What was it about Gus that made her stomach turn over?
Gus’s eyes stayed locked onto Faith even as he said something to Benjamin. Then he lifted his chin in greeting before he and his pal crossed the street.
She let out a breath, instantly relaxing as the men moved away.
“You know that guy?” Ford asked as they slowly caught up to Benjamin.
She had to clear her throat for it to work. “He lives at Lawson House.”
“He’s been working at the estate.”
“Yes.” She kept her gaze trained on the young boy and her dog.
“Weird. I don’t even know his last name.” Ford winked. “But then I don’t know yours either.”
She laughed and then made a joke. She was the queen of deflecting, but what else could she do? Lie? Tell the truth? Ignore? She wasn’t ready to share her past.
Everyone had secrets, and she was going to hold on to hers as long as she could.
Chapter Seven
“Who’s that?” Gus’s best friend and business partner, Walker Steele looked at him curiously. “I don’t mean the guy. I’d know him anywhere. He’s prettier than you are, partly because your nose is a crooked from when I broke it during hell week training but I see the resemblance.”
Gus ignored Walker’s jab. The guy knew almost as much about the Boone family as he did. He was a specialist in recon, after all.
“Her name is Faith, and she lives across the hall from me.”
“That’s interesting. When do I get to meet her?”
“Why do you want to meet her?”
“Something wrong with your eyeballs? She’s cute as hell.”
Gus gave him a look and, aware that some folks nearby were a little too interested in him and Walker, crossed the street.
“Not gonna happen.”
Walker caught up. “Now you’re hurting my feelings.”
“The last woman I set you up with yelled at me through the door of my home for nearly an hour straight.”
“Brandi?” Walker made a face. “What do you expect? She was talking about babies and retirement savings the day after we slept together.”
“You sent her a three-word text message.”
Walker gave a shrug. “Technically four.”
He glared at his friend.
“What?” Walker flashed a grin and held up four fingers. “I’m a details guy.Not going to work, is four words. Besides nice doesn’t always do the trick. You know that. Sometimes you gotta rip off that band aid in one shot. She was planning our entire future ten minutes after we got naked. You would have done the same.”
Walker had him there.
The light was red, and Gus waited impatiently for it to change.
“Come on. Help a buddy out.”
“Not gonna happen,” Gus retorted. Walker was a player — no way was he getting near Faith. He didn’t know her well, but he knew his buddy. The guy went through women like chocolate. And he fucking loved chocolate. He didn’t know Faith all that well, but she didn’t strike him as the kind of woman who went for casual. He was looking out for her, the same as he’d so for his sister or any other woman in Walker’s orbit.
