6. The Working On It, Dash

I admit, I may have flipped my palm against my forehead in an overly dramatic way, but I had to ensure my brain stayed put and didn't fall out as I struggled to make sense of what was happening. No matter how many times I hit the mental rewind button, I had no idea where Beau's wild accusations came from.

"I stayed faithful to you," I muttered, trying to keep my cool. " Painfully faithful. Those were some of the hardest times I've had while remaining loyal to you." The frustration turned to hurt as I consciously absorbed the very idea of him believing I'd been with anyone else. "Why do you think otherwise?"

"Because you told me last night!" Beau tossed out a hand as if throwing my words back at me. A fresh wave of anger ignited. I never said anything close to that. Was he treating me as a simpleton?

My brain might have actually exploded when he went back into the bathroom, leaving me to argue this out on my own. I covered my mouth with my palm, blinking rapidly. Did he just dismiss me after calling me a liar?

"I did no such thing!" I marched toward the bathroom where the madman had gone to hide.

"Yes, you did. You said you struggled with bein' faithful." Beau's arrogantly cocky roll of the eyes grated on my last nerve.

"I struggled mightily. Chandler loves to host a good party. He has people over all the time. I was hit on more than you'd imagine, but I never took anyone up on their offer." My foot stomped on its own to drive the point home.

Beau paused in mid-zip of the duffle bag and glanced at me. "You have guys in your house, offerin' themselves up? What sort of place are you livin' in?"

"Oh my god." This time I flung my hand out, silently screaming my disbelief at Beau. My overflowing aggressive energy needed an outlet, so I paced my bedroom in long strides.

The exercise didn't help. My unrelenting hard-on refused to give me a single second's break since the moment I saw that crazy man last night, and he thought I was messing around? Me? "You're suggesting that my years of devotion to our relationship somehow didn't include sex?"

My hands trembled under the burden of the past sixteen hours. I needed to calm down. On a cleansing breath, I tried to approach this from a different perspective. So, what was the different angle?

Perhaps Beau's response wasn't a finger-pointing accusation, but rather a glimpse into his inner turmoil and insecurities. The protective jealousy Beau flexed at Chandler revealed what he couldn't say. Beau cared deeply for me which unsettled him.

My cool demeanor slipped instantly in place. "I'm sorry, I should've better prepared you about Chandler living here. If you don't remember, he's been a longtime friend."

"If these three months are gonna fly, he can't live here," he said, striding past me toward his runners.

"Then we'll move him out." I knew Chandler wouldn't be thrilled with a sudden move. He'd always been my rock, but he also knew I'd move mountains to keep Beau with me. "Chandler can handle his own. He's been my only friend. My age and attitude have been a problem. No one likes a grown-up kid genius who's waiting on the sidelines for his boyfriend to return."

Once laced up, Beau slung the duffle over his shoulder. Did he plan to leave? The bravado building inside me tanked. "We gotta get movin'. If I drive all night, I think we can be there before the mornin'. That'll give me a day to help finish the house before we go to Mobile. Can you make some sandwiches for the ride?"

"Is that all you have to say?" I asked incredulously.

"Probably not. Right now, I need a clear head to drive across a few states. Are you bringin' these?" His head nodded toward my luggage sitting at the end of the bed. He tossed my weekender over the same shoulder with his bag. He fisted my heavy bookbag in one hand, my garment bag in the other. In the doorframe, he shot a quick look over at me, eyeing me close. "You aren't goin' now?"

"I am," I murmured, searching for patience. "But I'm not happy with the insinuation that I'm not who I've tried to be."

"I didn't call you a liar," Beau gently reassured. It mended my tattered dreams together again. "I misunderstood what you meant last night. Then the way he walked into the room seemed overly familiar to me. It rubbed me wrong. I'm sorry."

Interesting. I wasn't a fan of him apologizing either.

The open road was waiting. I approached Beau. He stood frozen, watching me.

An electrifying thrill zapped through me as Beau swooped in for a soft kiss on my lips. He wanted me and I certainly wanted him. A significant leap forward. The garment bag came into my line of vision. "Take it. I don't want it to get wrinkled."

Mark consideration down on the list of good qualities of my adorable guy. It was happening for us. I mentally crafted Chandler's eviction notice.

Birmingham, Alabama

"Hey, buddy," Beau said, heartwarmingly sweet. My guy. His strong rough palm caressed from my forearm to my bicep. "We're here, Dash."

The compact travel pillow under my head might be the best purchase I'd ever made. The small fleece blanket may come in second. I drew it up to my chin, settling into the slight recline of the seat. A yawn followed.

