Gus watched him jog up the stairs and, with a sigh, knocked on Liam’s door. He supposed it couldn’t hurt to play nice one night out of the week. It took a bit, but eventually, the elderly gentleman opened up and seemed pleased to be invited for a backyard barbecue. It almost made Gus feel bad for not wanting company —almostbeing the keyword.
“I’ve got some of them good pickles that my daughter-in-law done up for me. I can bring those.”
“Sounds good.” Gus stepped back. “See you in a bit.”
He took two steps past Candy’s door and then stopped and knocked. He was going to make Walker pay. His landlady offered half of an apple pie she’d bought from the market the week before. “Just as good as homemade,” she said, huffing a bit as she stood at her door. Three cats whined behind her, obviously in need of food or water or attention. His nose told him she should maybe work on their litter boxes.
“I’m sure it will be fine.” She meant well, but he made a mental note not to touch the pie.
He knew Sage was away for the weekend, and that left Faith. Before he could stop himself, he climbed the stairs and knockedon her door, but there was no answer — more importantly, there was no barking. It meant she wasn’t home.
Huh. Was she still with Ford?
He scowled and backed away from her door. The comings and goings of Faith weren’t his business.
He crossed the hall to his place, and by the time he had his steaks ready to go, Walker had the potatoes prepped with onions and seasonings and wrapped in tinfoil. He followed his buddy downstairs, swearing under his breath while lugging a cooler of sodas and beer with his left hand and balancing a platter of steaks with his right.
Just as he parked the cooler on the deck, he heard her. Gus set down his tray and spied Faith with Candy. The elderly woman seemed to have her cornered by the honeysuckle.
“You want me to save her?” Walker asked.
“I got this.”
Gus crossed the yard. “Hey,” he said, walking up to them both. Taco got to his feet, his tail going a mile a minute, when he spied Gus.
“I was just telling Faith about my pie.” The older woman winced.
“That knee bothering you again, Candy?” he asked. When she nodded, he reached out his arm. “Come on. Let me get you settled while Faith takes your pie and . . .”
“I’ll put it on the counter in the back room.”
Her eyes shone, her skin glowed, and her hair was down, the waves wild from the humidity. A strand stuck to her neck, right where her pulse was located. He blinked it away, feeling like an idiot. What was it about this woman? He’d been with a lot of beautiful women. It wasn’t something new.
“Gus?” she asked, a small frown marring her forehead.
He cleared his throat. “That’d be great.” A pause. “We’ve got steak and potatoes if you haven’t eaten yet.”
“Oh,” she replied with a small smile. “Can I bring something? Do you have a salad prepared?”
“This was a last-minute kind of thing, and we didn’t think our menu through, so no.”
Her gaze moved past him. “You have a friend.”
“You seem surprised.”
A small smile lit up her face. “I guess I am.”
Was that the honeysuckle that smelled so damn good, or was it—
“I can whip up a salad. It won’t be fancy or anything, but at least we can say we’ve had some greens.”
“Sounds good.” More pleased than he should be that Faith would be joining them, he helped Candy over to her chair, and while his landlord kept Liam occupied with enough conversation to make a man go blind, Gus got the potatoes on the barbecue, and Walker offered him a cold beer.
“I introduced myself to your girlfriend.” Walker grinned and took another drink.
“Is now the time I should tell you to go fuck yourself?”
“She smells as good as she looks.”
