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“Beau, people are looking for you. They’re worried about you.”
His expression changed. I’d angered him. “The important people know where I am. Otherwise, it’s no one’s bloody business.”
“Who knows where you are?”
“If you insist on making me say it, you and my father.”
My eyes opened wide. “What about Press?”
Beau sneered.
“Okay, not Press. Daphne? Remember her? The love of your life? I’m sure everyone you’ve deemed not important thinks you’re with her in Australia.”
“I never once said Daphne was the love of my life.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I hate it when you do that.”
“I’m sorry, but…never mind.”
Beau shook his head. “You’ve gone this far; you may as well spit it out.”
“What about Cru and the, you know, other guys?”
“I don’t know what you’re referring to when you say ‘other guys,’ and don’t you dare roll your eyes again, or I’ll put you over my knee. And if I wanted Cru to know where I was, I would’ve told him. The truth is, it hasn’t been long enough for anyone to even care that I’m gone—whatever that means. Where is it everyone thinks I should be?”
“You have a job, Beau.”
“You know as well as I do that this is the slowest time of the year in the vineyard. There’s literally nothing to do.” He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. “I know it may be difficult to believe at times, but I am a grown-up. I stopped checking in once I reached adulthood. I just want everyone to leave me the fuck alone. Present company excluded, of course.”
“There are worse things than having family and friends who care about you. Like not having either.”
When I turned away, he put his hand on my chin. “Look at me, Samantha.” He waited until I returned my gaze to him willingly. “You have many friends who care about you.”
“Notmany.”
“Very well, you have friends who care about you. And, I might point out, you may have family who does as well. Or will do.” He glanced at the letter from the attorney. “For example, Cena Covert may be a relative. Perhaps you have others you know nothing about.”
“One would think if Cena did have other family, she would have left all her worldly possessions to them.”
“Well, all right, I’ll concede that as logical. Now, apart from the drudgery of laundry, what else do you want to do today?”
“I need to clean the apartment and run some errands. All things you hate.”
Beau smiled. “You’re just trying to get rid of me now, aren’t you? I’m onto you, Ms. Marquez.”
It was all I could do to keep my eyes from rolling. It just came naturally when I was around Beau.
“Well done. It wasn’t terribly difficult not to roll your eyes, now, was it?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I walked over to the window where Wanda lay. Like me, she was probably wishing the sun would shine.
“Sam?”
I scratched her ears, then picked her up for a cuddle. “Yeah?”
“Regardless of how many friends you have, you know I’m always number one, right?” Beau walked over and rubbed Wanda’s neck, then messed my hair. “In case you’re wondering what that means; no one on the face of this earth cares more about you than I.”
