She paused, as if to argue, but didn’t press.

But he tossed and turned so much Buck got off the bed and slept on the couch. He could have shared with her. He just didn’t know if he had it in him to say it all out loud.

It was Buck’s little dance and his happy barks that clued Joe in to Beth’s presence. She stood at the counter in the office area, and when he caught her eye, she held up a large bag.

He cleaned his hands and headed in. As usual, she looked pretty in jeans and a light sweater that hugged those spectacular tits just right. Made a man’s mouth water just looking at her.

“I brought you some lunch.”

Warmth coursed through him at the gesture. Being taken care of eased him, released that tangle of knots in his gut a little. “You didn’t have to do that. Thank you.”

She smiled, looking him over carefully. “By the looks of you this week, Joe Harris, I most assuredly do. Have you been eating at all?”

They’d put his father on a course of medication and everyone walked on eggshells hoping it would work. Hoping for some relief.

“I’ve been working a lot.” He wanted to sit and eat with her. To take an hour. Hell, even half an hour and just listen to her voice. Let her presence work itself into his system to ease his jangled nerves.

But he was afraid of letting it go and falling apart when everyone needed him to keep it together.

“I wish I had the time to sit with you and eat. But I have a whole day’s worth of work in there and not nearly enough hours to finish.”

She reached up, caressing his cheek for a brief moment, and he allowed himself the weakness to lean in and take the comfort.

“That’s all right. Just be sure you eat it. There’s a C-O-O-K-I-E in there for your canine roommate. It’s clearly marked so you don’t go eating it.” She looked down at Buck, who surely realized that spelling things out either meant a treat or a trip to the vet. Beth was usually the bearer of treats, so he thumped his tail hopefully.

“You wanna give it to him? He’ll love you forever. Piglet that he is.”

Grinning, she dug in and pulled out a cute little bag with Scottie dogs stamped all over it. She knelt and Buck put a paw on her knee. “I brought you a treat.”

He barked, and she gave him one that he sucked down so fast Joe hoped he could remember doggie CPR. She laughed. “Careful there, Buck-o. Use your teeth. These will keep them all shiny too. In case you meet a cute girl dog. You want to have nice breath.”

Joe looked at her, filled with emotions he warned himself not to develop where she was concerned. And he felt them anyway. She was a damned good woman.

She scratched Buck’s ears and put the bag up on the counter. “For later if he’s very good.” She tiptoed up and kissed Joe quickly. “If you’re good, I’ll give you an even better treat. For now? Eat every last bit. Fried chicken and potato salad. Cornbread and some cobbler. I’d tell you I made it, but I only lie about my weight for my driver’s license. Tate made it all so you know it’s good. Plus it’s filled with Tate love. Win/win.”

He paused, bending to kiss her more thoroughly before standing straight once more. “Thank you again. For the food, for the dog treats and for thinking about me.”

“Someone needs to. By the state of those circles under your eyes, you sure aren’t. Why don’t you come to dinner this week? Bring your parents. I can cook you know. Just not as awesomely as Tate. But I make a mean pan of enchiladas.”

God, he could only imagine what his father might get up to at dinner at her house. He held back a barely repressed shudder.

“Busy week.”

“You said that the last time I asked you to bring them to dinner. How about we all go to the Sands?”

“I’ll let you know.” He held up the bag. “Gonna scarf this before I get back to work on that oil pan.”

Her face fell. Just a little, but he saw it. He saw it and turned anyway, waving over his shoulder. “Talk to you soon. Thank Tate for the food too.”

“See you later.”

Beth grumped around the shop, peering through the racks. It had been over a week since that night when Clancy had taken Joe aside and he’d avoided talking with her about it. He’d been distracted. Dark circles under his eyes. She’d taken to showing up at the garage with lunch just so she knew he was eating.

But though it was clear he’d been touched by it, he kept distance there and it was getting to her. She couldn’t even really enjoy shopping for bridesmaid dresses with Lily because of it.

Boys.

“I keep trying to act like I’m cool with it. I should be. I’m trying really hard to back off and let him deal with his stuff. But…”

Lily nodded. “You want him to share. Because he cares about you. Because he knows just telling you will help.”

Yes. It was one thing for her to tell him it was safe to share. But his not doing it made her feel like he didn’t believe it.

“It feels like he’s walling me out. Which is so mean of me. Selfish. I know so well what it means to have family shit you just can’t bear to say out loud.”

“But you were a kid and whatever you dealt with, you were hostage to it. You had no escape. On the other hand, Joe is a grown man.”

“It’s not just that he won’t talk to me about whatever is going on with his dad. He’s so stressed. I know he’s not getting enough rest. I invited him and his family over for dinner, and he says he’s busy. Not the first time I’ve asked. Not the first time he’s made excuses. It’s beginning to feel like it’s not about them, but about me. I don’t like that feeling.”