“Love is complicated,” he said. “But worth fighting for. You can’t allow the stupid shit between your families to get in the way if he’s what you really want.”
“I know, but there’s more to it than that. He doesn’t know everything about Charlie, and Jewel, and I’m afraid that once he finds out he’ll want nothing to do with me.”
“You have to ask yourself if he’s worth the risk. If he walks away after knowing everything, then you know it wasn’t meant to be.”
I sat up straight, taking every bit of his advice to heart, and smiled at him. “You’ve met someone.”
His returning smile was shy, and he ducked his head. “What makes you say that?”
With a smirk, I replied, “The Beau I knew didn’t know a thing about love.”
“Of course he did,” he contended. “I might have been young when we met, but I loved you. I always will, but - ”
“It’s not the same,” I finished for him.
“A guy never forgets his first though.” He winked, and I gave him a playful shove.
“I was not your first, Beau.”
“No,” he sighed, “But you were the first girl that meant something to me, and I’ll always cherish that.”
My heart constricted, but it didn’t hurt. I’d let Beau go when I moved back to Brighton, and we both knew that we weren’t forever. But we were for ‘right now’ and that was all our young hearts needed at the time.
“What’s her name?” I asked.
He gave me a goofy grin. “Her name is Sarah. She works at the preschool in Madison, and she stops by on a weekly basis to buy some of your Grams’ pies.”
“You in love with her?”
I wanted to know if he was happy. I wasn’t jealous in the slightest because I had already found my great love, despite having lost it. I wanted Beau to find someone who made him feel alive, someone he could share his life with, start a family with. He deserved that.
“I am. I’m going to propose to her over Christmas, actually.”
“Oh my God, Beau! That’s amazing! I can’t wait to meet her.”
“You’ll love her,” he laughed. “She’s just as excited to meet you.”
My smile faltered slightly. “She doesn’t know we…”
“No.” He shook his head. “Not only would that be really awkward, but it felt wrong sharing that with her. That memory is yours and mine, and I’d like to keep it that way. Besides,” he snickered, “I don’t want you telling her I’m a lousy lay, and risk her saying no when I ask her to marry me.”
I threw my head back, and laughed. “I would never.”
Just then, I spotted Dane’s truck driving into the lot and I froze.
Beau noticed, and he sat up, watching as Dane’s truck stopped a few spots away from us. “What’s wrong?” He sounded weary.
“That’s him,” I said quietly. “I haven’t spoken to him all week. I think we’ve been trying to avoid each other like a plague.”
“He gonna make trouble?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
Dane climbed out of his truck, and his blue eyes found mine as he’d sought them out. His face was a mask of coolness, and calm, but his eyes told me what I needed to know, like they always had. The air crackled but instead of feeling the sexual tension I’d become accustomed to, it was filled with an ache caused by self-inflicted wounds, and repentance for a decision neither of us could really take back. He inhaled deeply, spearing me with one final look, and then stalked away.
“He didn’t look too pleased to see me here,” murmured Beau. “Isn’t he going to think something’s going on?”
I tried for a careless shrug, but I knew that Dane misinterpreting what he saw between me and Beau was a real possibility.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m sure he’s moved on by now anyway.”
And that possibility was like taking a bullet to the chest.
AFTER I’D SAID my goodbyes to Beau, and he’d reassured me he was staying the night in a motel before driving back to Georgia, I headed inside. I opened the door, and it looked like I’d landed in hell.
Jade and Reid were having a screaming match, and judging by the sound of Jade’s voice she was winning. They were so wrapped up in their argument they hadn’t heard me come in.
“You’re an asshole, Reid Cole,” she shrieked angrily.
“Jesus, Jade, will you please just hear me out?” Reid looked exasperated. “I don’t understand why you’re so damn upset. You were the one who said you couldn’t do commitment!”