Who knew a ten-year-old truck could ride so smoothly with such relaxing seats?

Wait. Smooth didn't mean still.

My lids flipped open, searching out the front windshield for the time of day. Bad call. Overly bright sunshine assaulted my vision as I pushed up in the seat, righting myself. Apparently, I'd been asleep for hours.

"You snore."

"I don't think so." But how did I know? The relentless sun hit from every angle, no matter which way I turned. I fumbled with the visor to block the blinding light, stealing a glance at my reflection in the dinky mirror.

What I wasn't was a morning person, and I cared about my appearance. And what I saw ensured my morning's bad mood.

The growing facial hair couldn't be helped. I wished I had gotten in the habit of using a handheld shaver. Outside of that, I had a small amount of bed head to contend with. The disheveled style I currently wore took a decent amount of product and time in order to look effortless. I swiftly arranged the wayward strands back in place. "What time is it? And why's the sun so bright here?"

The answer came with a chuckle.

"Around six. I pulled over a few hours to sleep. We made good time. I didn't want to get here too early." A massive yawn interrupted him. "You slept through it all."

Inspecting my clothing came next. I swiped at the wrinkles until I found it best to stand and left the truck. Well damn, even my best wrinkle-free slacks had creases in them. I did a full circle while in the middle of the street. The neighborhood was older, the homes were smaller, and it wasn't nearly as cold outside as Dallas.

"Beau."

I'd recognize that voice anywhere. Linda Brooks, Beau's mother, called from the front porch.

In just five and a half years, she'd aged at least a decade. Her vibrance was gone. The sparkle in her eyes had dimmed, replaced by worry lines etched there and at the corners of her mouth. The past had taken its toll on her pretty face. Yet her love for Beau shone through as she started down the few steps, robe on and coffee mug in hand.

The guy holding the rickety screen door open had to be Scott. He and Beau were similar in dress. What Scott and I had in common was that we both openly stared at each other. His look implied curiosity while I had a feeling mine likely mirrored Beau's with Chandler.

Stop being silly. Scott's generosity brought Beau to me.

I looped around the truck's hood, flashing a grin at Beau's mother.

"Dash, you came." She met Beau with a side hug then bypassed him, heading my direction. "I was worried when I heard he left to find you, and now you're here." She enveloped me in a warm hug. "You haven't changed a bit." The embrace lingered as she pulled back, a curious glint in her eye. "Are you and my boy back together?"

"Mom," Beau called sternly, but his mom and I were on a whole different wavelength.

"I'm working on it," I said, making sure Beau caught every word. "He's stubborn, with walls of reinforced concrete around him, but I've got my trusty wrecking ball."

"Dash," Beau warned.

"Hush, Beau," she said, scolding her son. She looped her arm through mine as she started us up the walkway to the house. "Give him time." Without waiting on us, Beau had gone to Scott, who was at the top step, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I win," he teased, genuinely happy. I didn't know how he won, but those words were enough to dig a path straight under Beau's skin.

"You're way off base," Beau scoffed, executing a heavy footed climb up the steps. The slump in his shoulders screamed defeat. I found it oddly endearing because I felt like I was involved. The truck keys exchanged hands.

"No, I'm not. It might be the most victorious win of all time. You're finished. No other wins can ever beat this win." Scott chuckled happily. Beau clearly had no use for anything more Scott had to say as he flipped around, trotted back down the steps, and side-swiped me and his mom in the direction of the truck's bed. "He didn't win."

Since I didn't have to worry about him leaving—Scott had the truck keys—I continued along with his mom. When close enough to Scott, I extended my hand. "I'm Dash."

"I'm Scott." The sure clasp and direct stare eased any lingering nerves.

"I owe you. I'm not sure he would have come to Dallas if you hadn't intervened."

"That's why I win ," Scott called loudly to Beau. I probably shouldn't have chuckled. His mother absolutely shouldn't have laughed. She knew all of the obstacles Beau had faced, but evidently, she and I had our flaws.

Beau ignored us as he gathered our belongings.

"I was afraid I pushed too hard after mama-Brooks was worried. Seems all went well enough," Scott said.

If only Scott knew the truth. The intensity of the mock trial had nothing on dealing with Beau Brooks. Beau stalked past like a pack mule, loaded down with primarily my luggage. "Why do we have to talk about this outside? Or at all. Just go inside," he huffed.

I'd give him a break for now, but I wanted to know everything. Much like all those years ago, I was drawn to the familiarity and love within this family. Scott knew how to handle Beau, so I now deemed him my mentor. When Beau held the door open, still holding all the luggage, I went inside, happy to be there.