Rule #1 Don't Fall for Mr. Wrong: Sweet Romantic Comedy (Rules of Dating: Christian RomComs)
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She looked him up and down like she was evaluating what right he had to laugh at her. “What are you laughing at?”
He cleared his throat and put on his serious face. “Nothing. What brings you to Denver?”
She shrugged. “How do you know I’m not from here?”
He pointed to the car. “Montana plates.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “I guess you’re smart.”
He pointed to himself. “Not just a pretty face here.”
Her eyes narrowed.
Seriously, what was he doing, teasing her like this? How long had it been since he’d teased a woman? He shook his head, trying to clear it. “So why are you here?”
Her face clouded. “I was seeing a friend off.” A forlorn look swept across her face.
He sensed there was more to the story. Clearly, a guy. A boyfriend, he wondered? “How long will this friend be gone for?”
Meeting his eyes, she stared at him with some kind of defiance he didn’t understand. “One year.”
His eyebrows shot up. “A year?” Different scenarios ran through his mind. “Work?”
“No.”
He frowned. “Family situation?”
She looked miserable. “No.”
“Okay, you got me. Where did he go?” he asked with a touch of challenge in his tone.
She hesitated. “He went to South Africa to help build schools and teach English on a Christian church mission.”
Beau absently touched his ring finger. “That’s … good, I guess.” He paused, trying to push so many memories of Africa out of his mind. He focused on the woman in front of him. She looked worried about the situation. “So you’re going to pine for him for a year?” He didn’t know why he said that.
Anger flashed in her eyes. She flung her gaze to his empty ring finger. “I guess no one’s waiting for you.”
Pain ripped through his chest and suddenly he felt like he was under water. He thought of his wife’s mother—asking if she could have his ring back at the funeral—it had been a family heirloom. He coughed. “Nope.”
“Are you okay?”
“It’s fine.” Once again, he focused on the car. No. No. No. It’d almost been a year. He shouldn’t keep reacting this way.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Fine.” He would not get into a bunch of crap with a stranger.
After a bit, she asked, “Do you think the batteries’ charged, yet?”
Grateful for a distraction, he tried to start it. Click, click, click. He got out and shook his head. “Hold up. I need to re-check something.”
Sara kicked her tire and closed her eyes.
Beau checked the chargers to make sure they were properly attached.
She moved closer to him. “Why don’t you think I’ll last?”
Beau turned to face her. This whole situation ticked him off. He hadn’t expected to spend so much time at the airport and … he hadn’t expected a flippant comment about his dead wife. He sucked in a breath.
“Never mind.” She crossed her arms.
The way her green eyes were bright with emotion made something soften inside him. The day had taken an unexpected turn, and even though he was exhausted, he decided to relax and just try to enjoy torturing a beautiful woman. “Don’t get offended.” Which meant he wanted to offend her. “You don’t seem like the type to wait that long.”
She scowled ferociously. “What do you mean, type?”
She’d taken the bait. He grinned. “I don’t think I need to explain myself. A year is three-hundred and sixty-five days.”
“Thanks, genius, I didn’t know how many days were in a year.”
He grunted out a laugh. She was easy to torture. “Fine. Well, it seems like you’re smart. At least you have that going for you.” He moved back to the car and tried to start it again. “Let’s get this done.”
Click. Click. Click.
He moved to the cables and took them off. He shut her hood. “We need to go get a new battery.”
Sara glared at him. “Actually, you know what, I’m fine. Really. Thanks for everything. I’m good.” She took the cables from out of his hands and tossed them into her car. She stalked toward the airport terminal.
Guilt filled him, clearly he’d hurt her feelings. “Just come back.”
Sara looked back at him. “Look, I don’t know why you’re being all weird about three-hundred, sixty-five days in the year. And, I know you’ve got the whole John Wayne thing going for you, but I don’t know you. And, honestly, it feels like you’re more jerk than John Wayne at this point.”
He let out a light laugh. His grandfather had loved those movies. “Would you just come back for a second?”
She ignored him.
“Look—.” He raised his voice. “I’m not the John Wayne type, believe me. But I do want to help you.”
Sara stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Are you some stalker or kidnapper or something?”
Beau frowned. “Yeah, you got me. I’m a stalker who looks for women who need help on their cars.”
Sara lifted her eyebrows. “Wouldn’t surprise me.”
Irritation swept through him. “Wait, it’s better than that. First, I am rude to women at airports—and then I track them down and find out if they need their batteries changed so I can pretend like I’m helping them—oh, and then I steal them away. Yep, I go to all that trouble. Opposed to just stealing them away in the first place.”
She folded her arms, not looking amused.
He blew out his breath. He’d ruined this whole thing. “Look, I know what it’s like to be some place you don’t know very well and need help.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t even know you.”
Beau put his hands up. “What do you want to know?”
She shrugged. “Well, you seem to know a lot about types that wait or don’t wait for boyfriends helping out children in a foreign country. Are you a Christian?”
