11. Beau
Beau
T his whole trip was full of firsts. Stepping into a bookstore wasn’t on Beau’s bucket list, but here he was, brushing shoulders with smelly literature.
Anna, on the other hand, lit up like a Christmas tree when she stepped into the cabin that had once been a home. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she whispered. “Look at this place!”
“This is not a joke. This is a nightmare,” Beau said.
Anna bumped his shoulder. Well, her shoulder bumped against his arm because of the height difference. “Stop being dramatic. Go find my book.”
Beau inhaled a deep breath and immediately regretted it. The musty smell of decaying words lodged in his nose. “Let’s get this over with.”
Shelves lined the walls, and freestanding shelves were positioned in the middle of each tiny room. Labels were taped to the tops of the shelves, and he scanned the ones in the first room.
How were there this many books?
Think. What would Anna like?
He scanned the labels as he passed.
True crime? No.
Biography? No.
New Age? What did that even mean?
He wandered through a few rooms before seeing the first sign for romance.
Great. It was the largest room in the house. The wall shelves were covered from floor to ceiling, two tall shelves ran parallel in the center of the room with books lining both sides, and stacks of smaller books balanced in piles.
Anna’s book was definitely in this room, but where to start? Something cavity-inducingly sweet. Something with a happily-ever-after. Something absolutely unbelievable.
He stopped at the first stack of books and picked up the one on top.
Ravaged by the Viking ? Not it.
Claimed by the Highlander ? Pass.
The Sheik's Hired Mistress ? Nope.
Good grief. All of these sported shirtless men with long hair cradling women in flowy dresses showing way too much chest. Were these the books women read?
Hmm, maybe Anna’s book wasn’t in here. After walking around the room scanning the shelves, he searched for another idea.
Anna peeked her head into the room. “Find anything?”
“Uh, not yet.” Heat crept up the back of his neck. Why were there so many shirtless men on these book covers?
Her brows lifted tauntingly. “You’ve been in here for half an hour. I was just checking to make sure you weren’t lost.”
Half an hour? Shoot. Why was this taking so long? They should have been back on the road by now. “Give me a few more minutes.”
Anna smiled. “Okay. I’m going to purchase your book. I’ll be waiting at the front.”
Seriously? How could she have found a book for him in this place? He never agreed to read whatever she picked out. He’d toss it in his bag and donate it to the secondhand store when they got home.
A small table by the door leading out of the romance room caught his eye. A sign taped to the wall behind it read “Christian fiction.”
That was what Anna would like. He picked through the books looking for something sweet.
Most of them had couples hugging or kissing on the covers, but one had a grinning man with a snowy background on the front.
He flipped it over and read the description about an attorney who would most likely fall in love with some guy she dated a long time ago.
Coincidentally, the love story happened in Colorado at Christmastime.
Perfect. Beau headed for the register where a white-haired woman greeted him with a friendly smile.
“Did you find everything okay?” she asked.
Beau handed over the book with a man on the cover. How in the world did he end up here? If someone told him he’d one day buy a romance book for his sister’s best friend while on her honeymoon, he would have laughed in their face. “Um, yeah. I think so.”
The woman hugged the book to her chest. “Oh, this one is good! I read it the Christmas before last.”
Beau scanned the room, but Anna was nowhere to be found. “It’s for my friend.”
“She told me all about you. From what I hear, you’re going to like the one she picked for you too.”
Doubtful .
The woman bagged up the book and handed it to him, smiling like she was the keeper of a really juicy secret. “Have a good day.”
He wandered toward what he hoped was the exit and found Anna brushing her delicate fingertips lightly over the spines on one shelf. The wonder in her eyes seemed completely out of place in a house filled with dusty books.
Beau filed that away under things he’d never understand about Anna.
The groan and creak of his boots against the wooden floor alerted her to his presence. Anna turned slowly, glancing between him and the bag in his hand. “Finally. I was thinking I’d have to drag you out of here.”
Beau shoved the bag at her. “Here’s your book. Let’s go.”
She took the bag and handed one back to him. “Tradesies!”
“No, not tradesies. This is a very official business transaction. I just bought us some freedom from your boring bucket list.”
Anna gasped, eyes wide and staring at him. “You take that back!”
Beau shook his head and held the door open for Anna to exit. “I said what I said.”
Instead of forging a path to the car, she hung back by his side. “What are we doing instead of ice skating?”
