“C’mon, let’s go and check on Silas. Deacon would’ve made sure he didn’t see anything, but this was probably still a scary experience for him.”
Rising from my knees, I helped Rose to her feet and wrapped one arm around her waist as we slowly made our way over to the little boy who filled a void I never knew I had.
16
Rose
There wasno reason to be nervous, and yet as we approached his mother’s front door, a flurry of butterflies attacked my stomach. Holding onto Silas’ hand, I glanced at Beau and reached out to touch his elbow.
“I know it’s your family, but can you not let them pressure Silas to talk. You know what he’s like.” He looked at my son and then back at me, love shining in his eyes.
“You don’t need to worry, babe. He won’t be asked to do anything he isn’t comfortable doing, and I won’t let anyone pressure him. I love him like he’s my own,” he assured, leaning in to kiss me gently before bending to take Silas’ hand. “If you need a break from the chaos of everything, Little Man, you come and touch my knee.” He pointed to his knee and gave Silas a nod. “I know a place we can go and hide.” With a wink, he reached for the front door and let himself in, guiding us in after him.
I’d met his brother Deacon, the firefighter, but otherwise had only heard about Colt, Evan, and Forrest, who still worked on the family farm. Tonight, I was meeting them all, including Colt’s wife, Wren, and their two daughters. Then, there was the matriarch herself, Mrs. Butler, or Ma, as Beau told me she liked to be called.
Beau’s family seemed so close-knit that meeting them when Beau and I had only known each other a few weeks was as nerve-wracking as all out. What if they didn’t like me? What if they convinced him that he was better off without me? What if, after seeing me with them, he realized he didn’t love me?
“Relax, babe.” Beau squeezed my hand, leaning in to kiss my cheek once more before leading the way. Following the noise of laughter, we walked through the house to the back porch. We found everyone gathered around the grill, where one of Beau’s brothers stood watch.
“Hey,” he grunted, his demeanor slipping back into the same façade I witnessed when he was at work. Was he only soft and kind around me? Heat pooled in my belly at the thought as I came up behind him, sliding my hand into the crook of his elbow. “This is Rose and Silas,” he tilted his head at me, his gaze lingering on mine long enough for me to see that softening again before he looked away. “Colt, Wren, Forrest, Deacon, and Evan.” He nodded his chin in the direction of each family member. “Where’s Poppy and Luna?”
“At the beach with Ma.” Colt lifted a beer to his lips after speaking, taking a swig. “Damn, Forrest. This is the one.”
“Yeah?” Forrest grinned and walked over to the bottles on the table, grabbing one and holding it out to Beau. “What do you think?”
Wren approached slowly, crouching to Silas’ eye level. “Want to go to the beach and meet my girls?” She glanced at me for approval, and my eyes slid to Silas. Fear gripped me for half a second, old worries of not always having him in my sight making me freeze in my tracks. But then I remembered last week. And going to the hospital afterward to identify the body. And picking up the paperwork I had to fill out for the incident.
We were safe.
“If you’d like, or if you’d rather stay here with me, you can.” I smiled at him as he bit his lip thoughtfully and then looked at Beau.
“Bo go?”
“Sure, Little Man, if that’s what you want.” Beau smiled at him, crouching and picking him up into his arms. Silas wrapped his arms around Beau’s neck as he stood, and Beau caught the stares of all his brothers.
“Fuck off.” He muttered before looking at Silas, “Sorry, don’t repeat that.”
“No.” Silas agreed with a grin.
Beau turned back to me. “I’ll only be a moment. Unless you want to come too?”
“I’ll be down in a bit. I want to try this beer.” I took the offered bottle from Forrest and walked around the table to take a seat on the bench lining the back of the porch. Beau nodded in understanding before heading off to introduce Silas to his cousins.
My heart raced at the idea. We would finally have a family like I always imagined. A pack we could turn to when we needed something. I didn’t have to do this alone anymore. I had Beau, and I had the Butler’s.
I smiled to myself as I sipped the brew, watching as the boys egged each other on and the conservation flowed around me. After a few minutes, Beau appeared at my side, holding his hand out.
“Let me show you around.” He tilted his head to the door, and I rose, following him inside as he gave me a tour of the house.
Once we were far enough away from the others that the sounds of their conversation didn’t drift our way, he paused and pressed me against the wall. His hand drifted along my waist as he leaned in, nipping my bottom lip with his teeth before pressing a bruising kiss to mine.
He leaned in closer, letting me feel how hard he was under his jeans as he cupped my ass, moving his mouth down my neck. My hand found the back of his neck as I returned his kiss, my free hand scaling his waistband until I slipped under the fabric and teased the rod underneath.
“My pocket is already vibrating from my brothers with questions about you.”
I grinned, letting my eyes close as I stroked the length slowly. “Is that a good thing?”
“Don’t really care, to be honest. Even if they didn’t like you, which I doubt, I love you. And at the end of the day, that’s all that will ever matter.” His hand cupped my chin, forcing it down so when I opened my eyes, he was staring intently into them. “Got it?”