Page 46 of Sweet Surrender
“Bob hired me as a manager and I took over doing all the books and staffing, dealing with the suppliers. I spoke to Dean to learn more about the business side of things, and he offered to loan me the money.”
“So we both owe our successful businesses to your brother? Damn,” Beau joked.
Taylor squirmed; she didn’t cope well with praise. “I wouldn’t have said the bar was a success exactly.”
“Are you freaking kidding me? I said I remembered how it used to be, did you not see the shudder? What you’ve done with that place is incredible, don’t put yourself down at all. I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” he gushed.
Taylor’s cheeks flushed.He’s proud of me.
The waiter interrupted them to drop off their appetizers and Taylor reluctantly removed her hand from Beau’s; she’d almost forgotten he was even holding it.
“Well, Dean gave me the help when I needed it and I’ve paid him back in full already,” she said.
“You’re amazing,” he said, shaking his head in awe.
She shrugged. “Anyway, I hired a nurse to look after Daddy and she kept demanding more and more money from me. I didn’t want to give in to her demands but there was no one else available to look after him and he refused to have anyone but her.” Of course, now she realized what an idiot she had been back then. They ate in silence for a moment, his eyes finding hers again and again, waiting for her to finish her story.
When the waiter came back and removed their plates it felt like the most natural thing in the world for them to hold hands again, both of them reaching across for each other without a second thought.
“They ran away together. They’d been trying to get as much money out of me as possible to finance their future so they would have a nice nest egg.” A wave of sadness at her only flesh and blood,her father, treating her in such a way distracted her.
“Assholes!” Beau spat bitterly, squeezing her hand in sympathy.
“It was the final nail in the coffin. I’ve never heard from them. I choose to assume they’re happy somewhere. It’s better than worrying about whether he’s alive or not.”
“I can’t believe he would do that to his only daughter,” Beau said. “I’m so sorry, Tay.”
“It’s okay,” she smiled at him. “I’m not surprised, we never had a good relationship after the way he treated women and he was never Father-of-the-Year material. Anyway, now I’m not paying for his care, I’ve managed to save more money and I’m nearly ready to buy the other half of the bar from Bob, then she’ll be all mine!” she said gleefully.
“I’m impressed, truly. But I always knew you would do well.” His soft smile played at his lips before he took another sip of wine. “We should make a note of this supplier and see if we can get this in at the bar because this shit is good.”
She smiled at his use ofwe,the word settling over her warmly.
“Anyway, what about your love life? You left that out of your History of Taylor 101. I mean, before now. I know how your last foray into romance ended up,” he said pointedly.
Other than randomly fantasizing about climbing you like a tree, you mean?Her brain interrupted.
“Well for start, let’s not call it my ‘love life’, you know how I feel about that and why there will never be anyone special,” she said.
Beau scoffed. “You can’t tell me you still don’t believe in love?”
Taylor nodded as the waiter appeared and placed their main meals in front of them.
“But, how? I mean, I know what shit representation your parents were, your father really out-did himself in that area, but surely Christy and Dean changed your mind?” he asked, cutting into his steak. Taylor shook her head.
“Blake and Justine?” His eyes widened with dismay when she shook her head again.
“I’m sure they care about each other very much and believe they’re in love, I just don’t trust that love is enough to make people stay. I’ve never seen it work and it’s all I’ve ever known.”
Beau chewed, his jaw working away as he pinned her with his stare. They ate in silence, just him watching her, trying to figure her out. She didn’t want him to.
“Anyway, let’s talk about you, Mr. Hollywood. What haveyoubeen up to these last million years?”
Chapter 13
He watched intently as his thumb grazed over her delicate knuckles, thinking about what she had said. She didn’t believe in love, like, at all? She had never felt it for another person? Very interesting. He knew her dad had been a cheating asshole, never settling with one woman, leaving a trailing of broken hearts and vows. But how could she not think that their friends were truly in love?
After they finished eating, they reached for each other across the table again, like they couldn’t not have a connection, having missed out on it all these years. Her question broke through his thoughts.
