Page 111 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
“You’re welcome. What do you want to do today?” he asked.
“You’re staying?” Say yes. Say yes.
“Of course I’m staying.”
I smiled and snuggled closer. “Good.”
“So, what do you think? Movies and room service?”
A day spent lying around with Beau sounded wonderful but I didn’t want to stay in the hotel room and dwell. I’d have plenty of time to analyze everything that had happened when Beau left and I was back on my own again.
“What if we explored Seattle a bit? I could show you all the tourist stops. I don’t want to sit around and mope all day.”
He leaned back to study my face. “Really?”
“Is that bad?” I had no idea how to act right now. It wasn’t like I was happy and carefree. I just didn’t want to keep replaying the events of last night on an endless loop. I needed the distraction of the outdoors and crowds.
“No, it’s not bad.” Beau rolled me onto my back, hovering over me. “You can’t feel guilty about what happened last night. It was you or him. You did what you had to do.”
The truth in his eyes spread to my heart, knitting together a couple of the broken pieces. I had so much I wanted to say, but instead, I brushed my lips against his.
Beau kissed me back, gentle and sweet, breaking us apart before it could get heated, but the kiss didn’t erase any of the concern in his eyes. “I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be okay,” I reassured us both. “Let’s get through today, then go from there.”
“All right. Then show me your city.”
We spent the entire day playing tourist. I took him up the Space Needle and on the Seattle Great Wheel. We spent hours strolling through Pike Place Market and along the piers. Then I took him to my favorite seafood restaurant, where we caught up on the last seven months and ate way too much.
It was by far the best day I’d ever had in Seattle, all because I’d been with Beau.
“I had fun today,” I told him as we ambled back to the hotel. “That’s kind of weird, huh?”
“Not weird.” His thumb caressed the back of my hand. “I had fun too. How are you doing?”
We hadn’t talked at all about Anton the entire day, or last night’s ordeal. I didn’t need to. Just walking around, holding Beau’s hand had helped me put it all into perspective. I had done what I’d had to do. What anyone else would have done. I didn’t like it, but I wasn’t going to blame myself. I was going to do my best to move on.
“I’m okay,” I said. “I’m sure there will be bad days ahead but getting through today, the distractions, they really helped.”
“Good.” His free hand reached out and tipped up the brim of my baseball hat. He’d been doing that all day, grinning each time. “My hat looks better on you than it does on me.”
“I beg to differ.” He looked sexy as hell in his old hat but he’d given it to me to wear today because I hadn’t had any sunglasses. Henry had packed me a few things while I’d been sobbing in Beau’s arms last night but he’d stuck to the bare essentials.
“I like your hair,” Beau said. “It looks good lighter.”
“Thanks. My stylist nearly fainted at my first appointment after coming back. She was distraught at my split ends and wanted to cut off six inches but I told her all she could do was a trim because I’d made a deal never to cut my hair.”
He smiled. “Damn straight.”
I looked to the side and saw our reflection in a store window. Even in the dim evening light, I could see huge bags under my eyes. “Ugh,” I groaned.
“What?”
“It’s a good thing I’ve got this hat on. I look horrible. I probably scared the children at the Space Needle today.”
“Hey,” Beau said, bumping my shoulder with his arm. “Don’t be talking about my Shortcake like that. She’s always beautiful. Even after being forced to use an outhouse.”
I laughed. “I don’t know what was worse. Hovering over that hole or knowing that you could hear me pee.”
