Well, at least Chase wasn’t asking Beau if he had the hots for his baby sister. He wasn’t sure he could answer no to that question.
“I’m surprised Ash doesn’t have a boyfriend,” he said, stabilizing the tire while Chase unscrewed the axle bolt. Now who was on the scouting mission?
“I know, right?” Chase said. “I guess the last guy she dated kind of screwed her up. My boy-crazy sister hasn’t been on a date since the guy dumped her three months ago.”
Beau could feel his blood heating up at the thought of someone hurting Ashlee. He told himself the feeling was protective, not possessive. “Do we need to hunt this guy down?”
“Nah, I guess he was a decent guy, and that’s what has her so messed up. My parents really liked him, and Taylin told Addie she thought for sure the two of them would get married.”
A surge of resentment pounded in Beau’s ears with each beat of his heart. His grip tightened as he tried not to think about the fact that Ashlee had been in a serious relationship with a man. Serious enough she could’ve married him.
“Honestly,” Chase said as he jiggled the wheel loose, “I’m glad they broke up. I’m still trying to get used to Taylin being married. I don’t think I can handle it if both my baby sisters are married. It makes me feel old.”
Beau jerked the wheel free, catching his finger in the spokes. A curse slipped out as he watched blood fill the nailbed.
“You okay?” Chase asked, peeking around the back of the bike.
“Yeah, it’s just a small cut,” Beau said, turning around to grab the roll of paper towels he kept in the garage. He tore off a sheet and wrapped it around his injured finger, wishing he knew if Chase’s words were meant as a warning to him. Either way, it was just another reminder of the age difference between he and Ashlee.
While Chase got the new wheel ready to mount, Beau found a bandage in the small first aid kit he kept in one of the cupboards. After bandaging his finger, he crouched back down and helped Chase slide the wheel into place. As he fit the ratchet to the bolt, he fought against the urge to question Chase further about Ashlee’s ex-boyfriend. He wanted to know what the guy did for a living, how old he was and, more importantly, if there was a chance of reconciliation.
“Any chance Ashlee and this guy might get back together?” Beau asked, hoping he didn’t give himself away.
“I don’t think so.” Chase tugged on the wheel to make sure it was tight enough. “Addie thinks he’s dating someone else, but doesn’t know for sure. Even though Ashlee claims they parted as friends, she doesn’t like to talk about the details of the breakup.” He patted the back wheel. “That should do it.”
Getting to his feet, Beau found a clean rag and tossed it to his friend. He came close to asking Chase the name of Ashlee’s former boyfriend, in case he ever needed to have a talk with the guy. But it already felt too weird discussing Ashlee’s love life with her brother, while entertaining thoughts of asking her out himself.
“Tell me about your music,” Beau said, putting the tools back inside the chest. “Are you still writing for Phillip Jacobs?”
“Yeah, I just finished a song a couple of weeks ago that he wants to record.” Chase picked up the socket and ratchet he used for the wheel and put them in the drawer. “Phillip is easy to work with. He keeps trying to get me to pursue a solo career again, but I told him I’m happy the way things worked out.”
Beau listened as Chase described the regular gigs he had scheduled once a month and how his marketing business had grown. He’d already hired another web designer and was considering adding one more. “Addie has a photographer assistant she’s been training that has taken on a lot of the work. This last pregnancy has been harder on her than it was with Izzy. I think after the baby is born she’s going to be very selective about what clients she takes.”
“I’m happy for you, man,” Beau said as they exited the garage. “Both you and Jackson married well.”
“Tell me about it,” Chase said with a laugh. “Now we just need to find you a wife.”
Ashlee was the first girl that popped into his head, but thinking about marrying her was pushing it and freaked Beau out too much. Unable to look Chase in the eye, he grabbed a hold of the door latch and waited for him to exit the garage. Beau considered telling Chase about Jenna, just so he didn’t feel too sorry for him. In the end, he decided he didn’t need to bring it up.
“Yeah, you do that.” Beau pulled the garage door down and locked it. “Let me know when you find her.”
