“Fine,” was all Beau said.
“We’re clear then?”
“Crystal.”
Why did that one word stab her in the center of her chest?Why did it make breathing hurt?
Beau figuredIvy’s reaction was probably for the best.It stung.Of course, it did.His ego had taken a hit.More like a sucker punch.The last thing he needed was more complications in his life.Ivy had the word “complicated” practically stamped on her forehead.She was smart.She was beautiful, with that raven hair and those violet eyes that were a million miles deep.They were like looking into pools, the depths of which were completely unknown.She was intense and focused.
All the traits he would normally want in a partner.
His body’s reaction to her had caught him off guard.No one had made his fingers crave to touch them in the way she did.Not one person had ever made his chest ache to be close to them in the way she did.And not one person had ever made him want to kiss her so deeply that she forgot her own name in the way she did.
He’d had enough change for one year.
Beau almost laughed out loud.He’d had enough change for one lifetime.Enough for all eternity.
His attraction to Ivy might be a force of its own, but he had one priority—find his mother.
The temptation to text Emma was strong.He wanted to figure out a way to prove she was still alive.The message could have been sent moments before someone had realized she’d still had a phone.Or, she might have been forced to send him a cryptic message that only he would understand.They’d watched the movie,There Will Be Blood,over and over again, the summer they hadn’t been able to finagle the finances to make a trip to the campground.
“You know that I can’t stay here and rest while our family could be moments away from dying, right?”he asked, forcing his thoughts back to the bigger problem.
“I do,” she said as Kade entered the kitchen from the back door.
“Hey,” he said as he made a beeline to the coffee machine.His gaze bounced from Ivy to Beau and back; his expression giving away nothing.
“Morning,” Beau said to him.
Kade grabbed a cup of coffee and then joined them at the table.“I’m Kade,” he said to Ivy, his eyes wide with surprise to see her there.“Beau’s brother.”
Those words punched Beau, causing a knot to form in his throat.He gave a quick nod of acknowledgment to Kade before taking a sip of coffee.Words escaped him, and the impact of the sentiment caught him off guard.Kade wouldn’t say those words lightly.He wasn’t a casual person, so it meant the world to Beau that the words came out of Kade’s mouth so naturally.
“Ivy,” she said before accepting a handshake.“It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” Kade said before biting back a yawn.He took a sip of hot brew and then turned his full attention to Beau, who gave him a quick rundown of everything that had happened.“What are we doing today to get your mom back?”
“We?”Beau wasn’t trying to point out the level of division between him and his brother.He was in shock and wanted to confirm that he’d heard correctly.
“That’s right,” Kade said, like it was the most natural thing.“You didn’t think this family support thing was a one-way road, did you?You’ve done nothing but pitch in since you showed up.”A grin hinted at the corners of his mouth.“Well, maybe not the exact moment, but you know what I mean.”
Beau chuckled.Movement hurt.He must’ve gasped because Ivy’s hand immediately moved to his forearm in the kind of touch that promised reassurance, comfort, and a hint of something a helluva lot sexier.The electrical current running between them crackled in his ears.However, as much as he might want to acknowledge the surge, it wouldn’t lead to anything good.She’d been clear.They were being forced to be together and, even though he could swear she was on the same wavelength, nothing could happen between them.
Her body language might lead him to believe otherwise, but he didn’t go where he wasn’t invited.Period.End of story.
“So, what’s the plan?”Kade asked, breaking into Beau’s thoughts.
“We have a location where we believe both of our parents are being held.”He repositioned the laptop so Kade could see the screen.
Kade’s face twisted like he’d just bitten down on a sour blueberry.“You can’t leave.”His gaze dropped to Beau’s shoulder.
Technically, Beau didn’t say he was leaving.He guessed his desire was that obvious.“We have to—”
“No,youdon’t.”Kade shook his head as he cut in.“That’s what we’re here for.”
“I can’t let any of you put yourself at risk.This could be a trap.There’s no proof that my mother or her father is being held there.If you walk in with guns blazing, someone is probably going to get hurt.I can’t allow that.”
“Have you thought about drone surveillance?”Kade asked, staring at the rim of his coffee mug.
