it, the dance floor transitions from old-timers and couples to twenty-somethings and college kids home for the summer.

Laney Young is beautiful, and not just the natural kind of beauty either. I've seen her bare faced in the morning and with nothing more than a t-shirt on, and I felt that beauty all over my body. But then she amplifies all of it when she fixes herself up in ways I don't know the first thing about. And it's so fucking sexy. Her dark lashes look longer and the make-up she has around her eyes makes the blue seem bolder. She's put together and damn near perfect. And while this version of her has everyone's attention, I'm craving the one who talks to me without a filter. The one who drank too much bourbon and stared too long at my mouth. The one who listened to me come from the other side of my screen door, and then had the confidence to tease about it. Hell, I'm sporting a semi-hard dick just thinking about her screaming lyrics at the top of her lungs in my backyard, butt naked in a horse trough, giving zero fucks while eating an overzealous amount of candy.

I fixate on the way her strawberry-tinted hair moves behind her as she rolls her hips. I want to keep it in place, loop it around my fist, and tug on it just enough to see if she'll give up some of that controlled exterior. The way she perfectly paints her lips that shade of red makes me want to see it smeared onto her chin. I want to messy her up and then lick her clean.

I let my eyes rove down her legs. The black cowboy boots are a nice touch. I must be a complete narcissist or slightly more obsessed than I'll admit, hoping that she wore them just for me. I am her cowboy, after all.

A few whistles come from the other side of the dance floor. And it gets a bit more crowded and a lot rowdier as the band hits the chorus of AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night Long."

"You know I forgot you played that harmonica," Del says as he leans next to me.

"Del, how you been, man?" Lincoln says as he shakes his hand.

"No complaints. How are those girls of yours?"

"Growing like weeds. It's starting to amplify how old I am. But they're incredible." My brother is nothing if not animated when he talks about how much Lark and Lily run his universe. "Del, can I grab you a refill?"

He holds up his hand. "I'm good."

"You want another piss beer, or do you want me to convince Hugo to give a sample of his watermelon moonshine?" Lincoln says to me as he wiggles his eyebrows.

"I'll take the piss."

"Lame," he says, walking toward Hugo's table.

A few beats pass before Del says, "You were right."

"About which part?"

"Your girl is a nobody." I bristle at how he says, "my girl." It makes me feel disloyal somehow, like I should have told him what was going on by now. I'm fucking up here, left and right. "It's not that she's been living a quiet life somewhere. I mean, she has no digital footprint. There was no Laney, Elaine, or Eleanor Young born in Colorado in the last fifty years. Your girl right there"—he nods toward the mass of bodies moving with the bass and drums—"is lying about either who she is or where she's from."

It wasn't hard to put those pieces together. What I'm anxious about is what's still chasing her.

"Aside from that poker game, she doesn't seem like much of a criminal."

He snorts a laugh. "WITSEC?" he asks. I didn't mention the U.S. Marshall to him, but he was a cop for long enough. He knew that not finding information could mean something too. "If that's the case, then you're not going to get any answers digging around unless you get them from her."

I already knew that. "What about a tie to New York?"

"I don't know, Grant. There's something going on with my contacts up there. Everyone is up in arms about some high-profile shit going on. Nobody wanted to say too much. There wasn't anything being said about a missing person, perp, or an asset that meets Laney's description."

That doesn't add up. If she was in the system and tied to Bea, Del would have found it. Fiasco is for tourists and townies—but she was neither. So why here? There were thousands of other places she could have been placed. I pat Del on the back. "Appreciate you looking for me."

"Anytime. You know that." He clears his throat. "Are you asking because she's gotten close with your family, or is there another reason?"

"Can I be honest and tell you I don't know how I want to answer that right now?" I'm not ready to have this conversation. Hell, I need to have one with Laney before I share anything more with Del.

He drums his knuckles against the tabletop. "Alright. I'm here when you're ready, then. See you on Thursday?"

I give him a nod as he walks away. "Sounds good, Del." I was hoping that'd be the case. That he wouldn't end up resenting me for moving on. Suddenly, I feel like I can breathe easier.

When I turn back, Hadley's moving toward two guys who are asking her something in the middle of the dance floor. And as soon as they start grinding up on each other, it leaves Laney swaying by herself just as the song shifts to something slower. A deeper drum beat and meandering piano riff have her smiling uncomfortably as she looks around.

I lean on the table, taking a sip of my lukewarm beer.

Lincoln comes back next to me and mimics my move.

Both of us watch Laney as she sways by herself, paired-off couples filling in around her.

"I'm about to go out there and dance with that beautiful woman..."

The fuck he is.I glare at my brother before I look back at the dance floor. I'm at war with myself between what I want and if I can accept the fact that I'm allowed to want it.

"After I decked Waz the other night, I wandered into Hooch's." I side-glance at him. "I forgot it was Fi's birthday." Taking a breath, I crack my knuckles. "I felt like a piece of shit for not remembering."

