“The phone has a private line and it’s on my account with the wireless company. But my cousin Trent ensured that no one will be able to get this number. He hasn’t lied to me yet.” Beau leans heavily against the kitchen counter in his work jeans and work shirt. Looking a perfect picture of everything I never knew I needed in a man. “The calls should stop now. If they keep callin’, tell me, I’ll stop it.”
“You can’t fight my battles for me,” I tell him softly, needing him to understand.
“That’s not what I’m doin’.” His southern accent comes out more when he’s tired, when he’s anxious, or when he’s being serious. Seems he’s got all three of those things going on now. “We’re partners. I’m tryin’ to make your life easier. Make your load a little lighter, sweetheart. A new line on my account isn’t a hardship if it keeps you smilin’ at me like that.”
And that’s apparently all he has to say on the topic because he squeezes my neck as he walks towards the bathroom for his after-work shower. For a while I just sit there, staring wordlessly at the phone. Putting up a fight seems fruitless. But I really don’t want to because it’s nice to be cared for by Beau. To be protected for the first time in my life.
The next twenty or so minutes are spent transferring everything on my old phone to the new one. Once it’s done, Iturn the old one off, then promptly throw it into the trash. Good riddance. I have no need for it anymore. Beau comes out of the shower, hair still wet, wearing only gym shorts and a faded T-shirt with a hole at the collar. My heart skips a beat just at the sight of him, and it skips another when he smiles affectionately at me, eyes crinkled at the corners.
“I love you,” I tell him because I can. Because he’s mine. Because hell if I’m not in this to win it now.
“Love you too, sweetheart. Now let’s eat and then I kinda wanna eat you for dessert.”
And that’s the end of that conversation. Not that I’m mad about it.
The autumn festival starts on the bright final weekend of September. After everything with my parents, the festival is a perfect distraction. So are my two other best friends that are currently arguing like children in the back of Beau’s work truck.
“No, I’m telling you for the final time, Jackson, licorice is the worst candy on earth,” Benji practically snarls. His hair hangs loosely over the edge of the hairband he’s wearing around his head.
“No, it’s sour apple Jolly Ranchers,” Jackson argues. He winks at me in the mirror as Benji tries to pummel him, only stopped by the seat belt snapping him into place.
“Sour apple is a superior flavor.”
“It’s disgusting. Licorice is better than sour apple.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Stop arguing,” Elijah orders firmly, twisting the dial of the speakers up higher to drown us out. “We’re getting along this weekend.”
“Tell this nut job to stop having bad opinions on candy, then!” Benji shouts with a huff.
I have to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing at their antics. The farm comes into sight, making my heart swell just at the idea of seeing Beau soon. As if I didn’t just see him this morning. He’d kissed me awake, then fucked me slowly so that I had the gentlest orgasm of my life. Then he’d grinned, showered, and left me in the wrecked bed as if it was a daily habit.
Could be a daily habit. We can make it one. The farm is still pretty quiet considering it’s before opening. A worker waves me into the employee parking lot when they recognize the truck as Beau’s. We all hop out of the car to look around at the farm.
“I want to take pictures with the sunflowers,” Benji says dreamily. He’s the most spirited of all of us. I never know where Benji might be. If he’s not working a job for the agency, then he’s traveling the world. Part of me always wants to keep him close because he’s not much older than me, and I’m oddly protective of him. But another part of me knows Benji can always take care of himself despite his perpetually sunshiny attitude. There’s something nefarious about Benji White.
Then there’s Jackson. He’d kill for us if he needed to without a single question. Jackson tosses one of his trademark winks my way, then looks out over the sprawling farm.
“Show us around, then,” Jackson orders, crossing his big arms across his broad chest.
Benji hits Jackson’s chest. “Try to be a gentleman today.”
Jackson makes awhat the fuckface. “I’m always a goddamn gentleman.”
Eli snorts. “Is it opposite day?”
“My mama raised a gentleman.”
“I’d like to have words with your mama,” Benji mutters under his breath. Jackson hears him though and smacks him upside the head. Which turns into play fighting in the dusty parking lot of the farm.
Which is of course how Colby finds us. He blinks rapidly as he watches his boyfriend try to stop Benji and Jackson from doing each other actual bodily harm.
“Everything alright?” Colby asks with a fearful look on his face.
“Colby!” Eli gives up on Benji and Jackson to run over to Colby. Eli lifts up on his toes to kiss Colby’s smiling cheek. The smile on Colby’s face just at the sight of Eli is unmatched. Joy for Eli fills me up because he deserves the devoted love of a good man. Just like I do too.
“Hi, baby.” Colby kisses Eli’s forehead. “It’s going to be a busy day here, but I thought I’d greet you before it gets crazy. Everyone want some coffee?”