“Kate messaged me on Facebook to ask if you’d blocked her or if you didn’t have an account.”
“You told her social media’s not my thing, right?”
“Yeah.” They walked over to Chase’s car. “So, do you want her number?”
“No thanks. She’s pretty and is a nice girl, but like I said before… I’m not interested in starting anything for the few weeks I’m here. Long-distance relationships suck.”
“That, my friend, is exactly why I live in Idaho.”
Chuckling, Beau glanced at his watch. “Hey, I just need to take a quick shower, and then I’ll come over to your parents’ house.”
“Sounds good.” Chase opened the car door. “Oh, in case you’re worried about dealing with Ash, she’s at a party and probably won’t get home until late.”
Instead of feeling relieved, Beau was disappointed. He might also be a tad on the annoyed side. “What kind of party?”
If Chase picked up on his irritation, he didn’t show it. “A princess party. She works for a company Mama’s friend started a few months ago where kids can have the princess of their dreams show up to the party.” He wrinkled his forehead. “I think tonight Ashlee was dressed like Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel. One of the blonde princesses.”
“Should I be worried that you know there’s more than one blonde princess?”
“Like I said, dude, I’m surrounded by girls.” Chase got into his car and backed out of the driveway.
After taking a quick shower, Beau dressed in a pair of khaki colored fitted jeans and found a navy button-down shirt that wasn’t wrinkled. He rolled the cuffs up a few times as he descended the stairs and shoved his phone into the front pocket on his way out the door. Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the Nichols’ driveway and stared at the yellow car parked under the tree. Ashlee was home.
Bracing himself against the rush of adrenaline, he drew in a slow breath and gave himself a little pep talk.
Cool, Beau. Be Cool.
Chapter 7
Warm water cascaded over Ashlee, washing away the stress of the last hour, as well as anything disgusting that might have ended up in her hair when the birthday girl got sick and puked the third piece of cake she’d just shoved into her mouth.
Mia, the eight-year-old guest of honor, had to be the brattiest child Ashlee had ever encountered. And in her line of work, she’d encountered a lot of kids. When Ashlee had first arrived at the party dressed as Sleeping Beauty, the girl had pulled a fit because she’d changed her mind and wanted Rapunzel.
Mia’s mother actually offered Ashlee two hundred dollars to go back and change. The woman had gone white when Ashlee explained the Rapunzel costume she wore was at the cleaner’s due to a mishap with red punch from a party earlier in the day. Fortunately, a few girls arrived who were so excited to meet Sleeping Beauty. Suddenly, Mia was happy again. So was her mother.
Ashlee tipped her head back under the spray of water to do a final rinse. She had to find another job other than dressing up as some fairytale princess. Maybe she’d take her daddy’s advice and train as a dental assistant. Their family dentist was also one of her daddy’s closest friends, and he said he’d be willing to train Ashlee in the fall when one of his assistants left for college to become a dental hygienist.
Turning off the water, Ashlee wrapped a towel around her hair and stepped out of the shower to dry off. At least the party had ended early. She’d expected to be at the house for at least three hours. A
shlee also provided face painting as part of the job. It was tedious work and she was positive Mia would’ve hated any of the designs Ashlee offered.
A knock sounded on her door. “It’s Addie,” her sister-in-law said before Ashlee could ask.
“Hang on, I just got out of the shower.” She quickly dressed in her underthings and then pulled a casual gray and white striped knit dress over her head. “Hey,” she said, letting her sister-in-law into her room. “Where’s your sidekick?”
“If you’re referring to my daughter, she’s helping Grandma make dinner.” Addie took a seat on the edge of Ashlee’s bed. “If you’re referring to my hubby, he drove out to Beau’s to invite him to supper.”
Just hearing Beau’s name made Ashlee’s stomach dip. Why couldn’t she get over him? The guy was a jerk. She thought about the tender way he removed the glass splinter. Okay, so not always a jerk.
“Thanks for the warning.”
“You’re not excited?” Addie asked. “I thought after last night you’d be totally stoked.”
