Written in the Sand

by Marie , J

  “Beau…”

  “Please Cass… Come on. One date. One night. That’s all I’m asking right now.”

  She still didn’t respond and I was starting to worry that she was going to really turn me down.

  I dropped to my knees in front of her, flowers in one hand, “Please.”

  She laughed, then fake rolled her eyes. “Oh, alright. If you’re going to pull my arm over it, I guess I have to.”

  “One of these days, Cassidy Mae. You’re going to crash into me. You’re going to decide that you can’t live without me. I’m going to win you over, you’ll see.”

  A spread widened her face.

  “You keep telling yourself that, Beau. You got a yes out of me. Are you happy?”

  “Baby, I’m so pleased you want to go on a date with me. As for telling myself, I’ll be telling you too.”

  She eyed the flowers with a smile and I couldn’t help but feel proud for buying them.

  “These are for you too.”

  “Beau Montgomery, did you go and buy me flowers just to ask me out on a date with you tomorrow?”

  “It would seem like that’s exactly what I did. Plus, I wanted to give you something to remind you that I’m all in with us, Cass. Every time you look at those flowers, you’ll think about me and I like that idea quite a bit.”

  “You would, huh? You do realize that flowers die eventually, right?”

  “You’re right, those flowers may die, but even when they’re gone they’ll still be a good memory of us. I’m trying to take every bad memory of yours and replace it with an “us” memory. An unforgettable one.”

  “You’re too good to me. You know that?”

  “I’m good only for you and when you want me to be bad for you, I can handle that too. You just tell me when and where.” I winked at her and the giggle that erupted from her mouth caused my heart to beat faster. I loved making her happy. Making her smile. Every single smile was mine. I was capturing each of them in a happy moment. One that we’d have for the rest of our lives.

  If I didn’t watch this heart of mine, I’d lose it to Beau. He was the most charming, sexiest man I’d ever met. We shared a history. We’d both grown up in this small town and he was bound and determined to prove himself to me. I didn’t understand why he was trying so hard. I’d been fighting an internal battle daily. I wanted so badly to shed my past and let Beau in, but it scared the hell out of me.

  Andrew had been nice to me once too. He had fooled me good. I didn’t think Beau would, but the problem was that I didn’t know for sure. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to risk it. My heart was on the line again and I didn’t think I’d make it through another battle. It’d been through a lot and another heartbreak would damn near kill me. I truly believed he was worth it, but fear was holding me back. I knew where he stood, but I wasn’t sure if I could handle his love. It was intense. He wanted to consume me. Was I ready for that? Yet I couldn’t imagine my life without him. Maybe I should let it all go and give in to him. Give in to my desires, and let go of my fear. I had no idea what to do.

  Andrew’s fate still was a mystery to everyone, it seemed. If Devin was showing up in my town it was obvious that no one had heard from him. Devin knew something, but he wasn’t sharing. Those two were thick as thieves and no doubt into some bad juju. The last thing I wanted was Devin hanging around asking questions. I hadn’t seen or heard from him, but the threat still lingered that he’d come back like he said he would.

  One look at the clock confirmed that I needed to start getting ready for my date tonight. I was going on another date with my cowboy. I knew it would be fun. I always enjoyed hanging out with him, I just wondered if I was making the right choice by moving forward. I couldn’t deny what was happening between us. I decided then and there that tonight would be about us. Just Beau and I going out on a date. Zero pressure. If he wanted to kiss me I’d let him. I’d let him hold my hand too. What was the harm?

  Anytime I began to question my decision I mentally slapped myself out of it. I started grabbing clothes to wear from my closet. A pair of jean shorts, a tank top, some cute panties, socks, and my favorite pair of boots. I was glad that my parents had kept them over the years. I needed to shower. My hair was a mess from wearing a hat while working Oakley earlier today and I smelled like a combination of barn and sweat.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was clean and smelling fresh. I toweled out my wet hair and let it dry as I shaved my legs. No man wanted to see hairy legs on the girl he was dating. Although Beau certainly gave off the idea that he wouldn’t care what I was wearing when I was around him. I wanted to look nice for him though.

