Haven.
It was time to go. He wanted to be alone with his wife. Preferably without Cooper’s hands running interference.
He shook Maverick’s hand. Gave his sister a kiss on the cheek and warned her away from Matt Hawkins. Grace had a habit of wanting to fix things, including the men she dated, but from what little he knew of Hawkins, the guy was unfixable.
He said his goodbyes to Tucker and Abbey, to Jack and Donovan. He hugged his parents fiercely and patted Herschel on the back before doing the same to Betty’s sisters and their husbands.
By the time he got to his woman, Beau wanted nothing more than to scoop her into his arms and take her home. She looked exhausted, and beautiful, and radiant and a whole bunch of other things he didn’t have time to think about.
She stumbled a bit, but that was okay. He was there to catch her and he slid his arms around her, stealing her from his cousin.
“Coop,” he said. “We’re heading out.”
Cooper was silent for a few seconds. “You’re a lucky man. Take care of this one.”
“I plan on it.”
Of course Betty didn’t know where her coat was, so he slipped his suit jacket over her shoulders, dropping a kiss on her exposed neck when he did so.
“I’ll give you twenty minutes to stop that,” she whispered.
“You just wait until I get you alone. I plan on kissing you for a lot longer than twenty minutes.”
Because she didn’t have boots on her feet, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his car. The driver had the door open and once he deposited her inside, Beau climbed in and pulled Betty into his arms.
They rode in silence for a few moments, each lost in thought, gazing out the windows at a much thinner crowd still gathered along the road. It was mainly paparazzi and light bulbs flashed as they exited the estate.
“It was perfect, don’t you think?” Betty said softly, her hands running along his arm.
Beau kissed the top of her head. “Yeah. Perfect.”
“I know Bobbi didn’t approve of Duke catering, but I’ve been craving chicken wings for days now and don’t you think everyone loved them?”
“Yes. Everyone loved them.”
“Oh my God, and the song that Rick and Donovan sang. They better record it and make a video starring me, don’t you think?”
He smiled. “Sure.” He could listen to her talk all day long.
And she did. For a good five minutes straight, until her voice trailed off and her hands went still. Beau glanced down, his chest filled with love for the woman who was now snoring softly against him.
He swept a kiss across her nose and when they reached the carriage house, he had the driver unlock the place so that Beau could carry his bride up the stairs into the house.
He strode into the bedroom and laid her on the bed.
“Hey,” Betty murmured, eyes half open.
“Hey yourself.” He studied her intently and decided to ask the question that had been bugging him for almost a week. “Is everything okay?”
Her eyes widened and she sat up, brushing her hair off her face, eyes sliding away from his. No. She was definitely not all right.
“Why do you ask?” she replied, voice soft and…wait…was that a tremble in her voice?
Suddenly alarmed, Beau sank onto the bed beside her. “What is it?”
He watched Betty closely as her fingers worked the edge of a pillow, and his alarm grew because for the first time he noticed the dark smudges beneath her eyes. Her skin was pale, and there was no color in her cheeks.
He leaned forward, grabbed her face between his hands and searched her eyes. “Betty, what the hell is going on?”
“I…”
Her eyes got even bigger and sweat broke out across her forehead. Beau was beyond mild concern now. He was full-on freaking scared. He moved, trying to get closer and the bed dipped.
Betty yanked her head away from him and groaned. “Move back,” she gasped.
Not understanding, Beau just stared at her, shocked when she thumped him in the chest.
“Mother-trucker,”
It was time to go. He wanted to be alone with his wife. Preferably without Cooper’s hands running interference.
He shook Maverick’s hand. Gave his sister a kiss on the cheek and warned her away from Matt Hawkins. Grace had a habit of wanting to fix things, including the men she dated, but from what little he knew of Hawkins, the guy was unfixable.
He said his goodbyes to Tucker and Abbey, to Jack and Donovan. He hugged his parents fiercely and patted Herschel on the back before doing the same to Betty’s sisters and their husbands.
By the time he got to his woman, Beau wanted nothing more than to scoop her into his arms and take her home. She looked exhausted, and beautiful, and radiant and a whole bunch of other things he didn’t have time to think about.
She stumbled a bit, but that was okay. He was there to catch her and he slid his arms around her, stealing her from his cousin.
“Coop,” he said. “We’re heading out.”
Cooper was silent for a few seconds. “You’re a lucky man. Take care of this one.”
“I plan on it.”
Of course Betty didn’t know where her coat was, so he slipped his suit jacket over her shoulders, dropping a kiss on her exposed neck when he did so.
“I’ll give you twenty minutes to stop that,” she whispered.
“You just wait until I get you alone. I plan on kissing you for a lot longer than twenty minutes.”
Because she didn’t have boots on her feet, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his car. The driver had the door open and once he deposited her inside, Beau climbed in and pulled Betty into his arms.
They rode in silence for a few moments, each lost in thought, gazing out the windows at a much thinner crowd still gathered along the road. It was mainly paparazzi and light bulbs flashed as they exited the estate.
“It was perfect, don’t you think?” Betty said softly, her hands running along his arm.
Beau kissed the top of her head. “Yeah. Perfect.”
“I know Bobbi didn’t approve of Duke catering, but I’ve been craving chicken wings for days now and don’t you think everyone loved them?”
“Yes. Everyone loved them.”
“Oh my God, and the song that Rick and Donovan sang. They better record it and make a video starring me, don’t you think?”
He smiled. “Sure.” He could listen to her talk all day long.
And she did. For a good five minutes straight, until her voice trailed off and her hands went still. Beau glanced down, his chest filled with love for the woman who was now snoring softly against him.
He swept a kiss across her nose and when they reached the carriage house, he had the driver unlock the place so that Beau could carry his bride up the stairs into the house.
He strode into the bedroom and laid her on the bed.
“Hey,” Betty murmured, eyes half open.
“Hey yourself.” He studied her intently and decided to ask the question that had been bugging him for almost a week. “Is everything okay?”
Her eyes widened and she sat up, brushing her hair off her face, eyes sliding away from his. No. She was definitely not all right.
“Why do you ask?” she replied, voice soft and…wait…was that a tremble in her voice?
Suddenly alarmed, Beau sank onto the bed beside her. “What is it?”
He watched Betty closely as her fingers worked the edge of a pillow, and his alarm grew because for the first time he noticed the dark smudges beneath her eyes. Her skin was pale, and there was no color in her cheeks.
He leaned forward, grabbed her face between his hands and searched her eyes. “Betty, what the hell is going on?”
“I…”
Her eyes got even bigger and sweat broke out across her forehead. Beau was beyond mild concern now. He was full-on freaking scared. He moved, trying to get closer and the bed dipped.
Betty yanked her head away from him and groaned. “Move back,” she gasped.
Not understanding, Beau just stared at her, shocked when she thumped him in the chest.
“Mother-trucker,”
Similar Books
