Page 12 of Evergreen Desires (Wildheart Chronicles #1)

JAKE

“We aren't taking the Jeep into town?" I asked, breaking the silence in the car.

"No, I figured the work SUV would have a little more trunk room for the things we need," Beau replied with a smile, glancing at me briefly before focusing on the road.

"Beau, I appreciate everything you're doing. I know you said you'd get me whatever I need," I said, avoiding eye contact by looking out the side window. “You really don’t have to do this.”

"Jake, this evening is my treat. Please get anything you need or even want. I mean it, it's no trouble. If you're worried about my finances, please don't be. I own both a successful Christmas tree farm and a cannabis operation."

"I know. Will gave me some of the background," I replied.

"Oh, did he now?" Beau's voice carried playful amusement.

"Yes, you told me it was okay to snoop. Figured he would be easier to ask than to discover it myself."

"You're pretty resourceful," he commented .

"With that, I know from what you’ve told me that you're into me," I continued, my voice wavering slightly.

"Yes, I am. That hasn't changed."

"I also gathered from Will that you haven't been in a relationship in a long time. I don't want you to get the impression that you can just buy me."

Beau pulled the truck off onto the shoulder of the road, taking me by surprise. I looked at him, preparing myself for the possibility of being kicked out, and took a deep breath to steady myself.

"Jake." Beau turned to look straight into my eyes.

"I'm not trying to buy you. I'm never going to try to control you.

I want you to know that right up front. There's no denying that I'm immediately attracted to you, but I'll do everything in my power to ensure you're not hurt or saddened by anything.

I know, from the little bit we've talked, that your ex did a number on you.

Hopefully, I never meet him, but you won't have anything like that from me. "

His words flowed with a mix of compassion, heat, and sincerity, and it left me speechless for a moment.

"I think you're handsome, not to mention you came to rescue me when you didn't even know who I was," I finally managed to say.

"But at the same time, I can't jump into a relationship with you. I'm literally running away from my ex, feeling vulnerable with no money, a broken car, and no job prospects. The rescue you performed makes me worry I’ll feel like I owe you something, and that I’ll just fall back into the same cycle.

My emotions are a bit mixed up, and it'll take me some time to sort them out. "

I paused, expecting to see hurt in Beau's eyes, but instead, I noticed a small grin on his face and a slight sparkle in his eyes.

"With that said, I feel like I can trust you. You've been honest and upfront with me. Not to mention, Will called you 'an ethical guy in an unethical business.' I think that shows me everything I need to know."

"Will has a way with words," Beau chuckled.

"Jake, I'm serious. I'll never force you to do something you don't want to do.

I'm perfectly happy waiting for your feelings to be sorted.

Let me help you. Not to control you or manipulate you, but to help YOU.

Let me buy you whatever you need tonight.

Clothes, toiletries, auto parts, whatever. We can figure out the rest later."

"Are you sure? You've done a lot already," I replied, feeling a mix of gratitude and uncertainty.

"Yes. Will mentioned that you're into photography. I'd love to have some new advertising photos for the Christmas tree farm. Do you think you can help with that? We can pick up whatever you need for that too," Beau suggested, probably trying to make me feel useful.

"No hidden agendas?" I asked, cautiously.

"Nope. Just getting you set up with whatever you need," he reassured me, and there was a brief pause as he seemed to be thinking. "Perhaps you could say the hidden agenda is that if you're happy, I'll be happy."

"Okay," I finally agreed, feeling a sense of relief.

"Okay!" Beau exclaimed, putting on his blinker and merging back onto the road, despite there being no other cars around. It was a small gesture, but it was one of many that I'd noticed from him. Despite his rugged appearance and stoic demeanor, he truly was a good guy, guided by his ethics.

"I don't think I can do the farm photos, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to. I wasn't forcing you to," he replied.I settled into the seat, ready for a relaxed drive into town.

“I want to, it’s just—I no longer have my laptop, so I can’t edit or crop photos. I am stuck with just taking pictures and viewing them on my camera for now,” I admitted, still avoiding eye contact. It was embarrassing to admit. Of all things, I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten my laptop.

“I have a computer you’re welcome to use.Download whatever software you need; I want to support your passion.”

I couldn’t help the smile that creeped up at the corners of my mouth. I wanted to be careful with my heart to avoid getting hurt again, but I couldn’t deny the way he made me feel. It was so clear that he really cared about me and my interests.

Beau proved himself, again and again, to be a gentleman.

He stayed close but didn’t hover while I sorted through racks of clothes.

When I held something up, he gave a small smile or nod—never pushing, never commenting.

Just present. At the auto parts store, he took the lead completely.

He’d said it wasn’t his area of expertise either, but I had a feeling he just didn’t want me to feel more overwhelmed than I already did.

Shopping on someone else’s dime wasn’t easy.