“I need to make sure I can make it happen before I say anything.”
He opened the passenger door for her, and she made a show of rolling her eyes before sliding into the seat. “Fine.”
When he rounded to the driver’s side, Anna was already staring at him. “What?”
“Open the bag,” Anna demanded .
He pulled the book out and read the title. “How to Win Friends and Influence People?”
“Yep. It’s a good one. I read it for the first time in high school, and I try to re-read it every year. Every business owner should read it at least once in their life.”
Beau eyed her warily. “I don’t need friends.”
“Forget about the friends part. Read it as an entrepreneur,” she said.
“Whatever.” He scanned the cover again. The text was plain, and nothing about it was fancy. “This says it’s the best self-help book of the twentieth century. Not only did you get me an old book, but you got me a self-help book. Are you serious?”
“It was written almost a hundred years ago, but it’s still great advice. Just trust me.”
Beau shoved the book back into the bag and tossed it into the back seat. “Fine. Look at yours.”
Anna tore open the bag like a kid ripping into birthday presents. She held the book in both hands and read the title. “ Amending the Christmas Contract .”
Beau started the car and shifted into reverse. “It said Christian, and it was in the romance section.”
Anna read the summary on the back. “She’s an attorney, and it’s set in Colorado. At Christmas!”
Great. She was getting all high-pitched and excited again. It was just a book.
“This looks amazing.” She pressed the book to her chest and looked at Beau. “Thank you. ”
“Don’t mention it. Ever.”
“Okay. I’ll tell you all about it when I read it.” She tucked the book into the bag at her feet and pulled out her laptop. “I’m going to try to get some work done.”
Anna sure did a lot of work for someone on vacation. At least she could work wherever. He couldn’t really fix vehicles from hundreds of miles away.
A soft hum came from Anna a few minutes later.
“Listen to this. ‘Your vlog post with Camille Harding inspired me to start up a clothes closet at my church. We’ve already had tons of clothing donations, and I can’t wait to help the people in my community.
Thank you for being an inspiration to women. ’”
“You really get fan mail?”
“It’s not fan mail, but a lot of women struggle with confidence. I love fashion, and I want everyone to feel comfortable in their own body. If my advice helps them feel empowered, then it’s a win.”
Beau would not engage. Talking about clothes would lull him to sleep, and he needed to stay alert for the rest of the drive.
“But I also want women to know that their worth isn’t tied up in beauty or appearance. So I try to make sure my audience knows they’re perfect and loved just the way they are.”
When Anna was quiet for a moment, Beau glanced over at her to find her looking back at him. “What?”
“Nothing. Just wondering what you’re thinking.”
“Not much. Just that I wear the same T-shirt and jeans every day, and I’m pretty happy about it.”
“Hmm. See, most women don’t have that confidence. You’re so sure of yourself, but lots of people struggle with it.”
“Do you?” he asked. It would be a stretch to think the gorgeous Anna Harris was secretly self-conscious about her body.
“No,” she said simply.
“Then why do you spend so much time doing this?”
“Because… I don’t know. It matters to me.”
“Strangers matter to you?” Beau asked.
“Yeah. Is that so unbelievable?”
Kinda. What was in it for her? She was serious about whatever fashion stuff she did online. It was tough to connect the dots when she didn’t have skin in the game.
Beau shrugged, and Anna turned back to her laptop.
“Here’s a message from one of my online friends. ‘Hey, Anna. I know you’re on your honeymoon, and I hope you’re having a good time. Let me know when you make it to Colorado safely.’”
Beau’s brows immediately pinched together. “She knows where you’re going on your honeymoon? How well do you know her?”
“We’ve been friends for years. We met through the vlog, and now we talk every day. Her name is Brittany, and she’s from California. She hopes to open her own boutique one day. We’ve been talking about meeting in person someday, but since I’m afraid to fly, that’s kind of a far-off dream.”
“What if Brittany is really Brandon, and you’re being catfished?”
Anna laughed. “Brittany is definitely Brittany. We’ve had plenty of video chats.”
Beau turned his attention back to the road. He wasn’t a woman, but he had a sister. Even though he didn’t worry about getting jumped in parking lots, he did enough worrying about Olivia to make up for it. “Just be careful.”
“I will.” She typed furiously for a few moments before stopping. “Oh, great. People finally found out that Dean and I didn’t get married.”