The Vincent Boys 01 - The Vincent Boys

caught me staring and winked. I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing. A sharp elbow nudged me in the ribs, causing me to gasp and spin around to find the person the boney arm was attached to. Lana was smiling innocently at me.
    “You’re being obvious,” she hissed, keeping a fake smile on her face. Her meaning, however, sunk in.
    “I need to go to the car and get my phone. My mom’s probably called me ten times by now,” Lana announced.
    “I’ll go with you,” I quickly replied, glancing up at Sawyer who seemed pleased I was being nice to my cousin. I used to seek out this sort of approval from him but now it annoyed me. If I didn’t like my cousin, I’d stomp on her foot just to piss him off.
    Once we were safely out of the clearing and headed for the car Lana stopped walking and turned to glare at me. “You’ve about ten minutes or so to get yourself together before your knight in shining armor comes looking for us. I’m going to go get my phone and make a few phone calls.”
    I frowned. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean you need to stop openly flirting with Beau while the entire football team is around to witness it. It’s like you two think you’re the only ones out there. We all have eyes, you know.”
    She spun around and headed deeper into the pecan orchard toward the parked cars.
    “She’s got a point but it’s my fault.” Beau’s voice should have startled me but it didn’t. Somehow I knew he’d find a way to get me alone.
    “Yes, it probably is,” I said teasingly as I turned around to meet his gaze.
    Beau took a step toward me then ran his hand through his hair, muttering a curse.
    “I want to rip his damn arms off his body, Ash. Sawyer , who I’d do anything for. I want to hurt him. If he touches you again in front of me I’m going to crack. I can’t take this.”
    I closed the space between us and wrapped my arms around his waist. I’d done this. My need to be near Beau had created this impossible situation.
    “I’m sorry,” I whispered against his chest, wishing I could make this all go away. He sighed and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tighter up against him.
    “Don’t be sorry. Just try not to let him touch you. When he touches you I see red. I can’t take it. I don’t want to see him or anyone else touch you.”
    I pulled back just enough so I could gaze up at him. His jaw was clenched tightly. Knowing he was thinking of Sawyer with such ferocity made me feel so guilty. I hadn’t wanted to come between them yet I was doing it anyway.
    “What can I do to make this right, Beau? I don’t want to come between y’all. It’s the main reason I’m doing this. He’s your family.”
    Beau slipped his fingers into my hair and cradled my head.
    “Staying with him. Letting him touch you, hold you—GOD. It’s eating me alive. You may be keeping Sawyer from hating me but you’re only making me hate him.”
    I reached up and clasped his arms, pulling them away from my head as I stepped back. Tears blurred my vision. “What am I supposed to do, Beau? You tell me. What am I supposed to do?”
    He opened his mouth to respond and closed it as his eyes settled on something over my left shoulder. A possessive gleam came into his eyes as if to warn off any predators that might get near what was his. I knew without turning around who he was glowering at so fiercely. I didn’t glance back at Sawyer. I wasn’t sure what to say.
    “What’s going on? Ashton never yells at people. What in the crap did you do to her, Beau?”
    “It’s my fault.” Lana’s voice had me snapping my head up from my defeated stance as I turned to gawk at her.
    “What?” Beau and Sawyer said at the same time.
    Lana gave us all a dramatic sigh and shrugged her shoulders. “Beau was flirting with me and Ash didn’t like it. She thinks he isn’t good enough for me or something. They started bickering when she told Beau to leave me alone.”
    I couldn’t believe my ears. Had Lana just lied so believably for me and Beau?
    She smiled and nibbled on her fingernail like some flirty bimbo and smirked. “What? Might as well tell him the truth. You don’t think his cousin is worthy of your cousin.”
    I tore my gaze off my shy, meek cousin-turned-drama-queen to study Sawyer’s face. Was he actually falling for this? Surely not. He was frowning at Beau.
    “Beau, leave Ash’s cousin alone. She’s not one of your one-nighters. Go find some other rebound girl. There’s no use getting