“Nothing happened last night.” Ashlee unwound the towel from her hair and shook it out. “I didn’t feel anything but sisterly toward Beau.”
“Right.” A playful grin tipped Addie’s lips. “We never really got a chance to talk, but what was your first impression of seeing him again with all that hair?”
“He looked insanely hot.” Ashlee covered her mouth with her hand. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
“I think Beau thought the same thing about you,” Addie said with a laugh.
Ashlee rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. He was totally into you.”
“There were a few times I thought the same thing.” She grabbed a wide-toothed comb from her dresser and started combing through her hair. “But I was wrong.”
“Is that why you pushed him into the pool?” Addie covered her belly with her hand and laughed. “I wish I could’ve been there for that.”
“I didn’t push him into the pool.” Ashlee thought about the sequence of events the night before and cringed. Beau had looked absolutely terrified of her just before he jumped up from the bench. Then he’d retreated from her like she was a rabid dog.
Ouch. She frowned at the harsh analogy. Is that how he saw her? Maybe she’d read him all wrong. Maybe she’d only rattled him because he was annoyed she still liked him.
“At least, I didn’t physically push him into the pool.”
Addie’s smile grew as Ashlee told her all about Beau finding her crying by the pool and how he’d removed the piece of glass and then comforted her.
“He definitely doesn’t see you as a rabid dog,” Ashlee said. “He’s running scared because he’s into you.”
“What did Chase say? Is he weirded out that his best friend might actually return my feelings?”
“Sorry, sweetie, but my husband is clueless.” Addie braced her back and got to her feet. “He doesn’t think anything has changed.”
“What if he’s right?”
“What if he’s not?” Addie asked with a grin. “Chase just texted me, and he’s on his way home. Beau should be here in about thirty minutes.” She paused at the door and said, “By the way, keep the dress on. It enhances your womanly assets perfectly, making you look sexy and sassy all at the same time.”
“Sexy and sassy.” Ashlee grinned. “I like that.”
As soon as her sister-in-law left, Ashlee hurried back into her bathroom to put on a little makeup. She didn’t have time to do anything with her hair unless she pulled it back into a ponytail, which she didn’t like to do. Deciding to let it air-dry, she sprayed on a product that brought out the natural curl and then spritzed on her favorite perfume.
Since they’d probably dine out on the back porch, Ashlee slipped on her red Converse All Stars. She hoped the low-top shoes put a little extra sassy into her sexy. She had a feeling she was going to need it.
As she descended the stairs, she could hear Beau and her mama talking about his time in Afghanistan. She loved the timber of Beau’s voice and paused at the bottom of the stairs just to listen to him for a few seconds without anyone watching. He sounded relaxed, unlike the uptight way he’d talked to her the night before.
She didn’t know what it meant that he got all tense around her. It could be because Addie was right and he was into her, or it could mean that he saw her as Chase’s annoying little sister.
If Taylin were here, she’d be able to help her figure it out. But her sister was on her honeymoon, something Ashlee had been trying not to think about all day. It was so hard to believe that Taylin was a married woman. Although Addie said things wouldn’t be too different, Ashlee didn’t believe it. She and her twin wouldn’t ever be as close as they had been. Taylin had Luke now.
“Y’all go on out back, and I’ll call Ashlee down,” her mama said.
Not wanting her mother to catch her eavesdropping, Ashlee backed up a few steps. “Hey, is supper ready?” she asked when her mother came out of the kitchen.
“It sure is.” Her mother eyed her form-fitting dress and smiled. “You look so cute. I wish I could get away with wearing something like that.”
“You’re welcome to borrow it any time.”
“I might just do that.” Her mother waited for Ashlee to descend the stairs. Then she wrapped her arms around her and gave her a hug. “How’re you doin’, baby girl? You missin’ your sister?”
Emotions she’d been battling all day rushed to the forefront, making her eyes sting. “It’s hard, Mama, but I’m happy for Taylin.”
“Sweetie, everyone knows you’re happy for Taylin, but we also know how close y’all are.” Her mother pulled back from her so she could see her face. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you still have a place in your sister’s life.”
