“No one’s getting lucky today,” she said, chuckling as she put the last dishes in the dishwasher and closed it.
“Oh, no? And why’s that?” Beau asked.
“I already told you in Vegas that we aren’t going to be doing that until I feel like I’m really in love with you. Right now, you’re just my husband.”
They both laughed at her last remark, then Beau grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his chest before Scarlett even realized what was happening. Her stomach danced with excitement feeling his body pressed against hers, and she smiled up at him.
“You don’t waste any time, do you?”
“Nope,” he said, nuzzling her neck. His lips were so soft on her skin, and the sensation was so delicious that she didn’t want to stand on her own feet any longer. She wished that he’d just hold her forever, kissing her like he had the night before.
“I take that back,” she said. “You always waste time between when I think you’re going to kiss me, and when you actually do. You’re such a tease!” Scarlett pushed back against his chest and separated them enough to give him a playful punch on the shoulder.
Beau pulled her in tight again. “I didn’t realize you were so impatient.”
“We’ll see who’s impatient,” Scarlett said. Then she pushed herself all the way out of his grasp and ran into the living room. When she heard Beau’s footsteps running after her, she squealed and dove onto the couch in a fit of giggles.
Beau was just about to lie down next to her when she remembered she’d left the quilt in the kitchen by the island. “Wait, wait, wait! Don’t lie down yet. Can you please grab that blanket I had earlier during breakfast? It’s by the island. I don’t know if it’s just the rain, or if your house is always this cold, but I’ve been chilly all morning.”
“I know a way I can warm you up.”
Scarlett threw one of the decorative pillows at him. “You are always thinking about that, aren’t you?” She chuckled, shaking her head.
Beau shrugged and walked back to the kitchen to get the quilt like she’d asked, which made Scarlett smile.
The rest of the morning, they lay on the couch, kissing, and snuggling, and kissing some more as the rain fell down outside. Beau was right—it did turn into snow, and as the ground grew more and more white, Scarlett’s feelings of trust in Beau grew as well.
For hours they talked, and watched movies, and kissed, but not once did Beau Lawrence try to convince her to do more than that. Not once did he ask her when she’d be ready, or what he had to do to make her feel comfortable. And Scarlett felt it—the love blooming in her heart, which was weird because everything around her seemed to be going dormant for the winter. Lying on the couch with him, she wondered if he was feeling the same way as they both drifted into a comfortable midday nap.
* * *
When Beau woke up a few hours later, he’d never remembered waking up feeling so comfortable and content. Scarlett was lying next to him with her head on his chest, fast asleep. He took the moment to study her. She had the most beautiful shade of red hair he had ever seen, and he couldn’t help but think about kissing her lips whenever he looked at them.
The first rain drops that fell on Beau that morning while he was out doing chores had him cursing the sky. Because he and Scarlett had gotten to the ranch in the dark the night before, Beau had wanted to show her around that day. He’d planned on helping her fall in love with the country even more, although they’d had a pretty good start looking at the stars, but the weather had different plans. As soon as he and Scarlett had snuggled up on the couch in that blanket, he realized the morning was going even better than he could have imagined.
Making Scarlett breakfast—serving her in some way—was so fulfilling. He’d been focused on himself so much for the past couple of years that focusing on her felt like a relief. He found himself brainstorming ways he could make her happy, and after the rain started, he’d hoped that cooking for her would make up for the dreary weather.
He just prayed that this storm didn’t last too long—he still wanted to show Scarlett everything great about the ranch before winter hit and they were stuck inside most of the time. Although, being anywhere with Scarlett was just fine. Beau looked down at her again and brushed some of her hair from her face. When she stirred, he immediately felt bad for disturbing her.
“Sorry, Scarlett. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“Hmm? Oh, it’s okay.” Scarlett yawned. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. I fell asleep too. I only woke up a few minutes ago.”
“Mmm. You feel good,” Scarlett said, turning her head to look up at him.
“So do you.” Beau put his arm around her and squeezed her a little tighter. “Thanks for just being with me today.”
“This might sound weird, but this is actually kind of like a dream come true. I’ve always wondered what a stormy day with the one you love would feel like. It’s better than I’d dared to dream.”
Beau’s heart swelled in his chest. He wondered if she knew how much her saying that meant to him. Their chemistry had been insane from the moment they’d met, but he had hoped there was more than that. He’d felt more, and when she said that, he knew that she did too. He kissed her head and inhaled deeply. He’d never tire of that honeysuckle scent.
“So, what’s on the agenda for the rest of the day?” Scarlett asked, her voice a little less sleepy.
“Well, I need to work out at some point—I have some gym equipment in the basement. And then I guess we should eat another meal. I think we’ve probably missed our window for lunch, but we can have an early dinner if you’d like.”
“I’d love that. Like I said, I don’t really cook much, but I can try to make something.” Scarlett’s face looked worried, and Beau couldn’t hold in his laugh.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I can do the cooking, but you can help if you want. That way, you can learn a few things as we go.”
“That sounds great.”
* * *
Later that evening after dinner was cleaned up and Scarlett had showered and gotten ready for bed, she came back out to say goodnight to Beau and found him in the den watching YouTube videos of one of his rides at the PBR.
