Return to Silver Creek: Not Interested

April spent the remainder of the day steering clear of her boss. She was both embarrassed and scared. She’d never experienced such a strong pull toward a man before. Even her relationship with Jax didn’t have the same spark she felt with this stranger.

She had made a vow to herself to stay away from men. She was determined not to let her heart be vulnerable again. Deep down, she knew that if anything were to happen between her and Tucker, it wouldn’t be casual. At least not for her, though she knew from past experiences that men rarely got attached.

“Hey, Mick,” she greeted with a sigh of relief, sinking into a stool at the end of the bar.

“Hey, sweetheart. How was your first day?” Mick asked, sliding a beer her way.

“It was fine,” she responded, taking a big gulp.

“Uh-oh. You know I hate that word,” he said, running his fingers through his light-blond hair. His blue eyes reminded her of her boss. “What’s up?”

“Yo, Tucker!” someone shouted, diverting Mick’s attention.

“Hey,” Tucker responded, his voice somehow cutting through the noisy bar.

April paled. What was he doing here? She suppressed a curse as she felt her cheeks heat up. She sensed more than saw Tucker approaching from behind.

“Hold that thought, sis,” Mick said, bending down to kiss her forehead.

April sighed, hoping Tucker would sit somewhere else. The bar was small but crowded. As she weighed her chances, a large, muscular body took the stool next to her. She closed her eyes, praying she was mistaken, even as his scent enveloped her. It was distinctly masculine, stirring a warmth in her stomach that she tried to suppress.

“Hey, you competing this year?” a guy asked, drawing Tucker’s attention.

She clung to the hope that maybe he hadn’t recognized her. Maybe she could finish her beer in peace. Maybe, just for once, the universe would give her a break.

“Huh?” Tucker responded, but his confusion seemed forced.

“You know!” The other man insisted, slurring his words. “Longest eight seconds of your life.”

Her curiosity piqued, she followed his gesture to the TV where bull riding was being shown. Tucker had done that? A quick glance at him confirmed that it shouldn’t have been a surprise. The man next to her was in perfect shape.

“Nope,” Tucker laughed. “One near-death experience was more than enough, Chad. You know I haven’t done that in three years.”

“Perfect time for a comeback,” Chad insisted.

Tucker just laughed again, unconvincingly. After a moment, Chad walked away to bother someone else. April could feel Tucker relax as Chad left. She avoided looking at him, hoping to be left alone.

“I didn’t take you as a drinking woman,” Tucker commented, sounding amused.

April sighed, finally looking up. She immediately regretted it as her dark-brown eyes met his bright-blue ones. Her heart pounded, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach, but she would never admit that to him. She forced her expression to harden as she prepared to respond.

“Dude,” Mick laughed, placing a drink in front of Tucker. “In high school, she was the queen of the keg stand.”

“Mick!” April exclaimed, horrified.

Mick shrugged, smirking. “You’re right though, she’s gotten boring in her old age.”

April bit her tongue, wishing she could hide the blush spreading across her face. She didn’t care if Mick was twenty-nine and four years older than her, she was going to kill him.

“Oh really?” Tucker took a sip of his beer, grinning at Mick. “How do you two know each other?”

“Tuck, meet my baby sister, April. April, meet my friend Tucker,” Mick introduced, smiling. “April was about to tell me about her new job and why her day sucked.”

Tucker’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he turned to her. Amusement and a hint of concern danced in his eyes as he said, “Do tell.”

“Mick, meet my boss,” April muttered, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Mick stared for a moment before bursting into laughter. His laughter echoed around the bar, drawing attention from everyone. It seemed to fill the room, and April wondered if people outside could hear him.

April felt her cheeks and neck flush. Avoiding Tucker’s gaze, she quickly finished her beer in one gulp before slamming the empty bottle on the counter. She left a five-dollar bill on the counter and stood up.

“See you at home,” she said curtly, turning to leave.

“She okay?” Tucker asked, watching April head to the door.

“Yeah. She gets embarrassed easily, but she bounces back pretty well,” Mick chuckled.

“She seems tough,” Tucker noted, turning back to his friend.

Mick’s smile faded at that. “Yeah, she is.”

“What brings her to town?” Tucker asked, curious.

“Finally divorced her asshole husband,” Mick replied, his voice filled with more anger than Tucker had ever heard from him.

“She was married?” Tucker asked, surprised.

“She doesn’t want people to know.” Mick shrugged.

“Fuck,” Tucker murmured, looking back at the door. “She seems fine.”

“Yeah, she’s a lot better now,” Mick agreed, then frowned at Tucker as he turned back. “I know that look. Don’t fuck with her. I don’t care that you’re my best friend, I’ll kill you myself.”

Tucker nodded, accepting the threat. He was suddenly very aware of how he had watched her. Aware that after only one day, April seemed to be etched in his mind. He decided to remember that the men in his family tended to fall hard and fast.

“I wouldn’t dream of hurting her, man,” Tucker said sincerely.