6. Gus
Chapter 6
Gus
T he sun was shining, and a light breeze carried the smell of blooming flowers through the woods. In the trees above, chickadees flitted from branch to branch. Summer in Maine was its own special kind of magic.
But I felt like shit. My entire being was in turmoil, and I hadn’t slept in days.
I prioritized order and productivity. I made plans, set goals, and followed through. But right now, there were no goals, there was no plan. My life was chaos.
And it was all her fault.
For all these years, I’d convinced myself that I’d healed, that I’d moved forward from our whirlwind love affair.
But now, as I surveyed the tranquil forest around me, I knew it was a damn lie.
I’d never gotten back what she took with her.
My innocence. My belief in true love.
My heart.
How could I do this? Work for her?
It seemed impossible, but I’d committed to one year.
A year doing what I’d always done, just for someone else. Watch as the Hebert name was stripped from the buildings and the equipment. Even after it had been erased completely, the legacy would continue. That’s what was important. My guys would still have jobs, and hell, maybe we could hire even more.
She’d promised to keep operating. That was all the information I had on her future plans. And that would have to be enough.
It was the only way to ensure that my brothers got paid and that the business’s doors stayed open.
New ownership was a price I’d gladly pay. Taking care of my family was my top priority. Owen had worked hard to get us this deal, and I would not jeopardize it.
Nope, I was a good worker bee. My dad had trained me well. I’d play nice and do my job. When my commitment was over, I’d be on my way.
Or so I thought. Because my reality was so far beyond anything I could have imagined. Would Chloe stay?
If so, then how could I show up to work every day, knowing my ex-wife was running the show? A woman I both despised and was wildly attracted to.
I smoothed my hand over my beard. It was getting scraggly, but I didn’t have the energy to care. The ache in my stomach every time I saw her had only intensified since the day I first saw her again in Boston.
Head down, I headed to one of the garages. Maybe if I exhausted myself, I could close my eyes without being haunted by memories from a lifetime ago.
Behind me, tires crunched on the pavement, catching my attention.
As I turned around, Chloe was stepping out of her SUV. Instantly, my focus was drawn to the heels on her feet. Fuck. The woman had an impressive collection, each pair sexier than the last.
She strode toward me, and I had to fight the smile that was threatening to split my face. She was so confident and beautiful, it was hard not to be proud of the woman she’d grown into.
“What are you doing?” she asked, frowning at the gas can in my hand.
“I figured I’d take you out to Sector Five. It’s where the bust happened. Then we can loop around to the western meadow. I’ll outline the road expansion plans and show you some of the unused areas you asked about.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Shouldn’t we drive?”
“By road, it’ll take over an hour.” I gestured toward the ATV. “But if we take the trails, it’s a straight shot, only about thirty minutes.”
She assessed me, her eyes narrowing, and swallowed thickly. Was this brash, brazen woman concerned?
Keeping my expression neutral, despite how tempting it was to smirk at her, I held up my backpack. “I’ve got supplies, and it’s a nice day.”
She looked around, lips turned down, clearly unhappy with my proposal. “Fine,” she finally said. “But I’ll take my own.” She gestured toward the row of ATVs parked in the garage bay.
I raised an eyebrow. “You still know how to drive?”
With a huff, she turned back to her SUV and opened the back door. “I’ll manage.”
“Not with those heels,” I said, nodding at her feet.
She pulled a black backpack out, slammed the door, and strutted over. “I can still kick your ass, even in heels, Hebert.” She snagged the bottle of water I held out to her and stuffed it in her pack. “And these are wedges, thank you very much.”
I pushed out a smaller ATV and filled it with gas, mentally calculating how much I’d have to bring along for the day.
“Grab a helmet,” I said, nodding to the shelves lined with labeled helmets. “The ones on the bottom row have two-way mics so we can speak to one another.”
With her backpack slung over her shoulders, she perused the helmets until she found one that fit. Then she set to work adjusting the straps as if she did this every day.
I started her ATV, then mine, and climbed on. Once she was settled on hers, I led her out to the parking lot.
At the far side of the lot, I cut my engine and eyed her, waiting for her to do the same. “We’ll take the red trail down around the lake and up to the junction of Sectors four and five. That’s where the road passes through. From there, it’s a bit bumpy, but we can go slow until the trail smooths out again.”
She fired up her ATV again and revved the engine.
“Do you want to take a lap to get used to it? That’s got specialty suspension for going over rocks and downed trees. It can take some time to get your bearings.”
Ignoring me, she hit the throttle and took off around the parking lot.
Okay, then. We were getting right to it.
I turned my mic on and explained where we were headed, and eventually, she fell in line and followed me through the woods.
