Chapter 19 #2
“So,” Emmett started, “I think it’s safe to say we’re all dying to know where you’ve been.”
“Corpus Christi,” Tess replied, nibbling on her food.
“I went down there after Daddy’s accident.
I hadn’t planned to be gone so long, but…
” She stared down at her plate, set her sandwich down slowly, and her body just kind of deflated.
“It doesn’t matter now. We’re here to stay,” she said, looking over at me with questioning eyes. “That’s if you’ll have us.”
“Of course we will, honey,” Gran said, answering for me. “I was just tellin’ Claire that you’d come home to us one day. Just didn’t know you’d be bringing this handsome little fella with you.”
“Yeah, your room is just as you left it,” I said. “Stay as long as you want. And ignore Savannah, you know how she gets.”
My phone buzzed on the table, and I knew who it was before I looked at the screen. If Beau wasn’t here, he was calling.
“Beau?” Emmett asked, and I nodded, smiling like a fool. He was the only thing that could pull a real smile from me these days. The only thing that could break through the suffocating, crushing weight of my grief.
Tess’s brows flew up. “Beau? Like Beau McLeod?”
“You’ve missed a lot, Tessie,” Emmett said. “A whole lot.”
I answered the phone, “Hey, babe.”
“Everything alright?” his voice was low, thick with drowsiness. I hadn’t realized how late it was.
“You’ll never believe who’s here,” I told him, glancing at my baby sister. “Tess and her son Luke showed up about thirty minutes ago.” She looked down at her lap, her cheeks a light pink.
There was rustling on his end, his voice clearer. “Sorry, did you just say Tess?”
I got up and went to Tess’s room, grabbing clean sheets out of the linen closet. “Yep.”
“And she has a kid?”
“Sure does.” I couldn’t believe it. “She didn’t tell any of us about him, or that she was coming. Just showed up.”
“How old is he?”
“No clue, but he looks around Henry’s age.
” I wedged the phone between my shoulder and ear as I made Tess’s bed.
I turned away from the door, whispering, “It’s so weird, Beau.
She’s thin, like, too thin, and super timid.
Worse than she was when we were kids. She hasn’t said much of anything, just that they’re here to stay. Savvy’s pissed.”
“And how are you?”
I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m the same.”
“Want me to come over?” I was dreading going to bed alone if I were being honest. I hadn’t since before Mama died, but I didn’t want to grow too dependent on Beau. It wouldn’t be fair to him.
But I was also so weak for him. “Yes.”
“On the way,” he said. “Love you.”
“Love you,” I replied and hung up.
I went back downstairs. Everyone was in the living room now. Luke was in Tess’s lap, his head nestled in her neck. “You can put him to bed if you want,” I said, sitting next to them on the couch.
Tess ran her fingers through Luke’s hair. “It’s okay. He doesn’t fall asleep easily unless I’m next to him, and I want to visit a little longer.”
That seemed a little strange, but I didn’t know anything about children, so maybe it was normal. “Okay. Beau’s walking over. He’s excited to see you.”
She nodded weakly, pulling Luke closer to her. “How…how did that happen? Last I checked, we hated the McLeods and they hated us.”
“It’s new, only about a few weeks. We both signed up to become an equestrian academy’s extension location, and arguing about it turned into…not arguing.” I blushed, and Tess let out a little giggle. “He’s been really great with everything with Mama, and I love him like crazy.”
“I can tell. You’re glowing with it.” She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m happy for you, bear.”
“Thanks,” I said, my smile wilting a little. I was tempted to say, But you’re not, and you won’t tell me why.
The door whipped open quickly, and Beau came inside. Tess flinched, squeezing her eyes shut like she was bracing for something, and Luke clung onto her so tight I wasn’t sure how Tess was breathing.
“Everything okay?” Beau asked, dragging the words out while he stared at Tess and Luke with a confused look. I shook my head, just as lost as he was.
Tess opened her eyes, looking up at him. “Sorry, long day of traveling.” She cleared her throat. “Long time no see, Beau.”
“You too. You’re all grown up now,” he said, smiling. He moved into the house so slowly, it was painful to watch. It was like she was a deer he didn’t want to spook. “And you’re a mama now, I see.” He tipped his chin towards Luke, who hadn’t brought his face out of Tess’s neck. “He’s a cute one.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Sorry, he’s just really shy. Especially with new men. If I had known about you and bear, I would’ve shown him your picture like I did Em’s.”
I glanced over at Emmett with a ‘what the fuck?’ look. He just shook his head at me to drop it.
“No problem,” he replied. “Plenty of time to become friends.”
Tess glanced at me. “I’m gonna take him to bed. We’ve been on the bus all day.”
“Okay,” I said, watching as she got up. “I put clean sheets on your bed.”
“Thanks, bear. I’ll see y’all in the morning. Night.” And she went up the stairs. It impressed me that a tiny thing like her could carry Luke with ease.
When she was out of sight, Beau beelined for me. “What the fuck was that?” he said barely over a whisper, sitting down next to me. “Did you see how she flinched when I came inside?”
“I have no clue,” I replied. Beau was the last person someone needed to be afraid of, but I suppose I could understand. From an outsider’s perspective, he was intimidating, and with how long she’d been gone, Tess was an outsider now.
Emmett wrenched his jaw, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m starting to think whatever she had going on in Corpus Christi…it’s a good thing she left it there and came home.”
I stared at the stairs she just walked up, and couldn’t help but agree with him.