Page 35 of Love on the Run

Anna gasped, eyes wide and staring at him. “You take that back!”

Beau shook his head and held the door open for Anna to exit. “I said what I said.”

Instead of forging a path to the car, she hung back by his side. “What are we doing instead of ice skating?”

“I need to make sure I can make it happen before I say anything.”

He opened the passenger door for her, and she made a show of rolling her eyes before sliding into the seat. “Fine.”

When he rounded to the driver’s side, Anna was already staring at him. “What?”

“Open the bag,” Anna demanded.

He pulled the book out and read the title. “How to Win Friends and Influence People?”

“Yep. It’s a good one. I read it for the first time in high school, and I try to re-read it every year. Every business owner should read it at least once in their life.”

Beau eyed her warily. “I don’t need friends.”

“Forget about the friends part. Read it as an entrepreneur,” she said.

“Whatever.” He scanned the cover again. The text was plain, and nothing about it was fancy. “This says it’s the best self-help book of the twentieth century. Not only did you get me an old book, but you got me a self-help book. Are you serious?”

“It was written almost a hundred years ago, but it’s still great advice. Just trust me.”

Beau shoved the book back into the bag and tossed it into the back seat. “Fine. Look at yours.”

Anna tore open the bag like a kid ripping into birthday presents. She held the book in both hands and read the title. “Amending the Christmas Contract.”

Beau started the car and shifted into reverse. “It said Christian, and it was in the romance section.”

Anna read the summary on the back. “She’s an attorney, and it’s set in Colorado. At Christmas!”

Great. She was getting all high-pitched and excited again. It was just a book.

“This looks amazing.” She pressed the book to her chest and looked at Beau. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Ever.”

“Okay. I’ll tell you all about it when I read it.” She tucked the book into the bag at her feet and pulled out her laptop. “I’m going to try to get some work done.”

Anna sure did a lot of work for someone on vacation. At least she could work wherever. He couldn’t really fix vehicles from hundreds of miles away.

A soft hum came from Anna a few minutes later. “Listen to this. ‘Your vlog post with Camille Harding inspired me to start up a clothes closet at my church. We’ve already had tons of clothing donations, and I can’t wait to help the people in my community. Thank you for being an inspiration to women.’”

“You really get fan mail?”

“It’s not fan mail, but a lot of women struggle with confidence. I love fashion, and I want everyone to feel comfortable in their own body. If my advice helps them feel empowered, then it’s a win.”

Beau would not engage. Talking about clothes would lull him to sleep, and he needed to stay alert for the rest of the drive.

“But I also want women to know that their worth isn’t tied up in beauty or appearance. So I try to make sure my audience knows they’re perfect and loved just the way they are.”

When Anna was quiet for a moment, Beau glanced over at her to find her looking backat him. “What?”

“Nothing. Just wondering what you’re thinking.”

“Not much. Just that I wear the same T-shirt and jeans every day, and I’m pretty happy about it.”

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