Page 47 of Long Past Dawn
Beau smiled, winked, and leaned down for another short kiss. “I may not have done great in school, but I’m not a fool, Dawn. I can even answer the question without your input. You didn’t answer because you’re letting me decide what’s happening between us, right?” I nodded rather than speak and risk my voice cracking. “Then, tonight, I’m going to decide. I don’t think I love you. I know I love you, Dawn Briar Lee. I’ve loved you since day one. I tried to deny it to myself, but I couldn’t. You were the last thing I thought of when I laid down at night and the first thing I thought of when I woke up. I love you. I’m not going to pretend I don’t anymore. Tonight, I saw what love could do when it is shared honestly with someone else. I want to share my love with you, even if you don’t feel the same way. Maybe you don’t, I—I don–do—”
I put my finger to his lips. “I love you, Beau Hanson. Since I first laid eyes on you riding a horse that was way too small for you and pretending it wasn’t. I have loved you since the first campfire we shared at Heavenly Lane. My tears were out of fear that you loved me but couldn’t come to terms with it and fear that you didn’t love me at all. Even if neither makes sense.”
He kissed my lips again, his finger stroking my cheek. “They do make sense, and I’ve been feeling the same way. I’m glad we have it out in the open, though. I can’t keep biting my tongue every time we make love, so I don’t say the words wanting to tumble from my heart. Make no mistake that what we do here in this bed is not sex. It has been making love every time we’ve come together. I’ve felt it. I know you have, too.”
I laughed, happiness filling every part of my heart. “It feels good,” I whispered, running a fingertip down Beau’s cheek. “It feels right, finally. I love you.”
His chocolate eyes melted into deep puddles before my eyes. “I love you too, Dawn. Sometimes, I think my momma orchestrated everything in my life to make sure I was here, on this night, wrapped in your love.”
I trailed my hand down his face to cup his chin. “Maybe she did, baby. If that’s the case, I owe her a debt of gratitude. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Promise me tonight that you’ll always come to me when you need reassurance, Beau. There will never be a time that I’m not here for you.”
He leaned down and kissed my lips tenderly before he answered. “Not a hard promise to make, sweetheart. Now, I want you to promise me something.” I nodded while he rested his lips on my forehead for a moment. “Never think you can’t be honest with me about how you’re feeling or if you’re in pain, scared, or need help. This is a partnership. I don’t ever want you to think you can’t ask for help out of some misguided idea that you have to be strong all the time.”
I chuckled and rose to kiss his lips. “It’s like you know me or something,” I said with laughter on my lips and happiness in my heart. “That’s an easy promise to make because it feels natural to know you’re my resting place.”
Beau smiled and then kissed me like a man in love, his eyes glowing in the light from the lamp. “It does feel natural, doesn’t it?” he asked, and I nodded again, my hand caressing his face. “It also feels sticky. Can I interest you in a shower, cowgirl?”
“Together?” I asked as he stood up and offered me his hand.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The barn was ready if it rained, but the weatherman had called for sunny skies and a warming trend by the time the wedding happened at three this afternoon. I didn’t for one minute believe him, though, and decided to move all the horses to the pasture just to be on the safe side.
“Thanks for your help, Tex,” I said as we finished cleaning the final stalls.
“No problem, Beau,” he said, leaning on his pitchfork. “There aren’t any guests at the ranch, so there’s no need for me to hang around there. I’m glad Heaven blocked this week off. It would be hard to run the ranch and be here for the festivities.”
“I’m just glad the day has finally arrived,” I said, sitting down for a moment to rest. “We’ve been working nonstop already. It won’t be long, and the red dogs will start arriving. It feels like this wedding is happening just in the nick of time.”
“True, but at least Mr. and Mrs. McAwley are flying home and then heading back in the RV. You’ll have a little extra help by the time the red dogs show up.”
I waved my hand at my throat. “We don’t need Ash’s help. We have plenty of hands who know how to deal with these animals. Asking Ash to help is foolhardy and dangerous. Blaze and I have already agreed on that.”
“Which is why I plan to keep him busy on the dude ranch,” Tex said. “There is plenty for him to do there that’s more his speed. I don’t want anyone getting hurt either, especially Mr. McAwley.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You don’t know Ash very well yet, but I wish you the best of luck with keeping him at the dude ranch.” I hung the tools back in the tack room and glanced around. “I think we’re done here. We have a few hours before we have to get cleaned up and changed. Dawn is keeping Heaven busy at our place.”
Tex followed me out of the barn, and we walked toward the house where Blaze was most likely wearing a hole in the carpet while Ash tried to keep him calm. Thankfully, we had reliable hands who would take the chores when the rest of us were busy with lace, tulle, and the I do’s.
“I noticed Dawn sure is happy lately. Since dinner last week, come to think of it.”
I was grateful I was in front of him and could roll my eyes without him seeing me. “Smooth, Tex,” I said, chuckling. “Maybe it’s because I finally told her I love her.”
Tex grabbed my arm and spun me back toward him. “It’s about damn friggin’ time,” he huffed. “You two are the reason I drink. Please tell me she admitted her undying love back so we can all move on from the last five years of painful unrequited adoration.”
I shoved him in the shoulder, and he grabbed it, laughing at me in response. “You’re a jerk.”
“Who’s a jerk?” Ash asked, coming down the steps of the house with Blaze.
“Tex,” I said, pointing at the kid who stood grinning like a fool. “He thinks he’s funny.”
“He is funny,” Blaze said, coming to a stop next to us. “Especially when he’s hounding you about your puppy dog eyes for Dawn.”
Tex gave him a high five, and they busted out laughing.
“You two are less mature than an hour old red dog,” I huffed. “Whatever, dude who is about to tie himself to one woman for the rest of his life.”
“Yeah,” Blaze agreed, hands in his pockets, and his lips turned upward, “but she’s beautiful and one hell of a woman.”
