“It’s a lovely place, dear,” Valeria adds. “I think you’ll be very happy and successful.”
I hug her too, then I show them inside and offer a plate of the cookies I baked in Sinner’s kitchen yesterday.
After that, it gets busy. Turns out all the suspicious folk are also real curious, and plenty of familiar faces from the town shuffle in and poke around the store.
“If you’re not careful, you might create some community spirit here,” Beau growls in my ear, wrapping an arm around my waist.
I grin. “Imagine that, in Perdue—” Then I frown. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“Of course. It’s always gonna be a place where people can come hide from the world if they want. But a little community spirit will make it safer for everyone.”
Elinor arrives after her shift at Sinner’s, accompanied by a bunch of girls from the dorm.
“This is fricking fantastic, Sav!” she exclaims, and the oohs and ahhs from the other girls makes me smile. I’m already planning to donate some sets of clothes to the waifs and strays who arrive at Sinner’s with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.
As more and more people arrive, my eyes keep darting to the door. I’m awaiting two special guests, and the thought fills me with a mixture of nerves and excitement.
At last, two strangers emerge from the twilight. They stand on the porch, taking everything in. I’ve never seen them before in my life, yet I think I’d recognize them anywhere.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with glowing, cornflower-blue eyes.
My stomach fizzing, I turn and look for Beau.
There he is, helping an old lady to a cup of soda. The second he’s done, I grab his hand and haul him to the front door.
“Where’s the fire?” he exclaims, laughing. Then he skids to a stop, his breath catching. I feel the vibrations from his heartbeat as if they’re my own.
“Luke? Mason?” he says at last.
Both men have hard, angular features with a hostile cast, but when the taller of the two smiles, his face transforms.
“Hello, big brother,” he says.
Beau exhales a long breath, takes a step forward, and they’re hugging. Rough, back-slapping man hugs.
I watch, tears springing to my eyes as Beau and his two younger brothers are reunited. Then they’re talking non-stop, catching up on the years. I’m content to stand back and watch it happen.
“You shouldn’t have stayed away, bro,” Luke—the taller one—says. “We missed you, so fucking much.”
“I had to. It’s long story,” Beau replies. “I was in a bad place, for a long time. But now I’m healed.” He reaches for me, draws me into the circle.
“I’m guessing you’ve already been introduced to my beautiful mate?”
“Not in person,” Mason says, shaking my hand. He’s more standoffish than Luke, with a searing, almost feral stare, but I can tell he’s happy to see his brother again.
Leaving them to catch up, I return to the guests, my heart glowing. I was so nervous that something would go wrong, that they wouldn’t make it in time, but it all turned out better than I hoped.
The guys hang out with Beau for an hour or so, then they head to their motel, making plans to catch up tomorrow. I tell Beau it’s fine for him to leave and hang out with them.
“Nope. No way am I leaving you alone on your special night,” he tells me. “There’ll be plenty of time to hang out in future.”
A little thrill goes through me—as I have one more surprise planned for Beau tonight.
“Just tell me one thing,” he says, shaking his head. “How did you track them down?”
“You’re not the only investigator in town, you know?” I wrap my arms around his firm waist. “I might’ve used your equipment to run a few searches.”
He grins and plants kisses on my forehead. “My smart, beautiful, amazing mate.”