Yeah, they're crazy, brash, loud and over the top, but it's not all there is to them. They're kind, funny and caring. They opened their lives to accommodate me, look after me, and now in such a short time, accepted me as a friend. I'm more than lucky to have them in my life, especially when I still have no idea if Heidi is in hiding or if Chad has done something to her.

"So what was the bet, then?" I ask, wanting to know the odds.

"Well, I bet you had already f.u.c.ked each other's brains out." Holly shrugs, before taking a sip of her drink. "You could have taken one for the team, babe." She winks and I laugh.

"I bet you hadn't done anything," Kadence adds, not at all worried she lost out.

"And I bet you made it to second base." Bell blushes a little and I want to say sorry I couldn't take it further for her.

"And I, of course, won the bet," Kelly says, counting her money.

"Huh." I look at each of them, still not sure what to say.

"You're not mad, are you?" Kadence asks, looking a little guilty.

"No, I'm just trying to figure out how I can get in on these bets." I smile, setting her at ease. I'm not mad; I knew there were whispers about us. Who wouldn't talk?

"Well, we have a pool for when Bell announces she's getting married." Holly offers.

"What? You do?" Bell shouts, not clued in on the bet.

"Yeah, I lost out already." Holly clearly has high hopes for everyone getting it on and getting married.

"Okay, well, can I be in on that one?" I ask, trying to figure out when she and Jesse would want to settle down. I know they just started living together, but I might have an advantage here.

"Yeah, the pool is at two hundred." Kelly smiles, ignoring Bell's shock.

"Okay, I bet $50 they're engaged by Thanksgiving." My mind goes back to the morning Jesse taught me or should I say tried to teach me how to make an omelet and I remember Jackson telling Jesse he needed to put a ring on Bell's finger. He said soon and dropped the subject just as quick.

"Done. Locked in."

I turn to look at Bell and watch a knowing smile spread across her face.

"What?" I question, wonder what she's hiding.

"Nothing." She shrugs but I caught it. She's keeping something. I just hope it doesn't happen until Thanksgiving.

I could do with $200.

"Ugggh." I wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon. Normally, this combination would have me rolling out of bed eager to start my day. But after the six c.o.c.ktails I consumed last night, my head and my stomach are telling me otherwise.

"You awake?" The deep voice of Beau echoes around my head, causing me to flinch in pain.

"Don't yell so loud." I pull my pillow over my face and try to block out the daylight.

"Come on. Up you get, you've slept the whole day away." I peek out the side of the pillow and check the time.

Just after twelve.

Holy c.r.a.p, he's right. I've slept half the day away.

"I want to die." I groan, my stomach rolling in protest.

"I made you something to eat. You'll feel better with something in your stomach."

"Can't move. Dying. Send for help." I ignore his chuckle and force my eyes closed. Maybe if I sleep some more, I'll wake up not feeling like death.

"I am the help." The blanket is ripped off me and I'm thankful I'm still wearing the clothes I wore last night and not my scandalous nightgown.

"Beau," I complain, but before I can say anymore, Beau has me up and out of bed in his arms.

At first I freeze, but then I realize nothing is going to change, so I push hope out of my head and relax.

We're just friends.

"If I puke on you, it's your own fault." I bury my head into his chest, still not ready to face the day. His shirt smells like pine and a hint of lacquer.

"If you puke on me, darlin', you're getting in the shower to clean me up," he replies and my stomach does that dip thingy that happens just as you free fall on a roller coaster. "s.h.i.t, sorry," he quickly adds, realizing his slip.

Ugggh, this is why it's hard to move on when he oversteps the friend line.

"Why do you smell like pine?" I change the subject, not because I don't want to shower with Beau, because I do. But talking about it anymore than I have to will only make things worse.

"Why do you smell like vanilla one day and strawberry the next?" he counters my question with his own.

"'Cause I use two different body washes," I answer as he places me on the kitchen counter.

"Why do you have two different body washes?" He hands me a mug of black coffee, just how I like it, and refills his own.

"I like to keep it fresh. Spice things up." He lets out a low chuckle at my answer but doesn't comment any further.

"So why do you smell like pine?" I ask again, wanting to know why he really smells like he took a bath in lacquer.

"I re-varnished the porch swing." He steps up to the stove and begins to fill up a plate with eggs and bacon.

"You did?" I slide off the counter and walk out to the front porch. I throw open the door and walk out to the swing. The faded peeled wood has been sanded back and now shines with new varnish.

"Came out good." I turn back to see Beau standing at the door watching me.

"Yeah, it looks great. When will it be ready?"

"Tomorrow it should be good to go. I know how much you like sitting out here and reading."

"You did this for me?" I spin back, trying to gauge his reaction.

"No, been meaning to do it for a while. Had the time today." He turns and walks back inside like it's no big deal.

He so fixed it up for me.

I follow him inside and take my seat back on the counter. I don't push the swing, not wanting to make a big deal, but I can't help smile about it. It's a small gesture, but to me, it's huge.

"What time did you come in?" I watch him carefully as he hands me my plate. I don't bother moving to the table. My appet.i.te's coming back, so I dig in right away.

