Hell on Heels(42)

I’d loved it, but more so, I loved experiencing it with Beau. I felt at home with him in a way I never had before, but like I said, Beau was easy to like.

“Never as beautiful as you,” he whispered, and my heart flipped in that happy way it tended to do when I was around him.

Beau was a steady high.

Sitting up, I twisted in my seat to look at him. “Tell me something imperfect about you.”

He was smiling that boyish grin he had that I adored, but also, he was frowning with his eyebrows. “What?”

Leaning forward, I rested my palms on his chest. “You’re the most perfect person I’ve ever known. Tell me something that makes you human.”

He laughed, and I kissed the hard lines along his jaw. “I’m hardly perfect, Charleston.”

“You are,” I corrected him.

He was.

Beau was the catch of the century in so many ways.

I continued to be more and more smitten with him each and every time we went out.

Part of me was worried he had no imperfections at all, which was terrifying for someone as flawed as me.

“No one is perfect,” he told me, and yet, I still did not believe him.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tipped my head up for a kiss, but stopped just before his lips. “Make me believe you.”

“I’ll oblige…” His sentence was interrupted by the driver, whose name I’d learned was Carlos, as he retracted the privacy screen and spoke, looking into the rear-view mirror.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, sir, but you have an urgent call.” Carlos paused. “It’s your mother.”

Beau reached through the window and took the phone Carlos held out to him.

“Good evening, Mother,” he spoke formally but fondly into the receiver.

I couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end of the call. All I could tell was it had to have been bad with the way Beau’s face paled.

“Do the doctors know anything yet?” He seemed worried, so I slipped my hand into his free one and squeezed.

He squeezed back.

“I’ll be on the next flight out of YVR,” he told her. “I love you, too.”

Then he passed the phone back through the retracted privacy screen to Carlos.

“I’ve been instructed by Jason to take you home first, sir. It’s closer than Miss Smith’s apartment, and they’re fuelling the jet for you now.”

Beau nodded. “Very well, thank you, Carlos.”

He turned to me as Carlos lifted the screen once more. “My father had a heart attack.” I let go of his hand and held him around his torso instead. “They were vacationing in Lake Louise, but he’s been airlifted to the hospital in Calgary.”

“I’m so sorry, Beau,” I whispered, and my stomach sunk.

Loss was an ugly, ugly thing. I hoped a soul as pretty as Beau’s wouldn’t have to bear that burden tonight.

“The doctors don’t know anything yet, but I need to go see him.”

I looked up to him and nodded. “Of course. I understand.”

“I’ll likely be gone a few days. Someone will need to be there for Mom and the girls.”

During our dates, I’d learned Beau had three sisters, all of which were younger than him by a margin and admired him greatly.

He was a family man.

“Once he takes me to the estate, Carlos will take you home.”

I kissed his lips softly. “Don’t worry about me. I can take a cab.”

Beau shook his head. “I like for you to be taken care of.”

“I know.” I smiled.

“So let me.” He seemed like he was asking for something, something he needed from me but couldn’t quite find the words to say in that moment, so I nodded again.

“Okay.”

We drove in silent contemplation over the Lions Gate Bridge until we approached a set of impressive wrought iron gates to an estate along the shore of West Vancouver.

I’d never been to Beau’s home before, but if the driveway was anything to go by, I suspected it was something rather amazing.

I was right.

There, looking right over the bay and Stanley Park, was a two-story impressive yet not imposing home that fit Beau’s personality perfectly. The lines of the building were all clean and modern. Black and grey made up the colour scheme, and skilfully worked into the clean lines was a stone chimney that ran up the side of the building and extended a few feet past the edge of the roof.

It was brilliant.

It was elegant and inviting.

It was Beau.

Carlos pulled the town car up and parked it outside the entrance. It was only then that I noticed the black SUV that parked behind us.

I turned around and saw Jason fold out of the driver’s side.

Beau slid out of his seat before offering his hand to me. I always took his hand and he helped me out of the car.

He stood in front of me in his driveway, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. “I’m so sorry to leave you like this.” He frowned. It was so exactly like him to be worried about me when something had happened to him. “Carlos will drive you home. I’ve got to pack and get to the airport.”

I nodded, and the front door opened before I could answer.

“I’ll take her.”