I kept gravitating toward the clearance rack—neutral t-shirts, a couple of flannels, jeans that would go with anything.

Basics. Things I could mix and match. A hoodie and a jacket, both second-guessing whether they were too expensive.

I skipped over the brand names, even when Beau told me to get what I needed.

It was like trying to rebuild a life with just a shopping cart.

Underwear, socks, some toothpaste and a toothbrush. I hesitated in front of the sneakers for a solid two minutes before finally tossing a pair in, mostly because Beau looked like he was about to suggest it and I wanted to beat him to it.

I didn’t want to take advantage. But I didn’t want to feel useless, either.

"Let's grab a quick dinner while we're out. It's getting a little late. Then we can hit the grocery store on the way home for anything you might want to eat," Beau suggested as we made our way back to the truck.

"Sure, but nothing fancy," I replied.

***

The place he brought me to was definitely not fancy—but it had charm.

It looked like it had once been a gas station, now converted into a quirky roadside eatery.

The inside was full of long wooden picnic tables, the kind you’d expect to see at a barbecue or family reunion.

You ordered at the counter, and judging by the crowd, it was a local favorite.

The menu was a mix of burgers, ribs, nachos, and fried everything, though I spotted a few healthier options buried between the brisket and mac and cheese. Beau pointed out the milkshakes with a grin, and we ended up ordering enough food for four people.

We found a seat tucked in the corner, surrounded by the noise and chatter of what seemed like half the town. “The food must be good; this place is hopping," I remarked.

"It's great for a quick meal and good food," Beau agreed. However, his face suddenly turned sour, and his gaze shifted over my left shoulder.

Curious, I turned to look and saw that self-important man from the diner, standing up from a table across the room and making his way toward us.

I let out a small sigh and quickly turned back toward Beau.

But something must have shown on my face because his leg gently leaned against mine, and he softly said, "It's okay, he's hounding me, not you. "

"Beau! How are you doing? What brings you down the mountain?" Rich said, clearly showing no real interest in the answers. “Small world, huh?”

"I just came into town for a few things we needed and to get Jake here set up a little more comfortably," Beau responded dryly .

"Jake, huh?" Rich glanced in my direction. "Yes, we have not officially met but remember seeing you at the diner. Seems I remember reading a police incident report with you two in it at the corner store."

I held my breath, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"Yes, there was a misunderstanding. Bob didn't realize Jake here was my boyfriend and I was going to pay for him, then he had a medical emergency.

You know, low blood sugar and all," Beau said, the tension between the two of them palpable.

But I found some relief in Beau's determination to stand up for me.

"We met the new police chief, Mat. He was helpful in getting it all sorted and making sure that Jake wasn't injured.

He seems like a good guy, looking out for people," Beau added.

"Yes, he's a good hire the city manager made. I haven't had too much time with him yet. He seems like someone who takes his job seriously and can’t be pushed around," Rich remarked.

"Well, that's a good thing for the community, especially given how small we are," Beau replied, clearly growing frustrated.

"Speaking of the small community, have you given any more thought about the new operation coming to town?" Rich probed.

"Not really. It takes time for licenses, building permits, and rezoning. Lots of things can throw kinks into the mix. Shoot, it took me a few years to get through the process. "

"Oh, they applied for a fast-tracked process. Given that we have the roadmap from when we got your operation moving, it could be a matter of weeks for all the approvals," Rich revealed with a devilish smile.

Beau stared at Rich, his jaw muscles tensing up.

There was an awkward silence between them before Rich finally turned to leave.

"Well, let me get back to my dinner table.

Just wanted to stop by. Nice to meet you again, Jake.

Try to stay out of trouble. The last thing Beau needs is to have a complaint filed against his state license for a misunderstanding. Talk to you later."

Our food buzzer went off at that moment, and I swore I heard Beau physically growl. "I'll go get our food," he said, pushing himself back from the table with a little too much force.

"Thanks," I managed to reply as he headed off.

A few minutes later, he returned with heaping plates of food that barely fit on the table as I helped him set them all down. As Beau settled back into the table, he typed on his phone, seemingly preoccupied.

"I'm sorry," Beau said to me, avoiding eye contact.

"What for?"

"For that jerk insulting you like that and openly threatening us. You won't cause any issues with my farm licenses; I can assure you of that."

"I'm sorry he upset you and that you had to pretend to like him when clearly you just wanted to punch him," I said, sympathetically. Thank you for defending me. ”

"What goes around, comes around,” Beau grumbled. “By the way, I am placing a quick order at Best Buy up the road here for a couple of wildlife trail cameras that I forgot we needed. We'll swing past there and grab them curbside on our way out,” grabbing his phone and was tapping away.

"Trail cameras?" I asked, wondering what the sudden need for them was.

"Yeah, they’ll make good motion-activated security cameras around the farm. Now, let's eat and get you home."