Page 9 of After this Summer (Seasons in Montana: Summer #11)

INDIE

“ I told you not to be mad,” I whisper, my lips curling up on one side as I let my eyelids flutter open. Beau’s hulking form takes up the entire doorway, but it’s not even his size—just his presence. And I felt it, felt him, before I saw him.

“I’m not.” There’s a strange tone to his voice, and even though he’s mere feet from me, it’s too damn far.

I hold out my hand for him, and he crosses the tile floor and settles on the edge of the bed, bringing my knuckles to his lips as he presses a lingering kiss to them. The man is beautiful, even just wearing his light gray T-shirt under a black-and-white checkered flannel.

“I’m sorry,” I croak, as tears well in my eyes. “I was just trying to get things done.”

“I know,” he murmurs, leaning forward and slanting his mouth over mine. “We’re gonna take care of it, okay?”

“Why do I feel like that’s more than just you and me?”

“Because it is.”

“Beau.”

“Indie…” he drawls and I roll my eyes. “Harlan and Reid and Jesse. I need your keys,” he says, his eyes straying to where they left my purse.

“But—”

“Please don’t argue with me.”

“Beau…”

“Please, baby.”

I huff, hating the tears that roll down my face. “It’s these stupid hormones.”

“I know.”

“They’ll pack up what they can. Moving truck will be here tomorrow and you can supervise everything else once you’re released.”

God, I wish everything was that easy.

“Okay,” I whisper. “I need to tell you something else.” The words are a raw scrape as I force them out, needing to say them before I lose my nerve.

“Make it quick before I end up being your roommate in here instead of in Wintervale.” The statement is a tease but I can tell he’s not entirely kidding.

I want to press him on the roommate comment but now’s not the time.

I can’t believe this is my life.

“I screwed up,” I tell him, clutching the thin blanket in one hand as I try and look anywhere but at him.

“Toni is gone. She canceled the work on the shop, changed the locks, and left town. Her number is disconnected and”—my voice breaks as the full weight of the situation settles over me—“I found out when I was admitted that she canceled our insurance.”

“Indie.” His voice is soothing.

Calm.

And that almost hurts more.

“That was most of my savings, Beau. My money and my dreams, and I don’t even want to think about what today is gonna cost me.”

How am I going to afford it?

What am I going to do?

“Let me take care of it.”

“What? I can’t ask you to do that. I’ll figure it out like I always do. I just didn’t want to lie to you and?—”

“Marry me.”

“What?”

“Marry me.”

“Beau… that’s not. No. We’re not gettin’ married so you can bail me out and?—”

“Stunner.” My nickname sounds like a plea, his eyes full of so much emotion I can’t hold his stare.

“If you marry me, you and the baby will be covered. You won’t have to worry if you can’t find something and”—he looks away, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he turns back to meet my gaze—“I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to you. ”

“The doctors said I’m fine.”

“But what if it happens again?”

“It won’t.”

“You don’t know that,” he growls, my hackles rising the more agitated he becomes.

“I don’t want a handout, Beau.”

“You damn well know it’s not.” He all but snarls, a flash of hurt crossing his handsome face before he masks it.

“I screwed up and I failed, Beau. Can you understand that? I let myself get swept up in my dreams, and yes it was before I knew about the baby but I wasn’t smart about it. I thought I could trust her and I couldn’t and now…”

I can’t finish my sentence, the words cut off by my choked sob.

Beau doesn’t hesitate, pulling me close so my head rests on his shoulder as his arms tighten around me.

“You’re the most amazing person I know. Marry me. Let me take care of you and the baby.”

“And then what?”

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“We can’t stay married forever.” He opens his mouth but I shake my head as I sit up.

“You’re not marrying me because you love me, Beau.

You’re offering to marry me so that you can provide for your child and that’s great.

But that’s not what a marriage should be.

And oh, my Lord, what will our families say? ”

Beau presses his lips into a line like the words physically pain him. “We can just keep it between us if you want.”

I open my mouth and close it again because that’s ridiculous, isn’t it?