“What are you plotting over there?” Ashlee asked.
“You don’t want to know,” he said under his breath.
“You’re sounding suspiciously like my brother again.”
He shot her an annoyed look. “Not even close.”
Before she said anything further, her phone pinged. “Finally,” she said, glancing down at the screen. Beau made a left turn and waited for her to tell him how many more hits she’d gotten on the dating app. Instead she said, “Nice profile pic.”
“You’re checking out my Facebook page?”
“Yes, and I just friended you. Are you going to accept?”
“Not while I’m driving.”
“Let me have your phone, and I’ll do it for you.”
“No way,” he said with a laugh. “I promise I’ll accept your friend request.”
“Why is it that you can take my phone, but I can’t have yours?”
Her phone pinged again, most likely another hit from Flirt. Maybe giving her his phone wasn’t such a bad idea after all. It would give her something to do and keep her from answering any of the potential dates.
“Okay,” he said, using one hand to fish his cell from his pocket. “Just don’t accept any other friend requests without me looking at it first.”
He handed her his phone without looking at her, but he could imagine the surprised look on her face by his easy compliance. The tips of her fingers connected with his during the transfer, and he felt heat travel from the contact spot, spiraling into his chest. His heart pumped in response, and he realized that touching her regularly wasn’t going to desensitize him. If anything, it made him want more.
“Wow, there are a lot of girls excited that you’re finally on Facebook.”
The hint of jealousy in her voice made Beau smile. “Oh yeah? Like who?”
Ashlee read off several names he vaguely recognized. He’d have to look at their pictures to see if he really knew them. Then she read off the name of his girlfriend he’d dumped just before joining the Army.
“Wait,” he said, pulling into the gas station. “Did you say Kara Gardner?”
“Yes.”
He was surprised Kara had friended him. The breakup hadn’t been amicable, and she had sent him several scathing messages right after he’d ended things. Curious, he turned toward Ashlee and held out his hand. “Let me see.”
She eyed him warily, clutching his phone to her chest. “Isn’t Kara your old girlfriend?”
“Yeah, we dated for a few months before I joined the Army.”
“I think I remember her.” She glanced down at the screen. “She’s still very beautiful,” she said, handing him his phone.
Beau hadn’t intended to hurt Ashlee, but he could hear the strain in her voice. Before he could tell her that he had no interest in rekindling a romance with Kara, she unclicked her seatbelt and opened the door.
“I need to visit the lady’s room.” Without meeting his eyes, she snatched her phone free from the charger. “Be back in a minute.”
Beau stared at her retreating figure until she disappeared through the double doors. He’d handled that all wrong. He was handling everything with Ashlee all wrong. Too bad he couldn’t consult with his best friend. Chase usually gave him pretty solid advice, it just had never involved his little sister. He thought about asking Jackson for help, but quickly decided against it. The guy had a penchant for practical jokes and not a very good filter for his humor. Besides, he and Sydney were in Hawaii with their boys and Sydney’s parents.
Tapping a finger on the screen to awaken his phone, he quickly scrolled through the list of friend requests. Yes, there were a lot of invites from girls, but the only one he cared about was at the top.
He clicked on Ashlee’s profile picture and accepted the request. Doing so immediately gave him full access to her page. She’d recently uploaded some pictures from Taylin’s wedding. One of them was of her out on the dance floor, surrounded by her nieces and nephews. Beau was in the picture too, but his face was shadowed. He selected the picture and zoomed in on his face.
His gaze was locked on one person, and the goofy smile on his face revealed just how much Ashlee had knocked him off balance. He hadn’t been able to gain his equilibrium ever since.
He groaned with frustration and placed his phone down on the middle console. So now what? Ashlee accused him of not being spontaneous, and she was right. More than anything, he wanted to make a list with the pros and cons of dating Ashlee.
Actually, he’d basically started the list. The biggest deterrent had always been the age difference, but it didn’t seem as valid now that Ashlee was older. The real problem was his life-long friendship with Chase and what would happen to that friendship if dating Ashlee didn’t work out. As much as she seemed to like Beau, she could change her mind after a few dates. Or worse, what if he changed his mind and he broke her heart? That would end his friendship with Chase and the entire Nichols family if that happened.
Not sure what his next step should be, he got out of his car and walked around to the back. After finding the small gas can he carried for emergencies, he filled it up and then secured it in the back so it didn’t tip. Since Ashlee hadn’t returned, he went ahead and topped off his tank. Just as he was about to go inside to track her down, she pushed through the doors.
He felt his breath catch as he watched her cross the cement. She was so beautiful. Too beautiful to think straight around. No wonder he was so conflicted.
“Sorry I took so long.” She held out a twenty-dollar bill to him. “I needed to get some cash to pay you for the gas.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, feeling insulted by her offer. “It wasn’t even ten bucks.”
“I know.” She wiggled the money. “But this should cover the gas wasted to take me here and then to my car.”
“Keep it.” Beau ignored the proffered money and went around her to open the passenger door. “I haven’t wasted any gas, and you still need to fill your tank up.”
