Authors: Taryn A. Taylor
Beau c
ould feel her anger on his back as he hooked his truck up to her car.
“
Did you catch the guy that I bumped into back there? He wasn’t exactly Mr. Sunshine.”
Beau
ignored her. He got in his truck and started it. He got back out and stood next to her. “Let’s let it run for a little bit.”
She pursed her lips together and looked away from him.
Beau didn’t mind the silence.
The last thing he wanted was to get involved in the details of this woman’s life. He was just doing what he knew he should do—help someone out who needed it.
Finally
, she quirked her head to the side and looked at him. “I’m sorry. It’s been a rough day.”
He raised an eyebrow in question but put his hand out.
“Yeah, me too. Beau Hennings.”
Sh
e shook his hand. “I’m Sara Fairbanks. I—I just hate being…”
“Saved.”
He filled in for her.
She rolled her eyes.
He didn’t know why he wanted to tease her. “You play a good damsel in distress?”
She
squinted her eyes. “I try.”
He laughed.
She looked him up and down like she was evaluating what right he had to laugh at her. “What are you laughing at?”
He cleared his throat and put on his serious face.
“Nothing. What brings you to Salt Lake?”
She shrugged.
“I had a friend leaving for a while. I wanted to see him off.”
She had a missionary
. And she didn’t want to tell him. Perfect. “How long will this friend be gone for?”
Meeting his eyes, she stared at him
with some kind of defiance he didn’t understand. “Two years.”
“He just left?”
Her face went red
, and she tilted her head forward. “Yes.”
Beau
absently touched his ring finger. “You think you’ll last?”
Anger flashed in her eyes
. She flung her gaze to his ring finger. “Obviously longer than yours did.”
P
ain ripped through his chest. He stumbled back and then steadied himself. He thought of her mother—repentantly asking if she could have his ring back at the funeral—it had been a family heirloom. He coughed. “Yeah—things happen.”
Sara
didn’t seem to notice. She looked at the cables. “Do you think it’s charged?”
Grateful for a distraction, he moved to her car
and tried to start it. Click, click, click. He got out and shook his head.
Sara
kicked her tire and closed her eyes. She mumbled something. Abruptly, she whirled on him. “What do you mean, will I last?”
Beau studied her. The way her green eyes were bright with emotion
made something soften inside him. The day had taken an unexpected turn, and even though he was exhausted, he’d forgotten what it was like to torture a beautiful woman. “A lot don’t last. And you’re kind of that
type
.”
She scowled ferociously.
“What do you mean, I’m that
type
?”
He let out a long, slow breath. He enjoyed this. For some reason he really enjoyed tormenting her.
“I don’t think I need to explain myself. It seems like you’re smart enough. So, at least you have that going for you. Let’s get this done.” He moved to the cables and took them off. He shut her hood.
Sara
glared at him. “Actually, you know what, I’m fine. Really. Thanks for everything. I’m good.” She took the cables from out of his hands and tossed them into her car. “I know you’ve got the whole John Wayne thing going for you, but I don’t know you. And honestly, it doesn’t really work for you.” She stalked toward the airport terminal.
Weariness
flooded him. Beau wondered if he should just drop this whole thing. He probably wasn’t the best person to help anyone right now anyway. “Just come back.”
Sara
looked back at him. “Look, I know you’ve got the whole John Wayne thing going for you, but I don’t know you. And, honestly, it doesn’t really work for you.”
“
Would you just come back for a second?”
She
ignored him.
“
Look—.” He raised his voice. “I’m not the John Wayne type, believe me. But I do want to help you.”
Sara
stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Are you some stalker or kidnapper or something?”
Beau
frowned. “Yeah, you got me. I’m a stalker.”
Sara lifted her eyebrows.
Irritation swept through him. “I am rude to women at airports—and then I track them down and find out if they need their batteries changed so I can pretend like I’m helping them—oh, and then I steal them away. Yep, I go to all that trouble. Opposed to just stealing them away in the first place.”
She folded her arms, clearly not amused.
He blew out his breath. “Look, I know what it’s like to be some place you don’t know very well and need help.”
“I don’t even know you.”
Beau put his hands up. “What do you want to know?”
She
shrugged. “Well, you seem to know a lot about types that wait or don’t wait for missionaries—are you a member? Did you serve a mission? How old are you?”
He s
norted. She cut to the chase fast. He could appreciate that. “Yes, I am a member. Yes, I served a mission. I am twenty-four.” He paused and reached for his wallet. “Do you want to see my license as proof?”
Sara
bit her lip.
“
Sara, is that you?”
T
wo older people walked toward them.
The man stepped forward.
“I thought you were already gone.”
Beau looked at Sara. She stood completely still.
“H-hey.” It came out of her like a strangled frog.
The man frowned at Beau.
“Is everything okay?”
Sara
coughed and nodded.
Beau
noted that these people obviously knew her. They could take over. “Her battery’s dead.” He offered.
The man didn’t say anything
.
Sara let out a gulp laugh. It sounded strange.
