Chapter Nine

At the end of the day, Beau decided to have dinner at the diner before driving home. He was tired, but he needed to eat, and he sure didn't feel like making anything. It had been a long damn day, but the good thing was, tomorrow was Friday and once he finished work, he'd be spending the weekend with Brenna.

She was to come to his house tomorrow after she got off from work, and he couldn't wait to see her. He knew he was falling in love with her, and he hoped she felt the same about him, but they hadn't discussed it. And if he had to be honest, it scared the hell out of him that she didn't love him.

He entered the diner, took a seat at the counter, and nodded at people who waved or called out to him. Jim Barton sat beside him and saluted him with his cup. Beau grinned.

"How are you doing, Mr. Barton?"

"I'm good, Beau. I did some plowing again today, so now I'm going to get warm, have a good meal, then head home. How's it going with you?"

Beau talked with him until Deidra approached him to take his order.

"Hi, Beau. What can I get you?" she asked him.

"My usual is fine, Deidra. How are you doing?"

"Wonderful and yourself?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"I'll be back in a few minutes with your order. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Please. It's damn cold out there."

Deidra smiled as she placed a cup on the counter and filled it with the hot brew. Beau nodded his thanks, picked it up, and took a sip. Damn, that felt good. He didn't realize how cold he was.

After setting the cup on the counter, he glanced around, then stopped at a booth. Eric sat there, staring at him. Beau looked away from him because if he didn't, he'd take the opportunity to punch him. As he should have done two years ago.

He looked back at him to see him still staring at him, so Beau raised an eyebrow and when Eric smirked, Beau had to clench his fists. He wouldn't dare start something in here, and Phillips knew it.

Shaking his head, he looked away and picked up his cup again. A few minutes later, Deidra brought his dinner out and set it in front of him.

"Enjoy. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Deidra."

Beau dug in and ignored Eric. He'd eat his dinner, then go home. As he sat there, he and Mr. Barton talked. The older man knew a lot about what was going on with who in town. He wasn't really a gossip; he was just more of keeping everyone informed of who was doing what around the area.

As Beau finished his meal, he noticed Eric striding toward him. The smug look on his face made Beau clench his jaw in frustration. He deliberately avoided looking at Eric, knowing that it would only enrage him further.

Beau let out a heavy sigh as he watched Eric walk out. That man knew how to push his buttons.

He pushed away his empty plate and stood up, making his way to the register to pay. As he left a generous tip for Deidra, he exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Barton before stepping outside into the cold evening air.

As he reached for the door handle of his truck, he heard his name being called out. Turning around, he saw Eric leaning against a car, arms folded across his chest and an intense gaze fixed on him. Beau shook his head in annoyance and leaned against his truck, mirroring Eric's stance. They stood facing each other across the parking lot, tension palpable between them. Beau opened the door of his truck.

Eric broke the silence with a tentative suggestion. "We should talk."

Beau took a deep breath and slammed his truck door shut before striding toward Eric. The look of surprise on Eric's face was satisfying. It seemed his bravado was all talk.

"What is there to talk about?" Beau asked bluntly.

"Liz and I... we're not together anymore," Eric replied.

Beau scoffed. "And why exactly should I care?"

"Because I want my wife back, and Liz wants to get back with you," Eric explained.

Beau was sure he had misheard him. "What?"

Eric shrugged nonchalantly. "We made a mistake."

"It took you two fucking years to figure that out?" Beau retorted incredulously.

"We realized what we'd lost when we saw you and Brenna together," Eric continued.

"Oh, spare me," Beau spat dismissively. "I moved on, and I won't be taking Liz back, ever. And Brenna feels the same way about you."

"Don't be so sure," Eric challenged.

"Do you know something I don't?" Beau cocked his head to the side, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"I know my wife—" Eric began.

" Brenna is not your wife ," Beau interrupted with a sharp tone, stepping closer to Eric who instinctively leaned away from him. "Or is this all because she's with me now? Is there a reason why you always want the woman I have?"

"I miss her," Eric admitted.

"Bullshit," Beau sneered. "You two are just trying to break us apart for God knows what reason." He took another step toward Eric, causing him to lean even further back in fear. "Get out of here before I do what I've been wanting to do since I found you hiding in my bathroom, you fucking pussy."

"I'm not afraid of you, Beau," Eric retorted, apparently trying to regain some control over the situation.

"Yes, you are." A satisfied grin spread across Beau's face as he watched Eric visibly swallow hard. "Now get the fuck away from me before I really lose my temper. And you can tell Liz your little plan didn't work. Brenna and I are happy together and that's something you both hate. Stay out of our way, Phillips. You have no idea how close I am to throttling you."

