2. Beau
Beau
T he small parking lot in front of the church was packed—even more so than a typical Sunday morning. Apparently, Anna and Dean knew how to draw a crowd.
Money did that. Money brought people swarming in on all sides, and it only caused problems. For Beau, those problems were usually in the form of unbalanced accounting records. Mechanics weren’t built to handle money, and he’d gladly fix a car over reconciling statements any day.
He usually parked on the left side of the building, but that section was full because it was closer to the dining hall. Catering trucks blocked most of the area by the side entrance.
It was a good thing his motorcycle didn’t need its own designated parking spot. He parked on the right side of the building in front of the first row of vehicles and popped the stand.
He pushed back the sleeve of his leather jacket to check the time. The wedding hadn’t started. Why did it look like he was one of the last to show up?
Whatever. He’d find a seat at the back and slip in without having to make boring conversation with anyone. Then, he would sneak out while everyone got excited about the reception.
He pulled off his helmet and gloves and stowed them in the side bag. After running a hand through his short hair, it was time to face the music.
Olivia promised the ceremony would only last about fifteen minutes. He could sit still for a quarter of an hour. At least, his sister assured him he’d survive.
Olivia also claimed weddings were beautiful and thought he should be actively working to find a woman who would entertain the thought of spending her life with him.
That’s where she lost him. He had no desire to get married or commit to any other relationship titles people used these days.
He wasn’t interested in “hanging out.”
He didn’t care to “date.”
“Getting to know someone” wasn’t for him.
He needed a wife like he needed a toe fungus.
His black boots were a stark contrast to the white stone steps leading to the side entrance. Maybe he should have worn something nicer.
He was halfway up the stairs when a blur of white burst through the door. Anna held a small purse in one hand and pressed the other over the skirt of her dress as she flew down the stairs.
Anna Harris was a force to be reckoned with. The bride had been best friends with Beau’s sister since they were in middle school, and he’d gotten a front-row view as she’d carefully picked her way through life one perfect piece at a time.
Graduate with honors.
Become a successful attorney.
Help the community.
Volunteer at church.
Find a boyfriend.
Fall in love.
Get married.
Live in the suburbs with a picket fence.
Have pretty babies just like her.
Yeah, Anna’s list was generic, but one item on her list meant more than all of the others.
Fall in love.
The woman had been walking around with stars in her eyes since they were kids. Everything she did revolved around love and building the perfect family.
Now, she was barreling out of the church on her wedding day .
Her attention focused on her feet bouncing down the stairs until she was three steps from him. When she finally looked up, her eyes widened a mere second before her foot slipped off the step.
Poised and ridiculously perfect, Anna Harris even tripped gracefully. The whole thing happened in slow motion. Her foot landed unevenly, her shoulders pitched forward, and her arms reached toward him.
Then, someone hit fast forward. Beau opened his arms, and she tumbled right into his chest. Wrapping her up, he took a step down when the force threatened to send them both falling. Turning, he held her suspended above the stone stairs.
And that’s how Beau ended up dipping the bride on her wedding day.
Anna clung to his back and shoulders, huffing quick, loud breaths. “I—I almost fell.”
“Yep. But I caught you.”
Please don’t panic. Please don’t make a big deal out of it. Please don’t cry. For the love of all things good, please don’t cry.
Beau raised her, holding her steady until she balanced on her feet. “Are you okay?”
Anna brushed her hands down her dress. The purse she’d been carrying was at the bottom of the stairs. “Um, I think so. You caught me.”
“Yeah,” Beau drawled. “We covered that.” Did she really expect him to just let her fall? Of course he would catch her. “You’re all good?”
She nodded quickly, still gasping for those quick breaths that were doing nothing to calm her.
“Breathe. I need more words, Anna.”
She looked up at him, and a wave of dread slid down his back. Her wedding started in fifteen minutes, and her hair was escaping from the pins holding it up. Was she wearing any makeup? Why was she in running shoes?
Shoot. She was running.
Granted, she needed to run. She needed to run as far and as fast as she could from Dean What’s-His-Face. That guy was the definition of a loser.
