Mr. Wrong (20 page)

It came tumbling out.
“I went to the mountain this weekend, and I discovered that I need to date both of you. I need to sort out my feelings for you . . .”

Beau squeezed her hand, still looking shell-shocked.
“Okay.”

“And
my feelings for Jonathon.”

Beau nodded.
“Okay . . . what mountain did you go to?” His voice was tentative, reminding her of when she’d tiptoe down to get a glass of water at night, hoping her father couldn’t hear her.

Sara
laughed at his confusion. “Sorry, Genova uses that phrase all the time. Remember how Moses went to Mt. Sinai to talk to the Lord?”

“I’m with
ya.”

“Well
?”

Beau was nodding profusely now.
“I’m up for a little competition.”

Sara
smiled. “It’s not like that, Beau. It’s, well, I have thought about what you’ve said about Jonathon being this idea in my head that I have built up for two years. It’s a lot of pressure for him and for me. And . . .” She looked away.

“And
. . .” Beau squeezed her hand, again.

“And I have feelings for you that need sorting out.”
She looked out the window, trying to avoid his eyes. “But that doesn’t mean that Jonathon’s a bad option, mind you.” She looked back at him and gave him a severe look.”

“
Of course,” he whispered.

“
I told him on Sunday afternoon that I wanted to date the both of you. And that I needed a chance to get to know him, really know him again. I don’t want to be disappointed in what he’s not anymore—or what I thought he was—but be able to rediscover our relationship.”

Beau seemed frozen in place, his jaw line flexing.
“All right.”

Sara
sighed. “So, it’s up to you, Beau. If you want to date, then let’s date. My dad used to always say that a girl needed to be courted properly to fall in love with a man. That’s what he was always saying to my brothers. Honestly, he worried a lot about Jonathon and me because he didn’t feel like I was properly courted.” Sara’s eyes got misty and she took her hand out of Beau’s to wipe them. “And, I’m just laying it all out on the line here.” She looked at Beau for a response.

He swallowed and nodded.
“I like on the line.”

“I don’t want you kissing me or telling me stuff that gets in my head or
—”

Quicker than
Sara could anticipate Beau’s lips were on hers. He cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer to him.

Sara
realized that he tasted sweet to her, like cotton candy from the fair. “Beau!” She pushed back from him.

“I just had to do that before you really finishing setting down all
of the rules.” He was unapologetic.

She couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on her face.
“I have to get to class. But I do have official rules.” She patted her backpack.

“Really?”

Sara nodded. “Genova helped me pound them out.”

“All right.
Pass ‘em over.” He put his hand out.

“I’ll tell you
after class.”

He
reached out, like he was going to kiss her again. Instead he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it gently. “That’s more like a courting kiss, right.”

S
he swiped at him.

He laughed and let go of her hand.
“I’ll pick you up after class.” His eyes got serious. “I’m so happy, Sara.”

Sara
felt the pounding in her chest ease. “I’ve got to go.”

“
Okay, then.”

She got out
of the truck and ran for class, thinking that she loved his eyes.

**

Beau waited for her in the hallway outside of her class. The friend she was talking to pumped her eyebrows when she saw Beau and told her to have a good Thanksgiving.

Beau picked up her hand
.

She paused.

He shrugged. “What? I haven’t even seen the rules, yet.” He grinned wide.

She kept her hand in his. They walked out into
the empty atrium. Light flooded in through the long windows and a Greek statue pointed students toward a large door to the theater.

He motioned to an empty table and they sat down.
“I brought dinner while I hear these rules. Is that okay?”

Sara liked the way his face looked so—relaxed. “Yes.”

They sat and Beau pulled out the sandwiches, letting her pick what kind she wanted.

Sara
pulled out a typed up sheet with five rules on it.

Beau
snatched up the sheet. “Oh, no.”

Sara
took the sheet back. She put it down and unrolled the sandwich. “Oh yes. And, thank you for the food, by the way. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Beau opened up his own
sandwich. “You need to eat. You’re definitely too thin.”

Sara
laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called that. I mean, I’ve never been heavy, but too thin?”

Beau looked her up and down.
“You’ve had a hard couple of months, Sara. You’ve lost weight for sure.”

Sara
tried not to blush that he’d noticed her weight. She pulled the rules to her. “Rule number one: I make all the rules.”

Beau snorted a little of the water that he was drinking.

“Rule number two: You can’t complain about rule number one.”

Beau wiped his face.
“Seriously?”

“Rule number three: Eighteen
days are allotted to each you and Jonathon between now and January thirteenth, when school starts again. During which time one weekend is allotted to the other one.”

“Wait a second, how is this going to work?”

Sara wiped her face and took a drink. “Remember, you don’t have to agree to this.”

“
If I don’t agree, will you still date me?”

Sara
shook her head back and forth. “Nope.”

“
And you’ll still date Jonathon?”

Sara
shrugged one shoulder. “He agreed.”

Beau motioned with his hand
and said, “Keep going.” He looked resigned and grumpy.