Just hearing her mother use present tense made Ashlee feel better. “Thanks, Mama. I needed to hear that more than you know.”
Her mother fingered a lock of Ashlee’s hair. “You know Beau’s here for supper, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. Addie just told me.”
“I saw you dancin’ with him last night, and y’all looked like you were havin’ fun.” Her fingers slipped down the length of Ashlee’s hair. “I know we like to tease you about crushing on Beau, so I guess I’d like to know if you still feel the same way about him and how serious this crush is?”
Ashlee had always confided in her twin, not her mother, but decided to answer honestly. “I don’t know.” She lifted one shoulder up in a shrug. “I like him and still find him attractive, but I guess I really don’t know him anymore.”
“All right.” Her mother dropped her hand. “Be careful, sugar, you’re a beautiful young woman and he’d be blind not to notice, but he’s still your brother’s best friend.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ashlee said, not sure what her mother was really trying to say. Was she worried about Ashlee getting hurt or Beau?
She followed her mother into the kitchen. “Will you please bring out the lemonade?” her mother asked, picking up a pan of golden cornbread. “Oh, and can you get the honey butter too?”
“Sure.” She located both items and then took a deep breath before following her mother outside. Addie sat at the table, talking with her daddy. Beau and Chase were standing next to the trampoline while Izzy jumped on it.
“Hey, baby girl,” her daddy said. “Heard you had a rough evening.”
“I did, but I don’t think I should talk about the details right before we eat.”
“Good idea.” He winked at her and then called out to Chase and Beau that supper was ready.
Every muscle in Ashlee’s body tensed up when Beau turned and walked toward them. Those pesky butterflies in her stomach fluttered to life. They went even crazier when their eyes met.
Unsure of what to expect, she was surprised when he smiled at her. “Hey, Ash, I’m glad you’re home. Chase said you were at some princess party for a little girl’s birthday.”
<
br /> Wow, he didn’t sound uptight at all. In fact, he sounded… brotherly.
“I was, only the birthday girl was more like a kid-size Bridezilla.”
He took a seat at the table. “That bad, huh?”
Ashlee sat down across from him, trying to pick up on any of the vibes he’d given off the night before. If he was into her, he sure wasn’t acting like it.
“Yeah, but birthday girl got sick, so at least I got to come home early.”
Chase carried Isabelle over to join them, and she immediately squirmed to get down. “I get Aunt Ashwee,” she said, running toward Ashlee with her arms outstretched.
“Ah,” Ashlee said, picking up her niece and hugging her close. “It’s nice to be wanted.” She realized too late how pathetic that sounded and avoided making any eye contact, especially with Beau. “Wanna sit by me while we eat some of Granddaddy’s chicken?”
Isabelle nodded her head. “Can we pway princesses?”
The little girl thought Ashlee was the best thing in the world because she was always dressing up like a princess. Having already played the role of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty today— both ending disastrously— Ashlee couldn’t stand the thought of putting on another princess dress. But staring into those big green eyes, Ashlee couldn’t say no. “Sure, baby, but first we need to eat.”
“Hey, Izzy,” Chase said, sitting next to Addie. “I thought you wanted to play with Uncle Beau and Daddy after dinner?”
“I want Aunt Ashwee.”
“Sorry, bro, but she likes me better,” Ashlee said when Chase appeared baffled by his daughter’s rejection.
Her gaze shifted to Beau, and she smiled at him. For half a heartbeat, something warm flickered in his eyes, but then he blinked and turned to her mama. “Thank you for inviting me to supper, Mama Nichols. Nana is at some quilting thing with Miss Janie this evening, and I haven’t been to the market to pick up any groceries.”
“You’re welcome to eat with us every night, Beau. We’ve sure missed you.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Beau smiled at her mother. “I may take you up on the offer.” His gaze slipped to Ashlee and, for just a brief moment, their eyes locked, making her breath catch.
Blue Moon Kisses: Georgia Moon Romance Book 3 Page 7