She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and closed her eyes. “Yes. I’m okay.” She swallowed hard and looked him up and down. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. I thought I was going to your wedding, but since it looks like you’re not going to your wedding, I guess I’m free.”
Anna turned to the building. Her blonde hair flared around her, still looking great despite being a little messy.
Satisfied that no one was coming after her, she grabbed Beau’s hand and continued down the stairs. “Good. Let’s go.”
Beau tugged slightly on her hand. Holding hands was one of those weird touchy-feely things people did in relationships, and he didn’t like the idea of being led around by Anna. “Whoa. What are you doing?” She’d been about to marry the world’s biggest moron. Did he really trust her judgment?
Anna stopped and turned to him, still gripping his hand. “I have to get out of here, and I need a ride.”
Beau took in her outfit. “You can’t get on my motorcycle like that.”
Anna looked down at her short dress. It was cute. Well, it was something other than cute, but Beau wouldn’t be analyzing it any more than that.
When she looked up, it was her sincerity that struck him. “Why not?”
“It’s fifteen degrees out here. You’ll freeze. And no skirts on the bike. That’s dangerous.”
That was a new and unexpected rule. Who would have thought he’d be laying down laws about skirts on his bike today or any other day?
Anna’s shoulders sank, and her blue eyes narrowed. “I really need your help.”
Oh no. She would not lure him in with a pitiful pouty face. He was immune to feminine wiles, and she was wasting her efforts to suck him into a situation that wasn’t any of his business.
“Anna!”
Beau turned at the sound of Dean’s sharp tone itching for a fight as Anna whispered a clean curse under her breath because the woman was as sweet as cotton candy and didn’t have a mean bone in her body, but Dean was Beau’s least favorite person on the planet.
It was easy to daydream about thumping him off a cliff, but Beau had done a fantastic job of staying out of Dean and Anna’s business since day one.
How exactly did he end up standing between the runaway bride and her ex-groom?
“Dean, she told me. I think it’s only fitting that you be the one to explain to everyone why there won’t be a wedding happening today.” She pointed at the woman trailing Dean like a puppy. “Misty is good at telling the story.”
“You can’t be serious. It’s our wedding day. Get back inside!”
Beau straightened his shoulders when Dean stalked closer, but he didn’t have a chance to take one step toward the guy before Anna pointed a manicured nail in Dean’s face.
“You think that’s going to work on me now? I can’t believe that all those trips you took were for her.” She turned the finger around on herself. “I begged you to spend time with me.”
“That’s the thing. You’re not begging. You’re nagging,” Dean said.
Misty looked like she’d been through the wringer with black makeup smeared from her nose to her hairline and all down her cheeks.
Why wasn’t it surprising that Dean had a woman on the side? Few people had ever seen him treat Anna with respect. Why did he ask her to marry him if he didn’t want to be faithful to her?
Dating had never been at the top of Beau’s to-do list, but it made sense that you wouldn’t ask a woman to spend the rest of her life with you if you didn’t want to spend the rest of your life with her.
Misty pulled on Dean’s arm. “Please. Let’s go. She said the wedding is off.”
Dean shoved her off and focused on Anna. “You think you can just leave?”
Anna crossed her arms over her chest. She had to be cold, but she didn’t look like someone protecting herself from the weather. It was a stance of defiance. “Did you cheat on me with Misty?” she asked calmly.
“What? How can you even ask me that?” Dean spat back, as if surprised she’d have the nerve to even ask.
Anna huffed. “Yeah, this conversation is over. I’m not marrying you. Misty can have you, and I wish you two the best. Oh, and you’ll be getting the catering bill. Be sure to tell everyone to stay and enjoy the food.”
Dean’s chest rose and fell as he took deep breaths. His face was turning a scary shade of red that didn’t look healthy. “Get. Back. Inside.”
“Absolutely not,” Anna spoke calmly with her chin slightly lifted. “I don’t have to stay with you. I didn’t stand up in front of God and the people of this town and make vows to you.”
“This is ridiculous. I?—”
“Dean,” Misty whined, still pulling on his shirt.
Dean rounded on her, and she shrank back. “Shut up. This is all your fault.”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Anna said.
Dean threw his hands in the air. “Why do you care how I talk to her?”
