Page 10 of After this Summer (Seasons in Montana: Summer #11)

BEAU

“ M y family would never forgive me if they found out,” Indie says as relief floods my veins.

“So, we’ll have a wedding, small and intimate. We’ll invite your family and mine and?—”

“And then what? We play house until the baby comes? What happens after that?”

Instead of answering right away, I pull her hand to my mouth, her skin soft as I press her knuckles to my lips.

“I’m crazy about you and I’ll respect whatever time you need, give you the space you want, but I won’t pretend that getting to call you my wife doesn’t do something to me.”

“It would be temporary,” she reiterates. Again.

“Sure.”

“Beau. It’s a business arrangement. That’s it,” she hisses, and I try like hell not to let the words get to me because this feels like all I’ve ever wanted.

“Way I look at it, Stunner, I have until the baby comes to make you fall in love with me.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then you can draw up the papers and I’ll sign them.

I won’t fight it. But we’ll agree to do what’s best for the baby.

” I let her see the sincerity in my eyes and hope she can see the challenge there too.

Because I have no doubt, I’m already falling for Indie.

I just need her to see it’s safe for her to fall too.

I would have moved mountains to get to her today and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

“I don’t want you to resent me,” she whispers, my head already shaking as I press a kiss to her lips.

“Never,” I affirm, reaching for the straw wrapper on her hospital tray. “Indie Kade,” I start, twisting the paper until it’s in a long, tight line, “will you marry me?”

“Yes, but what?—”

Taking the wrapper, I loop it around her ring finger and tie it as tight as I can without it breaking and watch as the sweetest smile graces her lips.

“Do you want to know what we’re having?” she asks softly, tracing her fingertips over the makeshift ring.

“Only if you do.”

“Really?”

Chuckling, I release her hand and cup her face, my lips a gentle brush against hers. “It doesn’t matter, Stunner. Our baby is already perfect.”

“Dammit, Beau.” Indie sniffs, blinking back tears. “We’re not even married yet. You can’t be tryin’ already to make me fall for you.”

“I’m just warming up, Stunner, and I like my odds.”

Slanting her mouth over mine, she kisses me hard and unapologetically. And I keep kissing her because I want this.

I want us.

And more than anything, I want this to be real.

Indie’s doctor had humored me, patiently answering my questions.

All of them.

I’d been a half second from needing to do some deep breathing into a paper bag because while Indie and the baby were fine, she’d still fainted.

What if it happened again? What if no one was around to see?

“You’re gripping the steering wheel like you want to rip it right out of there,” Indie says, her voice tired but still amused.

“Sorry,” I tell her, adjusting my position in the driver’s seat as I try to settle myself into the leather.

Jesse had taken Indie’s keys when he dropped me off at the hospital and then picked us up when she was discharged. The guys had been busy, and after eating a couple of pizzas and packing up a few more things, we’d all crashed for the night.

Harlan and Reid had picked up the moving truck and we’d loaded up her apartment before getting on the road. She’d argued about cleaning the place, but after I begged her to let me pay someone, she relented.

It wasn’t about the money or the apartment. I need her home.

With me.

Where I know she’ll be safe.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” I tell her, moving one hand to her thigh and squeezing gently as “Hands of Time” by Eric Church plays on the radio.

“Are you having second thoughts about getting married?”

“What?” I ask, turning my head quickly to stare at her before looking back at the road. “No, I’m definitely sure about that.”

It kept me up half the night—not whether I want to or not but how.

“Then what?”

Letting out a heavy breath, I squeeze her thigh again. “I need you to let me do something and hear me out on something else.”

“Like what?”

“I need a couple of days so I can ask you to marry me.” Glancing at her, I add, “The right way.”

I can already hear every one of her objections before she even says them out loud so I just shake my head. “If we were going to the courthouse I could let it slide, but people will ask and I want you to be able to tell them something real.”

“Beau, you did ask me the right way. I was there; you made me a real nice ring on the spot.” She rubs her bare finger, the wrapper lost in the shuffle at the hospital. “I thought it was rather romantic.”

“Please?”

She’s quiet for a long moment, the silence comfortable even though I’m on edge waiting for her to reply.

“Because it’s important to you.”

“It is.” Swallowing, I add, “And now the other thing.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I think we should get married before the wedding so we can get the insurance set up as soon as possible.”

“You’re probably right.” Giving me a small smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, she turns toward the window, a heaviness settling between us the closer we get to Wintervale.

“I’m sorry this isn’t how you imagined things happening for you,” I tell her, her head whipping toward me as her lips part.

“Not for either of us but we can do this.” Taking my hand, she laces our fingers together and places our joined hands in her lap. “This baby is so lucky to have you.”

I’m so lucky to have you.

“I can’t wait to see you be a mom.”

Her smile is wide as she squeezes my hand. “There you go again, Heartthrob.”

“What?”

“Being perfect.”

“I’m not; I just wouldn’t change this for anything.”

“Stop.” She laughs, her head falling back against the seat. “You’re already too hard to resist.”

“Then my plan is working,” I tease, but it’s the truth and I haven’t even gotten started.

Not even close.