16. Chapter Fifteen #2
The sheet chooses that moment to give up entirely, sliding down to reveal a tantalizing strip of skin before Beau catches it just in time, his face flushing red beneath his rugged beard.
"For fuck's sake," he mutters.
"Language," Sienna says automatically, then seems to realize she's lecturing a half-naked man in his own home. "Whoops. Sorry. Mom instincts."
Beau shrugs it off and Sienna's eyes snap across to bore into me. "A phone call would have been nice, Mol."
"Sorry," I say, stepping into view, which makes both of them turn to look at me. "I thought Etta and Mabel would have told you by now."
Beau's eyes immediately darken as he takes in the sight of me in his shirt, and I swear I see the sheet situation get even more precarious.
Sienna follows his gaze, then looks between us with the expression of someone who's just solved a very interesting puzzle.
"Oh, they told me," she says, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"When I called them at six this morning, only to inform me that 'our Molly has found herself a man' and that I should 'give the lovebirds some time to nest.'" She air-quotes the last part.
"I thought they were being dramatic. Apparently, I was wrong. "
"Dramatically accurate," I correct, grinning.
Beau makes a sound that might be a laugh, but he's too busy fighting his rebellious sheet to commit to it.
"So," Sienna continues, clearly pissed at me but enjoying this far too much to hide her amusement.
"When I didn't hear from you at all yesterday, and you didn't come home last night, I started to panic.
I imagined all sorts of horrible scenarios.
" Her eyes flick up and down my outfit, and then across to Beau's…
sheet. "I did not, however, imagine finding you here wearing nothing but a satisfied smile and your boyfriend's shirt. "
"Sienna—"
"Which, by the way, looks amazing on you.
Very 'claimed by a mountain man' chic." She pauses, then her expression shifts to something more urgent.
"But seriously, I need your help today. David's coming home tomorrow, and I'm throwing him a welcome back BBQ.
You just know the whole town's going to show up, and I'm completely overwhelmed trying to organize everything by myself. "
I glance at Beau, whose jaw immediately tightens at the mention of a social gathering. I know I shouldn't expect him to go out of his way for me, but I don't like the idea of leaving just yet.
He chokes on whatever he was about to say, and the sheet slips again. This time, he just gives up and holds it with both hands, the broom clattering to the floor behind him.
"Are you planning to stand there holding that sheet all morning?" I ask him, biting my lip to keep from laughing.
"If I let go, your sister's going to get a show she didn't pay for," he grumbles.
"Trust me," Sienna says dryly, "after three years of medical school, there's not much that can shock me. But maybe we should all get some clothes on before we continue this conversation?"
"Actually," Beau says, and something in his voice makes us both look at him. "Why don't you stay for breakfast?"
The words come out gruff and almost desperate, like he's afraid we're going to disappear if he doesn't give us a reason to linger.
Maybe he feels the same as me… Not ready to let this wonderful night go.
Sienna blinks at Beau. "You can cook?"
"Of course I can cook!" he says, looking slightly offended. "I'm not a complete savage."
"No, I know. But like… you can cook?" Sienna repeats, as if he just claimed he could fly. "Like, actual food that won't poison us? Food that hasn't been caught in a trap on your roof last night?"
I laugh, stepping forward to press a kiss to Beau's jaw, right above his beard. "He's full of surprises."
The kiss makes him go very still, and when I pull back, he's looking at me with an expression so tender it makes my chest tight.
"We're staying," I announce, grabbing Sienna's hand and pulling her fully into the cabin. "I'm not ready to leave this perfect bubble yet."
Relief flashes across Beau's face so quickly I almost miss it.
"Good," he says deeply. "Let me just... put on some pants."
"Probably for the best," Sienna murmurs as he kisses the top of my head and disappears down the hallway, still clutching his sheet. "That man is ridiculously attractive, and I'm very happily married, but even I'm not immune to..." She gestures vaguely in the direction he went.
"Right?" I flop onto his couch, pulling my knees up to my chest. "It's like he was carved by ancient gods who had very specific ideas about what the perfect man should look like."
"And apparently very generous ideas about proportions," Sienna adds with a wicked grin.
"Sienna!"
"What? I'm just saying… That sheet was working overtime."
I bury my face in my hands, torn between mortification and laughter. "You're terrible."
"I'm observant." She settles beside me on the couch.
"So. Want to tell me what's really going on here?
Because last I checked, you were visiting for a few days to get your head straight after leaving Riley.
Now you've forgotten to pay the mechanic and I've found you up on the mountain playing house with your ex-fiancés brother. "
The teasing note in her voice fades, replaced by genuine concern, and I feel my stomach twist with anxiety.
Because she's right.
This is complicated. And messy.
And probably moving way too fast.
But it also feels like the most right thing I've ever done.
"It's..." I start, then stop, not sure how to explain something I don't fully understand myself.
The sound of cabinets opening and closing drifts from the kitchen, followed by the sizzle of something hitting a hot pan. Whatever Beau's making already smells incredible.
"It's new," I finally say. "And scary and wonderful and I have no idea what I'm doing. But Sienna? I've never felt like this before. Not even close."
She studies my face for a long moment, then reaches over to squeeze my hand.
"Then just go with it," she says simply.
And just like that, my perfect morning bubble gets a little bit bigger.