Page 33 of Say You'll Stay

After the feasting is over, the men do the cleaning until everything winds down. Hannah says, “I’m so glad we could make time for each other today. For our guests, I am so happy you came. You are always welcome. And now, I’m going to take those sleeping rascals to bed.” She gestures to the kids, piled onto each other on one end of the bench. “Cormac, would you mind carrying them?”

“Of course not, Mother.” He carts his children and the responsible people of the clan leave. The rest of us meet up on some logs around a bonfire on the beach, drinking and laughing. For once, I truly see the appeal of this life. Sitting next to Beau, particularly.

Cormac returns, stealing Lily’s attention as they flirt and giggle with each other. Beckett makes gagging noises to tease them, but it’s obvious that he is jealous. Not of Cormac, but of them both. Of their happiness.

I don’t blame him. They are clearly made for each other.

After the fire dies down, the happy couple parts, and so do Beckett and Cole, and before I know it, there’s just me and Beau on the beach by a fire. “It’s really nice here, Beau. I get why you love this place so much. It grows on you.”

“Thought you might run screaming for the hills when Lily had you in the water.”

I laugh. “It was fun. Why would I run away from that?”

“Fun?Iwould have run away from that,” he teases.

“Maybe I don’t scare as easily as you.”

He smiles, his eyes flickering to my mouth. “I believe that about you. Even when I bluster, you don’t back down. You’re an unusual woman, Elsie Braudel.”

I’m not sure if it’s the beer or my horniness, but heat flushes through me. “You’re not so bad yourself, Beau MacMillan.”

“Is that right?”

Is it just my imagination, or is he closer than he was a moment ago?“Well, yeah. You’re a snob and a half, but you’re also funny and smart.”

“Iampaying you for your expert opinion. Go on.”

My mouth goes dry, along with my brain. “And you’re... tall.”Tall? That’s what I go with?

“You have a body made of curves.”

“And you’re muscular.”Why am I telling him what he obviously knows? Is my brain short circuiting? Why is my heart pounding? What is this?

He murmurs as he closes in, “You are so pretty that it’s hard to look at you sometimes.”

“Beau, um—"

He leans in for a kiss.

And I back off and blurt, “I should go.”

He blinks at me. “Elsie, did I read you wrong?”

“No,” I say, standing up. “I have to go.”

“Can we talk about this?”

“Goodnight, Beau.” I race to my rental car, unsure of every decision in my life.

15

ELSIE

As soon as I step into my room at the B&B, I am shaking. It’s not like me to back off from anyone. I am firm. I give direct answers. There is no equivocation, no room for debate. It’s what I am known for in business.

So why am I a befuddled mess with Beau?

Who the hell was I out there on the beach? I should have just said no and shut him down. Instead, I ran away? Since when do I run from anything?

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