“Who’s your favorite?”
“Jake. He always wins the treasure over Captain Hook.”
“He’s my favorite, too. And what does Jake wear around his head?”
“A red thing.” He scrunched up his face. “I forget the word.”
“Bandanna. Exactly. I’m going wrap this napkin around your head so you look just like Jake, okay? When I’m done you can check yourself out in your mom’s mirror and tell me what you think.”
Savannah bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. This man tried so hard to remain detached, but he was the first to respond to a cry for help, and did so much more than simply evaluate and treat. He empathized. He cared. Her stupid heart wandered closer to a cliff she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge lay ahead. A steep one that likely ended with a hard landing.
Liam sat still while Beau secured a clean napkin around his head, then handed the phone back to Beau and took the mirror from his mom. He turned his head right and left, checking himself out from every angle.
“Cool?” Beau asked.
“Cool.”
“I think so, too. Now I need to ask you for a couple promises. Your mom is going to drive you to a place where people go to get their owies fixed and I need you to promise to leave the bandanna alone until a doctor or nurse takes it off. Got it?”
“I promise.”
“Thanks. And when the doctor or nurse takes the bandanna off, they’re going to do things to close up your owie and help it heal correctly. I want you to promise me you’ll be brave like Jake, and let them do what they have to do.”
“Uh-uh. I don’t want them to touch it! That will hurt me a lot!”
Beau dipped his head and looked the upset boy in the eye. “I promise it won’t hurt a lot.” He lifted his hair away from his forehead and pointed to the thin row of black stitches visible at his hairline. “See this?”
Liam nodded.
“I got a bad owie on my head last week. I went to the doctor, too, and she used stitches to close the cut, so I know what I’m talking about when I say it doesn’t hurt a lot.”
“For real?”
“For real,” Beau said, and helped the little boy to his feet. “Can I get a high five?” He held up his big, strong hand for a slap from Liam’s miniature one, and Savannah’s ovaries exploded. A little more of her emotional safe ground slipped out from under her.
“Thank you so much.” Beth wrapped Beau in a hug, and then, to Savannah’s surprise, she found herself the recipient of the same treatment.
The woman smiled as she drew away. “He’s so good with kids. Hang on to him, honey. You’ve got yourself a keeper.”
Chapter Fourteen
Beau ate the last handful of his french fries and watched his partner crumple his empty burger wrapper, toss it in the bag nestled in the console between them, and take a giant slug of his bladder-buster-sized soda. A second later Hunter let loose a thunderous belch, and then grinned proudly. “My compliments to the chef.”
“Jesus Christ.” Beau threw his wadded sandwich wrapper at Hunter, who batted it back at him. “You’re a pig.”
“I hate to break it to you, princess, but that burp is likely to be the least offensive thing to come out of me over the next half hour.”
“Great.” Beau hit the button to lower his window. “Hard to believe no lucky girl has scooped you up, what with all your charm.”
Hunter gathered up the rest of the trash and dumped it in the bag. “I reserve some of my charm just for you, Beauregard. But speaking of lucky girls, how’s your fiancée working out?”
“Fine.”
“Better than fine, I’d hazard. Based on the goofy smile stretching your ugly face these past few days, I assume you finally gave up your second virginity to your tasty little neighbor.”
The second virginity comment irked, and Beau decided Hunt could handle the next puking drunk call they caught. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“You do. You just don’t know you do. Did you two sell it to your parents the other night?”