Andy flushes bright red, then looks back over her shoulder. “Come meet everyone. You’re the gossip of the town.”
“Shit,” Beau mumbles under his breath as Andy drags me further inside.
An overwhelming amount of people fill the space. But it appears most are family, so Beau stays mostly relaxed at my side. His hand envelops mine again even as Andy shows me around, introducing me to various people.
“Look! Beau’s boyfriend exists!” Andy says, voice teasing to lessen the sting of her words.
A man with black curls, stubbled cheeks, and dark brown eyes stands beside another man with light brown hair and a full beard. Both stare at me for a moment, confusion on their faces, before their gazes ping to Beau.
“Since when?” the brown-haired friend asks, eyes sharp on Beau.
Beau shifts on his feet. “Didn’t want to steal any of Andy’s shine.”
“I’m Joey, this is Lee,” Joey says, the one with the dark curls. He nudges Lee with his elbow.
“Lee.” Lee sends me a hesitant wave.
“Nice to meet you both.”
“We grew up together,” Beau explains quietly, for only me to hear.
“Ah, the best friends. Are you going to grill me?” I shoot a smirk at both of them, satisfied when Lee flushes a vivid crimson.
Joey’s eyes narrow. “Do we need to grill you?”
I shrug lazily. “Not if you trust Beau.”
Lee opens his mouth to argue but Andy silences him with a fierce stare, eyes wide. “Let’s introduce you to my parents. These losers have had enough of your time.”
“Hey!” Joey shouts behind us, voice full of laughter.
“Sorry about that. They’re not always idiots. They’re just really protective of Beau,” Andy whispers against my ear.
“To be expected.”
Andy aims a warm smile at me as she guides me towards a group of elders standing at the other side of the barn. Beau plods behind us, rubbing at his arms, clearly uncomfortable in his clothing.
His father is the spitting image of him, but thirty years older. The man looks tired though, in a sickly sort of way. His mother is slighter, with fair skin and dark red hair. I gently shake his mother’s hand but take his father’s in a firm shake that has him grinning in a soft, pleased sort of way. One thing I know is to always firmly shake another man’s hand. That wisdom was ingrained in me early on.
“Trevor,” I tell them as I step back.
Beau moves his hand to rest on my shoulder, his grip a comfort against my oddly sudden nerves. It’s easy to take a step closer to him, resting against his side where I somehow perfectly fit.
“Nice to meet you, Trevor. You’ve got the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.” Mrs. Callahan sends me a wink. Mr. Callahan laughs at her and aims a tender, heartbreaking look her way.
“Thanks, ma’am.”
“Call me Cindy.”
“You can call me Mr. Callahan or sir,” his father says, earning him a soft elbow to the ribs. “Just kidding. David will do just fine.”
A warm smile, soft eyes, everything a good fake boyfriend gives. But oddly, I’m not having to fake it as much as I usually do. Beau’s hand is a constant weight against my shoulder, settling the weird anxiety bubbling up inside me. As they make conversation, I let my gaze trail over the barn, taking in the scenery.
Two long tables fill the barn, decorated with baby’s breath and other farmhouse-chic decorations. Andy’s warm laugh pulls my attention towards her and her fiancé. Close to her age, with a military-style crew cut. The way he looks at her radiates love, and I get it. There’s something inherently sweet about the Callahan siblings. Whoever gets to keep Beau for real will be extremely lucky.
“So, what do you do, Trevor?” Cindy asks me as Beau and David finish discussing the farm.
“I’m still in college.”