She sighed heavily and shoved the money into her pocket. “You’re so stubborn.”
He snorted a laugh. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
“What does that even mean?” she said, climbing into the car.
“It means you’re just as stubborn as I am.” He closed the door and choked back a laugh when she stuck her tongue out at him. Beau could feel her tracking him as he came around to the driver’s side. He tried not to look at her as he clicked on his seatbelt and started the car, but he could tell she was staring him down. Finally, he turned to look at her. “What?”
“Did you accept Kara’s friendship?”
“No.”
“Why not?” she asked as she plugged the charger back into her phone.
“I’m not sure I want to reconnect with her.” A horn honked from behind him. Beau glanced in the rearview mirror and lifted a hand in apology to the waiting truck before vacating the spot.
“Because why…” she said, drawing out the words.
He glanced over at her and smiled at the determined look on her face. “I just told you I don’t want to reconnect with her.”
“Beau, you are the worst communicator in the world,” she said, reaching across to pinch his arm. “Now answer my question.”
“Hey, I’m driving here.”
“And avoiding my question.”
“Kara and I didn’t get along very well the whole time we dated,” Beau said, heading in the direction of her abandoned car. “And she wasn’t happy when I broke up with her.”
“So, you don’t want to get back together with her?”
“No way,” he said, remembering all the unnecessary drama he’d had to put up with. “She was border-line scary, and it wasn’t always due to PMS either.”
Ashlee snickered at that. Then asked him the one question he’d like to avoid a little longer.
“Did you have any girlfriends in the Army?”
He couldn’t lie. But he also didn�
�t need to get into any of the details, especially about Jenna. “Yes,” he said, making a right turn onto the road where Ashlee’s car was.
“Serious girlfriends?”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Define serious.” He wasn’t trying to be obtuse, just careful. There was no point in telling her about Jenna right now if all she wanted to know was if he’d ever told a girl he loved her.
“Never mind.” She made a frustrated noise and picked up her phone. “I don’t want to know.”
He was being an idiot again. He pulled in behind her yellow VW, shifted the gear into park and then turned toward her. She was busy texting, so he waited patiently for her to finish. He waited for at least a full minute before she stopped typing. Still, she didn’t look at him. “We’re here,” he said dryly.
“One sec,” she said, keeping her head down. A small smile played at her lips as she read the new message that had just come in.
“Are you texting someone from the dating app?” he asked when her smile widened.
“Yes.” She was texting again, and it was starting to get on his nerves.
“Is it Darren Hastings?”
She didn’t answer him for a long moment. Finally, she lifted her face and turned to look at him. “Sorry, what did you say?”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re not going out with Darren, right?”
“No,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m not going out with him.”
“Good.”
“I’m going out with Kade Sinclair instead.”
Chapter 17
Ashlee could tell Beau was annoyed. Good. He deserved to feel that way because she was annoyed with him. He was so aggravating that she’d decided to do something drastic and impulsive— two things she excelled at.
“Kade Sinclair?” Beau asked evenly.
“Yeah, remember I told you about him?”
“I remember.” The muscle in his jaw ticked. “When are you going out and where are you meeting him?”
“Friday evening, and he’ll probably just come to the house to pick me up.” She held up her hand. “Before you lecture me, remember his daddy is friends with mine, so it’s all good.”
Beau’s eyes narrowed. “You still didn’t tell me where y’all are goin’.”
“That’s because I don’t know yet.” She unclicked her seatbelt. “He only has a couple of hours free, so I’m sure it’ll be somewhere local.”
He held her gaze, and she wondered if this was finally the moment he’d admit he liked her. Honestly, if going out with another guy didn’t do the trick, then she was done carrying a torch for Beau Jacobsen. She would move on for real this time.
Tense seconds ticked by. Then he nodded his head and unclicked his seatbelt. “Sit tight, and let me put the gas in first.”
She sighed heavily and leaned her head back against the seat as Beau retrieved the gas can from the back. Why did she keep tormenting herself? He had way too many hang-ups to ever make a move.
Something vibrated, and she looked down to find his phone lying face down on the console. Glancing out the front window, she saw Beau unscrewing the gas cap to her car. Her fingers inched over to his phone. She wanted to know if he’d accepted any other friendship besides hers. But wasn’t that another form of torture? When she saw all the friend requests, most of them from women, it had made her feel small and insignificant.
He’d lived out of the country for six years and had a life outside of Mitchel Creek with new friends and apparently more than one girlfriend. Girlfriends he didn’t want to talk about.
Beau had finished and was walking back toward his car. Ashlee gathered up her things while he put the gas can in the back. Without waiting for him to open her door, she did it herself and climbed out.
“I’m good now,” she said, digging inside her purse for her keys. “You can go.”
“I’m not leaving until I know your car will start.” His forehead creased. “And I’m following you to the gas station.”
