Page 20 of Beau & Autumn

Her eyes go slightly wide. “Shit.”

“How bad is the roof?”

She swallows. “Bad. It barely got through the winter. I had buckets everywhere.”

I shake my head, not liking the sound of that. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“The Davenport family are proud people. I guess I’m used to just having to solve situations myself. When I poured everything into the business, I didn’t take into account how long it would take to pay myself back out of my savings.”

“How about I come and take a look, bring one of my brothers or even Callan or Huds. If we can temporarily fix it, that might tide you over until next winter. We can get a game plan happening, or a Go Fund Me.”

She punches me in the arm playfully at that last bit. “Go Fund Me?”

“Or a bake off. We’d only need to sell fifteen thousand cupcakes.”

“Stop trying to make me laugh.”

“It’s better than seeing you cry.”

“What about Only Fans?”

My heart rate skyrockets out of my chest in an instant. Suddenly I get a vision of Autumn sprawled across her bed in her underwear, looking up at the camera with those bright blue eyes and long lashes. Oh, sweet baby Jesus.

“What?”

She looks up at me, her face perfectly serious. “Am I not pretty enough?”

My throat thickens and feels instantly dry like sandpaper. Every chick on the planet seems to be doing Only Fans, but Autumn is not going to be one of them. The very idea that another man — lots of men — would get to see her beautiful body makes me want to explode.

“Of course you are, but?—”

“But?”

“I don’t think that we have to resort to those extremes… Once you do photos….” Hell no. “…Uh, then comes videos…” Over my dead body. “…Once they get out there, they’re there forever. I mean, this is Stoney Creek, if word got out?—”

She doubles over in laughter, clutching her stomach as her shoulders shake. “Oh, my God, Beauster! You should see your face!”

I straighten my back, dragging a hand over my face, realizing she’s just joking. “Hilarious, by the way.”

“Oh, stop it. It hurts…”

“Glad I got to make you laugh.”

Her continuous cackle seems to dance around me. “You thought I was serious!”

“Well, you’re a gorgeous woman, any guy would be lucky to—” I trail off as her laughing subsides. We stare at one another as some silent connection takes place. I clear my throat. God, I’m so bad at this. “I mean, you’re more than that. Way more than a subscription service.” What is wrong with me? “I mean… Like…”

She bites down on that adorable lip again. “I know what you meant and that’s really sweet of you. God, can you imagine if my family found out I was doing Only Fans?” She giggles. “They’d not only shun me forever, they’d probably make me change my last name and ship me off to some weird little county nobody’s heard of so they didn’t have to die of shame.”

I’d certainly like to see her on Only Fans… Only Fans for Beau Bassett and I’m the only viewer. My cock throbs and I need water, fast.

“Well, I’m glad you’ll be staying in Stoney Creek for the moment,” I digress. “And your clothes can stay on.”

She blinks.

Goddammit.

Why am I such a jerk? I freeze when it comes to girls I really like. I get tongue tied and don’t know what to say. Yet, I’ve liked Autumn for years… as a friend. Yeah, this is different.

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