He snorted. She cut to the chase fast. He could appreciate that. “I discovered it didn’t matter how much I believed in God. The truth is, He was never there for me.” The thought of his wife’s casket being lowered into the ground interrupted his thoughts.
She seemed to size him up. “Hmm.”
He mimicked the expression on her face. “Hmm.”
Out of the blue someone called out, “Sara, is that you?”
Two older people walked toward them.
Sara froze.
The man looked between them. “Sara, what are you doing? I thought you were already gone.”
“H-hey.” It came out strangled.
The man frowned at Beau. “Is everything okay?”
Sara looked extremely uncomfortable. “Yeah.”
Beau noted that these people obviously knew her. “Her battery’s dead.” He offered.
The man frowned. “What can I do to help?”
Sara let out a gulp laugh. It sounded strange. “Um, nothing. This is my cousin, Beau. He lives in Denver, so I called him. And, he’s going to help me. So we’re good. Thanks.”
Cousin?
The man cocked an eyebrow like he didn’t believe her.
Beau took the cue. He moved next to her and slipped an arm across her shoulders. “Yeah. We’re good. This is what I like to do—save a cousin.”
Sara tensed but kept her smile in place.
The woman gave a dangerously evil look to Sara and then she reached for the man. “It seems like they’ve got things handled here, Howard. We better get on the road.”
The man hesitated. “You sure?”
Sara laughed. A clearly fake laugh. “Yep, I am so lucky that my cousin lives here.”
The man let out a sigh and then moved in sync with the woman. “Okay then.”
Sara watched them go.
Beau smelled a lemony fragrance on her. He pulled his arm back. He didn’t want to notice her fragrance.
Sara turned to him. Her face resigned. “I’ll take that help now.”
Chapter 4
Sara gritted her teeth and reminded herself that she was grateful for this guy’s help.
Beau laughed, again. He’d been randomly laughing the whole drive to the hardware shop and muttering things about being her cousin.
“Are we almost there?”
Beau pulled off of the freeway and turned into a small hardware store. “Just like I said, less than fifteen minutes.”
Sara moved to get out.
Beau relaxed into his seat and held up his hand. “I just have one question for you, why did you tell them I’m the cousin?”
Sara paused, pulling the door shut and trying to keep her emotions in check. He had played along. He probably did deserve an answer. “They don’t like me, and I didn’t want his dad to feel obligated to help me.”
Beau put on a wide-eyed face. “No. It shocks me they don’t like you. You’re so . . . so . . . likeable.”
Sara didn’t appreciate his sarcasm. “Ya know—you’re no picnic yourself.”
Beau sighed and let out another laugh. “Oh, c’mon, tell your cousin what ails you.”
Sara cocked her head to the side, hating him. “You’re a pig.”
Beau laughed even harder. “I’m just teasing you. Seriously, what is the deal?” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “I got all day.”
“All day—coming from Mr. ‘doesn’t it drive you crazy everyone thinks their life is more important’?”
He wagged his finger at her and laughed even harder. “No, no, no. Now that you made me your cousin, all my previous sins are forgiven.”
Letting out her breath, she reluctantly acquiesced. Her father always told her she needed to forgive faster. “Fine, but you need to take back your assessment that I’m that type of girl.”
Beau shook his head. “I can’t take back what I don’t know.”
The smile on his face told Sara that he knew he was pushing a button. She looked out the passenger side window, letting his snarkiness go. He was actually helping her out a lot and she did appreciate it. “Let’s just go in.”
“Wait.” He cleared his throat and furrowed his eyebrows. “Why don’t they like you?”
She hated this. “It’s . . . well . . . I met him on a blind date in Montana. He was working to earn money for this mission trip. But his parents didn’t want a girl to get in the way of him going. It’s his ‘dream.’” She air quoted. “And they don’t believe we fell in love so quickly.”
Beau’s face still held a perplexed look. “Oh. Wait. How long did it take for you guys to fall in love?”
She didn’t want to answer.
He crossed his arms. “I’m the cousin, remember.”
She laughed. “Fine.” It sounded stupid when she said it out loud. “I met him a little over a month ago.”
He sputtered out a laugh. “Dang.”
Sara glared at him. “Look, just shut up.”
Beau coughed to cover another laugh. “Okay, okay—simmer down.”
Sara fumed.
“I just have a question.”
“What?”
“When did you meet his parents for the first time?”
Sara sighed. “Today.”
Beau closed his eyes. “That’s funny.”
Sara decided she couldn’t take any more of his questions. “I’m getting an uber.”
“No, you’re not.”
Ten minutes later, Sara held out her emergency credit card to the cashier. She’d never had to use it before, but this was definitely an emergency.
Beau slipped next to her and nudged her out of the way. “I got this.”
She nudged him back. She thrust forward her card. “No way.”
He put his arm over her and held his card out. “C’mon, let me help a cousin in need.”
She shoved his arm away. “I am buying it.”
The cashier took her card, snapping her gum and looking annoyed at the whole display between them. She swiped it and handed it back. “It says it’s not activated.”
Sara mentally kicked herself. She rummaged through her wallet for her check card. She wouldn’t have enough to cover the battery. She would have to call her father. “I . . . uh. Hold on a sec. Let me see if I have coverage here.”
