Tara was no replacement for Dixie’s mom, and she certainly didn’t want to be the rebound for Daniel. What was Beau thinking? He couldn’t just screw with people’s lives like this. He made her believe that hewantedher.
No, scratch that. The book made her think that he wanted her. In all reality, if she had never found this book or read about this alternate reality where her name was Trish and his name was Ben, then she wouldn’t have gotten so excited about becoming the heroine tohishero.
The tears wanted to come, but she forced them back. She wouldn’t be one of those silly girls who pined away in unrequited love for a guy that wasn’t going to give her the time of day. She didn’t want to get angry at Beau for practically using her either. It wasn’t his fault that she was nearly falling apart. He never really made his intentions known, but he never led her on either.Not really. It was all inherhead.
Beau was the dedicated brother and uncle that she believed him to be. That had never changed since the moment they met. Even after they kissed, he denied his true feelingsforher.
That’s why she had to think. Tara didn’t know whether to continue to pursue him, despite everything she had learned from the book, or keep her distance for the sake of the fragile balance between heartandduty.
Tara didn’t want to be with Daniel, and as much as she loved Dixie, she could never be what Beau intended. And perhaps ghosting on them would ease the pain of the moment she had to crush their hopes. That didn’thappen.
For days afterward, she tried to sever all thoughts and ties with the family. As soon as the book ceased to fill in the blanks for her, she set it aside in her purse and tried to forget it. But just as if she were expecting some message, she continually checked it for another update, another hint that things might be mendedbetweenthem.
Seeing Beau standing there in the lobby might have unraveled everything she had worked so hard to hold together. And leaving him now was justashard.
Thankfully, Rebecca asked no questions when she came back into the office and dived right back into her work in an attempt to distract herself from theheartache.