"Because deep down, you still love Liz," Eric added smugly.

"Because I trusted you," Beau snapped back. "You were my best friend and you betrayed me."

"I'm not giving up on Brenna," Eric stated defiantly.

"You really should," Beau retorted with a hint of warning in his voice. "But if you insist on trying to win her back, go ahead and see how far that gets you. I trust Brenna and I know she won't fall for your manipulations."

"Since you have given me your permission, I will," Eric said with a mocking tone before opening the door of his car. Beau stood rooted to the spot as he watched Eric get into his vehicle and drive off. Then he strode across the lot and got into his truck, and with a frustrated growl, Beau slammed his fist against the steering wheel. He had a feeling Eric and Liz would stop at nothing to try and break them apart, but he was determined to fight for what he had with Brenna.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered as he drove home.

****

Brenna sat on her sofa, hunched over a stack of papers, intently correcting homework. She was so glad tomorrow was Friday. She was going to Beau's house after school. Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on her door broke the silence. With a frustrated sigh, she set the papers aside and made her way to the door. Peeking through the window curtain, she was taken aback to see Eric standing on her porch.

Her hand paused on the doorknob as she muttered under her breath, "What the hell?" Slowly opening the door, she asked, "Eric? What are you doing here?"

He looked cold and uncomfortable standing in the chilly air.

"Can I come in? It's cold out here," he said with a pleading tone.

Brenna hesitated for a moment before finally stepping aside to let him in. As he entered her cozy apartment, he immediately removed his coat and hung it up. She closed the door with more force than necessary and stood with her arms crossed, glaring at him. She couldn't fathom why he was here.

He took a casual look around the room and she fought back the urge to smack him when she saw his smug smirk at the sight of her humble surroundings.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again, annoyance lacing her words.

Eric shrugged nonchalantly. "I wanted to see you."

"For what?"

"What's going on with you and Beau?" he asked bluntly.

She couldn't help but laugh at his audacity. "None of your business."

Ignoring her response, he walked over to the sofa and took a seat. Patting the cushion beside him, he gestured for Brenna to join him. However, she purposefully chose to sit in the overstuffed chair instead, crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest in a defensive stance. She remained silent, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing her thoughts.

After a moment of tense silence, Eric spoke again. "How long have you and McCallister been seeing each other?"

"How long were you and Liz fucking behind our backs?" Brenna replied coolly, refusing to entertain his line of questioning. Sensing that he was beating around the bush, she asked directly, "Is that why you're here? Because if it is, you're wasting your time... and mine."

"Brenna, I didn't realize how much I missed you until I saw you with him," Eric finally admitted.

She snorted out a laugh. "You cannot be serious."

He scooted to the edge of the couch and reached for her hand, but she pulled away from him. He sighed.

"I am very serious."

She stared at him then she shook her head.

"Even if you are—"

"I am," he interrupted.

Brenna sighed. "Even if you are, I couldn't care less. You destroyed our marriage."

"We can get past that."

She stood. "Do you honestly think I would ever trust you again? Were there others, Eric? Did you fuck around before Liz?"

"No," he mumbled, and she knew he was lying.

"Just go. I don't know what this is about, but you're not here to try to win me back. You're only here because I'm involved with someone, and I'm happy. Happier than I have been in a long time. Now, please go."

"Do you know why Liz had an affair?"

Brenna refused to answer him, so she just stared at him.

"Because he left her alone all the time. All he cares about is his damn job. He was gone more than he was home." Eric shrugged. "She got lonely."

Brenna would be damned before she would give him the satisfaction of even thinking she cared, then she tilted her head and looked at him.

"And what was your excuse?" she asked quietly.

Eric shook his head, stood, walked to where his coat hung, and pulled it on. He turned to face her.

"It's over between me and her."

Brenna shrugged and almost smiled when he clenched his jaw. A sure sign he was getting angry.

"Keep an eye on McCallister. She told me she would do whatever it takes to get him back. That's why she broke it off with me. She wants Beau and she is determined to get him. You don't stand a chance."

"It's time you left," she said.

"I told Beau I wanted my wife back—"

" I am not your wife ," Brenna said through clenched teeth.

"Anyway, do you know what he said when I told him that? He told me to go for it. Seems he doesn't really care." Eric opened the door, walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Brenna raised her middle finger at the door. Then she walked to the door and locked it. Leaning back against it, she wondered if he was telling the truth. About any of it. She trusted him about as far as she could throw him.

