His tone was polite, and Tabitha looked like the wind had deserted her sails as she looked up at him, swallowed, and then walked away. She looked back at Patrick and then faded into the crowd.
Lucy was a little surprised that she moved off as quickly as she did. She turned to Jayne and asked, “Are you okay?”
Jayne nodded and looked relieved when Seth returned to the booth. His anger was palpable as she explained what had happened.
Thinking that the event had surely hit its low point and couldn’t get much worse before it got better, her heart sank as she watched Tabitha flag down Patrick’s father.
“Shit,” Patrick muttered as they both watched her launch into a conversation with his dad. “Well, I guess it was just a matter of time.”
Beck still held her with his chest to her back and squeezed her gently. Her cheeks felt hot and she noticed that several of the shoppers lingering in the walkway gave her curious looks.
Summer came over just then and smiled at Lucy, her hands on her hips. Beck released her and Summer gave her a hug and said, “You’re right. She does need to get laid. Some people just need a high five in the face…with a chair.”
“Or a shovel?” Lucy asked, finally grinning. “She’s doing her damnedest to ruin my business. Our businesses,” she said, referring to Patrick and Beck.
Summer nodded. “She’s tried with all of us. The good news is that she has the opposite effect, making many more curious than she succeeds in running off. You’ll see.”
“I’ll have to trust you on that. I’m coming out to see you next week. I’ve got to get something in leather for June.”
Summer grinned and the word “leather” evidently got Patrick and Beck’s attention.
Beck leaned forward to look at her, a naughty twinkle in his eyes. “Leather, huh? What’s happening next month?”
“Seth is doing an exhibition at the ROT Rally in Austin. I’m going along to help him and Jayne.”
Beck’s expression changed in the blink of an eye. “Wait. You’re wearing leather? At the ROT Rally? Lucy,” he drew her name out on a long syllable and his discontent was clear.
“What?” She prepared for the caveman to rear his head. “I’m only going on Saturday. There will be plenty of other women dressed like that there.”
“Yeah, but their men will probably be with them every step of the way.”
“Beck,” Patrick interrupted, obviously attempting to stop Beck from saying more than he should.
Lucy held up a hand to stop them both. “It’s okay, Patrick. Beck, you’re more than welcome to come and hang out. Both of you.”
“I haven’t ridden my bike in a while,” Beck said, sounding discontented and a little territorial. “Maybe I will. You can ride with me.”
Lucy shook her head. “I’m going out there with Jayne and Seth before dawn, to help set up. Then I’ll be working Seth’s booth all day. You might be bored. You could come for the evening and we could enjoy the music and hang out with everyone.”
Beck glowered. “And leave you alone all day with a bunch of horny bikers? I don’t think so.”
“Beck,” Patrick murmured with a frown. “She’ll be with her brother all day. And several of our friends will be there, too.”
“What friends?”
“We’ll be there,” Charity Connors said as she walked up with her husband, Justin.
“See? It’ll be fine, Beck,” Lucy said as she greeted and hugged them both. Beck was being a butthead caveman but she wasn’t letting that stop her. She’d been looking forward to the Republic of Texas Bike Rally since Seth had asked if she’d be interested in helping man the booth and chatting with people during the exhibition. This would be her second year doing so.
Turning to Beck, she stroked his chest and said, “It’ll be okay. Charity and Justin and a few of their friends will be there. I’ll be safe.”
“What other friends? Guys?”
Charity grinned as she replied for Lucy. “I promise we’ll watch out for her, Beck. And Justin’s cousins, Ransome and Val, will be there, too, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”
She gestured with her thumb at two guys coming down the walkway, drawing the eyes of every person in the craft fair. Noting the mischievous twinkle in her eye, Lucy had to wonder if Charity had done that on purpose.
Both men were just as tall and muscular as Justin, and took up just as much of the oxygen in the place as Charity’s husband and her brother, Seth, did. They had a very alpha-like aura.
Like Justin, they had long, straight black hair which they’d tied back into long ponytails. They were wearing riding leathers so she assumed there were two Harleys parked somewhere nearby. And both were handsome devils just like their cousin.