Page 74 of Almost Yours
The porch groans as I settle back in my chair, old boards complaining under my weight. Jake and Beau are going back and forth about work or some other nonsense, but I’m not really listening.
The last few weeks don’t seem real. There’s hardly a minute of the day when I’m not thinking about the softness of Violet’s lips against mine or the sweetness of her kisses. She tells me she loves me, without hesitation, and I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how good it feels to hear those words.
I can’t get enough of the way her fingers trace my skin when she thinks I’m not paying attention. The little gasps she makes when I kiss her neck, the ones that always leave me wanting more. But peace doesn’t last forever.
I roll a beer bottle between my palms, trying to focus on anything other than the way dread sinks heavy in my gut every time I think about what’s coming next.
“Three weeks in Colombia,” Jake whistles low, shaking his head. “Thought you were done with that life.”
“It’s corporate security,” I mumble. “Not combat.”
“It’s overseas,” Beau grunts, his eyes fixed on some distant point. “Still dangerous.”
I take a long pull from my beer, letting the cold liquid slide down my throat. “It’s good money.”
“Violet’s cool with this?” Jake asks.
The question is a sucker punch. “Mmhmm.”
“But?” Beau prompts.
“But nothing.” I drag a hand through my hair. “She understands.”
The truth is, I don’t know if she really does. She smiled and nodded and told me to go, but there was a shadow in her eyes that’s been eating at me every day since.
“Bullshit,” Beau says flatly. “Women say they’re fine when they’re anything but.”
Jake shoots him a look. “Speaking from extensive relationship experience, are you?”
Beau flips him off without missing a beat before turning back to me. “You sure about this?”
“Her dad doesn’t think I’m good enough,” I admit.
“So what?” Jake shrugs. “Since when do you give a shit what anyone thinks?”
“Since it’s her family,” I snap. “And it’s a good opportunity. I don’t really have a choice.”
At this point, I don’t know if I’m trying to convince them or myself.
The silence stretches between us, filled only by the chorus of crickets and the occasional creak of the porch. Jake takes another pull from his beer, then sets it down with a thud.
“You know most guys would kill for this setup,” Beau finally says, gesturing toward the house behind us. “What you’ve got here is good.”
I scrub a hand over the back of my neck. “I’m not saying it’s not good. It is.”
“Then why are you acting like it’s not enough? You’ve got a girl who looks at you like you hung the damn moon, a place that actually feels like home, and,” he pauses, eyeing me, “more money in the bank than you know what to do with.”
“It’s not just about the money,” I say quickly. “It’s about stability. Building something solid.”
Beau lets out a quiet huff. “You know I’d put you to work at the garage tomorrow if you wanted it. Predictable hours. Decent pay. You don’t have to leave to build a future.”
I stare out at the yard, jaw tightening. “I’m coming back, man. And this is what I know.”
Beau leans forward, elbows on his knees. “You know I’ve got your back no matter what, but you already have something stable right here. This land, Violet. Shit, Wolfe, most of us would trade places with you in a heartbeat.”
“Holy shit,” Jake gasps, cutting through the tension. “Did you just hear how many words came out of Beau’s mouth?”
“That’s gotta be a record,” I say, turning to stare at Beau. “Was that like…more than fifteen words in one go? You feeling okay, man?”
