Page 95 of When You Wish Upon a Wideout

Maloney’s was quiet when he stepped inside a few minutes later.

“What’s up, Frank?” Beau asked, walking up to the bar. There was no sight of Sienna.

“She’s in the back if you’re looking for her.”

When he rounded the corner to the kitchen, a voice brought Beau to a halt.

“This is a Band-Aid. Another seventy-five dollar Band-Aid, Sienna. You can keep slapping them on, but all you’re gonna get is another problem next month.”

“I’ll deal with that next month,” Sienna retorted. “So please slap on whatever you need to keep it working until then and your drinks are on the house the rest of the week.”

Dylan snorted. “This used to be a lot more fun for me when I was slapping your ass and not this damn fridge.”

With quick steps, Beau entered the kitchen. “Dylan, I know you’re a handyman, but you play the role of a plumber pretty well,” he said, and Sienna’s eyes flew to his while Dylan jumped, reaching for his exposed backside and bumping his head.

“Can I talk to you?” Beau asked Sienna through a clenched jaw.

She folded her arms defensively at his question, and Beau quickly reached out, pulling Sienna by her wrist.

“Forward-facing baseball hat,” Dylan laughed. “Man means business.”

Sienna tried to tug her arm free. “What are—”

“Need to borrow my girl for a second, Dylan,” Beau said over his shoulder, leading Sienna to the back door.

“Beau—”

“No,” Beau interrupted, pushing the door open and pulling her out to the alley. “You’re going to listen.”

Sienna shook her head. “Beau—”

“I’mnotsigning with LA.” He watched Sienna press her lips tightly together and look at the ground. “They’re interested, that’s true. I entertained the idea foroneminute, but that’s the extent of it. I need you to understand that.”

She crossed her arms. “Chase—”

“Chase is my agent. He’s a good guy. He’s gotten me through a lot. We’ve been a team, but we’re on opposite sides now, Sienna. Of course, he wants me to go to LA. He wants me to sign a big, multi-year contract. He wantshiscut,” Beau told her. “He wants—”

“What doyouwant, Beau?” Sienna asked, holding her arms out. “Greg wanted football. Chase wants football. Last I checked, neither of them are playingfootball.Youare.”

“Because,” Sienna continued, “you can tell me that you’ve been playing all along for Greg until you’re blue in the face. But you’ve been playing for a decade, Beau. At what point is it enough?”

“I told you,” Beau began, “When I—”

“The Super Bowl. Right. So go to LA where you have a chance at being part of something great then. But I’m staying here.” She tapped her foot against the pavement. “Years ago, you asked me not to make you choose between me and your dead brother. I don’t even have to say that to you, Beau. Grace isn’tachoice—she’s theonlychoiceand I’m sorry, but she comes first. This is where her home is. This is where her friends and doctors—”

“I’d never ask you to choose.”

Sienna grew quiet, shuffling her feet. “I could tell you to go. I could say I’ll stand by you and see you every minute I can, but Beau, I don’twantthat. I’ve loved you from a distance before. I won’t do it again.”

Beau’s breath hitched. “Sienna... ”

“But if you’re going to go, let’s end things now before it’s too late, and I realize that loving you when you’re right in front of me is a feeling I might die without.”

Beau stepped closer, but she moved back, shaking her head and cracking Beau’s heart.

“I won’t do it again,” Sienna repeated, her promise a form of self-preservation. “I can’t, Beau.”

“You won’t have to.” He quickly unzipped his hoodie, wrapping it around her, grateful she didn’t move away. “I swear, you won’t.”

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