“Do you watch your rides a lot?” Scarlett asked.
“Yeah. I’ve watched almost all of them since I started riding. It helps a lot to see what I did wrong and how I could have had a better ride.”
Scarlett nodded. “That makes sense. Well, I think I’m going to head off to bed.”
Beau quickly turned off the screen and stood up. “What? Already? What time is it?”
“Almost nine. I know it’s early, but I called Dr. Lachele a little while ago and she said my stuff should be here tomorrow morning, according to her tracking information. It was supposed to come today, but I think it was delayed because of the storm. I want to get everything unpacked and put away tomorrow, and I know it will take me all day.”
“Please don’t go to bed yet.” He took her hand in his. “I want to hold you again like I did earlier today. I already miss that,” he said, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.
“How about you just come lie in my bed with me and hold me for a while?” Scarlett suggested.
Beau smiled. “You’d be okay with that?”
The fire Scarlett had felt the night before hadn’t gone out, not even close, but the thought of Beau in her bed made it start to rage. “Yeah. I’d be okay with that,” she said shyly, knowing that with all the kindness Beau had shown her that day, it wouldn’t be hard to fall in love with him. She was already teetering on the edge.
* * *
The next morning, Scarlett was sure that she would wake up and find Beau in bed with her. She’d fallen asleep in his arms the night before, and was pretty sure he had slept too, so she was a little surprised to see that her bed was empty when she opened her eyes.
“Beau?” Maybe he woke up early and is working. She called out agai
n, louder this time. “Beaa—uuuu!”
Beau came stumbling into her room, his eyes still full of sleep. “Huh? What? What is it?”
“Were you asleep?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, umm—sorry. I just thought that you would still be in my bed. I fell asleep last night with you holding me.”
“I thought you didn’t want to sleep in the same bed yet.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, I said that, but I guess I just thought you’d stay if you fell asleep,” Scarlett explained.
“I did fall asleep for a minute after you did, but then I woke up. After I kissed you on the cheek and said goodnight, I slipped out and got in my own bed. I wanted to make sure I respected your wishes. I don’t ever want you to think I’m trying to take more than you’re willing to give. You’ve already given up so much for me.”
Scarlett’s heart surged. He was so sweet, and she didn’t know if she’d ever get over how thoughtful he was. But his last statement made her think. Had she really “given up so much” for him? Being here with him felt like an escape, but he didn’t know that. She hadn’t let him in enough to tell him about her past, or why she’d run from it. As far as he knew, she just wanted to get married and didn’t like the dating scene in California.
“Thank you,” was all that she could manage. She didn’t want to give away that she was thinking about something else by saying more. Was she letting him down by not really telling him who she was, or what she’d left behind?
* * *
For the rest of the day, the questions Scarlett had asked herself that morning kept growing larger in her mind, and she wondered what on earth to do. She didn’t want Beau to know who she was because the whole point of meeting the way they had was to completely start over and make a new life for herself. She didn’t want the man who had just become the most important person in her life to see her as Scarlett Heston, the actress. She wanted him to see her only as his wife, and to build their life together on a new foundation. But would that foundation be strong if she didn’t share every part of her? Honesty was important to Scarlett, and the thought of hiding anything from Beau was eating her alive.
All day, Beau had been out in the snow, helping the men who worked for him winterize the equipment while Scarlett unpacked the boxes that had arrived that morning. She was grateful to have been busy, but now it was past five o’clock and Beau still wasn’t back yet. She was sure he would be just as hungry as she was, so she decided to make some chicken noodle soup since it was still so chilly out.
It was almost completely dark out now, and Scarlett was just contemplating whether or not she should eat without him when she heard loud stomps on the front porch. She stood to greet him and was shocked when he wasn’t the only one to walk through the door.
“Greg?” Scarlett asked. “What are you doing here?” Scarlett couldn’t keep the contempt from her voice. She was sure that she would never have to see Greg again in her life, and now he was standing in the foyer with her husband.
“Miss Heston,” Greg said curtly.
“It’s Mrs. Lawrence now, and I asked you what you were doing here,” Scarlett reminded him, not bothering with politeness.
“Your parents sent me.” Greg said, walking toward her. “Apparently, they received a text message from you a few days ago that you had gotten married to a Beau Lawrence and that you would be living on his ranch in Nevada. It wasn’t too hard to track you down."
“Why would my parents send you?” Greg hadn’t cleared up any of Scarlett’s confusion, and her anger was building by the second.
“Well, for one, they wanted me to check and see if you were all right. A person of your success and prominence doesn’t just sell all of their belongings, give up their career, and move to the middle of nowhere if they’re mentally stable. They’re worried about you, and I am too,” Greg said, his fake concern nauseating.
Scarlett took a second to glance at Beau before answering. His face was blank and withdrawn. She wondered what Greg had told him.
“Greg, I told my parents where I was so they wouldn’t be worried. If they ever want to call me, they are more than welcome. I’m perfectly fine. My mental state has never been better, and the last person in this world I want to see or talk to is you. Please leave.” Scarlett folded her arms across her chest and took a step toward Greg so he would know she wasn’t backing down.
