Chapter 27

27

Autumn

Carrie and Eden are keen to meet up with me the minute I get back to town. I'm still reveling from Gran's confessions and shining like a moonbeam over the fact we have her blessing. I had no idea that she defied her parents all those years ago, and now, more than ever, I can truly see where I get my spirit from. She wasn't kidding about that.

I send both Eden and Carrie a message in our group chat.

Me

Hi besties, I'm back in town OMG I have so much to tell you both

A text bounces back quickly from Eden. With all the commotion from the past week, I haven't had a chance to talk to them properly. I feel so bad about it.

Eden

Yes! I need to see my newlywed bestie. What are you girls doing tonight?

Carrie

I'm free! What were you thinking?

Eden

Pizza at my place. Brook has just finished building the pizza oven

Me

Perfect. Count me in!

Carrie

Me too!

Eden

How's seven?

Me

Sounds good, I'll bring the wine!

Carrie

I'll bring a second bottle ??

When I get to Eden's later that night, she hugs me within an inch of my life because I haven't seen her all week. She tells me Brook has taken Blake and Trinity to the movies so we can have some uninterrupted girl time.

Eden moved back into the family farm at the distillery recently. It's where she and Brook lived back when they were in their twenties with a newborn. Their place is a large homestead that Brook turned into a hobby farm. They have horses, a donkey, a pet pig, two goats, chickens, plus a huge vegetable patch that he maintains with the help of his daughter. Eden is still getting the hang of becoming a green thumb, but I love the idea of growing your own produce, not that I can keep a houseplant alive.

"Look at you!" Carrie squeals and wipes her hands on her apron as she embraces me.

The two of them have been making pizzas — and it looks like I missed out on a whole boatload of fun. I'm fifteen minutes late and it's all Beau's fault. He insisted he show me his appreciation, and this time he wasn't fast about it. Oh, no. I feel heat rising up my neck when I think about what we just did. Who am I to complain if my husband wants to spoil me with his tongue?

It sure has been a weekend of confessions, though. To think our marriage was only a week ago and we've already professed our love and gotten approval from most of our families. It's just my mom who I need to talk to and try and smooth things out with, though she should really be apologizing for what she said about Michael.

I wish she'd take a leaf out of Gran's book. To have her support would mean the world to me. I know in the end all Gran ever wanted was for me to be happy. I also know she has a different way of thinking to my mom. It isn't all just about prestige; it's also about making the right decision and loving the man you choose. Being in it for the right reasons; I know that now. I just wish Mom was the same.

"Thanks." I smile. "It's been a helluva time."

"I'll bet it has." She chuckles as she pours us all a glass of red wine.

"So much can happen in a week," I say. Again, I feel like a terrible friend for not talking to them in person sooner. I can't excuse my behavior. As mixed up as I've been about my feelings for Beau, I have an amazing support network. I love my friends.

I smile and take a much needed gulp. I let the wine slide down my throat and sigh.

Eden's eyebrows raise. "I'm pretty sure when I saw you on the side of the road just over a week ago, you weren't married to Beau Bassett!"

"Yeah, how's married life, Aut?" Carrie settles into a comfy chair opposite me.

I plop down too, guilt washing over me. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Uh huh, you can start by telling us why you have the ‘I just got fucked recently' glow?" Carrie asks.

I press my hands to my cheeks. "Carrie!"

She shrugs. "Just stating the truth."

"I can't believe I didn't know about this," Eden goes on. "When Carrie told me she put the idea in your head about the whole fake marriage thing, I didn't think you guys would go through with it."

"Well, there's something to say about all of that." I take a deep breath. "I was a little drunk when I blurted it out to Beau as a joke. But, I've kinda… I've fallen for him, you guys, and this was before we even got married."

They both gape at me.

"I couldn't exactly spill right away, E. I mean, you're married to Brook and all. It wouldn't have been fair to ask you to keep a secret like that. And I just assumed Beau wanted to help me get my inheritance, and yes, it was a lie but I didn't think we were hurting anyone until this weekend."

"What happened this weekend?" Eden leans forward, fully engaged in my story.

"Well, after we got married we went down to see my parents and then I had a big fight with my mom. Maybe a part of this was rebellion, because I'm sick of them telling me how to run my life, but as I say, I realized that I have the man of my dreams right in front of me. And he feels the same way."

Carrie's mouth drops open. "Are you saying…"

"We're in love." God, it feels so good to finally admit it. I can feel my body relax as I say the words. The weight on my shoulders seems to lessen each time I say it out loud. "We love each other for real and we're gonna make this marriage work."

Eden slaps her hands over her mouth. I mean, she knew I had feelings for him that day in the car, I just didn't exactly elaborate to the full extent of what we were planning.

"Wait, you two have had sex, haven't you?" Carrie is practically jumping up and down.