"Jesus, Grant." He drags his hand through his hair. "You think remembering someone means you have to stop living. I don't know when you decided that was the rule. I'll tell you right now, if Fiona or Olivia were standing here and heard that you paused your life after they lost theirs, they'd fucking slap you."

I bark a laugh. He's right, they would.

"You don't have to choose. You loved someone. But you're still here. You can do whatever you want, you're a big boy now." He looks from my face to my feet. "You bulked up, that's for sure."

"Go fuck yourself," I laugh out.

"I'm fucked up in my own way, but Laney got to you. You're different since she's been here. And not in a bad way. In a way where I'm starting to remember why I like my baby brother again."

I take a pull of my beer, shaking my head. "Whatever she's hiding and lying about, Linc, it's going to make a mess. I can feel it."

He exhales and stares at me. "All of us are lying about something, Grant. We do it to get through the cards we've been dealt. And you've been cleaning up after Ace and me for years now. Since when are you scared about a little mess?"

"Feels like it's been you guys looking out for me, not the other way around."

He takes a sip of his small glass of clear liquid that I'm guessing is moonshine. "That's not the Grant I know. The one I know listens and lets the rest of us look good. He's the guy who knew that coming back home was what we needed." He clears his throat. "It was what I needed in order to stop unraveling and start healing. You've always been the best of us, Grant. And the best of us would go for it." He looks up and out over the river, and on an exhale says, "Life's too unpredictable to worry how tidy it should be." He nudges my arm with his elbow. "Get messy."

It sounds simple. Go for it. Live and enjoy. Pick up the pieces if they fall, but I'm already fucking scared out of my mind I'm just going to lose her.

He tosses back what's left of his drink and claps his hands. "And life is too short to watch."

I know what he's going to say. The same way I know he's about to make a move on a woman who has completely taken over my thoughts, and I can't let that happen. I drain the rest of my beer.

"So I'm going to take my shot?—"

"Dibs," I cut him off, and I don't look back. He knew that was all the push I needed. There was no way I was going to watch him dance with her.

I've made up my mind. I choose messy.

When I get a few feet from the dance floor, I find her. Her eyes are focused down just as she's about to hit the edge where the wood of the floor meets the grass. But she never makes it there, because I slide my hand into hers and hold on tight as I keep walking. The momentum turns her to follow me back to the center of the dance floor. Stopping in a small space where there's room between couples swaying, I turn around to face her and pull her hand closer to guide her body into my arms. Right where you belong, honey.

Her eyes search mine, asking what I'm doing or where I might have come from. I grip her hand tighter and close any gaps left between us. Tilting her head back, she stands on her tiptoes as we sway in time with the band. "You disappeared on me," she says, calling me out exactly as she should.

"I know."

"Why?" Her brow furrows.

"You scare me, woman." She sucks in a breath, and I look down at her, only inches away. "Since the moment you showed up, I've felt like I couldn"t catch my breath. I've forgotten about the promises I made. To myself. To other people. It's shaken up every damn thing I've tried to keep settled." My lips linger near the shell of her ear. I don't want anyone hearing this. "I know you're lying about who you are."

She tries to pull away, but I hold her tighter. The arm I have wrapped around her lower back flexes as I try to keep her front molded to mine. I can barely hear the music anymore or see the couples around us moving to their own rhythm. I only see her. Feel her.

"If you think I owe you something, then you're wrong. I'm not in the business of owing a man anything he hasn't earned. Not anymore." She grits her teeth. "Let go."

I jerk her back toward me. But she doesn't melt for it. She pulls away until I lean my head closer to hers so she can hear what I'm about to say.

"Shut up and let me finish." And while it comes out gruffer than I intended, it stops her and those blue eyes whip up to mine. "But I don't care. Lie if you need to. If it keeps you safe, then lie to everyone. But not to me, honey." It feels so good to be this close to her, my lips skim the side of her head as I breathe her in.

"Don't call me honey." Any attitude falls flat with her softening expression.

"Why, my little liar? Does it make your pussy tingle?" I growl out, low and quiet, into her ear.

With a shaky exhale against me, her body becomes less tense. "Jesus, you're giving me whiplash, cowboy."

She's staring right at my lips, and the second she looks back up at me, I won't be able to hold back. In front of the entire goddamn town, I'm going to kiss her. Plenty of eyes are on us, people I'd rather keep from witnessing the way I desire this woman.

"There are things I've told you that nobody else knows. You may not know everything, but—" She cuts off her words as I hold her tighter.

"I know your real name isn't Laney Young. I know you're not from Colorado and I know you're hiding something. Just like I know that you're all I'm able to think about," I say as I lean down and brush my lips across her bare shoulder. Lifting my head, I look around the dance floor before I focus on her again. In time with the music, I pull her arm up and let her spin. "Everyone can see it," I say when she comes back into my embrace. I rest my lips against her forehead. "This pull I feel when you're near me...I don't give a shit who you were, Laney. The only thing that matters is the woman dancing with me right now."