It was loud and bumpy, like it had been each of the hundreds of times I’d done this, but today, the air was fresher and the sun was brighter as it shone through the gaps between the trees. Being out here with her made the world around me feel new and exciting. Every time I peered back to check on her, I was hit with a bolt of anticipation and adrenaline.
She looked so tiny on top of the powerful machine, but she was in complete control. I had to give it to her—she knew what she was doing.
“We’ll park up here,” I said through my mic, pointing toward a large clearing where a small cabin and a pole barn sat.
I pulled up, and as I was yanking my helmet off, Chloe sped into the clearing, and then banked hard, burning out right in front of me and kicking up a layer of swampy mud that hit me right in the chest.
Fuck. Me.
She took off her helmet and shook out her hair.
Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t help but stare. I was pretty sure drool pooled at the corner of my lip. Shit, that was really hot.
She took in my muddy shirt, her eyes dancing. “Oops,” she said with an innocent shrug.
“You did that on purpose,” I complained, trying my hardest to frown. “And why are you driving like a bat out of hell?”
She tossed her head back and laughed, her hair flowing around her shoulders. “Just having fun.”
I lifted up the hem of my T-shirt and used it to wipe the mud that had splattered on my face.
Her eyes widened and zeroed in on the few inches of skin the move exposed. Good. Two could play this game.
I didn’t have the abs of Cole or the confidence of Finn, but I knew when I was being ogled. And I planned to make the most of it.
So I did it again, putting on a little more of a show, and this time, her lips parted. Fuck. Her gaze was like a warm caress to my bare skin. She was not immune to this connection between us. Noted.
She looked away hastily, slinging her backpack off. She dug through it, and a moment later, she produced a pair of black sneakers.
I huffed an annoyed breath. “You had those all along?”
She slipped the shoes on and blinked innocently at me. “Yup.”
“So you drove an ATV in heels…”
“Wedges,” she interrupted. “And yes. I did it purely to spite you.”
She packed away the damned wedges, then produced a notebook and pen. “Let’s get to work.”
I led her through the camp, the place where my father had held Pascal Gagnon and his now fiancée hostage almost two years ago. It was also where his drug operation had been centered. We didn’t use this location much. The road to get here was shitty, and the cutting wasn’t as strong as sectors farther west.
“This has primarily been used as storage and for off-season projects,” I explained. From there, I walked her through what we’d learned. How old trails that no longer appeared on maps connected this camp to several leading toward the border. Some on our land, some on the Gagnons’, which gave traffickers a corridor to avoid detection.
As we continued, she snapped photo after photo and scribbled in her notebook.
We spent a couple of hours touring the site and documenting everything she found pertinent before jumping back on the ATVs to head up through the valley.
At a signpost for the western slope, a site in sector five she’d asked to see, I stopped, and she followed suit.
I pulled my water from my pack. Then I dug out a couple of granola bars and tossed one to her.
She caught it, and as she opened the wrapper, she wandered the dense area. “What do you think?”
Head tipped back, I took a long pull from my water bottle, then wiped my mouth with my wrist. “About what?”
“This piece of land is currently unused. We can’t afford to waste assets, so it’s important we find ways to make every resource work.” She kicked the stump next to me. “So what would you do here?”
“It’s your company,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Isn’t JJ the regenerative forestry expert?”
Chloe nodded, focus fixed on me. “She is. But I’m asking you.”
“It’s not my company,” I hedged, growing weary. We’d been out for hours, and the more time I spent with Chloe, the more the confusion and hurt that lived inside me bubbled to the surface.
She frowned. “I’m aware. But since you’re my most knowledgeable asset, I’m interested to know if you have any thoughts about what we could do here.”
I scanned our surroundings. “This side of the ridge is heavy with red oak. Look.” I pointed to the ground, where a thick carpet of acorns blanketed the forest floor. “But they don’t thrive with limited sunlight, and deer eat the saplings. They are slow growers and need carefully managed conditions to thrive.
“I’d do some selective cuts to get more sunlight in here, and then put up deer fencing.” With my free hand on my hip, I turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. “That way we protect and nurture the next generation of trees. Also, if we take out the white pines, we’ll have a better ecosystem to support the oaks.”
With a nod, she snapped more photos.
“Hardwood is always in demand, and the pricing is more stable than pine. It would be a long-term investment, but we could cut a few of these big ones,” I patted a large tree next to me, “and send ’em to the specialty mill for finish cuts. That alone would pay for the other work and allow us to cultivate this area for the future.”
She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the right. Her expression and body language made it clear that she was listening, taking my suggestions seriously.
My heart twisted in an unfamiliar way. I hadn’t expected that. Mainly because my father had always brushed me off, telling me I had a great head for machinery but not for business. And I’d always believed him. I didn’t have a degree, and I didn’t do the spreadsheets like Owen did. Instead, I got my hands dirty and did whatever needed to be done. Strategy had never been my focus.
