Read Online Twice the Bang by Delilah Devlin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Delilah Devlin
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Jackson and Billy, also staring with bemusement at Beau.
Pansy still couldn’t believe Beau had come up with an idea like this, rather than keeping her selfishly to himself. “How did you know I’d go for this?”
Beau shrugged. “I wasn’t sure. Not until I saw all those family photos. The guys in them—they your brothers?”
“Yes.”
“You the only girl?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, not glancing her way. “Paintball just came to my mind when I thought about something fun we might do. Something physical so we could all let loose. Then I saw the photos … You must have had lots of chances to play with the boys when you were growing up—catch, football … ”
“I did. I was usually the pitcher because I had the best arm. And I was the wide receiver, because I’m small but fast.”
“I bet you dodged right around those hurtling bodies. You learned to play a little rough.”
“I always had a black eye or a bandage.”
“I saw that.”
“And you didn’t immediately assume I was the victim of abuse?”
Beau gave her a baleful glance. “You’re too happy a person to be from that kind of home, sweetheart.”
“Where is home?” Marti asked, tapping her shoulder.
“Indianapolis.”
“You’re a long way from there.”
“Couldn’t stay,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Not with four brothers always wanting to know my business.”
“They don’t know what kind of games you play?”
She snorted. “They’d wade into a place like La Forge and break some man’s knuckles if they saw someone whipping me.”
Jackson snorted behind her. “What do you plan to tell them—if things work out?”
“To mind their own damn beeswax. Or maybe I’ll bring Billy then Beau on different visits, and when they ask how long we’ve been together, they can figure it out for themselves when they get the same damn answer.”
Beau laughed, shaking his head.
Glancing back, she caught Billy rolling his eyes.
“It’s a damn certainty we’ll never be invited for Christmas dinner,” Billy muttered.
Pansy folded her hands in her lap and turned in her seat to stare out of the highway. What Jackson had said about things working out, as if what was happening here was more than some fishing expedition or a tryout, made her wonder what Beau might have said to his friends.
Although she’d only been teasing about the guys meeting her family, was Beau really thinking about the future? Had what he’d said to Billy, about looking out for her happiness been about more than just this night? She was almost afraid to hope.
At last, Beau indicated and turned into a large dark, graveled parking lot. He parked the Raptor in front of a log cabin.
“This it?” she asked, hoping there was more.
“Around back there’s twenty acres of fenced-in field. Plenty of space to play.”
“You have night vision goggles for us all, because it’s dark.”
Beau patted her thigh. “Don’t worry. This is gonna be fun.”
More vehicles ground to a stop beside them. All of Beau’s friends and their extended family of significant others—Jenn, Ash and Aiden—spilled from inside. Marti was still dressed in her shiny skirt and mesh top. Jenn was wearing a slinky red dress that molded her slender curves.
But no one seemed concerned about Beau’s preparations. They climbed the porch steps and waited as he unlocked the doors and turned on the lights. Inside, was a large living space with couches and a widescreen TV, and a long counter behind which was a gun rack and tubes of ammunition.
Beau went straight to a wall of lockers and opened the doors. “Choose a coverall. You can change in the restrooms if you like.”
No one liked. Clothing flew, and since she was already changed, she enjoyed watching as all the guys, other than Billy, began chucking clothing left and right.
Billy went to a cabinet and pulled a folded bundle from inside, unwrapping and holding it beside himself to check for length.
“Looks like it will fit
Pansy still couldn’t believe Beau had come up with an idea like this, rather than keeping her selfishly to himself. “How did you know I’d go for this?”
Beau shrugged. “I wasn’t sure. Not until I saw all those family photos. The guys in them—they your brothers?”
“Yes.”
“You the only girl?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, not glancing her way. “Paintball just came to my mind when I thought about something fun we might do. Something physical so we could all let loose. Then I saw the photos … You must have had lots of chances to play with the boys when you were growing up—catch, football … ”
“I did. I was usually the pitcher because I had the best arm. And I was the wide receiver, because I’m small but fast.”
“I bet you dodged right around those hurtling bodies. You learned to play a little rough.”
“I always had a black eye or a bandage.”
“I saw that.”
“And you didn’t immediately assume I was the victim of abuse?”
Beau gave her a baleful glance. “You’re too happy a person to be from that kind of home, sweetheart.”
“Where is home?” Marti asked, tapping her shoulder.
“Indianapolis.”
“You’re a long way from there.”
“Couldn’t stay,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Not with four brothers always wanting to know my business.”
“They don’t know what kind of games you play?”
She snorted. “They’d wade into a place like La Forge and break some man’s knuckles if they saw someone whipping me.”
Jackson snorted behind her. “What do you plan to tell them—if things work out?”
“To mind their own damn beeswax. Or maybe I’ll bring Billy then Beau on different visits, and when they ask how long we’ve been together, they can figure it out for themselves when they get the same damn answer.”
Beau laughed, shaking his head.
Glancing back, she caught Billy rolling his eyes.
“It’s a damn certainty we’ll never be invited for Christmas dinner,” Billy muttered.
Pansy folded her hands in her lap and turned in her seat to stare out of the highway. What Jackson had said about things working out, as if what was happening here was more than some fishing expedition or a tryout, made her wonder what Beau might have said to his friends.
Although she’d only been teasing about the guys meeting her family, was Beau really thinking about the future? Had what he’d said to Billy, about looking out for her happiness been about more than just this night? She was almost afraid to hope.
At last, Beau indicated and turned into a large dark, graveled parking lot. He parked the Raptor in front of a log cabin.
“This it?” she asked, hoping there was more.
“Around back there’s twenty acres of fenced-in field. Plenty of space to play.”
“You have night vision goggles for us all, because it’s dark.”
Beau patted her thigh. “Don’t worry. This is gonna be fun.”
More vehicles ground to a stop beside them. All of Beau’s friends and their extended family of significant others—Jenn, Ash and Aiden—spilled from inside. Marti was still dressed in her shiny skirt and mesh top. Jenn was wearing a slinky red dress that molded her slender curves.
But no one seemed concerned about Beau’s preparations. They climbed the porch steps and waited as he unlocked the doors and turned on the lights. Inside, was a large living space with couches and a widescreen TV, and a long counter behind which was a gun rack and tubes of ammunition.
Beau went straight to a wall of lockers and opened the doors. “Choose a coverall. You can change in the restrooms if you like.”
No one liked. Clothing flew, and since she was already changed, she enjoyed watching as all the guys, other than Billy, began chucking clothing left and right.
Billy went to a cabinet and pulled a folded bundle from inside, unwrapping and holding it beside himself to check for length.
“Looks like it will fit
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