40. Beau
Beau
T he vulnerable look in Anna’s eyes gutted him. How could her parents live with themselves after the way they’d hurt her? It made Beau physically sick to see her like this.
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “I’ll be right beside you, no matter what you decide.”
Her shoulders lifted and relaxed as a smile lit her features. “I know. I can’t thank you enough for that.”
Oh no. She had that glassy look in her eyes. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You okay? What can I do?”
She shook her head. “You’ve done everything. You always know how to cheer me on, and I love that you’re always on my side. I love you .”
Good. At least they were on the same page, because he loved her more than life itself. “I love you too. Now, do you want to go check out the silent auction?”
Anna carefully wiped at the edges of her eyes. “Yes. That’s my favorite part of this gala.”
“I’m not going to pretend like I know what it is. I’ve never done this before.”
Anna’s earlier tears were forgotten as she dove headfirst into the silent auction. They slowly made their way through the room bidding on the items and talking with people Anna knew. Fortunately, no one gave him a second look. They were mostly interested in catching up with Anna.
When they moved out of the auction room, her parents were nowhere in sight. Anna was in a brighter mood, and Beau didn’t bring up the elephant in the room. If she got a chance to talk to her parents tonight, maybe it would be in God’s perfect timing.
The dinner was a plated, five-course meal, and Beau held up the set menu between them, whispering behind the thick paper. “Is this a different language? What is camembert? Why is the turkey stuffed with prune and juniper?”
Anna giggled, and the sound was a jolt straight to his heart. He’d do anything to keep her happy like this.
Beau glanced up as a couple walked by their table. Anna’s parents passed so close to them that her father’s coat brushed Beau’s arm .
In a desperate attempt to distract Anna from her parents’ dismissal, Beau asked, “Do you think they’d let me substitute the pavlova for Froot Loops?”
Anna’s smile faded. Shoot. She’d noticed.
Beau reached for her hand beneath the table. “Don’t worry about talking to them right now. We can’t exactly switch tables during dinner, so this is your time to relax.”
A bright-eyed woman in her early fifties let out a controlled gasp when she spotted Anna. “Anna Harris, it is so good to see you!”
Beau relaxed as soon as Anna stood to greet the woman. “Sharon! It’s so good to see you too.”
The woman embraced Anna, then stepped back to give her a once-over. “You look amazing. You are practically glowing.”
Anna reached for the woman’s hand. “Thank you, but I was going to say the same about you.”
Sharon pointed at a man a few feet away. “Mark retired, and it has been the best thing for us.”
“That’s amazing. Congratulations to both of you.”
Sharon leaned around Anna to lock her attention on Beau. “And who is this?”
Beau stood and offered his hand, but Anna beat him to the introduction.
“This is my boyfriend, Beau Lawrence. Beau, this is Sharon Black. She and her husband own hotels in and around Jackson Hole. ”
Wow. They owned multiple hotels in one of the country’s top vacation destinations? Even knowing Sharon and her husband were probably loaded, the woman was friendly and down-to-earth. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Beau said.
Sharon’s brows rose as she took his hand with a playful smile. “The pleasure is all mine. I hope you’re treating Anna well. She’s the sweetest woman I’ve ever met.”
Yep. Beau and Sharon were going to be good friends. “My mission is to make her happy for as long as she’ll let me.”
Sharon pinched her lips together, trying and failing to hide a grin. “Well, that’s good.” She leaned closer to Anna and held up a hand in a show of sharing a secret. “He’s a hundred times better than that sour-faced man I saw you with last year.”
Anna chuckled. “You have no idea.”
“And what line of work are you in, Mr. Lawrence?” Sharon asked.
Oh, great. The question he’d been waiting to rear its ugly head. “I’m a small business owner.”
Sharon made a rumbling sound in her throat. “Really. That’s impressive. I admire anyone who has the guts to step out and take a risk these days. I’ve never understood the appeal in working for anyone but yourself.”
Beau raised his glass of water. “I agree. ”
Sharon reached for Anna’s hand and whispered, “I like this one.”
And with that, the nervous energy Beau had been carrying around all night slipped away. Sharon had a gift for making people relax in the most uncomfortable situations.
Beau pulled Sharon’s chair out for her to sit next to Anna. Once the two women settled into a conversation, Beau leaned over to whisper to Anna.
“I’ll be right back.” He gestured toward the alcove where the men’s room was discreetly labeled.
Anna nodded, clearly happy to have a friend next to her.
Beau was washing his hands when Anna’s dad walked in. He’d met her father before, and the encounters had always been polite but petty.
Donald Harris lifted his chin as he stopped next to Beau. There wasn’t an ounce of emotion in his voice as he said, “This could all be over if you would leave her alone.”
Oh, good. A solution.
Too bad it wasn’t a solution. Not one that Anna would like. It was just another way her parents could dictate her life.
“Polite decline. I think Anna is tired of someone else calling the shots in her life, but you’re welcome to take that proposition to her yourself. You’ll be digging your own grave, but that’s your call. ”
Donald’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s a figure of speech. Anna wants you in her life, but she doesn’t need someone making decisions for her anymore.”
With a huff, Donald lifted his chin again. “Catherine has big plans for Anna without you. Bow out now and save yourself the embarrassment.”
Beau dried his hands and shoved them into his pockets. “Why do you care? You don’t care about Anna, so what’s your endgame?”
Donald made a tsk sound behind his teeth. “You don’t understand. We have a reputation to uphold, and we didn’t raise Anna to throw it all away on trash who will find some other tramp within the week.”
Beau took a deep breath. “I hope you’re not implying Anna is a tramp because that won't end well for you.”
“The point of this conversation is to convince you that leaving Anna now is what’s best for her.”
Well, Beau’s patience was officially at its end, and a few more words with this guy might earn him a trip to jail before the end of the night.
“She’s twenty-eight years old. Twenty-eight.
You have to trust her to make her own decisions now.
She’s not a pawn in your networking game.
She isn’t your employee anymore, and calling her your daughter is kind of a stretch when you’ve turned your back on her.
So, I think it’s weird that you assume she’ll come running back, asking for you to manage her life again. ”
“Obviously, she can’t make decent decisions on her own. You’re living proof of that.”
Beau stepped closer to the man he wanted to throat punch.
“Here’s a decision Anna and I made together.
We’re committed to each other through the good and the bad.
I’ll love her without strings attached. I’m not asking for your blessing.
I just wanted you to know that I’ll be taking care of your daughter from now on.
She’ll have everything she needs and wants, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy. ”
If Donald was bothered by Beau’s admission, it didn’t show. Instead, the man continued to stare Beau down as if he could set him on fire with a look. “Success isn’t about happiness. It’s about determination.”
The skin on Beau’s arms prickled, and he forced out another deep breath that was anything but relaxing. Still, falling into Donald’s trap wasn’t on Beau’s list of things to do today. “I can see this conversation is getting us nowhere, but I have one thing to ask of you.”
Donald huffed a single laugh. “That’s incredibly bold of you.”
“Hear me out. Anna still cares about you and her mom, despite the way you’ve shut her out. I know she would like to at least hear from her parents on Christmas.”
“That’s—”
“Just think about it,” Beau said before stepping around Donald and out the door.