She walked back to the sofa and sat down to continue working on her student's homework. After a few minutes, she gave up because she couldn't get Eric's words out of her head. She knew he wasn't being truthful, but what if Liz did want Beau back? To what lengths would she go to do that? Did he really tell Eric to go ahead and try to get her back?

"Damn you, Eric," she muttered.

She knew she couldn't let his words get to her, but that was exactly why he stopped by. He didn't want her back, he just wanted to put a little doubt in her mind about Beau. She looked at the clock to see it was past nine o'clock. No wonder she was tired. She'd been up since five this morning and the long day was catching up to her.

After putting the papers away, she stood and made her way to the bedroom. She was sure she'd fall asleep the minute her head touched the pillow, but she tossed and turned for hours hearing Eric's words over and over in her mind.

****

Beau yawned and stretched his arms above his head, feeling the relief of finally being able to leave work behind. This week had dragged on for what felt like an eternity, but now he could look forward to spending time with Brenna over the weekend. He couldn't get enough of her; he was completely in love with her. However, he couldn't shake off the fear that she might not feel the same way.

He knew he needed to talk to her about it, if only to find out where she stood. If she didn't return his feelings, then he would have to let her go. There was no point in holding onto someone who didn't want him. Damn, just the thought made his heart ache.

Grabbing his coat from the rack, he pulled it on and put his hat on as he walked toward the elevator. Pressing the button for the first floor, he stepped into the elevator and headed down. When he reached the first floor, he strode from the elevator, pushed open the glass doors and stepped outside into the bitterly cold weather. Being early November, he knew more snow was on its way. But if he could see Brenna, he didn't care if it snowed up to his ass. With a small smile on his face, he made his way through the parking lot to his truck.

Once inside the cab, he called Brenna to confirm their plans for later that evening. It had been a couple days since they last talked.

"Hi," she answered.

"Hey, you're still coming over tonight, right?"

"Of course. Do you want me to pick up something for dinner?"

"I can take care of it since I'm already in town. Just leaving work."

"Oh okay, that works out because I'm closer to your place from school."

"Yeah, no need for you to make a trip into town and then back out again. How about burgers from the diner?"

"Yes, please. Just get my usual."

"Got it. If you get to my place before I do, just make yourself at home and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Alright, see you soon."

"Yes, ma'am." He hung up and made his way to the diner, feeling his stomach growl after skipping lunch.

After picking up their hot and steaming meals from the diner, Beau drove home with a sense of anticipation. He hoped Brenna would be waiting for him, eager to enjoy their evening together.

As he pulled into the driveway, his stereo lit up with a text from Brenna. With a quick glance, he saw that she had to stay after school for a last-minute meeting. Disappointment washed over him, but he knew she wouldn't keep him waiting any longer than possible.

Beau sent a text back, assuring her that he would wait for her. A warm feeling spread through his chest when Brenna replied with a heart emoji.

He parked the truck by the back door and grabbed the bag containing their dinners. Walking up the steps, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of spending the weekend with Brenna.

The warmth of the kitchen welcomed him as he entered the house. Setting the bag on the counter, Beau shrugged off his coat and hat and kicked off his boots. He made his way to his bedroom to change into comfortable sweatpants, ready to relax and enjoy his time with Brenna.

As he walked back to the kitchen, he heard a vehicle outside. Hope bubbled up in his chest, thinking it could be Brenna arriving early. But when a knock sounded at the door, his hope turned into confusion. Why would Brenna knock? She knew to just come in.

Sighing, Beau made his way to the door and opened it to find Liz standing there with a sly smile on her face.

"What are you doing here? Oh, wait. It must be your turn now," he said, trying to hide his annoyance.

"My turn?" She frowned then shrugged. "I just wanted to see you," Liz replied sweetly. "Can I come in?" Her voice was like honey, but Beau felt no attraction toward her anymore.

"No," he answered firmly. "I'm expecting company."

Liz pushed past him into the house. "I won't stay long," she said, glancing seductively at him. "Who are you expecting?"

Beau felt a sense of annoyance bubbling up inside him.

"That's none of your business, Liz," he snapped, trying to keep his cool.

She shrugged and removed her coat, revealing a low-cut top that he had no interest in seeing. "Could I get a cup of coffee? It's freezing outside," she purred.

"Leave your coat on, you're not staying," Beau replied, feeling irritated by her presence.

She placed her coat on a chair at the table, folded her arms, and stared at him, then she walked to the coffee maker, pulled out a drawer, and removed a K-cup pod.

Beau had enough. He walked to her, took the pod from her, and put it back into the drawer.