"You don't remember?" He takes my plate out of my hands and brings it to the table. I only pout for a second before following the food.

He's bossy even without words.

"No. I remember the girls leaving, Holly was last to go then I started to clean up. The rest is blank."

"I got in around midnight. You were pa.s.sed out on the sofa."

"I was?" I look up, trying to remember. s.h.i.t, yes. I sat down when the room started to spin. I must have fallen asleep.

"You snore when you're drunk," he teases between mouthfuls of food.

"I do not." I hide my face behind my coffee cup.

"You do. You even drooled a little." He wipes his mouth, showing me how much I dribbled. My eyes must convey my horror because he starts laughing.

"You're lying." I don't believe him. No way.

"I'm not lying, darlin'. You were snoring, drooling, and even mumbling in your sleep." My head hits the table, as his laughter grows louder.

"Stop, just stop." I look up and watch him enjoying himself way too much.

"Okay, so you don't want to know what you proposed when I managed to put you to bed?"

I don't answer, his laughter telling me it's just as bad, if not worse. Instead of stressing about what I might and might not have said, I finish my breakfast, top up my coffee then take my a.s.s to my favorite chair and decide to wallow for the rest of the day.

I'm never drinking again.

Sixteen.

Beau "So, how's Mackenzie settling in?" Holly asks a couple of weeks later at a Friday night club BBQ. Nix had called a club meet earlier to discuss some s.h.i.t with the Warriors and follow up on how Chad is still completely off the grid. Not one sighting. How the f.u.c.k it's even possible I have no idea and I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's starting to look like he's not going to make a move.

"She's okay," I answer and take another sip of my beer. I should probably be heading out, but tonight I'm finding it hard to go home. The last few weeks of having Kenzie in my home haven't been easy. Especially after the night I told her just what I wanted to do with her.

The first few days after that evening were quiet, both of us treading carefully, but just like everything else, time has healed things and now it's like we're back to normal.

An ordinary h.e.l.l that leaves me not wanting to go home most nights.

It's not that I don't want her there. f.u.c.k, far from it. She cooks dinner every night, keeps the place tidy, and last week even started on bringing back the garden I've managed to kill off.

The problem is more than all those issues. It's knowing she sleeps next door to me every night, a thin wall the only thing separating us. It's the showers every morning that force me to jack off to stop me from kicking the door down to join her. It's the f.u.c.king nightie she continues to walk around in every night. The same one I told her not to f.u.c.king wear. It's every single day knowing this woman, who wants me just as much as I want her, is so d.a.m.n perfect, I know I can't ruin her.

She's driving me crazy, but it doesn't stop me from going out of my way to find ways to talk to her, sit with her and even watch the stupid shows she likes to watch. I even went as far as fixing up the d.a.m.n porch swing for her.

I'm twisted up over p.u.s.s.y and I'm not even f.u.c.king her.

"I'm surprised she's not here," Kelly continues to question me, only making my p.i.s.sed-off mood darker.

"She worked earlier and decided to go home," I answer, still not sure why I'm annoyed she didn't want to hang back with us. I thought she would eventually get used to the club, the parties, and women, but it doesn't seem she wants to. Not yet anyway.

"How about you? Are you doing okay?" Holly asks.

"I'm fine, Holly." I let out a frustrated breath. It's not like I want to be an a.s.shole to her. I just don't want to f.u.c.king talk about Mackenzie when I'm wound so tight.

Maybe I need my d.i.c.k wet? f.u.c.k her out of my head.

"Hey, Beau." Lissy, Bell's friend, interrupts my thoughts and takes a seat next to me.

"Hey." I keep my eyes on my beer, the irony she just sat down not lost on me.

"Wanna get out of here?" She leans in closer so no one can hear. That's Lissy, straight to the point.

Like me.

I think it over for a bit. Maybe it would help? I haven't f.u.c.ked anyone since Mackenzie came back into my life, maybe it will help break this connection we can't seem to shake. It would be easy. Lissy and I spent a night together in Vegas a few months back. She knows what I like and clearly knows my tastes.

I look up and catch Holly watching. She looks away before I can tell her to f.u.c.k off.

"Nope, not tonight," I reply to Lissy, my eyes on Holly. Lissy doesn't say anything, not bothered by my rejection and again, I kick myself for knocking her back.

f.u.c.king h.e.l.l, what the f.u.c.k is wrong with me?

"I'm out for the night. See ya'll tomorrow." I stand and give a few head nods around the table before making my way around the clubhouse to my bike. I need out of here before I lose my cool.

"Beau, wait up," Lissy calls out as I make it around the front and mount my ride.

"Lissy, don't. You knew the f.u.c.king score back in Vegas. It was one time, not gonna happen again." My tone isn't nice, but she doesn't seem fazed.

"I know, of course. I just wanted to say sorry. I wasn't thinking. It's why I followed you around here." I look at her for a minute. She was a good f.u.c.k, into everything I put her through, but staring at her now, my head and my d.i.c.k know she's not what I want. Not what I f.u.c.king crave.