Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts Duet #1)(82)

“Stupid?” I switched the phone to my other ear. “Do you regret writing them?”

“No. I didn’t mean…”

A silence, then a sigh.

“Well?” I demanded. “Were you going to tell me about the party? Were you going to tell me anything? Because honestly, Connor, it feels you might skip out without talking to me again and blame it on your deployment.”

“I wasn’t going to skip out,” he said, bitterness infusing his voice. “I just… I’m better on paper, apparently.”

“You’re good in person too, if you’d just let yourself be.”

He made a noncommittal sound. “Wes told you about the party on Tuesday?”

“Yes.”

“Will you be there? I want you to be there.”

“Do you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m so confused right now, Connor, I don’t know what to think.”

“I know.” Now his voice turned gruff. “But I’m scared, Autumn. I’m not going to lie. Boot Camp was fun and games, but now I’m legit freaking out a little.”

“Of course, you must be.” I sighed and pulled it together. “I’ll be there.”

“Thank you, babe,” he said. “You’re too good for me. Too good for…anyone.”

“I don’t want anyone,” I said. “Just you.”

“Just me,” he repeated, almost pained.

“Connor?”

“Nothing, babe. See you Tuesday.”





Autumn



The days dissolved away to Tuesday, the day before Connor and Weston were being deployed. Ruby and I drove to Boston for the goodbye party, which was a semi-formal barbeque in the Drakes’ enormous backyard.

“I hope we got the dress code right,” Ruby said.

“You look gorgeous. As usual.”

Ruby wore jeans and an elegant black blouse that crisscrossed in the back. She straightened her hair, so it curled up at her shoulders and highlighted her eyes only with mascara. She didn’t need anything else.

“So besides Connor’s family, who’s going to be there?” Ruby asked.

“Weston’s mother and sisters. A few friends from Connor’s old baseball team.”

“Baseball players?” Ruby grinned at the windshield. “Sounds promising.”

“I want to be you when I grow up.”

She glanced over at me and patted my hand.

“Try to have fun, okay? I know it’s hard, but you’ll get to FaceTime or whatever Army-technological-super-classified-top-secret method of communication they have over there.”

“I know. It’s just hard.”

“You look fantastic. If that counts for anything.”

I wore a purple dress that buttoned down the front and flared at the waist. My hair was tied up in a loose bun and I curled the tendrils that fell down around my face.

I forced a smile.

Ruby pulled up to the curb and looked through her window at the Drake house. “What a cozy little family cottage. Brief me, Goose. I didn’t talk with the Drakes much at Boot Camp graduation. Anything I should be prepared for?”

“Mr. Drake changes conversation subjects at the drop of a hat. Just go with it. And Mrs. Drake will ask you to call her Victoria and you won’t want to.”

“Got it. Let’s do this.”

A housekeeper answered the door and led us through the house to the backyard. Ruby barely looked at the interior décor. She came from money so she wasn’t impressed easily. For all her bawdy irreverence, her manners were impeccable. That and her confidence won over Mr. and Mrs. Drake immediately as we chatted for a few minutes in the kitchen.

“Forgive me, I must mingle,” Mrs. Drake said. “Such a pleasure seeing you again, Ruby.”

“You too, Victoria.”

Ruby shot me a smirk and I rolled my eyes.

A hired barbecue chef manned three grills, each the size of a small car. Two were crammed with hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks and chicken. The third was all vegetarian fare. Soft drinks and water were laid out on one table, practically untouched, as most of the guests congregated near the open bar.

Weston was nowhere to be seen, but I saw his mother and sisters gabbling together and arguing at one of the six umbrella-covered tables. Connor stood with some baseball buddies, a drink in his hand, talking and laughing. He did a double-take when he saw me, and a strange, nervous smile floated over his lips.

“Hey, baby,” he said, coming over. He smelled of gin as he bent to kiss my cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Looks like a nice party,” I said.

“Excuse me,” Ruby said, slipping away, leaving Connor and me to stand in silence like ex-spouses barely on speaking terms.

“Autumn?”

I glanced up sharply. “Yes?”

Talk to me. Please. Tell me something.

“Look, I… I have something for you. Come on.”

He took my hand and guided me back into the house. I followed him down hallways and around corners to an office space. Beautiful, floor-to-ceiling shelves in shiny mahogany lined the walls, every one of them packed tight with books.

“Wait, don’t tell me,” I said. “You’re giving me this library? Just like in Beauty and the Beast? I accept.”