AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Have fun tonight. You deserve to let loose and relieve your stress,” she says with a wink, and Beau doesn’t miss the smirk on her face. She’s so cute and feisty. I hope I’m like her when I grow old. I’m lost in thoughts about how much I care about Mrs. Potts when I see her whisper something in Beau’s ear.
We arrived earlier than scheduled to the restaurant. The owner, Tucker, meets us at the bar.
“Good to see you, young lady.” He wraps me in a hug. “And Beau, glad you upgraded.”
Beau’s brows knit together, and I can only assume Beau has brought another woman here. Was she from Kissing Springs? What did she look like? Did Beau have another serious relationship since he returned?
Beau ignores his comment and explains the security issues that come with me eating dinner here. Tucker says, “Feel free to look around. But we both know Beau would die for you, so I think you’re in good hands.”
Once upon a time, he would have thrown himself in front of a bus to save me. I want to believe he still would but what little relationship we’ve built in the past couple of weeks is hanging on by a thread.
Judging by Tucker’s reaction to seeing us together, the people in Kissing Springs are still rooting for Beau and me to repair our romance.
All Beau says is, “Hang out here until I get back.”
He filters through the restaurant, opening every door and checking the few cameras that are installed around the register where the waiters cash out. Then he heads up the stairs to the rooftop dining area.
Tucker stares at me with a lopsided grin. “You kids will figure it out.”
“If we were still kids, I would agree with you. I knew everything about him. Now I know almost nothing except he’s still a protector.”
Tucker’s soft smile makes me miss my dad even more. “You missed a key word—Your. Your protector.”
“I don’t know if he still buys the individual packs of jellybeans and mixes the flavors. I don’t know who his best friend is now that Mark passed away. And worst of all, I don’t know if he feels anything for me other than hatred.”
He grabs both of my shoulders. His hands are strong and his eyes steady. “There’s a fine line between love and hate. In this old man’s opinion, Beau could never hate you, even after you were with his brother. But it may seem like hate in contrast to the love you shared.”
It’s been years and even the old people in this town remember. He’s good friends with Beau’s parents so it makes sense, but I correct him. “I wasn’t with Beckett. I kissed him, that’s all.”
Beau returns. “Indoor dining is the best option.”
“But it’s beautiful tonight. We won’t have many more nights in the sixties. Please?”
After scanning the room again, he says, “Fine. But I’ll be closer to you. I hope that won’t be a problem.”
That’s exactly what I was hoping for.
Maverick and Jessie waltz in, arm in arm. I haven’t been around them both other than a couple of times when I came home from Nashville, and I’m excited to get to know him better. Jessie stamps her feet in quick succession. “Thanks for inviting us out tonight.” She grins while embracing me.
Maverick leans in, kissing me on the cheek. “Good to see you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Mark and Jessica.”
I can’t imagine the pain they’ve gone through. His brother, Mark, dying, and then falling in love with his brother’s girlfriend.
Beau gives Jessie a bear hug, and she whispers something in his ear but he just shakes his head.
What was that about?
Beau grabs three drinks for us and a water for himself. Maverick and Jessie catch us up on how they’ve turned her house into a rental for vacationers. The vacation market has increased over two hundred percent since the revitalization.
“Mav and I have had so much fun painting and tearing down layer upon layer of wallpaper. With each design, I can visualize the people inside and how they changed with each decade.”
My eyes widen at the thought of scraping off layers of wallpaper. I’ve seen it on decorating shows, and it always slows the process down. “Why didn’t you hire someone? I know a guy, Draper, that used to work at the distillery until he opened up a renovation business.”
Maverick tugs Jessie into him, then kisses the crown of her head. Oh lord, swoon. He loves her and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for my friend. “Because I’ve always believed in doing as much as I can on my own. But we bought most of our materials from his business because Axel and Ali recommended Draper.”
“Plus, it was fun splattering paint on each other. Ordering take-out and eating off the floor,” Jessie chimes in.
Awareness tickles my belly as I feel Beau’s hot gaze on me, but then he quickly averts his attention to our friends.
