Terri Osburn - Up to the Challenge

“You piece of sh—”

“Hey guys,” Beth said, stepping between them. “How did it go today?”

Lucas raised his brows at Sid, giving her the chance to answer first.

“Fine,” Sid said, making it sound like a totally different four-letter word.

Beth glanced his way as if waiting for his agreement. He nodded. Whatever war waged between him and Sid was their own business.

“Good.” Beth returned her eyes to Sid and must have noticed the steam coming out of her ears. “Are you sure? This feels a little … tense.”

“I’m not tense. Are you tense, Sid?” He’d probably regret pushing her, but Lucas couldn’t help himself. Sid was gorgeous with a smile, but sexier than hell when pissed off. Right now, she looked hot enough to burn the place down.

God knew his own smoke alarms were going off.

“You’re picking up on pretty boy’s nerves is all.” Sid removed her pocketed apron, careful not to spill the contents. “We have a little bet going that I could outearn him in tips. He’s about to lose, which has his fragile ego all atwitter.”

She had him atwitter all right. But not his ego. “I suggest we have Beth count the money. Not that we don’t trust each other or anything.” Lucas leaned on the bar. “But an unbiased third party never hurts.”

Through pinched lips, Sid agreed. “Everything I made is in here,” she said, handing the apron to Beth. “I’ll get Annie caught up on my stations while you count.”

Ten minutes later, Beth strolled out of the office carrying two ziplock bags full of money. One looked more full than the other, but Sid couldn’t be sure whose was whose.

“This one goes to Sid,” Beth announced, dropping the bags before their respective owners and looking up at Lucas. “She outearned you by more than a hundred dollars.”

“There’s no way.”

Sweet victory. Sid considered being gracious about the win, but where was the fun in that? “Pay up, sucker,” she said, a satisfied grin on her lips, hand out expectantly.

He crossed his arms, emphasizing those damn muscles. Keeping hazel eyes locked on Sid, he asked Beth, “How much do I have in there?”

Beth pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “One hundred thirty-eight dollars and twenty-three cents.”

Without a word, he hoisted the bag off the bar and hurled it at Sid’s head. She caught it three inches from her nose. “You expect me to count out the hundred myself?”

“Nope,” he said, spinning his register keys on one finger. “Take it all. Consider it a bonus for our first day together.”

Another one-forty on top of her earnings on the day would add a nice chunk to the garage fund. But instead of feeling satisfied about taking his money, she felt guilty. Why couldn’t he have been smug or demanded a recount? Instead, he’d been the gracious one.

Such a jerk.

“If you’re going to be that way, you can keep it.” Sid threw the bag back, but he returned it as if they were playing a game of hot potato. She kept the game going, throwing it back, harder this time. “I said forget it.”

The bag headed for her forehead. “You won fair and square,” he said.

She returned it. “We weren’t playing for all or nothing.”

He sent it back. “What’s forty dollars either way? Just take it.”

Forty dollars meant half a day closer to her garage but hell if she’d let him know that. She sent the bag sailing through the air again, but this time Joe caught it.

“That’s enough,” Joe said, then looked at Beth. “Open Sid’s bag.” Beth did so and they all stood motionless as Joe emptied Lucas’s tips in with hers. “Now,” he said, shoving the bag into Sid’s hand. “Take the damn money and get the hell out of here. Both of you. We have a restaurant to run.”

Joe stormed off, leaving the three of them in stunned silence. Then Beth turned to Sid and whispered too quietly for Lucas to hear, “He’s going to make such a good dad.”

Sid turned raised brows on Beth. Had she missed a memo?

“Someday!” Beth exclaimed. “I mean someday. Not anytime soon. Sheesh. Don’t even joke about stuff like that.”

“Stuff like what?” Lucas asked.

“Nothing,” Sid said. She didn’t have to be a psychiatrist to know the subject of Joe and Beth having kids would not sit well with Lucas. At least not yet.

“Guess I’d better go.” Sid tucked her tips and winnings under an arm, then grabbed her own keys. The thought of Lucas walking home intensified the guilt she already felt for taking his money. Not that the man needed more money. He drove a BMW for Christ’s sake. But still. “You want a ride?”

Lucas didn’t answer right away. His eyes locked on her face for several seconds, then dropped to the floor as if he were contemplating a difficult puzzle.

Sid held her breath, wondering why she’d offered when the man seemed determined to keep her pissed off at all times. Admitting she wanted to be near him regardless was out of the question.

His eyes met hers again. “I’ll pass, thanks.”

A sound rejection. Twice in twenty-four hours. Lesson learned.

Lucas nodded a silent good-bye and walked away without looking back. As Sid took the same path, Beth whispered two words. “Be patient.” Sid ignored her.

Being around Joe and Beth should have been the toughest part about this extended visit to his island home. If anyone had asked him a week ago, Lucas would have said so without hesitation. Now he was starting to wonder.

From the moment he’d looked up from the bar to find a goddess with attitude ready to do battle, the only thing he could think about was how hot Sid would be in bed. No trouble figuring out which head that thought came from, which is why the upstairs brain needed to take over.

Sleeping with Sid would be bad. Okay, that wasn’t true. Sleeping with Sid would be amazing, and likely test his endurance and blood pressure. Getting involved with Sid would be the bad part. Sid belonged to Anchor, and one look in those melted caramel eyes told him she was the noncasual type. Her reaction to both his brief brush of her hair during the ride from the hospital and his offhanded flirting that morning revealed an innocent vulnerability he hadn’t expected.

She may act tough, but Lucas was certain Sid didn’t play games or take sex lightly. Two qualities he found refreshing, considering the people with whom he associated on a regular basis were almost always working an angle and willing to play whatever role necessary to get what they wanted.

Bottom line, Sid Navarro was his temporary coworker and nothing more, regardless of how tempting she might be. With that settled, Lucas rounded the corner onto Old Beach Road feeling as if he’d just solved a difficult life problem and come to a wise decision.

Clearing a set of trees, he spotted Artie sitting on a bench in the shade.

“How was the first day at the new office?” the older man asked.

“Tiring,” he said, stepping into the trees. “We have to stop meeting like this, Artie.”

“Take a load off.” Artie tapped the seat beside him. “And you found me this time.” Rufus barked as if backing up his owner.

“Right. Is this what you do in retirement?” Lucas asked, taking the offered seat. “Wander around and occasionally occupy shade-covered benches?

“Just about.” Artie flashed the smile of the unencumbered and Lucas felt a twinge of jealousy. Which made no sense at all since doing nothing had never appealed to Lucas before.

“Don’t you miss it?” he asked, enjoying the relief of getting off his feet.

“What, the law?” Artie shook his head, his wattle swaying with the movement. “Nah. Feeling needed. That I miss.” Rufus plopped his head onto Artie’s knee and the man gave him a loving pat. “You feel needed up there in Richmond?” he asked, the question taking Lucas by surprise.