The Vincent Brothers (The Vincent Boys #2)(29)

“Oh, my.”

Her laughter faded away and a serious thoughtful expression replaced it.

“What’s going through that head of yours now?”

A forced smile immediately appeared on her lips, “Nothing, sorry.” She glanced out at the bonfire in the distance between the pecan trees. “You ready to get out?”

She was very closed off about a lot of things. The more she didn’t want to tell me the more I wanted to know about her.

Her phone began singing some sappy love song I’d heard before on the radio and she reached into her purse and pulled it out. Instead of answering it, she quickly turned it off and slipped it back inside the pocket of her purse.

“No one important?” I asked, wanting her to share something, anything with me.

She shook her head and reached for the door handle, “Nope. No one I can’t call back later.”

I watched as she jumped down out of my truck before I got out on my side. Lana McDaniel held everything close. I wondered if I’d ever really know what she was thinking.

~*~

Sitting on the tailgate of Jake’s truck with Lana tucked between my legs, I was satisfied. Ash curled up in Beau’s lap wasn’t even on my radar. I’d managed to talk to everyone, Beau included. We discussed football, college, and our camping trip without any problems. It was nice. Lana was nice. No, Lana was more than nice. Having her in my arms made everything bearable.

“Heads up, Kyle and Nic just showed up,” Ethan said, before taking another swig of his beer. Nicole hadn’t been around much since Beau and Ash had hooked up. She’d made a go for me a few times. Once, I’d even been tempted to take her out to my truck one night and just screw her. Get it over with. But I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want my first time to be with Nicole in the back of my truck at a field party. I’d waited this long, I could wait longer. Ash was going to be my one and only. But that plan was now over. I figured one day the right girl would come along and when that happened the place wouldn’t be important. Just so it was with the one person I couldn’t live without.

“She’s coming this way,” Kayla said smugly. The girl loved drama. With Nicole around drama was bound to follow.

“You wanna go, baby?” Beau asked Ashton, starting to shift so he could stand her up.

“No. I’m not scared of Nicole, Beau. What’s she going to do to me? Hmmm?” Beau chuckled and leaned in and gave Ashton a kiss on the nose. My chest ached only slightly at the sight of them. Nothing like the times in the past when I’d been unable to take a deep breath when he kissed her.

“Well, look at the Vincent boys. Getting along. Both of you all snuggled up to a girls. No one trying to beat up the other one. Looks like Sawyer has moved on, Ash,” Nicole drawled out as she winked at me and sauntered over to stop in front of Lana who stood in her way.

“Since you’ve gotten over your Ashton depression, why don’t you and I go out one night and have some fun?”

Lana tensed in my arms. A protective streak coursed through me and I pulled her up against me tightly, placing my hands on her hips. “I’ll have to pass, Nic. I’ve already found someone to spend time with this summer.”

Nicole smirked as she let her gaze travel up and down Lana as if she wasn’t impressed. “You can do much better.”

“I disagree.”

“You need someone with experience after wasting all those years with the preacher’s daughter.”

I heard Ashton ordering Beau to calm down and ignore her.

“I’m not into overused merchandise. I’ve got standards, you know.”

The surprised laugh from Lana had me smiling like an idiot. I loved making her laugh. She’d relaxed and leaned into me when I’d tightened my hold on her. Knowing I made her feel safe and unthreatened was a heady feeling.

“Once the Vincent boys were the hottest thing around. You’ve not lived up to your potential. You’re both boring. One day you’ll crave that excitement you missed out on,” Nicole snarled at me before flipping her dark brown hair over her shoulder and walking over to Kyle, who had stood silently while watching her make a play for me.

“Come on Kyle, I’ve had enough of this place.” She stalked past him and Kyle threw me an apologetic look before following her.

“Why does he put up with her?” Ashton asked as they walked away.

“Because she’s an easy lay,” Jake replied.

Chapter Thirteen

Lana

“If you’re going to sleep in Beau’s tent then who is going to sleep with me? I don’t want to sleep in a tent all by myself. There are black bears in the Cheaha Mountains. I know this for a fact because I googled it.”

Ashton threw me a saucy smile over her shoulder, “Well, I’m sure you could share a tent with Sawyer. I have no doubt he’d rather share with you than Jake.”

I flopped down on her bed and groaned in frustration. Sharing a tent with Sawyer would be difficult. We’d been on two dates since the field party and not once had we done anything more than kiss. After I’d put the brakes on his hand slowly creeping up my thigh, he’d been hands off on my body.

“He hasn’t offered that and I am not asking him. Can I get a lock for my tent?”

Ashton laughed and threw another pair of shorts on her bed to pack. “Bears can’t unzip tents, Lana.”