  I’d just gotten done drying my hair when there was a soft knock at the door. I opened it just a crack to see who was waiting on the other side. I hoped it wasn’t Beau, because there I was ass naked just fixing my hair and he’d be able to see everything from the mirror on the wall behind me.

  “Nice ass, Cassidy Mae. Damn, girl. Now I know what Beau sees in you. Let me in… I’m helping you get ready!”

  I quickly wrapped a towel around me. She clearly wasn’t bothered by my nudity, but I was.

  “I don’t need help, Rea. I think I can manage on my own.”

  She tsked me.

  “Okay then, missy. Let’s see what you’re wearing tonight.” She pulled up the clothes I’d laid on the bed and shook her head.

  “We can do better than this, Cassidy Mae.”

  “I’ve seen your idea of better, Reagan. I believe the last time you helped me I ended up in a swimsuit that was missing important pieces…”

  “Girl, you looked hot as hell in that suit. Beau’s eyes never left you that day.”

  “That’s not true,” I said and looked down at myself. “I’m not sure why he’d want any of this, I’ve got so much baggage, Rea.”

  “That man has been in love with you since we were kids, Cass. I’m pretty sure there isn’t anything you could do to change his mind on that. He’s just so happy you’re home. I know this is a lot to take in and he can come on strong sometimes, but please give him a chance. If it doesn’t work out, then so be it, but you’ll never know if you’re missing out on the love of your life just because you’re afraid to try.”

  “I’d already decided to let the cards fall where they may tonight, Reagan. I’m giving in and letting go.”

  “How far are you letting go, exactly? I mean… you finally giving in. Thinking about knocking boots with my big brother?” She winked at me.

  I playfully smacked her.

  “Reagan, ewww. Don’t talk about your brother like that…”

  “Like what? All I can say is that Tara was smiling for a week afterward.”

  “Really, he slept with skanky ass Tara? Gross.”

  “Girl, he was trying to learn for you. Who better to learn from…? I think it’s sweet. Sometimes we can’t all sleep with rock stars.”

  “He literally couldn’t find anyone else? Gah, I hate her.”

  “Cassidy Mae. You shut your mouth. It was a long time ago.”

  “Ok, fine, but still…” I curled my lip with disgust over the fact that he’d slept with my arch-nemesis from high school. It wasn’t enough to steal my boyfriends in high school, she had to go after Beau too…

  I couldn’t believe it, but I had no feet to stand on and be jealous about it. That was years ago when I wasn’t here. We weren’t together. I had no right to the decisions he made while I was off ruining my life with Andrew. I’m sure he probably felt the same way about Andrew that I now felt about Tara.

  “Alrighty, then. Let’s pick out some sexy clothes, shall we?” She laughed then started picking through my closet.

  “No… no… this is a terrible shirt, why do you have this?” She turned around accusingly and looked at me holding the shirt.

  “I got that years ago. You’re right though, it is ugly. Toss it.” She nodded and went back to snooping through my closet.

  “Here, perfect. Wear this, Cass. It’ll
make your legs look sexy as hell and you can totally pull off the short dress look.” She put her finger to her chin and tapped like she was pondering a great, important question of the world.

  “Were you planning on wearing cowboy boots too?”

  “Yes. What’s wrong with them?”

  “Nothing…”

  “It’s not nothing if you’re saying something about it. Now, spill.”

  “Cass, you’ve worn them in the barn two days this week. They aren’t date boots.” She turned to leave but then stopped. “Wait here, I’ll be right back. I’ve got the perfect pair if they fit you.”

  She left me in my room, waiting for her return. A few minutes later she returned with a pair of dressy cowboy boots. Brown leather boots weaved with yellow sewing in the pattern of a flower. They were the perfect boots to match the yellow sundress she’d picked out for me.

  I lifted up the dress and looked at it. “Is it your goal in life to continually have my ass hanging out in public?”

