Page 93 of Love on the Run

She thought about what Beau said as they got their coffee and stepped out into the cold December morning. Snow covered every surface for as far as she could see. It settled on rooftops, roads, and mountains for miles. She was used to snow, but this level of coverage was reserved for the high elevations of the Rocky peaks.

Soon, they were venturing north, and a nagging sat low in her gut along with the coffee. What was she going to do when they got back to Blackwater? What did shewantto do?

It was both freeing and terrifying knowing shewasn’t beholden to anyone anymore. She could make her own decisions—something she hadn’t been able to do since she started dating Dean. Actually, her parents had been pressuring her into making decisions her entire life.

Whatever was building between her and Beau was a completely different animal. Sure, she still wanted to be one part of a whole, but Beau made it easy. It was as if they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Making decisions was simple because they understood each other and actually communicated.

Dean hadn’t liked talking. He made decisions for himself and did what he wanted without considering her. He’d also shamed her whenever she brought up something she wanted to do, or flat-out refused to do things with her if it wasn’t something he was interested in too.

What a contrast to the entire week she’d spent with Beau.

She glanced over at him as he drove. Would he eventually get tired of being around her too? Would he ignore her calls and claim she was too needy the way Dean had?

They were chasing sunsets with the darkness at their backs, ready to claim them. Was the trip meant to be a fleeting moment of happiness and then just a memory?

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” heasked, giving her a quick glance before turning back to the road.

“Just wondering about…life. My future. Our future.”

“Well, that’s a lot. Care to share with the class?”

Anna rested her head against the seat. “Will you forget about me?”

Beau swallowed before answering. “I could never forget about you.”

“I couldn’t forget about you either. I don’t want to go back to the way things were before. I want to be able to talk to you and be happy with you. My old blissfully ignorant life has disappeared, and I can’t get it back. I don’t want to.”

Beau reached for her hand. “It’ll be tough. You might lose everything, and I can’t live with that.”

“I won’t lose everything if I have you and my friends. I’ll be happy. That’s all I want.”

Beau let out a deep sigh but kept his attention on the road.

“Can’t we just stay? I bet Jan would give me a job at Stories and Scones, and you could lead snowmobile tours over the mountains.”

Beau glanced at her again. “That’s tempting, but I think Olivia would show up at the door to yell at us.”

Anna sank into the seat. “I love Blackwater. It’s my home, but it’s more than that. I really have the best friends.”

Dean had put a strain on all of her friendships. Actually, she’d let him, all in the name of love. How could they forgive her for taking his side all this time? Her friends had only been looking out for her. They were the ones who’d begged her to stand up for herself, but she hadn’t listened until Misty metaphorically slapped her in the face.

Not having Dean in her life was one problem solved, but no matter how supportive her friends were, they couldn’t protect her from her mother’s sharp tongue.

After a few minutes of silence, Anna whispered, “I want to go home, but I want to run away too.”

Beau adjusted his hand and threaded his fingers into the spaces between hers, careful not to move her wrist too much now that she wasn’t wearing the brace. “If you’re running away from your problems, I’m glad you ran away with me.”

“Me too.” Her voice broke on the two simple words. He’d given her a safe place to heal and get her feet back under her, and words couldn’t express what that meant to her.

“I have a theory, if you’re interested in hearing it,” Beau said.

“By all means, please share.”

“The happiness of this week wasn’t because of where we were or how far away your problems are. You were happy because you were just being you. No fake smiles, no putting on a show, no bowing tosomeone else’s orders. I know it won’t seem as easy as it was in Freedom, but you can still do that at home.”

Anna lifted his hand and turned it over until his palm was exposed. She focused on the lines, calluses, and curves as she explored the man who continued to surprise her. “I need to be a better me.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone,” Beau reminded her.

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