“Okay,” she said, knowing it was pointless to argue. Eager to get home so she could talk to her sister-in-law, she hurried over to her car. Beau was right behind her and reached around her to open the car door for her. “Thank you.” She slid onto the driver’s seat and put the key in the ignition.
“Don’t start it yet,” Beau said. “Just turn it to the on position and give the fuel pump time to fill up with gas.”
Her daddy had told her the same thing many times, but she always forgot. She glanced up at Beau after mentally counting to five. “Now?”
“Yeah, but once it starts, rev the engine a little to purge any air out.”
She nodded her head, telling herself she needed to be more careful. She couldn’t afford to ruin her only mode of transportation. Relief washed through her when the engine purred to life. She revved the engine and looked to Beau for further instruction.
He smiled at her with approval and then held up a hand. “That should be good enough.”
With the engine idling, Ashlee returned the smile. “Thank you again for your help.”
His eyes softened. “It was my pleasure.”
Wow, the way he said that sent a shiver of delight down her spine. She had the craziest urge to jump out of the car so she could thank him with a hug, but she remained in her car. “I’m going to stop for gas at the mini market on Forrest street. I should be able to find some children’s ibuprofen in there.”
“Sounds good.” He held her gaze a moment longer as if he wanted to say more. She just didn’t know what the more was. “I’ll follow you there,” he finally said and closed her door.
Ever the gentleman, Beau filled up her tank so Ashlee could go inside the mini market. She found the medication and added a package of iced animal crackers to give Izzy in the morning.
Beau was washing her windshield when she came outside. His back was turned toward her, giving her a few seconds to ogle him without him noticing. How could any man look that good in a pair of jeans and a simple black tee?
He turned and caught her drooling… err staring. Once again, she’d neglected to follow her sister-in-law’s advice about not going all gooey-eyed around Beau. Wasn’t this like the third or fourth time tonight?
“Hey,” she said, walking toward him. “Thank you for washing the windows.”
“You’re welcome.” He pointed to the plastic sack she carried. “Find what you need?”
“Yes,” she said, stopping next to the car door.
“Good.”
She waited for him to say something else, but he simply nodded his head and then opened her door. Ashlee didn’t look at him, not even after he closed her door and lingered by the window. She started the engine, and he still hadn’t moved away. Angling toward the window, she met his pensive gaze.
She had no idea what he was thinking and was tempted to lower her window to ask him. Of course, she didn’t. Because if she did, and he gave her an answer she didn’t want to hear, then her last sliver of hope that he could return her feelings would be lost forever.
Slowly, she lifted her hand and mouthed “goodbye.”
He nodded his head and stepped back from the car. As Ashlee drove away, she glanced in her rearview mirror and saw Beau hadn’t moved. He hadn’t looked away either. She held out hope he’d follow her home and beg her not to go out with Kade, but that kind of thing only happened in the movies. Beau probably had already forgotten all about her impending date.
At home, she found Chase in the family room watching TV. He was snuggling Isabelle, who appeared to be asleep. “Hey,” she said. “How’s Izzy doing?”
“Fussy.” He shifted, careful not to awaken her. “She started complaining about her ear hurting a few minutes ago but then she fell asleep, so I have no idea what’s goin’ on.”
“Bummer.” Ashlee held up the sack. “I picked up the medicine and a little treat for her.”
“Thanks.” He eyed her for a few seconds. “Beau just sent me a text that you were on your way home. He
also said I was supposed to ask you about your upcoming date.”
So, he hadn’t forgotten about it after all. “What about it?”
“Are you really goin’ out with some guy you met on a dating app?”
“No, I already know Kade. Mama and Daddy know him too.”
“Where are y’all goin?”
“Do you want to know or did Beau ask?”
He smiled. “Both.”
She’d already told Beau that they didn’t have any plans yet. Either he thought she was a liar or he was hoping Kade had contacted her with more information in the past five minutes.
“You can tell Beau that I still don’t know what we’re doing.” She carefully put the sack on the coffee table. “But I’ll be sure to let y’all know if we do something crazy like running off to Vegas to get married.”
“Very funny.” Chase smoothed a hand down Isabelle’s hair. “I don’t think I can take another wedding so close together.”
“I think it’s pretty safe to say that I won’t be getting married any time soon.”
Chase studied her for a few seconds. “Sorry things didn’t work out for you and Jason.”
“Grayson.”
“Yeah, him.”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t really in love with him… at least not enough to marry him.”
“That’s good.” He regarded her with brotherly tenderness. “You’re still young, Ash, and have plenty of time to meet Mr. Right.”
Her brother might be a pain most of the time, but he obviously loved her. Suddenly, it occurred to her that Beau did not look at her the same way her brother did. In fact, every interaction with Beau— every pensive look he shot her— had zero brotherly feelings.
As she soaked in this new revelation, she wanted to tell Chase that she’d already met Mr. Right. But Isabelle woke up and started whimpering. “Poor baby,” she said softly. “Can I do anything to help?”
Blue Moon Kisses: Georgia Moon Romance Book 3 Page 16
