But it’s not loud or demanding. It’s just Beau. I can see his handsome smile beaming at me through the front porch window.
Opening it, I find him standing in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, a backward cap perched on his head, aviators hooked into the collar like he forgot to take them off. His smile grows, easy and bright, dimples deep. “Morning, sunshine,” he says. “You busy?”
“Beau,” I scoff. “You’re going to catch pneumonia one of these days. Where’s your jacket?”
“Meh. Cold feels good against my skin.”
I roll my eyes at his nonchalant response and usher him inside. “Define busy?” I ask as I close the door.
He chuckles. “I’m outta some of Duke’s supplements, and after all of the craziness yesterday, I forgot to grab them while we were in town. Thought I’d run there today. You wanna come with? There may or may not be a small coffee shop in it for you. Maybe even a delicious pastry or two.”
I don’t hesitate. “Give me ten minutes.”
He winks. “I’ll be out here talkin’ to Lucy into thinkin’ I’m her favorite again. Seems as if you’ve stolen her.”
And sure enough, as I’m buttoning my jeans, I hear his voice floating down the hallway. “Don’t look at me like that, Luce. I already gave you two treats. This is extortion.” Lucy answers with a pleading whine. “Fuck. Fine. That face gets me every time.”
I can’t help but laugh quietly to myself.
Once I make my way out of my room, my eyes lock with his. There’s still a lightness to him. A warmth. But there’s an undercurrent there, like he stayed awake all night with histhoughts instead of outrunning them. But before I have the chance to look deeper, Lucy sprawls out dramatically at his feet, belly up, stealing Beau’s attention.
Traitor.
“You were right. You win today.”
Beau gasps. “See? Lucy girl gets me.”
“Has nothing to do with the four treats you just gave her?”
“I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about.”
“Mhm, sure,” I reply with a wide smile. “Come on, lover boy. Let’s go.”
The drive into town is easy. Comfortable. Just like the day he brought me here weeks ago, he keeps one hand on the wheel and the other draped casually over the center console. But this time, we talk. We talk about nothing and everything. About how he got Duke, about how Beau swears the grocery store manager rearranged their aisles just to mess with him after Beau went on a date with his sister, about how small towns somehow manage to know everything before it even happens.
Jasper’s name comes up once.
Just once.
But Beau doesn’t push. Doesn’t tease when I ask, “He good this morning?”
“I think so,” he answers. “He wasn’t pacing a hole in the floor, so that’s something.”
“Good,” I reply with a genuine smile. I wish I had the chance to talk to him more this morning, but I’m sure I’ll see him later.
Town is quiet this morning. It’s slow, unbothered, peaceful. We swing by the farm supply first, and once Beau has what he needs, the two of us head to the cafe on the corner. Beau orders for us while I wait at a small table tucked by the window, and when he brings over a cinnamon roll and coffee just how I like it, I smile a little wider.
“That was a dangerous game, Beau Saint John,” I tell him as we walk down the sidewalk, coffees in hand, after finishing our cinnamon rolls. “A girl could get used to this kind of Sunday morning.”
He laughs. “Kinda the point, Darlin’. I aim to please.”
The flirting is familiar—easy smiles, playful nudges—but it also feels different today. Somehow… steadier. Like he’s present in a way that isn’t just charm.
I’m about to comment on it when I see it.
Red.
Just a flash—vivid and unmistakable—disappearing at the end of the block.