"Beau!"

"I just told you that you're not staying. Put your coat on, Liz and get out."

Liz pursed her lips, then stepped closer to him, and touched his chest. She looked up at him and smiled.

"I've missed you, Beau. I think we should try again."

Beau stared at her in disbelief, then laughed, while shaking his head.

"Put your coat on and get the hell out of my house," he said, then he heard a vehicle outside and closed his eyes, knowing it was Brenna.

"Uh, oh, busted." Liz laughed.

He grasped her arms in his hands at the same time the door opened, and he looked over to see Brenna standing there with her mouth hanging open as she saw his hands on Liz. He quickly dropped them.

"Brenna—" he said, but Liz interrupted him.

"Brenna, I didn't know you were going to be here."

Beau stared at Brenna, scared she would believe that anything was going on between him and Liz. She slammed the door, making him wince, and then walked closer to Liz.

"Why are you here?"

"Beau and I are going to talk about getting back together," Liz lied.

"Brenna, that's not—" he stopped talking when Brenna looked at him, but bit back a grin when she winked at him, then turned to Liz again.

As she removed her coat and hung it up, she asked Liz, "Is Eric aware of this?"

"Of course, he is."

Brenna folded her arms and smiled.

"You know, I believe you, Liz." Beau opened his mouth, but Brenna looked at him and shook her head slightly.

"You do?" Liz asked.

"Oh yes, because you two planned this. You would tell Beau you wanted him, thinking he'd take you back and Eric would tell me he wants me back. But you know what? Neither Beau nor I are gullible enough to believe either of you. We know what liars you are. You don't want us back. You just don't want us together." Brenna smirked. "I got the better end of this, Liz. You forget I've been with both men too, and Eric is seriously lacking, in every way possible."

Beau watched as Liz opened her mouth, then closed it, looking like a fish out of water. He watched as Brenna stepped close to Liz again.

"You took one man from me, and there is no way in hell, you will take another. I think you've worn out your welcome. Get out of here. Now. Because if you don't, I'm going to kick your ass out." Brenna crossed her arms and glared at Liz.

Beau raised his eyebrow when Liz looked at him, then she picked up her coat, pulled it on, and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

"Brenna…"

"Beau, I don't believe anything she said. I'm smarter than that. In fact, I bet they did this to break us up."

"I think so too." Beau told her about his conversation with Eric at the diner.

"But why? It doesn't make sense."

"They just don't like seeing us happy," Beau said.

"Like I said, they don't want us, but they don't want us together."

"I want you to know that I'm not interested in her at all."

Brenna smiled. "I know that and I'm the same about Eric."

"So, tell me about him coming by." Beau folded his arms over his chest.

"I planned on it." Brenna sighed and he listened as she told him about Eric showing up at her place, unannounced.

"He actually told you to keep an eye on me?" Beau could feel his temper rising.

"Yes, he was just being an ass. I don't have to keep an eye on you." She touched his cheek. "Beau, I trust you. There is no need for me to keep an eye on you."

He sighed. "I hope you know I would never cheat on you. I know what that feels like and I know you do too. I would never put you through that again."

"Beau, I know that." She kissed his lips.

"Brenna, I… love you," he said.

"Oh, Beau, I love you too."

He pulled her into his arms. "That makes me very happy, baby."

"Me too." She grinned.

"How about we take our food to the living room and watch some TV?"

"Sounds good to me. I'm starving."

The next morning, Beau sipped his coffee in the kitchen when Brenna walked in. She greeted him with a smile and a kiss before making her own cup of coffee.

"Morning," she said.

"Good morning. I have to go into the office to get a file. Would you like to go with me?"

"If it's okay, I'll stay here."

"Of course, no problem. How about I bring back breakfast from the diner?"

"Oh, yes please. Can you get me a western omelet?"

"Yes ma'am. I won't be long." He gave her one more kiss before grabbing his coat and hat and heading out the door.

After picking up the file, Beau pulled into the crowded diner parking lot. He was relieved that he had called ahead for an order on the way to town. Inside, he stood by the cash register while Connie served other customers their meals.

"Hey Beau, your order is ready. I'll be right with you," she said as she placed down plates for other patrons.

"That's alright Connie." Glancing around, Beau tightened his jaw when he spotted Eric sitting at a table. He looked over at him and smirked, fueling Beau's desire to drag him outside and settle things once and for all.

Leaning against the wall near the entrance, Beau watched as he got up, paid for his meal and walked out. Letting out a sigh of relief, Beau prayed he would never see him again.

"Here you go hon." Connie handed him his bag of food and he paid for it without taking the change.

