ChapterFive
The rhythmof the heavy bass drum rattled the windows of the County Line Bar just outside of Morrisville. The clinging of glasses and rowdy laughter of its patrons leaked through the door as it continually opened and closed to admit more guests or smokers who stepped out for a break. The thirty-minute drive was worth it just for the chance to see Taraagain.
When Daniel told Beau that they were all going dancing, he didn’t know whether to be ecstatic or crestfallen. Especially when his brother mentioned that Tara would be bringing a date for him. Had he read her wrong from the beginning? It was stupid to be so hopeful that maybe Tara fancied him over Daniel – her intended match – but were all those flirtatious moments just a front? Did she really not like him as he suspected? Or had she changed her mind after meeting Daniel and reminiscing over highschool?
But he stopped himself. He couldn’t think about all that or it would drive him nuts. Things were going according to plan. The carnival trip and dinner at the ranch were designed to get Tara to test the waters and see if she liked their lifestyle. Now, she was going on a date with Daniel that would hopefully lead to more. Wedding bells could be in their future, but not for Beau. When it came to the moment when Daniel would ask him to be the best man, Beau wasn’t sure what he would say. To stand by and watch his older brother get the girl of his dreams might have beentoomuch.
He never anticipated feeling this much for Tara. After they parted ways in high school, he thought they would never see one another again. With nothing in his pockets except a few hundred dollars to get him started and a broken heart to keep him warm at night, Beau thought he wouldn’t have to put himself through something like that again. Now, Tara was slowly mending his heart back together without even knowing it, and he had to rip out the stitching asshewent.
Beau kicked at a pebble to send it rolling a few yards across the parking lot outsidethebar.
“What’s got you?” Daniel asked, his thumbs slung in his belt loops as he leaned against the tailgate of his Dodgepickup.
He had his back turned to his brother, so he could make as many pained and angry expressions as he pleased. “Nothing,” he said, keeping the agitation out of his words as best he could under the circumstances. “I just don’t like the idea of a blind date,youknow?”
It was the truth. Tara never mentioned who her friend was, but only that she would be an eager dancer. Beau wasn’t too sure he wanted to dance at all tonight, knowing that Tara would be on the floor withDaniel.
“Yeah, I know how you feel,” Daniel said. “For your sake, I hopeshe’scute.”
Beau rolled his eyes. Compared to Tara, every girl on the planet was plain andhomely.
He spotted Tara’s car as it pulled into the parking lot, a little red coupe – the same one she owned in high school. It was already dark and the headlights shined against his legs and torso as they came around to find a parking spot. He shouldn’t have been nervous. It wasn’t his date. Damn, how he wanted to scream and pound his fists against the hood of anearbycar.
They came walking up a few moments later and Beau wished he were irresponsible enough to throw away every commitment he had made to his brother’s happiness. Tara was wearing a pair of cutoff jeans, despite the dropping mercury. He didn’t even look to her friend as she came up, her hips already swinging with each step. Underneath her blue plaid button-down shirt, a white tank top hugged against her trim form, showing off every curve he wished he couldexplore.
She smiled and the wind tossed her hair back in such a way that made his manhood firm up instantly. Daniel seemed to be just asentranced.
“I hope we weren’t making you wait too long,”shesaid.
Beau would have waited a thousand years if it meant he would get to take a deep whiff of whatever expensive perfume she was wearingjustthen.
“Not long,” Daniel replied. His eyes shifted instantly to Tara’s blonde friend. “You work at the dentist too,don’tyou?”
Beau wrenched his thoughts away from Tara and looked to the other girl, whom he recognized now. She and Tara were attached at the hip in their chemistry class and he had seen them hanging out after school quiteoften.
“Rebecca, right?” he guessed. This must have been the blonde Daniel had almost mistaken Tara for the othernight.
She smiled, but it was a weak one. “That’sme.”
Somehow, Beau got the idea that Rebecca really didn’t want to be there. At least they had that much incommon.
When he looked back to the other two, he found that their attentions were a little crossed. Daniel’s date was staring at Beau, while Tara’s date was ogling Rebecca and the way her off-the-shoulder blouse showed off a littlecleavage.
Once more, his mind was split. How could Daniel be gawking at Rebecca while Tara was standing in front of him, looking like a Lonestar Goddess? At the same time, he loved the way her eyes were pouring over him in that same lusty way that made his heart skip a fewbeats.
Being the better man, he ribbed his brother and offered his elbow to Rebecca. “Come on,” he said to her, forcing a smile. “I’ll buy youabeer.”
That seemed to be enough to snap Daniel back to the evening’s agenda and he stepped beside Tara to lead the way towardthedoor.
“I actually don’t drink beer. Do you think they have wine?” Rebeccainquired.
Beau only shrugged and tried not to look down to Tara’s fine ass and the way her jeans hugged them so perfectly. “I think so, but you may get some weirdlooks.”
“I can’t stand the taste of beer, much less the smell of it. I’d rather have something a littlefruity.”
Tara looked over her shoulder as Daniel opened the doors to let them in. “Can’t you just try a good draft beer orsomething?”
Rebecca made a face. “I’ll stick to what I like,thanks.”