“You’re smarter than you look,” she said, the corner of her lips quirking.
I gave her a grand bow. “I’m not just a pretty face, Dragonfly.”
“Can you show me how far this sector extends and where you suggest we put up fencing? JJ will be pissed if I don’t take coordinates.”
I nodded, a flush of pride sweeping through me.
It was nearly dusk by the time we returned. We were both dirty and tired, but my entire body was lighter. Chloe hadn’t gone easy on me, but her current contempt was preferable to reliving our past.
This was her company now, and she needed all the gory details. I’d do my best to fill her in, because I wanted to help her make it successful. As much as I resented her for being here and making my days so much harder, I didn’t want her to fail.
This business meant too much to me and this town. It went against every one of my instincts to let go and let it die. So as much as it gutted me, I’d be here to help, no matter what.
“Wanna do a lap around the pond?” I asked after we’d pulled up next to the shop where the ATVs were stored. As hard as the last several hours had been, and despite how the sun dipped below the horizon, I didn’t want this day to end.
She nodded. “You’re on.”
Before I could even get my helmet back on, she was off, speeding down the trail and taking the first turn at breakneck speed. God, I’d forgotten how competitive she was.
Not one to slouch, I picked up speed steadily, hoping I could overtake her when we got around the trees.
But she had already left me in the dust, and by the time I returned to the parking lot, she was standing next to her ATV, a broad smile on her face.
I was struck by just how gorgeous she was. And how I’d happily lose and humiliate myself every day of the week to earn more smiles like that one.
“I forgot you were a speed demon,” I said.
She shrugged. “I love to ride the trails. You can take the girl out of Maine, but you can’t take the Maine out of the girl.”
Wasn’t that the truth? Her hair was disheveled, she had a streak of mud across her cheek, and her sleek black shorts were covered in trail dust.
She’d never looked more beautiful.
I stretched my shoulders, relieving the ache that riding along the bumpy trails had caused, and bit my lip. “That’s not the only thing that hasn’t changed.” Voice lowered, I spoke my mind. Told her exactly what I really thought. “You’re still painfully beautiful.”
Between one breath and the next, her smile turned straight into a scowl. “Excellent,” she snapped. “I enjoy causing you pain.”
My face flushed with shame. I should have kept my dumb mouth shut. She did not want to hear that from me.
She narrowed her eyes and took half a step closer. “Just out of curiosity. How much pain?”
Ah. She wanted to torture me? Two could play that game. I stroked my beard. “More than a stubbed toe…” I gave her a once-over, letting the confusing mix of lust, longing, and sadness wash over me. “But less than a gallstone.”
“Ugh. Gross,” she replied.
I shrugged. “You asked for specifics. And I’ll always give you what you want.”
She opened her mouth, clearly revving up to say something sassy, but snapped it shut again abruptly. Good. I wanted her speechless.
We stared at one another for a moment before I closed the distance between us.
She was too far away, and this day had stirred up so many feelings. Anger about my father and sadness at the loss of our land and company. And also hope for a different future.
But now, I was just thinking about Chloe and how long it had been since I’d touched her.
Tentatively, I reached out. “You’re still wearing your mother’s necklace,” I said, sliding my fingers along the chain around her neck until they reached the locket that lay heavily on her chest.
She closed her eyes as my fingers lingered for just a second. The feel of her smooth, warm skin made me desperate for more.
When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with heat. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her pulse fluttered at the base of her throat. She was so tiny standing next to me, and I desperately wanted to sweep her into my arms.
Time and space stood still as I gazed down at her. The freckles, the long, long lashes, and the darkening brown eyes. My brain was screaming at me to kiss her, but I hesitated.
With a hand flat against my chest, she pushed me back. She pulled the scrunchie off her wrist and tied her hair back, putting more distance between us. “We’ve still got work to do,” she snapped, the haze of the moment officially gone. “I need you to review some documents.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. We’d been so close. And we’d just barely avoided disaster. Or had we? Kissing my ex-wife was a terrible idea. One of the worst. So why did I want it so badly?
Without a word, I hung our helmets, turned off the lights, and pulled the door down on the storage bay. Then I made sure to set the digital lock. We’d had too many break-ins and thefts recently to take any chances.
“Don’t pout,” she said. “It’s only a few documents.” Her tone was all business, but her face was soft. She was feeling things too.
With a deep breath in and back out, I held out a hand, signaling for her to lead the way.
She turned and started up the hill toward the cars, giving me a very nice view of her plump ass in those shorts. Over her shoulder, she said, “The spreadsheets don’t do it for you?”
“Nah,” I chuckled. “You know I prefer redheads.”