Chapter Seven #2
"Will you calm the fuck down, already? You're making me twitchy," Sammie snaps at me, which makes me shoot daggers at her.
She arrived in town earlier in the day to celebrate the Fourth with me and has been driving me nuts since the moment she got here.
"Oh, shut the hell up, twat," I grumble back, just as I spot Laura walking up with Taylor.
"Seriously, bitch, get your shit under control. I can't spend the whole damn day with you checking over our shoulders and acting like someone is out to get us."
"Fuck, I'm sorry." I rub my hands down the front of my frayed denim skirt to wipe away the sweat from my anxious energy. It doesn't help, so I go to wipe it on my shirt, but forget I'm wearing my American flag crop tank.
The day is actually pretty perfect weather wise, with a nice breeze and hardly any humidity, so I shouldn’t be this fucking clammy.
"Maybe we should go get a beer. See if that helps you relax some, hmm?" Sammie looks at me hopefully.
I nod.
Of course, we get stopped a million times before we actually make it to the kegs. I'm parched and waste no time chugging down my beer before refilling it.
Sammie laughs and slams her own.
"So, we're going to have alllll the fun tonight, are we?"
"Might as well. The weather's perfect, the DJ is not half bad, and you know damn well Mama's got a feast fit for a queen. Let's go stir shit up!"
For the next few hours, Sammie and I lose ourselves to our surroundings.
We drink and eat and dance, raising hell with anyone who will join us.
I know I should be watching out for Beau or helping with the festivities, but this is one day Mama and Nana both put their foot down and demanded I "act my age".
So, I do just that, with one of my best friends in the world.
"Holy shit, my feet hurt. Come on, girl. Let's go get another beer and take a break."
I want to give Sammie shit, but she's not used to rocking her cowboy boots like I am, so I take sympathy on my pint-sized bestie. I scan the area and find a few empty bales of hay. I nod towards them and giggle when Sammie about cries with relief at being able to sit down.
I make my way over to the keg lines and fill my cup.
I get Sammie's to the nozzle when I sense someone behind me, moving closer than is acceptable. The only thing stopping my body from reacting the way it’s trained to is the smell of Beau's woodsy scent, which makes me respond in a whole other way that isn’t appropriate for our present location.
"You're lookin' mighty fine tonight, Joey girl," Beau whispers in my ear as his beard scratches my neck. A feather-light kiss on my neck sends goosebumps shooting across my skin.
I look over my shoulder, which places our lips just millimeters apart. I glance from his eyes, down to his work boots, and back up without moving. "You're not looking so bad yourself, Officer."
I want to close the distance separating us, but a catcall startles me back to reality.
What the fuck has this man done to me? I was about to kiss him in the middle of the Fourth festival, where the whole damn town could see.
I've done lost my damn mind.
Taking a step back, I go back to filling Sammie's beer.
"You being safe tonight?" Beau leans against the wall, bringing himself into my view.
"Now, officer, I always behave like the good Southern girl my mama raised." My voice is sweet as pie as I bat my eyelashes at him.
Someone beside us snorts at the lie spilling from my lips, and it takes everything in me not to break character.
Beau, on the other hand, can't hold himself back. A cocky grin spreads across his face, making those damn dimples I love pop. "You wouldn't lie to an officer of the law now, would ya?" He tucks a strand of my wavy hair that fell out of my braid behind my ear.
Biting my lip, I release it and slick my tongue out to soothe it. I'm not even trying to tempt him, but I need to do everything in my power to keep my restraint and not attack Beau. The look on his face says he's struggling just as much as me.
"I'm not sure I can answer that question."
"That's fine. Just means I need to keep a better eye on you, then." Beau's finger runs down my arm as if he's struggling just as much as me right now.
Even though I stepped back only moments ago, we're closer than is socially acceptable. We're so caught up in each other that neither of us notice the person barreling straight for us.
"Beau!" a young woman screams before launching herself at Beau, who just barely catches her. She's a mess of wild and curly blonde hair and long, lean limbs.
"Hey, squirt. I wasn't sure if you were gonna make it. Mom and Dad said your boss wasn't going to let you off."
"Eh, I didn't give him much choice. I told him I've taken care of his grouchy ass and forgone several trips with friends over the years to cater to him, but I would not miss out on seeing my big brother.
He can handle his own damn life for a few days.
" She huffs as she shoves her gorgeous locks out of her face.
"Can he, though?" Beau questions with an arched brow.
