Nathan pretended not to notice. But he wasn’t clueless like some men who were as handsome as he was. It just didn’t matter to him because Lily was everything he’d ever wanted. Royal got his share of attention too. One of these days he was going to give up on Anne and some other woman was going to snap him up and Anne would finally figure it out like a dumbass. But it would be too late.

“You two have hogged all my time with Beth.” Joe said this after he’d eaten.

Nathan gave him a look. “Your time, huh?”

She stepped on his foot extra hard.

“Hey, Joe.” Clancy Weeks approached the table and Beth noted how Joe tightened up.

“Clancy.”

“Listen, I hate to do this but—”

Joe held a hand up to stop the conversation. “Let’s take this outside.”

Beth looked to Nathan for a moment, alarmed there was going to be a fight or something. But there didn’t seem to be any anger from Clancy.

Royal scooted out to let Joe up. Joe turned to Beth. “I’ll be right back.”

She wanted to ask him if everything was all right, but Nathan poked her side hard enough that she figured that was a bad idea.

Royal and Nathan had some silent guy conversation with eyebrows and facial expressions until she finally broke in. “Hello? What? Do we need to call the cops or something?”

“I can see them from where I am. They’re just talking. In case you haven’t noticed, Joe’s a big boy. Let him handle his business.”

She frowned at Nathan. “Oh really? I had no idea. I figured he needed his girlfriend to go out there and handle it. Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.”

But it wouldn’t kill the man to actually tell her what was going on. Clearly Nathan knew something, and while she got that right then wasn’t the place, it would be nice to have someone share something.

Joe waited until the door had closed and they’d gotten a bit away before he stopped, turning to Clancy. “What’s this all about?”

“Come on, Joe. You know or you’d have talked to me inside. It’s Carl. I’ve tried to reason with him. I’ve tried to talk to him. To threaten him even. But he won’t listen. It’s worse each time he comes in now. I have no other choice. Your dad can’t come in the store anymore. I’m sorry but every time he does, he makes trouble. Tries to start fights. He scares people. I can’t have that.”

Joe ran a hand through his hair. The hardware store was one of his dad’s favorite places. It was going to crush him not to be able to go there. But Joe got it. If half of what he heard was true, it was a miracle his dad hadn’t been arrested by then. Maybe he could use that to keep his father invested in the treatment plan when they got one.

“No, I understand. I’ll let him know. You can call me at the shop.” He pulled out a business card and handed it over. “If he comes in and I’ll get him.”

“I’m sorry, Joe. He’s been a customer—and a friend—for a long time. But he needs help.”

Joe weighed talking with Clancy, but knew his father would be livid. He settled on, “I know. We’re working on it. Appreciate you coming to me instead of calling the cops.”

Clancy started to speak but stopped himself. Instead he nodded and left Joe alone on the sidewalk. Joe turned to look inside. Beth sat with Nathan and Royal. He caught sight of her giving Nathan the stinkeye about something and it cheered him up.

Feisty, his Beth.

His.

He paused and realized it was true.

He needed her. Needed to work up a sweat and get rid of this exchange with Clancy. He suffocated from the weight of everything he was responsible for. The stakes were so high he was petrified of f**king it up.

But Beth let him be. Gave him what he needed, demanded but never what he couldn’t give. Each time they were together he drew closer to her. Tenacious, his Beth. She’d wanted him and it had been incredible to be chased. But now it was he who craved her just as much. It was Beth who filled his empty spots in a way he’d gotten used to.

He’d tried so hard not to need her that it had happened while he wasn’t looking. Another thing to be petrified of. He wanted her. A great deal. And for the moment, he let himself, heading back inside.

Chapter Nine

“Can I come in?”

She turned to him. “Yes.”

“I can’t stay. Overnight I mean. I need to get home to Buck and I have to be at the shop at seven. I…”

She saw need all over him. Not just sexual need. She filled something inside him that was empty and that was enough for then.

She unlocked her door, and he followed, locking up behind himself.

He backed her against the wall, right there in her entry, his mouth on hers, taking. She gave, tiptoeing to meet his mouth, pressing herself against him because he filled something inside her too. Need was a fire on her skin as those big hands roved over her body.

He kissed down her neck, pausing where neck met shoulder. He licked the skin there and she couldn’t stop the tremble. Couldn’t stop herself from any physical response he elicited. He played her body, knew what she liked and where she liked it.

He broke away to pull her shirt off and rid her of her bra. He brushed himself against her, the cotton of his shirt against her bare skin made her writhe at the sensation.

“You’re so sexy. It’s all I think about. All week long. Fixing a carburetor, changing oil, doesn’t matter. Your body, the way you taste, goddamn I can’t get you out of my head.”