  “It’s sexy…you’ll look hot in that outfit, girl. Plus, I’m not the one who had it in my closet. If you were concerned about your ass hanging out then why’d the hell you buy it?”

  “Okay… okay, I see your point.”

  “Alright, I’ll let you get ready. Beau’s waiting for you in the living room, don’t take too long.” She winked and closed the door behind her as she left.

  I was a bundle of nerves about tonight. I wondered what would become of things between us. I wondered what would happen if I actually stuck to my plan and let him treat me like a date instead of just a friend. Or a girl that he’s been in love with for years. I didn’t want to stay in my past, but sometimes it was hard to move on. I quickly threw on my clothing, opened the door to my room, grabbed my purse, and bounded down the stairs. I didn’t want to leave him waiting any longer for me.

  Beau’s eyes scanned me from top to bottom and I watched his Adam’s apple dip and rise again. “You are a sight for sore eyes, Cass.”

  “I’m… I’m so sorry I kept you waiting. I didn’t know you were ready to go.”

  He walked towards me, arms open and I willingly walked into him. “Darlin’, I’d wait for you forever if I had to. I’m just glad you agreed to go with me.”

  Reagan rolled her eyes. “And that’s my cue, cheesy brother.”

  “You don’t like cheese, dear sister, you can leave anytime. Speaking of cheese, where is Rhett these days?”

  Rea huffed and walked away. Siblings. I assumed it was this way with all siblings seeing as I didn’t have any of my own.

  “You ready to go, sweetheart?” He leaned over to me and I felt his warm breath run across my cheek.

  “Uh-huh. Sure am.”

  We walked outside to get in his truck and I felt his warm hand resting against the small of my back. It sent a shiver down my spine, but I liked the comfort he brought to me. As we got to the passenger side of the truck, he jumped in front of me.

  “What are you doing?

  “What does it look like, Cass? I’m getting the door for you, being a gentleman.”

  “Oh,” I said, shocked. Never in all the years Andrew and I were together had he gotten my car door for me. I’d always had to open it myself while he talked on the phone or yelled at me to hurry up. “Well, thank you,” I said with a smile as my face lit up with a blush.

  “You mean to tell me no one ever opened a car door for you before me, sweetheart?”

  “Well…no.”

  “This lifetime has treated you so very wrong, Cassidy Mae. You stick with me and I’ll make sure you get treated how you’re supposed to be. Like a queen.”

  Jogging around the front of the truck, he jumped in, started it, and we were off.

  “Hey, pick out something to listen to, darlin’. We need some jams.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. I’m not one of those ‘I drive, I pick the radio station people’. Now go on. You pick something you like.”

  “Okay then.” I started flipping through the channels and landed on country music. The melodic beats of Jordan Davis’ Take It From Me, came on and I sat back and listened to the lyrics. Lyrics were some of my favorites. It was amazing how much music could turn a bad mood into a good one or make you think about your life and the choices you’ve made.

  Like me, I’d made some crap choices over the last couple of years, but now I had the choice. Continue guarding my heart and keeping it under lock and key or letting it out and taking the chance that Beau would know how to take care of it without shattering it into a million gazillion pieces.

  I looked over at Beau as he drove. Dark, wavy hair that touched his ears, a little more than a five o’clock shadow that skated across his chin, a defined jawline, eyes that were the deepest brown you’d ever seen, although I couldn’t see them right now because they were on the road. This man was stunning, gentle, kind, and had the charm on lockdown. I just wondered if I was making the right decision. Only time would tell at this point. I needed to let go and live. Let him take me on this date. Stop letting fear and the past consume my life. Let whatever happens, happen and finally accept the fact that I was growing feelings for this man beside me and I could no longer ignore that fact. The fairgrounds were only about thirty minutes from the house and we were there in no time.

  Small children and families ran here and there as we entered the gates. Carnival rides and games were set up along the midway. A corn maze had been set up earlier this week.

