“Maybe we should! He doesn’t deserve her,” Anne growled. “He makes her sad and I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

“If this doesn’t work, I vote we all make him sad. Forever and ever. But, our Beth wants him. And I think he does deserve her. He’s hurting. We all know what that feels like.” Tate looked to Lily, who sighed. “If you hadn’t given Nathan a second chance, how would your life be? Hm?”

“You fight dirty.” Lily frowned and then turned to Beth. “You’re too good for him.”

“Of course she is. That goes without saying. She’d be too good for any man.”

Beth squeezed Tate’s hand.

“What if he doesn’t respond?”

“He needs a jolt. That’s what William said. I showed up at the garage and started that ball rolling. He couldn’t take his eyes off my boobs or my butt. That’s step one. Plus, he saw me, spoke to me, he got a good old reminder of why he loves me. So now he needs to remember there are people who love him. Who want to help him. That he can have a life outside all this stuff with his dad and still be a good son. And, he needs to realize that I won’t wait around forever. If he doesn’t wake the hell up, I can find a man elsewhere.”

She took a deep breath.

“And if he doesn’t respond? I’ll know it’s really time for me to move on.”

Trey looked up when she cruised through the door of his and Jacob’s apartment. “Just the man I wanted to see.”

He gave her a look. A little scared at the edges and she nearly felt sorry for him. “What? Jacob isn’t here.”

“I know.” She plopped down on the couch next to him, putting her feet up. “You should take me on a date.”

He coughed. “Darlin’, what about me makes you think I’ve got a death wish?”

“I’m very pretty. And I’m funny. And, I have it under good authority that my boobs are nice.”

He clapped a hand over his eyes. “No. Way. Your brother would kill me, no matter how nice your, um, whatever, may be. Plus, Joe. No way. Nuh-uh. No how.”

She sighed. “I need your help. Please.”

He took his hand away and looked at her, groaning. “You know I can’t take that tone.”

She did. And again, she nearly felt bad for using it. But not bad enough.

“Do you want to help me or not?”

“If Joe punches me in the face, you have to pay my medical bills.”

“If he tries to punch you in the face, I’ll know he still wants me.”

He sighed. “Girl, he wants you. Good God, how can you even doubt that? Lemme tell you, since it’s become public info that you two broke up, the place is swimming with women making googly eyes at him. He doesn’t notice a single one of them. No matter how low-cut the tops are. Plus, Buck tries to bite them.”

She laughed, delighted. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I still need you to take me out and pretend you like me.”

“This stuff is high stakes, Beth.”

“Don’t you think I know that? I’ve tried. It’s been a month. An entire month since we broke up. I’ve given him space. I’ve tried to poke around gently. I’ve tried being pushy. I’ve tried pretending that it doesn’t matter. But it does. I’m desperate.”

He scrubbed hands over his face. “I’m going to be so sorry for this.”

She fluttered her lashes. “Nuh-uh. You’ll have the knowledge that you helped true love find a way.”

“Yeah, five fingers of it in a fist, planted in my face. Your boyfriend is huge.”

She laughed. “It’ll be fine. I promise. Now, here’s what we need to do.”

Two nights later, they sat in a booth up against the front windows of the Sands. Beth figured Joe probably wouldn’t come back there after the whole thing with his dad, though she knew Roni had refused to press charges. Joe had paid for the replacement glass and Roni cared about his dad, not jail time.

But it was on the way between the garage and most everything else in town. If he walked past, he’d see her. She wore a bright red sweater with a vee neck. She and Lily had gone and picked up an awesome push-up bra that had her girls mounded nicely at the neckline. Hell, even Trey had looked a few times and he professed to be scared for his life.

Tate had done her hair so it was tousled in waves, long and lush all around her face. Anne had done her makeup and had even given her fake eyelashes. She’d looked at herself in the mirror, in her jeans and that sweater, with her eyes lined all smoky and sexy with the lashes and red lips. “If he doesn’t respond to this, I may have to finally admit it’s over.”

“Are you kidding me? Gurl, I’m straight and marrying your brother and I’d look twice. Hell, your boobs are so hot I can’t stop looking.” Lily had waggled her brows. Of course Trey had nearly tripped, and then he’d cursed under his breath and tried to keep his gaze anywhere else.

She didn’t eat much. Enough people had seen them that even if Joe didn’t walk by, and he hadn’t so far, he’d hear about it the next day. She had no guilt about using the power of a small town to her advantage. Gossip moved lightning fast. And she knew those hoochies sniffing around her man would find a way to tell him if no one else did.

“I haven’t seen him,” Trey said. “I’m sorry. You sure do look pretty tonight.”