Page 66 of Grumpy on the Mountain
But here's the thing about that sheet: it's not cooperating.
At all.
The fabric keeps slipping, forcing Beau to constantly readjust it, and the morning chill has done absolutely nothing to diminish his... enthusiasm from our earlier activities.
The sheet tents dramatically at his groin, creating a very obvious… and very impressive… outline that makes my sister's eyes go wide.
"Um," Sienna says, clearly trying not to stare at the circus happening below his waist. "Should I... come back later?"
"It's fine," Beau grunts, yanking the sheet higher, which only makes it slip lower on the other side, nearly exposing one perfectly sculpted hip. "We're... decent."
I snort with laughter. "We're really not."
The sheet chooses that moment to give up entirely, sliding down to reveal a tantalizing strip of skin before Beau catches it just in time, his face flushing red beneath his rugged beard.
"For fuck's sake," he mutters.
"Language," Sienna says automatically, then seems to realize she's lecturing a half-naked man in his own home. "Whoops. Sorry. Mom instincts."
Beau shrugs it off and Sienna's eyes snap across to bore into me. "A phone call would have been nice, Mol."
"Sorry," I say, stepping into view, which makes both of them turn to look at me. "I thought Etta and Mabel would have told you by now."
Beau's eyes immediately darken as he takes in the sight of me in his shirt, and I swear I see the sheet situation get even more precarious.
Sienna follows his gaze, then looks between us with the expression of someone who's just solved a very interesting puzzle.
"Oh, they told me," she says, a slow smile spreading across her face. "When I called them at six this morning, only to inform me that 'our Molly has found herself a man' and that I should 'give the lovebirds some time to nest.'" She air-quotes the last part. "I thought they were being dramatic. Apparently, I was wrong."
"Dramatically accurate," I correct, grinning.
Beau makes a sound that might be a laugh, but he's too busy fighting his rebellious sheet to commit to it.
"So," Sienna continues, clearly pissed at me but enjoying this far too much to hide her amusement. "When I didn't hear from you at all yesterday, and you didn't come home last night, I started to panic. I imagined all sorts of horrible scenarios." Her eyes flick up and down my outfit, and then across to Beau's… sheet. "I did not, however, imagine finding you here wearing nothing but a satisfied smile and your boyfriend's shirt."
"Sienna—"
"Which, by the way, looks amazing on you. Very 'claimed by a mountain man' chic." She pauses, then her expression shifts to something more urgent. "But seriously, I need your help today. David's coming home tomorrow, and I'm throwing him a welcome back BBQ. You just know the whole town's going to show up, and I'm completely overwhelmed trying to organize everything by myself."
I glance at Beau, whose jaw immediately tightens at the mention of a social gathering. I know I shouldn't expect him to go out of his way for me, but I don't like the idea of leaving just yet.
He chokes on whatever he was about to say, and the sheet slips again. This time, he just gives up and holds it with both hands, the broom clattering to the floor behind him.
"Are you planning to stand there holding that sheet all morning?" I ask him, biting my lip to keep from laughing.
"If I let go, your sister's going to get a show she didn't pay for," he grumbles.
"Trust me," Sienna says dryly, "after three years of medical school, there's not much that can shock me. But maybe we should all get some clothes on before we continue this conversation?"
"Actually," Beau says, and something in his voice makes us both look at him. "Why don't you stay for breakfast?"
The words come out gruff and almost desperate, like he's afraid we're going to disappear if he doesn't give us a reason to linger.
Maybe he feels the same as me… Not ready to let this wonderful night go.
Sienna blinks at Beau. "You can cook?"
"Of course I can cook!" he says, looking slightly offended. "I'm not a complete savage."
