Chapter 9
JULES
“I guess it’s safe to say you’re a good teacher.”
For some reason, I felt compelled to talk to Beau while he was focused on cleaning up the mess he’d left on my belly. I think there was a small part of me that was slightly worried that if I remained quiet, I’d spend far too much time taking in the way he looked while doing it.
When he’d returned from the bathroom with the cloth to clean me up, he hadn’t just handed it over, expecting me to deal with it. Beau hadn’t said anything. In fact, he’d kept his focus strictly on the task at hand, and it made me wonder what thoughts were going through his head.
And because I started having thoughts that he might be feeling some of the same things that I was feeling—that what was developing between us felt really good, even if it was moving fast—I thought it might be better to fill the silence.
At least it’d give me something else to focus on.
Plus, I figured that doing a bit of teasing with it was the way to go.
Beau lifted his gaze from where he’d cleaned up the last bits of the mess, balled up the cloth, and offered a sweet smile. “And I think it’s safe to say you’re a fast learner.”
“I was always a great student,” I told him.
“Why do I believe that you aren’t joking about that?”
I grinned. “Perhaps because it’s the truth. So, are you going to stay there holding on to that cloth, or do you intend to join me in this bed again?”
Something washed over his expression, something that felt far more serious than the conversation to this point had been. But as quickly as I saw it, that look was gone. Beau stood and held up the cloth. “You have a hamper?”
“In the bathroom.”
Beau snatched up his underwear on his way to the bathroom, and when he returned, he’d put them on. It was probably for the best, because I needed to focus for a few minutes. I didn’t go in search of my underwear, but I found my shirt on the opposite side of the bed, so I pulled that over my head.
At the same time that I said, “So, I have something I want to ask you,” Beau revealed, “I have something I need to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. You go first.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. What’s going on?”
My mind was spinning with thoughts of what Beau might have wanted to talk to me about.
Maybe it was whatever had put that look on his face just a few minutes ago.
Recognizing that I’d likely get some answers about what was on his mind the faster I asked what I had to, I decided not to waste any more time.
“I’m not sure if you recall me mentioning it, but my birthday is coming up on the twenty-second of this month, and I was wondering if you would like to or, perhaps, be willing to join me at the birthday party my family is throwing for me.”
I’d been thinking about it for the past few days, and while I had initially liked the idea of keeping Beau to myself, the reality was that I liked him and what was happening between us enough to want my family to meet him. I couldn’t think of a better time to make introductions.
“Oh, uh, well, family gatherings aren’t really my thing.” He seemed rather flustered, which I thought was strange. For a man who was always so confident, Beau’s reaction caught me off guard.
I wanted to reassure him. “Look, I realize it might be a bit terrifying on the surface, considering you’re an only child, I’m one of six, and we’ve only recently met each other. The last thing I would ever want to do is scare you off, but I think it’s best you know the truth up front.”
Tipping his head to the side, his eyes roamed over my face. “The truth?”
I nodded. “Being involved with a Westwood means learning to love celebrating. My family hasn’t met a reason for a celebration they didn’t love. It’s just our thing. But I promise that everyone is really nice, and it’s always a great time.”
Beau jerked his head back and blinked rapidly. “What?”
“Are you confused about something?”
“Did you just say… Is your last name Westwood?”
“Yes. Didn’t I already tell you that?”
He shook his head. “You absolutely did not mention that.”
I studied him, trying to read the concern on his handsome face. “Okay. Well, now you know. I don’t understand why you seem so… bothered by it. What does it matter?”
Beau ignored my question. “So, your name is Jules Westwood?”
“Yes.”
“And would I be correct in assuming your family owns Westwood’s.”
I thought that much was obvious. “The Westwood Company, in its entirety.”
His concerned gaze didn’t move from my face. Beau just sat there, staring and thinking. Quite frankly, I thought it was the oddest reaction to learning I was a Westwood.
“Beau?” I called when he remained silent for far too long.
“Yeah?”
Since he seemed to be having such a tough time, I reached out and placed my hand on his arm. “Is everything okay?”
“You’re like royalty in this town.”
