Page 71 of Surly Sheriff
Beau placed his arm around Rae’s shoulder. “Come.”
The small cafe was bustling and filled with the heavenly smell of freshly ground coffee and the hiss and pop of espresso machines. Rae snuggled in close as they joined the line. Having her head tucked in under his chin, and her arms around his waist was the sweetest of agony, but he knew how the night would end, making the torture easier to bear.
He placed their orders, triple americano for him and a double mocha for her, and they shuffled against the wall to wait for their orders.
“How do you feel about mauve and taupe and grey?” Rae asked.
“As in colors?”
“Hmm. For our bedroom.” She rummaged in her crossbody purse and pulled out her cellphone. “Found a great idea today.” Her fingers swiped across the screen, and she held it up to him.
He gave it a cursory glance. It had a large bed. “Told you, Rae-Bae. Anything but Barbie pink.”
“Urgh. Seriously, Beau. You didn’t even look.”
He took the cellphone from her and squinted at the small screen. There was a lot of purple, er, mauve. He liked the black framed prints above the grey padded headboard and could imagine the oversize padded armchair in the bay window. Overall, it wasn’t bad. “Doyoulike it?”
“Yes.”
He pressed his lips to hers. “Then I love it.”
Her megawatt smile pierced his heart.Damn. He’d live in aBarbiehouse to see that joy in her eyes every day.
“Beau! Rae!”
“That’s us,” she murmured, dragging him forward.
That’s us.
Us.
They emerged onto the street, and she moved to the edge of the sidewalk. “It’s a magical fairyland,” she whispered, slowly moving her head up and down the street. “I’ve been so busy all day that I never really looked.”
He gave the decorations strung across the street and along the sidewalk a thoughtful look. Stars and angels, bells and snowflakes, and of course, Santa and his reindeer. And in the park where he and Rae often hung out, a large Christmas treeawash with candle lights. “It’s one of the things I really missed while away. Europe had its own kind of magic” — he flashed her a grin — “over the festive season, but it wasn’t home.” His smile faded. “And Africa, well, the hardship and poverty those people live under leaves no place for festivities.”
They ambled down the street, examining the window displays, sipping their coffees. On Sunday evening, the best dressed shop would be announced, and during the next year, they would display the Clearbrook Christmas Angel Trophy in the window.
Beau stuttered to a halt in front of Diamonds An’ All.
Us, she had called them earlier.
He stepped in front of Rae, removed the coffee from her hand, walked the few steps to the trashcan, and threw away both.
“Hey! I wasn’t done.”
Standing before her, he grabbed her hands and brought them to his lips. “Marry me.”
She blinked. Her mouth dropped open. And her eyes flitted from his to the sparkling display in the window and back again. “Beau …” She trailed off, swallowing hard.
“I love you, Raegan. Be my wife.”
“It’s … too soon?”
“I want forever with you.”
She gulped, her eyes glued to his. Wide. Wary? “But …marriage? We … wecan’t, Beau.”
“Do you have a husband tucked away?”
