Page 107 of Live for Me

My throat thickened by the time my eyes landed on Jigs, but my mouth still moved, exposing myself.

“I don’t know how—I don’t know what—” I sucked in a breath, shaking my head as emotions slammed into me.

Beau’s hand cupped my face then. “Eyes on me,” he said softly.

“Beau, I don’t—I don’t…What the hell am I supposed to say or do here?” I asked, the heavy weight of panic settling on my shoulders as fear slithered at my feet underneath the table, slowly making its way up my legs, up my spine. Goosebumps scattered along my arms then.

“Just start from the beginning, Wildflower. That’s all you have to do,” Beau encouraged, his thumb brushing away the stray tear.

I nodded.

The beginning.

Okay.

I could…I could do that.

Okay.

I took a long breath, releasing the air slowly before diving into the worst night of my life.

Hayden, CO. Six Years Ago.

“Beau,” I laughed into the phone, making my way down the cereal aisle in Hayden Grocery. “We don’t need five boxes of chocolate cereal in the bunkhouse. Denver would kick me out.”

“Nah,” my cowboy replied confidently. “I wouldn’t let him.”

I rolled my eyes and stopped in front of the wall of sugary cereal everyone knew was no good, but you still bought it anyways. It was simple and tasted good. Was it healthy? Nope, and no matter how many times I tried to tell Beau that, he didn’t listen.

“Look, someone has been fucking eating my cereal, and I need a stash.”

I grabbed two boxes of his favorite and moved along. “Sounds like Denver needs to have a cereal meeting with his cowboys.”

“Denver has other shit on his mind,” Beau sighed. “Sure as hell doesn’t need to be worried about the bunkhouse food crisis.”

Another laugh escaped me. “I wouldn’t call that a crisis.”

“Wildflower, for once, take your man’s side,” he snapped, his voice light—happy.

“I’ll always take your side,” I said softly, grabbing some milk. “Is there anything else you need?”

“Just you, Abbie.”

“Alright, I’m heading to checkout, and I’ll be out there in a bit,” I promised, turning the shopping cart around.

“I love you, baby.”

Heat tinted my cheeks as I looked up to the ceiling, silently thanking the Big Man upstairs for blessing me with this cowboy. I smiled as I said it back, hanging up the phone. The sooner I paid for all this junk, the sooner I got to see him. I’d taken my last final earlier this morning, and after spending the afternoon with my friends in the city, I drove back home to spend the weekend with Beau.

I would be graduating at the end of the summer, and then, Beau and I could officially start house hunting. We’d already found an older home on the north side of Denver, but it needed a lot of work, and I wasn’t sure we’d have the time for that.

After checking out, I returned the cart, grabbed the four bags, and headed out into the parking lot. The moon was high, and down the street, I could hear the music playing from the bar. I smiled, knowing that tomorrow morning, Beau would drive me back into town for some of Miriam’s coffee.

I hummed a soft tune as I loaded the bags into the trunk, tucking them beside my old suitcase.

The last thing I expected was to have a hand cover my mouth from behind after I shut my trunk.

I cried out into the stranger’s sweaty palm as their other arm wrapped around my mid-section, dragging me back. I threw my arms out and then brought both of my elbows back, hittingmy attacker in the sides. They grunted, and the hand fell away from my mouth.

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