I rolled my eyes and let out a laugh. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Trust me, I’m no princess. And nobody in my family thinks they’re a king or a prince or anything else like that.”
Despite my reassurances and the fact that I’d laughed it off, Beau was still as serious as ever. “But you’re the baby of the family, right?”
“I mean, I’m going to be twenty-five, so I’m hardly a baby. But yes, I am the youngest. What does that have to do with anything?”
He shot up off the bed and began pacing. “You’ve got four older brothers.”
“I have an older sister, too.”
“And your parents are still married?”
No doubt he could see the crease that had formed between my brows.
This was the strangest line of questioning I’d ever received.
“Yes. So are my grandparents. And my aunt and uncle. And all of my siblings are married, and some of them already have kids or are expecting. Again, I’m still confused about what this has to do with anything. ”
“Do you think that your family is just going to accept me, the tatted-up skateboarder who’s nearly ten years older than their youngest daughter or sibling?”
If I was honest, I had thought briefly about the age difference between us and how my family might react to learning about it, but I didn’t dwell on it, because it really didn’t matter. In the end, I was an adult, and if I was happy, wasn’t that all that mattered?
“Considering my brother, Cooper, and his best friend, Marco, who happens to be married to my sister, Ivy, are both covered in tattoos, I’m not sure why you think that you having tattoos is a problem.
And what does it matter if you’re a skateboarder?
You’re doing something you love to do and are very good at, and you’re on the team of one of the most respected board companies in the world.
I’m a professional baker, who has her own bakery.
It seems to me that we’re both doing something with our lives that makes us happy.
None of this is a problem. Or, well, it shouldn’t be. ”
Beau had stopped pacing. “The bakery is yours?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
He shook his head. “No. I just thought you were someone who worked there.”
I guess I could see how he’d drawn that conclusion.
“Well, I’m not. I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember.
And as soon as I graduated from high school, I enrolled in an accelerated pastry program.
My brother built me the bakery, and that’s what I’ve been doing for years now.
You enjoyed all the desserts I made before you had this news.
Does knowing that place is mine change anything? ”
There was still such disbelief, such disgust, in his expression. He returned to pacing and mumbled, “I can’t believe I did this.”
“Beau, can you please sit down and tell me what’s going on?”
I hadn’t reached the point of begging yet, but if he continued to act like this without offering an explanation, I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to resist resorting to those measures.
“God, I’m such an idiot.” Beau was still muttering to himself, completely lost in whatever thoughts were ravaging his brain.
My heart sank. Was he regretting everything that had happened between us? Suddenly, I felt very vulnerable. With nothing but a T-shirt on, I climbed beneath the blanket and sheet on my bed and watched him for a few beats. But eventually, I couldn’t take it any longer.
“Beau?” He came to a halt and looked at me, like he’d forgotten where he was for a moment. “Please talk to me.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “This… This is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Until he’d mentioned it, I’d completely forgotten that Beau had something he’d wanted to discuss with me. But now, I was even more confused than before. “You wanted to talk to me about my family?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “No. I…” Beau sighed, defeat washing over him. “I’m so sorry, Jules. If I had known all of this before, it’s unlikely I would be here right now.”
A cold, empty feeling settled in my stomach. I felt hollow inside. “I don’t understand. Are you telling me that you wouldn’t have dated me if you’d known I was a Westwood from the start?”
“No, that’s not it. Not entirely, anyway. What I’m telling you is that I don’t date anyone.”
Well, that was just plain ludicrous. “Uh, maybe I’m crazy, but what would you call what you and I have been doing for a couple of weeks now?”
“I date, Jules, but it’s not in the way that you think. I date in the sense that I’ll go out on dates and have fun, but I don’t date to find a wife or meet families or attend birthday parties.”
That’s when it hit me. “So… So, what you’re saying is that I was nothing more than just a good time?”
For the first time since he’d gotten off the bed to pace, Beau’s features softened, and he returned to the bed.
He sat down on the edge of it and took my hand in his.
“I cannot tell you how sorry I am, Jules. I never meant to hurt you like this. When I tell you that I enjoy spending time with you, I mean it. I think you’re incredible. But—”