  I look over at Beau to find him staring at me. I flush under his intense gaze. These moments between us were becoming more frequent and each one broke down a tiny bit more of my barrier.

  “Tonight is about you, Cassidy Mae, we’re going to do whatever you want to do.”

  “Wh-What do you mean?” I stuttered, confused.

  “You decide what you want to do and we’ll do it. Anything—tilt a whirl, rides, game booths, karaoke…”

  “Okay…” I looked around at the abundance of options in front of me. “Corn maze or Bottle Toss?”

  “I think the corn maze would be cool, but I’d hate to get lost in there with you. I may be forced to kiss you until someone finds us.” He winks at me and I can’t help the smile that creeps across my cheeks at his flirting.

  “Bottle toss, it is.” We started walking toward the game booths and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his determined walk.

  He turns when he hears my laugh and stalks back toward me. “I’m sorry… is something funny? You want to share what’s going on in that head of yours.”

  I smirked and shook my head. No way in hell. “I’m good.”

  “Uh-huh…” I watched his lips curl on the ends into a grin as he reached over and threaded my fingers through his own. His hand felt massive in mine. Another thought popped into my mind. Now I knew for a fact that the age-old tale of hand to dick correlation was in fact true. Beau had a very nice package, one I hoped to see again very soon.

  We arrived at the bottle toss game booth and Beau slowly let go of my hand before paying for two rounds.

  “You want to try it too, Cass?”

  “Um, no. You know these things are rigged, right?” I said to him softly.

  “Oh, I’m fully aware, darlin’, but it’s for you. I’ve got this.” He winked and turned back to focus on the bottles in front of him. The front of the booth said, “ring any bottle to win.” I laughed internally. There was no way he could actually win at this game.

  The first ring bounced off the bottle in the front and fell to the ground. He sighed and paused to concentrate on the next toss. I watched as he flexed his arms before tossing again. Amazingly, the next toss flip-flopped like it was yet again going to bounce off and hit the ground but it didn’t. It was a ringer and the game booth attendant looked just as shocked as I was that it’d actually stuck to the bottle. Beau glanced over his shoulder at me and winked.

  “I did it, sweetheart. Told you I would.”

  The booth worker waves to a row of
small prizes. “Pick out whichever prize you want.”

  Beau takes a step back to where I’m watching and nudged my shoulder. “Choose what you’d like, Cassidy Mae.”

  “Oh, my goodness. Look at that horse! It looks just like Zeus,” I gasped out.

  He looks up to where I’m pointing, “You want the black bedazzled unicorn, darlin’?”

  “It’s a miniature Zeus and I love it!” I squealed. I felt like a little girl with her new favorite toy, but I didn’t care.

  Beau lifted his chin at the attendant.

  “How many more do I have to ring to get that prize for my girl?”

  I watched as the booth attendant swooned almost as much as I did over Beau’s charm. “Two more rings.”

  “Done. Challenge accepted.”

  I swallowed roughly as I watched Beau flex his muscles again as he stretched for another set of tosses. So sexy. If he gave me any more of his charmed, smooth-talking words I was going to have to change these sexy panties. I’m not even going to question why Reagan thought picking out new underwear her brother would like to see me in wasn’t the slightest bit weird.

  I glance over at my sequined unicorn and then back at Beau. Tonight was off to a great start. Why was I questioning this with him? My feelings started crashing in with everything that he’s done for me and all the kindness he’s shown me. The way his lips felt against my own. My hand reached up again as if I could still feel the last kiss he left on my lips. I watched the cotton on Beau’s shirt stretch and flex, showing his prominent back muscles bunch. He tossed another two rings and they mysteriously, again, landed on the bottle. I wanted to know what his edge was. How had he mastered this game?

  The booth attendant handed over my black sequined Zeus unicorn to Beau. He turned to give it to me and the megawatt grin that crossed his face was something to behold. I just about fainted from the swoon-o-meter.

  “Here you go, Cass.”

  I heard a squeal erupt from behind us and turned to find Reagan and Rhett walking toward us.