Beau (Remington Ranch Book 4) by SJ McCoy Page B

okay? Yes! Absolutely! He’d done right, gotten off on a good foot.
    He smiled back and thrust them toward her, making her realize that she hadn’t taken them from him, and also reminding her of their first encounter in the wine store when he’d given her that bottle. Finally she found her voice. “Thank you! They’re beautiful. Why don’t you come on in? We’ll put them in water and get you a drink.”
    Ruby took hold of his hand and led him through to the kitchen. Corinne had to suppress a smile at the grimace on his face which he quickly and consciously transformed into a smile. He was making an effort. There was no mistaking it. Though how long he’d be able to keep it up remained to be seen.
    “Would you like a glass of wine?”
    “Yes, please.”
    She poured him a glass of the Cab and handed it over.
    “Thank you.”
    Ruby picked up her glass of orange juice and held it up, forcing them to break eye contact. “We should do a toast, Mommy.”
    Corinne smiled. Ruby loved toasting to anything. “What do you want to toast to?”
    Ruby looked from her to Beau and back again. “To making new friends!”
    She raised an eyebrow at Beau and raised her glass. “What do you think?”
    He nodded slowly and touched his glass against Ruby’s and then hers. “I’ll drink to that. Here’s to making new friends.”
    Ruby smiled. “Shall we go and tell Troy that I’m your friend now?”
    Beau laughed, but Corinne could tell it was forced and uncomfortable. He wanted to say no, but he either wasn’t sure if he should, or didn’t know how to.
    “Not yet, Ruby,” she said. “Perhaps later we’ll walk down and see the horses.”
    From the look Beau gave her she could tell he was both grateful and concerned that he’d messed up somehow. She smiled reassuringly before she added. “By the time we’ve had dinner, Beau may not want to be our friend.”
    He narrowed his eyes at her, there was a smile lurking on his lips and questions lurking in his eyes.
    Yes, she was teasing him! This wouldn’t be worth doing if they couldn’t have some fun with it.
    He grinned and looked at Ruby. “And perhaps you ladies won’t want to be friends with me.”
    “Don’t worry. We will.” Ruby patted his arm. “You gave me flowers. You’re going to be my friend forever now.”
    Corinne couldn’t hold back the little laugh that escaped.
    To her surprise, Beau laughed with her. Ruby looked at them and joined in. Oh, well. They were off to a good start if they could laugh together.
    “Do you like chicken?” asked Ruby. “We’re having chicken.”
    “I do,” said Beau and looked down at his glass.
    Corinne knew what he was thinking. The Cab was hardly a traditional pairing with chicken. “I think you’ll be surprised how well the Cab will taste with it, though I do have a whole selection of whites you can choose from if you prefer.”
    He met her gaze. “Of course, you used to work in wine country, right?”
    She nodded. “And I know you don’t tend to think much of us crazy Californians and our newfangled ways of doing things up here.”
    He held up a hand. “Hey, don’t go tarring us all with the same brush. Yes, there is some resentment of the implants here, but most of us judge on a case by case basis.”
    “Implants? I thought people who came from a different state were known as transplants.”
    Beau laughed and let his gaze travel over her. Her entire body tingled in response and she felt her nipples tighten when he reached her breasts. “It’s a California thing, isn’t it?”
    “Oh!” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Not in my case it isn’t!”
    “Like I said, it’s a case by case basis, and in your case, I’m happy to say I wouldn’t use the word implant.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. There was no mistaking the desire in his eyes, or denying that she felt it too. Part of her mind was screaming that she should be offended, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel that way. She loved