"Oh, I've been so rude. I'm sorry. I saw my big brother and just reacted. I'm Scarlett Calhoun."
"Hi, Scarlett. I'm Jolene DuVall, but you can call me Jo."
"This is Jo?" Scarlett's eyes go wide as she stares at her disgruntled brother, who is scrubbing his hands down his face. "Oops, sorry!"
I tune her out as she excitedly starts talking to Beau.
If I had to guess, this blonde tornado is in her early twenties. She looks younger at first glance, but seeing her now, I'd say she's close to Laura's age. Not that her age really matters. She seems sweet and bubbly as she yaps Beau's ear off.
I couldn’t find out much about Scarlett when I did my deep dive on Beau, but I also didn’t look too hard.
I'm trying to sneak off when something tugs on my skirt. Looking down, I see Beau's gotten ahold of it, and it doesn't look like he's about to let go. I glare at him then down at his hand, but the bastard just smirks at me.
"Breathe, Scar," Beau cuts off his little sister, which makes them both laugh. I have a feeling that's something he's had to say to her quite a bit over the years. "Where are Mom and Dad?"
"Mom and Dad?" My voice croaks as I stare wide-eyed at Beau. He cannot seriously be thinking about introducing me to his parents right now, can he? The thought fills me with anxiety.
"Umm, they were actually over there talking to your nana and mother, Jo." Scarlett scans the crowd, then points out our families talking off to the side of the makeshift dance floor.
"Oh, fuck me. We need to go over there," I blurt.
"Umm, Joey girl, are you going to meet my parents while you're double-fisting drinks? If you are, I'm fine with it. I just wanted to check."
My nerves at meeting his parents had me completely forgetting about bringing Sammie her beer.
"Damn it. Hey, Scarlett, do you see the dark bombshell sitting over there?" I nod in Sammie's direction.
"Yep."
"That's my best friend, Sammie. Can you take one of these to her for me, please?"
"Absolutely. I'm gonna grab one first, and then I'll head her way."
"Great." I smile, pass off the drink, and then tug Beau's hand.
"Behave," he hollers over his shoulder.
Scarlett's back is to us, but I crack up when I see she flips Beau the bird.
"Relax. Sammie is harmless." His face eases up, so I add on a wicked grin, "Mostly."
"Let's see who's laughing once you meet my folks."
Beau guides me through the crowd. People step out of his way but nod or say hi as we pass.
"Are you sure this is necessary? We barely know each other." My desire to save his parents from my crazy mom and nana wanes as the reality of meeting them becomes more real.
"For now." Beau shoots me a wink.
Before I can argue, I spot a couple talking to my mama and nana. They’re all smiling. Beau’s dad lets out a booming laugh at something I’m sure Nana said, judging by the smirk on her face and the blush on my mama’s.
As we get closer, the woman's eyes light up the moment she sees Beau, which makes her husband turn in our direction too.
"Hi, Mom."
Beau hugs his mom and kisses the top of her head. As soon as she lets him go, his dad is pulling him into a backslapping embrace.
I feel like I'm intruding and want to bolt, but Nana snakes her arm in mine, anchoring me to my spot.
"I see you're getting to know the DuVall women. Let me introduce you to Jolene." Beau’s hand finds the small of my back, sending shivers through me. He guides me closer to his parents.
"Please, call me Jo. It's nice to meet you."
I'm so damn nervous that I don't catch either of his parents' names, which shouldn’t matter since I already know them from my research, but even that isn’t helping me. It isn't until Nana nudges me in the side that I snap out of it.
"Joey, Mrs. Calhoun was asking how you manage such a large farm and B&B."
"Oh, well, I certainly don't do it on my own. Mama and Nana are a huge help, and my manager for the B&B, Laura, is a godsend."
"Oh, the sweet British girl?"
I nod in confirmation.
"Your mother introduced her to us earlier. She is lovely," Beau's mom coos.
"She sure is. Are you all staying the night or heading back home?"
"We wanted to stay, but Scarlett could only get the day off. We're going to head back in about an hour or so. We were just talking to Lottie about coming back for a longer stay at the inn."
"That sounds great, and I'm sure Beau would love to spend more time with y'all."
"Absolutely, but I need to steal Joey girl for a minute. This is her favorite song."
Before I can say a proper goodbye, Beau's spinning me out on the dance floor. Within seconds, I'm lost in the rhythm of the music and Beau Calhoun as the rest of the world fades away.