Page 12 of Boy Next Door at Mountain Creek Ranch
I feel someone tap me on the shoulder, and I turn in surprise to see Beau standing there. The woman squeaks behind me, and I see her drag her husband off who had been looking at the goat cheese display.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.”
“What for?”
“I don’t like how things ended between us,” he sighs.
“I don’t either, but I can’t see anything changing between our two families. It’s only going to end in heartbreak. It’s better now before we are in too deep.”
“That’s the thing.” He reaches up and cups my face in his hands. “I’m already in too deep. I was all in before that crazy lady lost it on you. I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember.”
“You have?”
“Yes, and nothing is going to change that. If that means my family gets pissed off, then fine. They'll get over it, but I know I can't get over you."
I close my eyes and pinch my leg. This has to be a dream. Someone like me doesn’t get the happily ever after with the man of my dreams.
“Willow?”
I open my eyes, and Beau is still standing there. A look of hope in his eyes that I know I could never say no to.
“Beau Montgomery, I’ve loved you all my life. And I want to be with you all my life too.”
Beau's lips are on mine, and I shake with excitement as I loop my arms around his neck to pull him closer.
On our own, we couldn't do anything about the feud between our families, but together I believe that we could do anything. Romeo and Juliet didn't get there happily ever after, but Beau and I would. I know it because it's in the stars.
Epilogue
BEAU
The feud between the Montgomery and Holloway family wasn't gone, but there was undoubtedly a metaphorical cease-fire between them. Neither family wanted to be the reason that Willow and I stopped talking to them. They could see that our relationship wasn’t going anywhere.
“There will be here any moment,” Willow says, setting down a plate of fresh peach fritters on the table—Sugar Gravel’s most popular item.
We’d taken some of the little tables and chairs and gathered them together to make one big one. Both of our parents had been invited to the shop for an announcement. We figured the shop was as neutral a place both families would agree on meeting at.
“Everything looks great.” I pull Willow into my arms and kiss her. I still can’t believe I can do that whenever I want. She grabs the wrist, attached to my wandering hand, and giggles.
“No time for that now.”
"Later?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her, and she laughs.
“You are insatiable.”
“Only when it comes to you, babe.” I kiss her quickly on the lips before turning to unlock the bakery door. I freeze when I see both sets of our parents standing by the door and storefront window watching us, with matching looks of horror on their faces.
“Oh no,” Willow groans quietly. “I can’t believe they all just witnessed that.”
“They’ll get used to it.” I laugh. “They have a whole lifetime to get used to it.”
I open the door and welcome everyone inside. We set up the tables so that both couples would be forced to sit close to one another, but they manage to make it awkward by trying to stay as far apart as they can.
Well, this isn't going to be easy.I look over at Willow and see that she has the same look of concern on her face that I'm feeling too. Her eyes meet mine, and I give her a reassuring wink. I can see the tension release from her shoulders.
"Well, I guess you are all wondering why we asked you to stop by," I begin. "I know this isn't how you want to spend your Sunday afternoon, but we have something to tell you, and we know how gossip flies in this town, so we thought we'd tell you all together.”
