Hard to Handle (Caine Cousins #2)(14)

Getting close to this girl wasn’t easy, but he hadn’t anticipated it would be. However, the fact that she’d let her guard down even a little was promising.

Baby steps.

“I need another beer,” Reagan murmured as she started toward one of the many coolers.

Lynx fell into step with her. “Thanks for the dance.”

“It was against my better judgment,” she countered, not looking at him.

Still, it made him laugh. He could tell she was admonishing herself for dancing with him. But the feel of her against him, the smell of jasmine from her shampoo would stick with him for a while. So, he couldn’t complain about her snippy attitude. She had given in with very little resistance, which was far more than he’d thought he’d get this soon.

Grabbing a beer and twisting off the top, Lynx passed it over to her. He watched as those walls fell back into place, and the Reagan who turned toward him was the acquaintance he’d had all these years. He couldn’t call what they had a friendship because neither of them had tried hard at it. That was all thanks to the douchebag she’d been dating for so long. At least on Lynx’s part.

But now…

“How’s your dad?” Reagan asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Good.”

“Really?” She looked sincerely curious.

“He is. Still home, still workin’ in that garden of his.”

“I need to stop by there sometime,” she said, her gaze drifting past him.

“He’d like that.”

She nodded, lifting the bottle to her lips.

“How’s your mom?” he asked, keeping the conversation at her comfort level.

“Same. Always workin’.”

“She still doin’ accounting or whatever?”

“She is. Same place, too.”

“And your grandfather?” he inquired.

“Still an ornery old fart.”

Yeah. Lynx knew Vic Trevino and ornery was putting it nicely. The man was a grizzly. And he didn’t much care for the Caines. In fact, it had shocked Lynx when he found out that Wolfe and Rhys were … doing whatever they were doing. Mainly because he knew how the Trevinos felt about the Caines. It wasn’t what he’d call a rivalry, but there was a little animosity there. Hell if he knew why.

Lynx maneuvered Reagan around to one of the open tailgates, then held her beer while she hopped up. Once she was situated, he joined her, keeping a good foot between them so that he didn’t send her running.

“Things good at Amy’s?” he asked, trying to keep the discussion open.

“Yeah.” Reagan smiled. “Unless you count the fact that I ran out of hot water this mornin’.”

“Long shower?” He tried not to think about Reagan in the shower. He tried really, really hard.

“Actually, no. I think it’s the water heater. I need to have it checked.”

“Did you tell Amy?”

Reagan shook her head and took a sip of her beer. “Nah. She’s stayin’ with Wolfe and Rhys most of the time, so I don’t wanna bother her.”

“I’ll check it out if you want me to,” he offered.

Her head snapped over and he could see the battle brewing in her eyes.

“For free,” he added with a grin.

“I’ll see how it’s doin’ later on. If I still have a problem…”

She didn’t finish the sentence and Lynx knew she had no intention of asking him for help. Didn’t matter. He’d look at it anyway.

“You comin’ out for barbecue tomorrow?” he asked when she was quiet for too long.

“Probably not. I need to go see my mother. Check in. She wants to talk about … you know.”

He didn’t know. Lifting his eyebrows, he silently encouraged her to continue.

“About breakin’ up with Billy.”

Lynx looked away, the familiar anger shooting through his bloodstream. He hated that bastard, hated that he’d sat back all these years and watched Reagan get shit on by the guy.

“She thinks I should give him another chance,” Reagan added, her tone soft.

He jerked his attention her way. “What?”

Her smile was sad. “I know. I don’t get it either. But that’s her way of thinkin’. After all, she stayed with my dad all those years and God knows neither of them was happy.”

Lynx couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Nothing that wouldn’t make him look like the world’s biggest prick. Billy Watson didn’t deserve Reagan. She was far too good for that asshole and she deserved a hell of a lot better.

“But it’s a lecture I’ve been expectin’. Once I get that outta the way, we’ll be fine.”

“You gonna take him back?” He hated that he had to ask that.

“Fuck no,” she barked. “For the first time in my life, I feel like … I don’t know. I feel like I’m my own person. That I don’t have to dread goin’ home. I’m done with Billy and his shit.”

Lynx had to look away, not wanting her to see the relief he felt. Every damn time she’d broken up with Billy over the past decade, Lynx had hoped she would move on for good. He’d always been disappointed when she took the loser back.