I smile coyly. "Umm… Well…" I take another large sip of wine. "You could say we barely made it out of the bedroom since we got back from Memphis. Sorry Eden, I know he's your brother-in-law, but that man is skilled in bed like I've never known."

"Holy shit!" Carrie squeals.

"I have known him since he was running around in diapers, so ew." Eden screws up her nose as she walks over to the pizza oven. "But also, freaking wow! Beau is in love? How the heck did this happen?"

"It just happened," I say. "And by the way, I did group text you both to say something serious happened between us," I remind them.

"I didn't think you meant sex!" Carrie claps her hands together. "Or that you fell in love for that matter!"

I watch as Eden pulls out the paddle to the pizza oven before the damn thing lights on fire. It smells delicious and my stomach rumbles.

I press my lips together. "I guess it was a weekend for confessions."

She carefully slides the pizza onto a large wooden board next to the oven and walks back to the table, placing it in front of us.

A lovely candle which smells like coconut and vanilla flickers in the center of the large round wooden table. The spring weather makes it so lovely outdoors at night with little breeze. Perfect for pizza, wine and confessions.

"I'll drink to that." Carrie leans in and our glasses all clink together.

"You guys know how I've kinda had a thing brewing for Beau since the auction, right?"

"Uh-huh," they both say in unison.

"Well, it turns out so has Beau. We're a couple of dumb idiots who thought it was a good idea to never tell the other how we really felt in case one of us didn't reciprocate. This was never about the money for me. I don't even care about that anymore. I can't imagine my life without Beau in it."

"So initially you did make this whole thing up, right? And no doubt Beau jumped on board like Superman to save the day?" Eden piques an eyebrow as she slices up the pizza into sections with the cutter with swift precision.

I nod. "Something like that. And I'm sorry for not telling the truth." I feel a lump in my throat at the idea of hurting anyone, especially my friends.

Instead of being mad at me, Eden reaches over and squeezes my forearm. "I've known for a while Beau has a thing for you," she whispers.

I blink a couple of times. "What?"

She smiles slowly. "As soon as he found out you guys got hitched, Brook told me that Beau told him he was having ‘feelings'."

My teeth grip my bottom lip. "He did?"

She nods triumphantly. "So hearing this, I'm thrilled to know you feel the same way."

"I'm sorry." A silent tear slips from my eye. "It's not an excuse, but after Michael, I was scared to put myself out there again, especially with my best friend."

"You can thank me now." Carrie smiles smugly, folding her arms across her chest. "Since I came up with the idea and all."

I reach over and squeeze her hand. "You're right. It was the craziest suggestion I've ever heard, but if I hadn't blurted it out to Beau that night after the roast, maybe we wouldn't be here now."

"My God, you are actually in love, Aut. It's written all over your face." Eden smiles.

I hold my face in my hands, I know I'm glowing, and it has nothing to do with the red wine. "I am," I say as my friends crowd me and we share a group hug. "We both are."

"Now tell me he's packing south of the border!" Carrie rubs her hands together excitedly.

"Carrie!"

"Come on! E spilled and said Brook was hung like a horse, is Beau too? Please dear God tell me he is. Then we can all say we have husbands with big dicks!"

Eden lifts her hands and pretends to block her ears.

I sigh, resigning to the fact I won't get Carrie off my back until I spill.

"Fine. He's almost too well endowed," I say. "And yes, hung like a horse is a complete understatement."

Carrie bangs her fist down on the table. "I knew it!"

Eden laughs and raises her glass. "Aside from TMI about my brother-in-law, I'm happy for you. Both of you."

I lift up my glass too and we hold them in the middle once more.

"To Autumn, and to the gorgeous men we're married to. The big dicks thing is just a bonus," Carrie hoots through a cupped hand.

"Here, here!" I sing-song.

"I'll drink to that," Eden laughs.

We clink in the center and tuck into our pizza while Eden puts another into the oven and I fill them in on everything that happened during the week, including the details of my spat with my mom and the way my dad interjected. That leads into how well things went with Anton and my grandmother. Everything is out on the table now with no more secrets and no more cover ups.

It feels so good spilling everything to my friends. I can finally be an open book with them and not have to hide anything.

Something resembling excitement also pools in my belly thinking about getting back to Beau tonight and sharing our bed. I can't wait to get back to him. I never thought I'd be the kind of woman to miss my guy even after a couple of hours being apart, but I do. I miss him so damned much.

??

I park just outside Beau's garage just after ten-thirty. I can see his casita is dark, but that he left a little lamp on for me, knowing I'd walk through the garage into the house; just another cute thing I adore about Beau. The soft golden glow lights up the area around the shelves lined with his art supplies, along with a dozen easels spread around the small space. Some of the easels are empty, some have blank canvases and some are half finished. I always knew Beau had a talent for drawing, but in all the time I've known him, he's never shown me his work. I edge a little closer; an enormous canvas propped up on a long wooden bench piques my interest. It's covered up with an old sheet.