Beau handed the cashier his card. “I got it.”
Sara tried to block him from giving the cashier his card. “No.”
Beau put up his hand to block her and gave her a pointed look. “There’s a line here,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s impolite to make people wait.”
The cashier handed back his card and gave him the bag.
Beau stepped out of line and gently pushed the small of her back to get her to move.
Sara reflexively elbowed him, immediately feeling bad.
Beau grabbed at his side. “Oww—that hurt. You have anger problems.”
Sara didn’t want the tears to fall, but she couldn’t help it. She turned away and started walking quickly to the door.
Beau caught up with her. “Did I miss something? You just hurt me. I should be the one crying.”
“Give it to me. I’m returning it and re-buying it.” She grabbed for the bag, wiping her eyes and feeling like a monster.
Beau held the bag back. “Have you ever heard that when someone does something nice for you, you just say thank you?” His voice was final.
His look made her flinch. She thought of how spoiled she was acting.
Beau took off toward the truck and glanced back. “Come on, quit being rude to the guy that just saved you. You’re starting to hurt my ego.”
Sara reluctantly followed him. The cab idea sounded better and better, but she admitted to herself that she did need his help—if she didn’t want to worry her father and have her brothers sent out on a 911 mission.
Beau held open the passenger side door and gave her a level stare. “Think you can behave yourself?”
Her anger flared. She hated being treated like a child, but she simply nodded and tried to swallow her pride. She didn’t look at him and the tears inside of her came out in a rush.
Beau climbed in the other side. He put the battery in-between them. He shifted into gear and started to back out.
Sara couldn’t stop herself. The tears were like a river that couldn’t be plugged.
Beau looked at her and reached for a tissue box. “Dang, woman.”
Sara reflexively laughed at the look of discomfort on his face.
They drove in silence for a while.
Beau sneaked a glance at her from the corner of his eye. “Look, I shouldn’t have teased you in there. I’m sorry.”
Sara laughed, again. She wondered how she’d gotten herself into this crazy episode with a complete stranger. “My dad always says that I’m a desert or a canyon. I hardly ever cry. I’m the youngest girl with three older brothers . . . so it takes a lot. But when I do, I cry and cry and cry. And today, it’s been unlocked inside of me.”
Beau let out a long breath. “Good luck to Jonathon.”
The irony of it all made her laugh.
Beau caught her eyes and then he laughed.
And she laughed harder, then started to cry harder.
“Oh, shoot. No, let’s laugh, not cry.” Beau looked uncertain.
Sara mopped her cheeks. “It’s okay. I’m sorry. I’m—thank you. Thank you for everything.” She whispered it.
“What?”
The side of his lip turned up. “It’s really hard for you to accept help.” He shook his head.
Sara sighed. “Yeah. It’s—my mom died when I was born and . . .”
Beau glanced at her. “I’m sorry.”
She made little rips in the tissue. “I don’t know why I told you that. Gosh, today has just been the worst day of my life. I’m sorry.”
Beau smiled. “That’s funny. I was just thinking how today might have been the best thing that’s hap
pened to me in quite some time.”
Chapter 5
Fifteen minutes later, Beau parked next to her car. Luckily, no one had taken the spot. They climbed out and Beau grabbed the battery while Sara propped the hood.
He began to succinctly pull out the old battery.
Sara leaned against the car, feeling like she should do what he was doing. “Let me help.”
He waved a hand in dismissal. “So, you are going to wait around for a year until this guy gets back.”
“Yes.” Nervous angst filled her and she wasn’t sure why.
“Are you going to date at all?”
“Why?”
He shook his head. “I’m just chit chatting, that’s all.”
Sara rolled her eyes. “I told you, I love him.”
“Oh, right, of course.”
“Are you mocking me?” The man was annoying, even though he was helpful.
“No. Are you going to, at least, go visit him?”
She shrugged and thought of the impossible situation she faced with him. “I’m doing everything I can to pay for college and … my father isn’t well.”
He caught her eye. “I’m sorry.”
She didn’t want to talk about it. “It’s fine.”
For a little bit neither of them spoke.
“So, you love this guy. Best case scenario, you’ll wait for a year. Then he’ll come back and what?”
The anger surged inside of her. “You’re going back to that whole I’m not that ‘type’ thing again?
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t dare do that, again.” He flashed a teasing smile.
“Whatever.”
He procured a tool chest out of his truck. “Why do you love him?”
She scowled at him. “I don’t have to explain myself.”
“Fine.”
Sara focused a determined gaze at him. “We have a five-year plan.”
His brows lifted. “Oh, it’s all becoming clear now. You fell for him because he worked into your five-year plan.”
Sara didn’t respond.
He grinned. “I don’t know why I want to push your buttons, but I’m not going to lie, I do.”
She shook her head. “Well, stop.”
He laughed and pulled out the old battery.
She took it.
“How much have you even dated?” He put up a hand. “Wait. I’m envisioning your courtship like an Amish courtship in one of those kinds of movies.”