Page 19 of Long Past Dawn
I shook my head but didn’t make eye contact. “I don't think so, Heaven.”
“Explain why he stalked off and left you stranded in town then?”
I tapped the table with frustration. “Okay, first of all, Beau didn’t strand me in town. I don't need a man to get me from one place to the next.”
Heaven held up her hand to hush me. “Which I realize, I just meant that the Beau we know wouldn't just up and walk out rudely without making sure you were safe.”
“I agree with you there. I suppose it didn’t help matters that I mentioned how life was changing now, even more so than when Blaze married Callie. He’s so transparent when it comes to his emotions, and he doesn’t realize it. It’s plainer than the nose on my face that he’s mourning the loss of what he and Blaze used to have together at Bison Ridge. Change is hard. I understand that better than anyone. Anyway, he apologized last night when he came over.”
“I knew he would.”
“He also kissed me.” I slapped my hand over my mouth and grimaced. Dammit, Dawn! You weren’t going to tell her!
I swear they could hear her squeal two counties over, and she slapped her hand down on the table. “Oh my God, next time, lead with that!” She must have noticed the look on my face because she took a deep breath before speaking again. “What did you do?”
“Kissed him back?”
“Why did you make that a question?” Her brow was in the air, and I sighed, leaning back in my chair to try and find a comfortable position.
“Because I don’t know if it was the right thing to do, if he really wanted to kiss me or was just drunk, or if he even liked it. He had just finished telling me about his family and how he met Blaze. I think he was seeking comfort from someone who understood his pain. Again, he was incredibly drunk, so it might have been that.”
“I assure you, he kissed you because he wanted to. The booze just lowered his firewall of good manners enough to let him go for it.”
“Could be,” I agreed noncommittally. “I wanted to know if I imagined the feelings coursing between us ever since we met, so I kissed him back.”
She gave me the out with it motion with her hand. “And? Did you imagine it?”
“Absolutely not,” I whispered, hating to admit she was right. “That doesn't mean we can be more than friends, though.”
She posed like a psychiatrist and eyed me. “Tell me why.”
I tossed up one hand. “Isn't it obvious?”
“I wish it were, actually,” she said, her brows doing a strange dance until they paused somewhere near her nose.
“We've known each other six years, Heaven. He never once made a move on me. Now that I’m seventy-five pounds lighter, he’s suddenly interested in more than friendship? Feels a little suspect.”
Heaven shook her head, her gaze roaming up and down me. It was filled with worry and fear. “You’ve lost seventy-five pounds? Dawn, I’ve been worried, but now I’m beside myself with it.”
“You missed the point, Heaven,” I grunted, smacking myself in the forehead.
She shook her head as she leaned over the table. “I didn’t miss the point. I just don’t think the fact that he finally kissed you had anything to do with how much you weigh.”
I tipped my head to the side in disbelief. “You don’t think it’s highly suspicious that he stayed hands-off until I looked like a completely different person? Then suddenly, he can’t wait to put his lips on mine?”
“No, because Beau’s in a bad place right now. His life is changing, and he’s scared. You have always been a constant for him. You’ve always been there when he needed someone to dump on, be it his pain or anger. After the week he’s had, he probably decided he had to know if one thing in his life was real.”
“He was drunk,” I insisted. “We’re probably reading too much into it.”
“I don’t think we are. Beau was drunk, but that just meant his inhibitions were finally gone.”
“Well, whatever the case, it won’t happen again. I can’t let it happen again. He’s already messed up enough. He doesn’t need me dumping more on him.”
Her head tipped and curiosity filled her eyes. “What would you be dumping on him?”
My chin trembled when I sighed. I couldn’t keep carrying this burden alone any longer. If anyone would understand, it was Heaven. I brought my hand out from under the table and held it up.
“There’s a problem here. A serious one, right?” Heaven asked, standing, and walking around the table.