Anna clenched her fists at her sides. “Because you talk to me the same way. You don’t have to say it. I know you’ve been seeing her.”
Beau crossed his arms and eyed that little bit of tension in her hands. Good for her. She needed some fight in her after putting up with loser Dean for so long.
Dean took a step toward Anna and lowered his voice. “I swear, if you don’t get back in there?—”
“You might want to take a quick second to think about how you want to finish that sentence,” Beau said.
Great. Why’d he have to say something? It was like the words just popped out.
Getting involved in this marital tiff was about as appealing as licking wet paint, but apparently there was a tipping point to Beau’s indifference.
Anna grabbed Beau’s hand and pulled him toward the parking lot. “Let’s go, please .”
She hadn’t cried yet, but the last word was drawn out and a little shaky. That was the only reason he let her lead him away from the church.
“You’re leaving with Beau ?” Dean spat.
“I’m just leaving you. That’s the whole point of this exit,” Anna snapped back.
Thank goodness. She didn’t want him involved any more than he wanted to be.
Dean and Misty shouted at each other as Anna blazed a hot trail for Beau’s motorcycle, stopping only to pick up her purse. By the time she stood beside his bike, her whole body was shaking.
“You’re freezing. Let me get someone’s keys and we’ll take a car.”
“No.” Anna grabbed his bicep with enough force that he heeded her word. “I need to go now. My mom will figure out what’s going on soon, and I can’t be here when?—”
Beau held up a hand. “You need pants.”
“I don’t have pants.”
Beau reached into his side bag and pulled out a pair of black sweatpants he’d intended to wear at the gym and handed them to her. “You’re lucky they’re clean.”
Anna didn’t waste a second as she handed him her purse. She hiked her leg up, exposing the pale-blue garter snugly wrapped around her thigh and shoved her feet into the pants—shoes and all. With the other leg in, she jerked the string around the waist to its max and knotted it .
Okay, he’d expected a little pushback on the pants. At least she was making this easier. “Tuck the dress in.”
“What?”
“I’m serious. I don’t want your skirt getting caught in anything.”
Without a word, she shoved the ends of the dress into the waistband of the pants. “Good?”
Beau stowed her purse in the saddle bag and handed her the helmet. She shoved it over her hair without missing a beat.
She really wanted to get out of here.
“What about you?” she asked, her words muffled through the helmet.
“I didn’t really expect to have a passenger today.”
She reached to take the helmet off, but Beau put his hand on top of it. “Nope. This isn’t negotiable. You have to wear it if you’re riding with me.”
Anna lowered her hands and rested them on her hips, showing off her bare arms.
That wasn’t going to work either. Beau slid the leather jacket off his back and held it open for her.
When she hesitated, he shook the jacket. Surely, she wouldn’t fight him on this too. “This isn’t negotiable either.”
Anna turned around and slipped her arms into the sleeves. Shivering, she wrapped it tight around her front. “Thanks. ”
Dean and Misty were still arguing on the steps, but it wouldn’t be long until someone came looking for the bride and groom. He shoved his gloves on and focused on Anna. “Have you ever been on a bike before?”
Anna shook her head, but he couldn’t see her face through the helmet. As long as she didn’t puke, they should be okay.
“This is a first for both of us.” He slung a leg over and settled in. “Rules. Hang on tight, and lean when I lean.”
“What?” She was still shaking, but was it from the cold or fear?
“When we lean to turn, don’t try to balance by righting yourself. You have to lean into the curve.”
Anna glanced at the church then straddled the bike behind him. Her body pressed against his back, and her arms wound around his chest.
At least she was taking rule number one to heart. She’d cut off his air supply hanging on like that.
He tapped her hand. “Not that tight.”
Her grip loosened, but only a little.
“Where are we going?” he asked, keeping an eye on Dean and Misty.
“Your garage,” she said as she pressed the side of her helmet to his back.
As soon as he started the bike, Catherine Harris stormed out the door with their friend Hadley on her heels.
“Go!” Anna shouted behind him.
He didn’t need to be told twice. Catherine Harris wasn’t his favorite person, and he’d do just about anything to avoid her, including riding off with Anna on her wedding day.