“Um, this is my cousin, Beau. He’s going to help me. So we’re good. Thanks.”
Cousin?
The man cocked an eyebrow like he didn’t believe her.
Beau
took the cue. He moved next to her and slipped an arm across her shoulders. “Yeah. We’re good. This is what I like to do—save a cousin in need.”
Sara
tensed but kept her smile in place.
The woman gave a dangerously evil look to Sara
and then she reached for the man. “It seems like they’ve got things handled here, Howard. We better get on the road.”
The man
hesitated. “You sure?”
Sara
laughed. A clearly fake laugh. “Yep, I am so lucky that he lives here.”
The man le
t out a sigh and then moved in sync with the woman. “Okay then.”
Sara
watched them go.
Beau smelled a lemony fragrance
on her. He pulled his arm back. He didn’t want to notice her fragrance.
Sara turned to him. Her face resigned. “I’ll take that help now.”
Beau grinned. “Good. I like my victims compliant.”
Beau drove down the interstate and let out another light chuckle.
Sara gritted her teeth and reminded herself that she was grateful for his help.
“Are we almost there?”
Beau pulled off
of the freeway and turned into a small hardware store. “Just like I said, less than fifteen minutes.”
Sara
moved to get out.
Beau relaxed into his seat and held up his hand.
“I just have one question for you, why the cousin?”
Sara
paused, pulling the door shut and trying to keep her emotions in check. He had played along. He probably did deserve an answer. “They don’t like me, and I didn’t want his dad to feel obligated to help me.”
Beau
put on a wide-eyed face. “No. It shocks me they don’t like you. You’re so . . . so . . . likeable.”
Sara
didn’t appreciate his sarcasm. “Ya know—you’re no picnic yourself.”
Beau sighed
and let out another laugh. “Oh, c’mon, tell your cousin what ails you.”
Sara
cocked her head to the side, hating him at the moment. “You’re a pig.”
Beau laughed even harder.
“I’m just teasing you. Seriously, what is the deal?” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “I got all day.”
“All day—coming from Mr. ‘
doesn’t it drive you crazy everyone thinks their life is more important’?”
He wagged
his finger at her and laughed even harder. “No, no, no. Now that you made me your cousin, all my previous sins are forgiven.”
Letting out
her breath, she reluctantly acquiesced. Her father always told her she needed to forgive faster. “Fine, but you need to take back your assessment that I’m that type of girl.”
Beau shook his head.
“I can’t take back what I don’t know.”
The smile on his face told
Sara that he knew he was pushing a button. She looked out the passenger side window, letting his snarkiness go. He was actually helping her out a lot and she did appreciate it. “Let’s just go in.”
“Wait.”
He cleared his throat and furrowed his eyebrows. “Why don’t they like you?”
S
he hated this. “It’s . . . well . . . I met him on a blind date in Montana. He was working to earn money for his mission by supervising some construction projects for his uncle.”
Beau’s face still held a perplexed look.
“So—”
“Anyway, we went out and,” she
said and felt her face getting red, “well, it just happened.”
“What happened?”
I
t sounded so dramatic when she said the words. Her brothers had laughed outright when she’d told them. “We . . . fell in love.”
Beau was silent for a second.
“Uh huh. Love? How long have you known him?”
“
Well, two months, give or take.”
“Hold on.
I’m just getting it straight. So you fell in love two months ago?”
Sara
nodded.
“But he’s been in the MTC for a few weeks?”
Sara glared at him. “Look, just shut up.”
Beau coughed to cover another laugh. “Okay, okay—simmer down.”
Sara fumed.
“I just have a question.”
“What?”
“W
hen did you meet his parents for the first time?”
Sara
sighed. “Today.”
Beau
closed his eyes. “That’s funny.”
Sara
decided she couldn’t take any more of his questions. She’d rent a cab back to her car. “Enough.”
Ten minutes later
, Sara held out her emergency credit card to the cashier. She’d never had to use it before, but this was definitely an emergency.
Beau
slipped next to her and nudged her out of the way. “I got this.”
She nudged him back. S
he thrust forward her card. “No way.”
He put his arm over her and held his card out.
“C’mon, let me help a cousin in need.”
S
he shoved his arm away. “I am buying it.”
The cashier
took her card, snapping her gum and looking annoyed at the whole display between them. She swiped it and handed it back. “It says it’s not activated.”
Sara
mentally kicked herself. She rummaged through her wallet for her check card. She wouldn’t have enough to cover the battery. She would have to call her father. “I . . . uh. Hold on a sec.”
Beau
handed the cashier his card. “I got it.”
Sara
tried to block him from giving the cashier his card. “No.”
B
eau put up his hand to block her and gave her a pointed look. “There’s a line here,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s impolite to make people wait.”
The cashier handed
back his card and gave him the bag.
Beau stepped out of line
and gently pushed the small of her back to get her to move.
Sara
reflexively elbowed him, immediately feeling bad.
Beau grabbed
at his side. “Oww—that hurt. You have anger problems.”