see if she’s called. An emotion I can’t define, that’s somewhere between relief and frustration when I see she hasn’t, fills me. Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I focus on spending time with my parents instead. We’ve finished the main course and my mom is about to serve the cake I brought with me when my phone rings.
“It’s okay , son. You can take it,” my dad says after witnessing my hesitation to answer it.
After pressing accept, I hold the phone to my ear. “Hello.”
I push back from the table and slowly make my way down to the pond.
“I just landed. I’m still on the plane. There’s another plane at the gate we’re supposed to pull up to so we’re just sitting on the runway until it moves.”
“How was your flight?”
“Good until now,” she grumbles.
“Are your parents picking you up from the airport?”
“My mom is. Oh, we’re moving.”
“That’s good.” I hesitate, knowing now is not the time but my curiosity gets the better of me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged?”
Her gasp is clear through the phone. “How did you—”
“Bess told me ,” I cut her off.
“It’s a long story.”
“One you trusted Bess with but not me.”
“It’s not something I like to talk about.”
A firefly lights up not far from where I stand, painfully reminding me of the night we laughed and chased them behind her house.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Beau—” she starts.
“I hope you have a nice visit with your parents , Bethany. I should go now.”
“I see.”
“Goodbye.”
I end the call after I hear her s ubdued voice in return.
“Bye,” she whispers.
Chapter Seven
“You want me to what?”
“You heard me ,” I groan.
“W hy can’t you pick her up? She’s expecting you.”
Bethany and I haven’t spoken since the call where I asked her about her engagement. She’d called a couple times but I ignored them. I wasn’t prepared to deal with what she had to say.
“I just can’t.”
Bess stands, wiping her hands on her apron. “This behavior is not the Beau I know.”
“What’s that supposed to m ean?” I stand firm.
“When I told you about her fiancé , it wasn’t for you to push her away. It was to explain why she was acting the way she was.”
“ Your plan backfired, Bess. All it did was make me question why she never told me about this guy. What? Does he want her back?” I snap.
“I can see now it was a mistake to say anything at all , but just so you know, her fiancé passed away two months before they were supposed to get married.”
“He what?”
“You heard me,” she throws my own words back in my face.
Here I was acting all jealous and insecure over a ghost. “I’m an asshole.”
She doesn’t even fuss at me for swearing. “Sometimes.”
“I won’t be needing you to pick her up from the airport.”
“I figured as much.”
Hell, I’ve made a big mess out of everything. First, I pushed Bethany away for caring about me. Now, I’ve distanced myself even more because I don’t feel good enough for her. It’s about time I got over my shit and started acting like a man worthy of the attention Bethany was giving me.
I have a lot to think about on the drive to the airport. Whether the outcome be good or bad, I need to tell Bethany how much she means to me and the reason I pushed her away in the first place. I’m scared, scared I’m not man enough for her after the bite, and scared she will leave me after I found out she had been engaged before. Those were embarrassing things to admit to myself, let alone her.
I made good time on my drive , and since I beat her plane, I decided to park and meet her at the baggage claim instead of on the curb. Walking around on paved surfaces is much easier than almost anywhere on the farm. I focus on taking my time. That, plus the smooth walkways makes my limp less noticeable.
Once I find the carousel her luggage is being sent to , I wait. There’s
“It’s okay , son. You can take it,” my dad says after witnessing my hesitation to answer it.
After pressing accept, I hold the phone to my ear. “Hello.”
I push back from the table and slowly make my way down to the pond.
“I just landed. I’m still on the plane. There’s another plane at the gate we’re supposed to pull up to so we’re just sitting on the runway until it moves.”
“How was your flight?”
“Good until now,” she grumbles.
“Are your parents picking you up from the airport?”
“My mom is. Oh, we’re moving.”
“That’s good.” I hesitate, knowing now is not the time but my curiosity gets the better of me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged?”
Her gasp is clear through the phone. “How did you—”
“Bess told me ,” I cut her off.
“It’s a long story.”
“One you trusted Bess with but not me.”
“It’s not something I like to talk about.”
A firefly lights up not far from where I stand, painfully reminding me of the night we laughed and chased them behind her house.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Beau—” she starts.
“I hope you have a nice visit with your parents , Bethany. I should go now.”
“I see.”
“Goodbye.”
I end the call after I hear her s ubdued voice in return.
“Bye,” she whispers.
Chapter Seven
“You want me to what?”
“You heard me ,” I groan.
“W hy can’t you pick her up? She’s expecting you.”
Bethany and I haven’t spoken since the call where I asked her about her engagement. She’d called a couple times but I ignored them. I wasn’t prepared to deal with what she had to say.
“I just can’t.”
Bess stands, wiping her hands on her apron. “This behavior is not the Beau I know.”
“What’s that supposed to m ean?” I stand firm.
“When I told you about her fiancé , it wasn’t for you to push her away. It was to explain why she was acting the way she was.”
“ Your plan backfired, Bess. All it did was make me question why she never told me about this guy. What? Does he want her back?” I snap.
“I can see now it was a mistake to say anything at all , but just so you know, her fiancé passed away two months before they were supposed to get married.”
“He what?”
“You heard me,” she throws my own words back in my face.
Here I was acting all jealous and insecure over a ghost. “I’m an asshole.”
She doesn’t even fuss at me for swearing. “Sometimes.”
“I won’t be needing you to pick her up from the airport.”
“I figured as much.”
Hell, I’ve made a big mess out of everything. First, I pushed Bethany away for caring about me. Now, I’ve distanced myself even more because I don’t feel good enough for her. It’s about time I got over my shit and started acting like a man worthy of the attention Bethany was giving me.
I have a lot to think about on the drive to the airport. Whether the outcome be good or bad, I need to tell Bethany how much she means to me and the reason I pushed her away in the first place. I’m scared, scared I’m not man enough for her after the bite, and scared she will leave me after I found out she had been engaged before. Those were embarrassing things to admit to myself, let alone her.
I made good time on my drive , and since I beat her plane, I decided to park and meet her at the baggage claim instead of on the curb. Walking around on paved surfaces is much easier than almost anywhere on the farm. I focus on taking my time. That, plus the smooth walkways makes my limp less noticeable.
Once I find the carousel her luggage is being sent to , I wait. There’s
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