Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
He slung his damp towel over one shoulder. The other one propped against the door frame. The David had nothing on Dash. Overwhelmed, I took a seat on the edge of the bed. I’d grown so hard so fast I rammed the heel of my palm into my groin to stop the insanity.
“We’ll talk about it when you’re dressed. You’re making it hard to think straight,” I said.
His sweet smile and soft chuckle had me unsure of what he’d do next. Luckily, he ducked behind the door. “Maybe I need to stay like this in front of you all the time. It might give me a few wins every once in a while. Let me dry my hair. Then we’re going for a ride in my Ferrari.”
I dropped back on the bed as the hair dryer roared to life. My hand came to my heart. I was way over my head with that one.
One week later
What a difference a month made.
A single moment had changed me to the core. Being in the right place at the right time began to look more like destiny than chance. The way life aligned for me, locking into place, had me considering all the challenges Beau and I faced. One by one, we knocked them down together.
If the resort hadn’t faced its difficulties, if his grandparents hadn’t put up such a fight, I might not have ever met Beau. Yeah, fate took on a tangible meaning in my life. It became real and fluid, and I’d appreciate it every moment for the rest of my life.
“Amelia’s nice,” Beau said absently, staring out the passenger side window. We held hands as much as I could while handling the stick shift. Apparently, my selfishness knew no bounds. I did my best to occupy all our time, keeping Beau to myself. The idea of parting with him to complete my fall semester took on a bleak, desolate outlook.
When had I become so emotional?
I couldn’t ask that same question about becoming controlling, I’d been that since birth.
“She’s having a well-deserved vacation. I’m in a place that takes care of everything for me. Her tan’s coming on strong. I’m also sure she didn’t need to come here. I’m responsible and honest…” Beau interrupted me before the outrage tumbled from my lips again.
My only real issue with Amelia was her keen eye. She knew me and watched me closely. And that was technically okay too. She approved of Beau. She hadn’t forbidden Beau’s nights spent with me. She stayed discreetly away, never in my way.
“Says the guy who stole his niece’s car every night to come see me.”
All right, mister. One eyebrow cocked at the refute. Clearly, we needed to make a few new rules. When I launched into a baseless complaint, Beau should agree with me instead of introducing reason and truth into the mix.
When he glanced at me, he said, “I win.”
“You always do. It’s very annoying,” I remarked sharply, downshifting to take the turn to his house.
He casually shrugged me off in the typical air of competitive arrogance, causing me to laugh. I guessed facts were facts.
As we drew closer to Beau’s house, I noticed three police vehicles parked in front of his grandparents’ home. My gut sank at the possibilities, none of them were good. My father said he’d help. “What’s going on?”
Beau swung his head toward the front windshield and reached for the cell phone in his back pocket. At the same time, the front door opened. A commotion spilled out into the yard.
“That’s my dad,” he said in that fearful way he used when speaking of his father. “Drive to the house. Hurry.”
The tension in the car escalated in the few moments it took to arrive in front of the home. We watched his grandfather grasp his father's forearm then get shoved several feet backward until he tumbled hard to the ground. The police, who had created a u-shape around the front porch, finally intervened, attempting to manage the growing volatile situation that had Beau visibly upset.
Without hesitation, he leaped from the car before I came to a full stop. He left the door wide open as he sprinted toward his grandfather. “Keep your hands off him. His heart’s weak.” He bellowed with a vicious voice. Maybe the meanest I’d ever heard. “Get away. Why’re you here?”
“That’s him. Put him in my truck.”
I stood corrected. His father was loud, commanding and sounded like a demon from the depths of hell. Beau evaded one officer to get to his grandfather’s side. Tears streamed down his mom’s face as she spoke urgently on her cell phone, requesting an ambulance. Her gaze fixed on me.
I broke the boundary lines I hadn’t yet crossed and hurried to Beau’s grandfather’s side. He was unconscious, with his wife kneeling on the other side of Beau.