"Thanks Connie. Have a good day."

"You too Beau."

He headed outside to his truck and opened the door, only to hear Eric call out his name.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered before turning to face him. "What?"

Eric smirked. "I'm not giving up."

"On what?"

"Getting her back."

"Why? You don't want her any more than she wants you. You just don't want us together and I just don't understand why. Do you hate that your ex-wife has found love with another man?"

Eric's expression turned to one of surprise. "Love?"

"Yes. We love each other and nothing you can do will tear us apart."

"Don't bet on it. I know my wife—"

"She is not your wife!" Beau shouted.

"Maybe not now, but I'm going to do my best to get her back. We were together for seven years and married for five of those seven. I know she still loves me. I saw it when I was with her the other night."

"Don't make it sound like you had sex because I know damn well you didn't."

"Just how do you know that?" Eric folded his arms and stared at him.

"Because I trust her. If she wanted you back, she wouldn't have told me she loved me. So, leave us alone." He walked back to his truck and opened the door to get inside.

"Or what?" Eric replied in a low voice, but Beau could still hear him.

Beau set the bag down on the truck seat, slammed the door shut, and strode across the parking lot until he was only a foot away from Eric.

"What did you say?" Beau tilted his head and stared at him.

"I think you heard me."

"I must have misheard you because it sounded like you said, ‘or what' when I told you to leave us alone."

"Maybe I did. I've already told you, I'm not afraid of you."

Beau shook his head in disbelief. "You lie so much that you don't even know when you're telling the truth. Brenna and I are happy. The happiest we've ever been. Get on with your life and stay out of ours." He turned to walk back toward his truck.

"Fuck you, McCallister," Eric snapped behind him.

Beau stopped in his tracks, inhaled deeply, and turned around to face Eric, getting as close as possible without actually touching him.

"Say that again," Beau growled.

"I'm not afraid of you," Eric repeated. "You may think you're tough, Beau, but you don't intimidate me. I could knock you on your ass right now and feel damn good about it."

Beau spread his arms out in a challenging manner. "Go ahead, take your best shot, you fucking prick. It's time this was over."

"It's not over until I say it is."

"Why does it matter so much to you, Eric? You don't love her. You only want her because she's with me. You'd just fuck around on her again," Beau snapped.

"You're just a rebound," Eric snarled.

Beau's lips curved into a smug grin as he looked at him.

"What do you think you are?"

"I'm not a rebound, Beau. Liz was lonely—"

"And you just happened to be there. What does that tell you?" Beau let out a heavy sigh. "I don't give a rat's ass about either of you anymore." He turned to walk back to his truck when Eric grabbed his arm and spun him around to face him. Beau could see the anger seething in Eric's eyes, as he drew his fist back.

But Beau was quicker as he drew his fist back, then landed a direct hit on Eric's nose, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

"Damn it," Beau muttered under his breath as he shook his hand, trying to alleviate the pain in his knuckles.

Eric sat up, wiped the blood from his nose, glared at Beau, and got to his feet. Then he swung at Beau again, but Beau leaned back, and punched him again.

"Son of a bitch. You broke my nose! I could sue you for that, McCallister," he shouted.

"No, you can't." Killian appeared out of nowhere, walking toward them. "I saw it all. Beau was defending himself. I don't know you, but it looked to me like you got what you deserved."

"This is over. Stay the hell away from Brenna and me or I'll do more than just break your nose. Much more than just knocking you on your ass next time," Beau's voice held a fierce edge.

"Are you threatening me?" Eric challenged.

"I believe I am." Beau took another step toward him, flashing a grin when Eric took a step back. "Stay the fuck away from us. I mean it. And one more thing, I plan to marry her. You fucked up, Phillips. You had a wonderful woman in your life. A woman who loved you, but now she loves me, and I will always treat her the way she deserves to be treated by never cheating on her and showing her everyday how much she means to me, and I would never do anything to make her want to leave me." He took another step closer. "So, when I say you fucked up, you can believe it. You and Liz will never make it, but Brenna and I will. Of that I have no doubt. Now, get out of here."

Eric got into his vehicle and drove off in a hurry. Beau turned to Killian.

"Thanks for stepping in."

"No need to thank me. I was on my way to the diner when I saw you. Thought I'd stick around in case you needed help." Killian replied, flashing a smile.

"I appreciate it, man." Beau shook his hand in gratitude.

"No problem. If you're all good now, I'm going to get me some breakfast. Have a good day, Beau."

"I will now for sure." Beau got into his truck and drove home. Home to Brenna.