Instead of resisting any part of my hold, she leans closer, and melts into my arms. Her fingers skim along the back of my neck. Even that small touch makes me feel grounded. Heard. Seen...

The sounds around us come back into focus as she pulls back to look at me. I find the blues and flecks of brown in her eyes reflecting the yellow bulbs that hang above us. This moment with her hits me right in the chest. A warmth that seeps down to the tips of my fingers. "And what is it that you want from the woman dancing with you?"

There's that fire. I run my hands down her arms as unexpected nerves thrum through my veins. "You're not what I thought. Not even close." I shake my head, trying to get this out. "Mix that with—" I stop myself. I wasn't planning to be this honest.

"With what?"

Fuck it. "I want you so fucking bad that I can"t think of anything else." My hand trails up her hip and toward her waist with the slightest squeeze. "You're all I think about. The things you say, how you look at me. This mouth. These lips. Do you know how many times I've pictured them wrapped around my cock? How I need to know if I picked the right nickname for you."

She hums as she tilts her head closer to my mouth.

I can't stop the smirk it pulls from me, knowing that she wants to hear more. I ghost my lips against her cheek. "Tell me, Laney, do you taste like honey, or is it something even sweeter? Either way, I'm going to savor every fucking drop of the mess you make for me."

I feel her shiver as an audible exhale escapes her mouth, "Grant ..."

As she says my name in that breathy, pleading tone, I can't move fast enough. I grab her hand, and without making more of a scene than I just did by dancing with the new girl in town, I rush us off the dance floor. The retired cop, part-time recluse, and least likely Foxx brother to show any type of interest in anything, let alone anyone. I'm not going to pretend like I'm not taking her somewhere right now, away from prying eyes so I can kiss her exactly how I want.

I hold on to her hand, pulling her behind me as we walk down the main drag of the green. We weave between picnic tables and hustle toward the craft tents that are closed up for the night. "Do you need another piggyback ride?" I say over my shoulder.

She laughs out, "My feet are killin' me in these boots."

I stop abruptly, forcing her to run right into my back. Turning so she's practically in my arms, I look back at where we just were and decide that's far enough. I don't see anyone looking our way, so I wrap my arm around her waist and lift her up, just high enough that her feet dangle above the grass. She lets out a little yelp, and in about five strides, we're hidden between the dark shadow cast between two craft tents.

I set her down just a few inches so her boots hit the ground, making sure her eyes are on mine before I say, "No more lies, baby."

Her chest heaves against mine as she breathily replies, "Starting now."

So I show her my truth, the only one I want to think about with her in my arms and looking at me like I'm something special. I settle in closer, nuzzling her nose with mine, before I delve into those pouty lips. The air rushes from my lungs in a sigh of relief that she matches. She brushes her mouth along my upper lip, and I can't keep from dragging my teeth along hers. It's slow and so fucking sexy, the way she digs her fingers into my hair and lets out the lowest moan. Like we know what the other wants, our tongues caress as they explore and tease. It's the kind of kiss that you don't forget.

But it's the popping off of fireworks in the distance that breaks through our haze. Shit. It's the next county over, but that means they"re going to start here soon too. I break away from the kiss, hating every inch of space I create. "Fireworks are going to start going off in about twenty minutes. And Julep is going to freak out if I don't get her set for the noise that's coming."

"I'm coming with you," she says as she leans back in, kissing me once more and topping it with a smile. It's damn near impossible not to smile back at that, and this stolen moment with her.

I turn us back to where we just came from, out of the darkness, and back to the crowd. We move toward the last rows of the picnic tables, where Hadley and Ace are elbow deep in some kind of staring contest. I lean into Laney. "Think you can talk Hadley into bringing you home? If you come with me right now, that's all anyone is going to talk about this summer."

Smiling, her eyes dart around the area. I'll hand it to most of the busybodies in Fiasco, they're not too obvious about watching or eavesdropping. It"s the fact that not a single person is looking over here that has me certain they're ready to start talking as soon as we leave. And while I couldn't really give a shit, I don't think Laney wants or needs that kind of attention. "Am I going home or coming?—?"

Too easy.I smirk at the question, not letting her finish. "You're coming at least once on my tongue. And twice on my cock, if I'm lucky."

She bites her lower lip to keep her smile from completely taking over her face.

I brush my hand over her hip and grip it once before I move a bit closer to Ace. "Hey, man, I gotta run before the fireworks start."

His eyes dart up to mine. "Yeah, fine."

The curt tone isn't anything new for him, but he looks more pissed off than usual. Hadley smiles at me, finally taking her attention off my brother. "Laney, can we pretty, pretty please find some fried dough?"

I turn toward where I've parked, along the side of the Fiasco green, doing my best not to smile like an eager kid when I hear Laney ask for that ride.