“Scarlett, be reasonable. The world is at your fingertips. I told you about the movie roles I wanted you to audition for. I really think you could land a lead in one of them. The contract is substantial,” Greg said, rubbing his hands together. “Please consider coming back to California with me. This life isn’t for you. I promise that you will tire of it and grow bored before long. It may seem exciting and new now, but that will wear off. You need to think about your future.”
“I’m here because I have been thinking about my future. I thought about it long and hard for years before I made this decision. How dare you come here and tell me what I want? I invited you to leave, and now I’m demanding it. Get. Out.” Scarlett pointed at the door and gave Greg the dirtiest look she could summon.
“Your parents aren’t happy with you, and I’m warning you that you will be kissing a relationship with them goodbye if you don’t come home with me tonight.” He was still standing there, looking cocky as ever, and Scarlett wondered if anything in this world would ever make him see himself for what he truly was—a manipulator and a greedy snake.
“That’s a risk I was willing to take when I left LA, and while it hurts to know they aren’t willing to accept me for who I am and who I want to become, I’m not going to put my dreams on hold to make them happy anymore. And if I recall correctly, I fired you several months ago. So leave, now, before I call the cops.” Scarlett was fuming now, and all her worries about telling Beau about her past seemed to pile on top of her. Her heart ached to know how he felt, and she prayed that he would be understanding. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d betrayed him, though, and it hurt her to her core.
“If you insist.” Greg pressed his lips into a hard, thin line and zipped his coat up. “Beau, it was nice talking to you. I’m glad I was able to educate you a little bit about your wife. Good luck.” Greg shot a glance at Scarlett and then back at Beau. When he reached out to shake Beau’s hand, Scarlett couldn’t help but take some satisfaction in the fact that Beau refused to return the gesture. Instead, he stepped around Greg and opened the door.
“Have a safe trip home,” Beau said as Greg walked by him, then shut the door and locked it when the man was gone.
“Beau, I’m so sorry!” Scarlett ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. She didn’t miss how slow he was to embrace her, or how stiff he felt, and she backed away to look him in the eyes.
“What did he tell you? Don’t trust him. Please. He’s a crooked, greedy man.” Scarlett kept searching Beau’s eyes, but she couldn’t figure out what she saw there. He didn’t seem mad, he didn’t seem hurt—he just seemed…numb.
“Beau?” Why won’t he answer me? He hadn’t said anything to her since he and Greg had entered the house.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I just—I’m trying to understand everything. Trying to decide what’s true and what’s not.”
“Well, ask me. Ask me anything. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“That’s the problem. I thought we had been telling one another everything. I had no idea that you were an actress, or that your parents were actors. I had no clue that you had given up so much to be with me. Scarlett, you were making millions. I guess I just feel hurt that I wasn’t getting the full story, and that I had to learn it from him.” Beau ran his fingers through his hair, then walked over and sat down on the couch with his head in his hands.
Scarlett ran over and knelt in front of him, tipping his head up so she could look him in the eyes as she said the most important lines she’d ever said in her life. “I’m sorry, Beau. I should have told you. I j
ust didn’t want it to cloud your judgment of me. I didn’t want you to know I was famous or who my parents are. When I meet people, they just see the Scarlett they’ve seen on screen. They don’t see me—they see my money, my opportunities, my connections. All that stuff doesn’t matter. It never really did. You matter to me, Beau. You’re the only thing in this world that matters to me now. I want to go to every rodeo you ride in. I want to nurse your injuries and help you succeed. I want to have your babies and raise them up to be wild and free and brave, just like their dad. And I want to live on this ranch with you until we grow old and gray.”
Beau had tears in his eyes and he was nodding his head, but then he blinked back his tears and his face got hard, like he’d just pushed away everything she’d said. “Why did you lie to me, then?”
Scarlett’s heart sank. “I would have told you eventually. I just—like I said, I wanted you to get to know me first. It would have ruined everything. It always does.” She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Please, don’t let it ruin what we have. I love you, Beau.”
* * *
The words that Beau had been longing for Scarlett to say suddenly didn’t seem as sweet as he’d imagined. Beau had fallen in love with Scarlett after his first ride at the PBR. When he’d caught her in his arms in a crowded arena full of people, he’d felt like they had disappeared from the rest of the world while he’d held her close, and he’d never felt more safe. He’d known right then that it was over for him—he loved her. It had been hard not to tell her over the past two days. Being at the ranch with her was a dream come true, but he wanted it to be a dream come true for Scarlett, too, so he was waiting until she said it first.
Even though she was kneeling there in front of him, promising him that this was what she wanted, telling him what he’d wanted to hear all this time, he couldn’t forget what Greg had said to him before they’d walked over to the house. When one of his hands had brought Greg to the barn where he’d been working, Beau had thought that he was there to buy the four-wheeler they’d posted for sale in the local classifieds. It wasn’t until he was introduced to Greg that he found out he had a connection to Scarlett, and he’d been shocked.
Nuptials in Nevada: An At the Altar Story Page 10