“
Since I’m here from now until December eighteenth, I will exclusively date you, except for one weekend that will be allotted to Jonathon. After the eighteenth I will be going to the ranch for Christmas. Jonathon will come visit me for a week there, and I will visit him in Cody for a week. School starts January 13, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Beau finished his sandwich and was lounging back in the chair, sipping his water.
“Are those all the rules?”

“Rule number four: You are allowed to call once a week on your off twenty-five days.”
Sara smiled at Beau patronizingly. “Oh, and rule number five: no kissing.”

Beau scooted his chair closer to her and pulled the rules over.
“You seriously wrote these out with Genova?” His eyes glinted against the shadows coming into the atrium. He ran the back of his index finger down the jawline of her face.

She shivered, feeling the tension between them.
“Yep.” She couldn’t help looking at his eyes, blue and clear—with a touch of deep blue ocean in them at the moment.

He kissed her purposefully, letting his lips linger after.

“I told you that kissing was out.” She didn’t acknowledge the fact she hadn’t pulled away or slapped him or frankly tried to do anything to avoid it.

He pulled away and kept tracing her face lightly and brushed his hand down her hair.
“Did Jonathon agree to that?”

“Of course—he has to follow the rules too.
He has no problem with the rules.”

Sara
recognized his patented half-smile. “He must not like kissing you as much as I do.” He playfully pulled on a strand of her hair.

Laughing
—she hit his hand away.

He kissed her cheek softly.
“Can I kiss your cheek?”

Sara
felt herself getting weak. “Umm . . . I guess I didn’t clarify that, did I.” She giggled.

He kissed her chin.
“Can I kiss your chin?”

Sara
put her hand up to his chest. “Beau—.” The scent of his aftershave settled into her.

He grabbed her hand.
“Can I kiss your hand?” He kissed the back of her hand, then turned it and kissed the inside of her wrist.”

She giggled
, again. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I haven’t agreed to the rules, yet.”
He kissed up her arm and spoke like a Frenchman. “I cannot have you thinking of anything but me, Madame.” He kissed quickly and lightly to her elbow. “For you will be mine.” He was dramatic and foolish and Sara secretly found it irresistible.

He put his hands on her shoulders and looked over her whole face.
His voice came out husky and gave her chills. “Let’s just forget this whole thing and elope? You can have your brothers there, and I’ll have my mom. It’ll be perfect.” He kissed her again, and Sara realized it was a kiss that was claiming her for himself. It was sweet and measured and left her wanting more.

When she didn’t answer he sighed, standing and
clearing the table quickly. “What are your plans for tonight?”

She stood, t
rying to clear her head of him. “Umm, I don’t know.”

Taking
her hand, they left the building and started for his truck. Snow was coming down even harder.

She was still reeling from
his kiss when he opened the door for her. “I guess this means I’m going with you. You still have the whole cave man thing going for you, you know.

Beau laughed.
“Okay, I’ll be more official. What are your plans for tomorrow?”

Sara
sighed dramatically and smiled. “Nothing. I only have one class tomorrow—taught by a man that is seriously masochistic—wanting to grade one hundred and fifty page business plans rather than give a final.”

Beau shrugged.
“I emailed and texted everyone this afternoon that class was cancelled for tomorrow. With all this snow they need to be getting on the road to go home.” He opened her door. “And . . . well, I actually just found out I’m starting to date this really hot blonde, and I want to do something with her tomorrow that will impress her.”

Her heart leapt
and she pulled out her phone, seeing his text. “Really, who would this be?” She pretended to be unconcerned.

Beau
pulled onto the main street and shifted into a lower gear. He went slowly through the city because they never plowed the streets in town.

Sara
felt annoyed. “I’ve never understood how they can get away with not plowing their roads.”

Beau shrugged.
“The city has no money for that.” Beau turned onto the freeway.

“I guess
I’m going to your house?” She scooted over next to him and turned on the radio.

Beau ignored her question.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“That’s part of the rules.”
She kept messing with the stations.

He laughed.
“Right, I forgot . . . that you can change the rules.”

“Exactly.”
She flashed a wide grin.

He put his arm easily around her and pulled her into him.
“So do I need to sign something in blood, or how does this all work?”

Sara
found a station and leaned into him. “Nope. Honor code is the best policy.”

“Ugh.
” Beau made an unhappy face. “I always hate honor codes. They really do leave a person feeling guilty.”

She sniffed and smiled.
“That’s the breaks.”

He kissed her cheek lightly.

“Hey! I can see you’re not good at keeping a code.”

Beau laughed.
“I said I was going to start dating this girl tomorrow, I’ve agreed to nothing tonight.”

Chapter 30

Martha opened the door to Larry’s apartment, her face beaming with pride. “He’s done it. Come in.” Waving them in, she hugged Sara to her.

Beau pushed in behind her, reaching for Martha
and pulling her into a hug. “He didn’t?”

Startled
, that Beau seemed to know more than she did, Sara inched forward into the apartment behind him.

Larry’s face looked slightly pale, but
Sara could see that the twinkle was back in his eyes and, although he had oxygen attached to his nose, he seemed relaxed and happy.

Martha put her hand
out to Sara with a shy smile on her face. Sara picked up her hand and gasped. “Oh my goodness.” Warmth flooded through her, and she looked into Martha’s eyes.