There's two finished sketches on easels; one a beautiful sunset by the creek with every color of orange and gold that I could imagine, another is a sketch over the distillery with the little barn in the distance with the roving hills and valleys of the farm. The blue and orange sky melt amongst the lush green grass and a forest of trees that expand over the landscape. I never knew he could do this so well. He's really, really good.

I glance down to several other canvases on his long art table, all smaller in size compared to the one covered and propped up against the wall.

I stare at the first one for a second. Is that… my cat?

It's manga style, something I know Beau loves. And it's obvious now that it's Bruiser because his light gray fur sticks out every which way, his white paws clawing animatedly like he's leaping ferociously. He has a crown on his head set with a sparkly jewel in the center which looks like a sapphire. It sets off the little cape around his neck which is colored in a sapphire blue, the same color as the jewel.

I glance to the canvas next to it and see a female dressed in warrior clothes. Her long dark hair whipping around her shoulders. Large, dark almond eyes. Full lips. Long dark lashes.

Holy shit… It's me… I stare at the picture; the colors he's chosen are bold and vibrant. But then there's another next to it just in black and white, showing the same girl from another angle. And as I keep moving down the table, I see another sketch of similar variety, followed by another and another. Holy shit. It's me as a superhero.

I glimpse up to the huge canvas covered by the sheet and reach for the corner, gently lifting it up to take a peek. I gasp when I see the same warrior type woman, with long flowing brown hair and dark eyes, only this time she's holding a sword behind her shoulder like she's about to strike. Bruiser is right there next to… um… me, with his cape flying in the wind and his claws stretched out like he's launching through the air about to pounce.

Beau sketched me and Bruiser as superheros.

How old are these pictures?

I have so many questions. I'm in shock and in a huge amount of awe. My heart soars as I take in the detail and how much work this would've taken. There are so many.

Heat pools between my legs and my nipples pebble thinking of the fact my husband drew me long before we were married. These aren't pieces he's just whipped up overnight.

I need to find him.

I take a last glance at the artwork and walk in the back door and see all the lights are out; he's either gaming or having an early night. I know he's been collaborating with Fletcher on this new app thing they've been scheming up. The whole gaming thing amuses me to no end. I was worried at first that he'd spend all his time playing — these things can be addictive after all — but I know how good Beau is at balancing everything. I know I'm not going to become a ghost to his plinky plonk, as I call it.

I smile, turning toward the door as I enter the house. I start to strip off my clothes as I walk. "Husband?" I call in a sultry voice.

I don't hear anything. The whole house is completely quiet. Maybe he's not gaming after all. I nudge our bedroom door open and see Bruiser asleep in his fluffy bed on the floor. Then I hear the soft whir of Beau's breathing as he sleeps too.

Dropping the rest of my clothes to the floor, I make my way to the bed and slide under the covers, pressing my front to his back as I wrap my arms around him.

He stirs immediately, but that's probably because my hands can't help but reach for his cock. "Baby?" he whispers.

"It's me, husband ," I whisper back. He turns to face me. His arms reaching out, pulling me into his chest. I breathe in his warmth and the scent of his faded cologne. Instinctively pressing my body toward his, my other hand runs up his stomach and abs, enjoying how his body feels.

"You seem happy to see me," he mutters, yawning faintly in the moonlight.

"I am." I squeeze his dick a little tighter. "I just slipped through the garage, Beauster. I saw some things on my way."

He stills for a moment. "Oh."

I kiss his neck, swirling my tongue over his warm skin. "Yes, oh ."

I glance up at him in the dark. I can't quite see his eyes, but I know he's watching me.

"Did you see…"

I slide my hand under the drawstring of his pajama pants and he hisses. "Yes. And I'm sorry for peeking. I mean, I would've seen it eventually, right?"

His hand trails down my neck as I fondle him, his palm enclosing over my breast as I groan. "You peeked?"

"I peeked." I snag my lip between my teeth. "And I love it, Beau. I love it so much. You drew me and Bruiser. You made us look like superheroes."

He circles his hand around the back of my head, his mouth moving to cover mine. He kisses me deep and slow. His tongue finds mine as we intertwine and swirl against each other. "You are my superheroes, Wifey. You're my warrior queen, do you know that? I should worship you."

I roll him onto his back as his head dips into the pillow. I slide over the top of him. "I know I love you, Beau Bassett." I smile down at him, my heart feeling so full that he's mine. "And I think it's time I worshiped you. After all, I am the warrior queen. I should be able to manage it."

His chest rumbles beneath me as the warmth of his stare heats my core.

Grabbing my ass with his hands, he grins. "Bring it on, Wifey."