AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Thank you," I said, smiling.
Chapter 15
Beau
"Who was that?" AJ asked, after busting into Beau's room like he always did.
"Holland."
"Holland the woman, or Holland the place?" AJ asked, smiling like he was satisfied with his joke. But his face turned serious. "Really, who was it?"
"Holland the woman. She's in Arkansas. It's her birthday."
"How did you know that? I didn't know you were talking to her," AJ said.
"I haven't been." Other people had joined them in the room and they were all listening, but Beau didn't care. "I haven't seen or talked to her since I left Arkansas. I didn't think I would, but she left a note in my bag, and I just got it today."
"What kind of note?" AJ asked looking interested. "A love note?"
Three other guys were in the room and they all crowded around Beau, smiling and making various noises while looking at him like they wanted to hear more. Beau smiled and shook his head at them, putting his phone into his pocket.
"It was a love note," he said, grinning at the cheesiness of it all. He hadn't been unable to deny it, though. "She wrote a note saying she hoped to see me again sometime in Chicago."
"Pffft…. That's no love note," Thomas said, scoffing and squinting at Beau.
"You didn't read it," Beau defended.
"Hope to see you again sometimedoes not count as a love note," someone else agreed.
Beau wasn't surprised his friends were ribbing him. That was just how they were. It was locker room stuff. "It counts," Beau said, shrugging them off. "I'm the one that read it."
"Are you going to start dating her?" AJ asked.
"Yes," Beau said without hesitation.
Beau was not normally so decisive about women and his immediate answer caused them all to laugh and react.
"I've met her," AJ said. "And she's fine," he added with a smirk. That made Beau push at his brother's shoulder.
"She's probably ready to be barefoot and pregnant with a bonnet," Thomas said. "Right Beau? I bet she's back home waiting for you in your little prairie house."
They were playing around, and Beau knew that if he squirmed and denied it, they would just keep on giving him a hard time.
"She's actually not like that at all," AJ said. "Not that there's anything wrong with bonnets, but this girl isn't like that. If you looked at her, you'd think she… you know who she looks like? That girl, Danika. That cheerleader who Aaron used to date."
"Danika Riley?" Thomas said, screwing up his face and looking at Beau. "You got yourself a little scorcher over there? A little Mamacita?"
Beau just shrugged confidently because anything else would have turned into more teasing. They were all leaving, anyway. Kai had just come in to see where they were, and they began walking toward him.
But this wasn't the last time Holland was brought up over lunch. Beau was extremely selective with women, and everyone was curious about the one who had finally captured his attention. They discussed different topics at lunch, but Holland kept coming up. Kai's grandfather had been sitting two seats down on Beau's right, and it was toward the end of the meal when he leaned over to speak to Beau.
"I know you have a career in architecture waiting for you, but what is it your new girlfriend does? Does she have a job?"
"Yes, sir, she makes dog collars. She's starting her own business where she makes these personalized dog tags."
"Oh for, pooches?"
"Yes, dogs or cats, really. She's got a few smaller ones that she markets to cats."
