He rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. This wasn’t how he’d imagined spending the evening together with her.

When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he doused the fireplace, and climbed into the tent. Beth was on her facet, going through away from him. He kicked off his footwear and lay down beside her. She didn’t transfer—not even somewhat—so he didn’t suppose she was asleep.

Figuring out he was going to must be the one to interrupt the ice, he rolled over and positioned a hand on her hip.

Beth flinched. Any doubt he’d had that she was awake vanished.

Though he wished to make her discuss it, he knew she needed to do it on her personal time and in her personal approach. Drew meant what he’d mentioned earlier. He would wait so long as it took. All he wished her to do was discuss to him.

“I don’t . . .” Beth sighed. “I don’t need you to suppose that I don’t care about you.”

“I don’t suppose that.” Drew didn’t need her to fret about what he may suppose. This wasn’t about him. It was about her.

She turned to face him. It was darkish contained in the tent and he couldn’t see her expression, however he heard the emotion behind her phrases and he was fairly positive she was both crying or near it. “I want I might say it again. I simply . . . I can’t.”

Unable to withstand, he reached out for her, and folded her into his embrace.

Beth tucked her head into his shoulder and shuddered. She placed on a very good entrance more often than not. Whether or not she realized it or not, letting him see her this susceptible mentioned extra about her emotions for him than any phrases.

Drew held her till he heard her respiratory change. Kissing her temple, he shifted them each in order that he might lie on his again but nonetheless maintain her in opposition to him. Beth cherished him. He knew it within the very core of his being. She may not be capable to admit it to herself but, however he knew she’d get there ultimately.

Closing his eyes, he let the heat of her physique seep into his muscle mass and take every thing destructive that had occurred that day away. He’d advised absolutely the fact when he’d mentioned he wished to spend the remainder of his life together with her. Beth was the primary particular person Drew considered when he awakened each morning and he or she starred in his desires each evening. He couldn’t consider something higher than spending the remainder of his days worshiping her in each approach doable.

***

The rise and fall of Drew’s chest was the very first thing to enter into Beth’s consciousness as she awoke early the subsequent morning. She had no recollection of transferring into this place together with her head resting over his coronary heart. The very last thing she did bear in mind was feeling confused about every thing besides for a way good it felt to be wrapped up in his arms. Loopy, contemplating that the entire purpose for her misery within the first place was that she couldn’t inform him that she cherished him again. Figuring out that she wanted some house earlier than she needed to face him once more, she rigorously extracted herself from his heat and crawled out of the tent.

It was a brisk morning. The wind blew simply sufficient to make her shiver. Beth knew she might rebuild the fireplace he’d began the evening earlier than—there was nonetheless a small pile of wooden to her proper. If she did that, nevertheless, Drew would get up and he or she’d be proper again the place she began. The day forward can be nerve-racking sufficient because it was. She didn’t need to add to it.

With that in thoughts, she hugged herself and headed towards the home. Hopefully, Nancy can be up getting issues prepared for the social gathering and Beth might assist. Baking at all times relaxed her and he or she was relying on it to supply some much-needed stability earlier than individuals began to reach.

Drew discovered her nearly an hour later rolling out piecrust. He walked as much as her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was fully harmless, but it surely nonetheless made her pulse quicken.

“I awakened and also you had been gone.” A easy assertion filled with which means. He’d thought she’d left.

She appeared up at him and lowered her voice in order that solely he would hear. “I wanted some house. And I figured your mother may want some assist getting issues prepared.”

He scanned her face as if he might see into the inside workings of her soul. As an alternative of constructing her uncomfortable, it had her preventing to carry onto coherent thought. What was it about him that twisted her insides into knots?

Seth stumbled into the kitchen in search of espresso, pulling them each out of the bubble that they’d created. Beth wasn’t positive if she was pleased with the interruption or not. She knew issues weren’t settled with Drew—not by an extended shot—however she couldn’t take care of her emotions proper now. Not along with his household round and every thing else that went with it.

The morning flew by as all of them labored collectively, even Seth, to set issues up for the massive social gathering. There have been two lengthy tables positioned within the facet yard together with ten smaller tables surrounded by as many chairs as would match round them. She’d thought for positive that the setup was greater than sufficient for any barbecue, however she was flawed. A bit of earlier than midday individuals started arriving. By twelve thirty, automobiles lined either side of the lengthy driveway and there have been individuals in every single place.

“You doing all proper?” Drew requested, coming to face beside her.

“Yeah. I didn’t suppose there’d be this many individuals, although.” If she needed to guess, there have been a minimum of fifty individuals current.

He shrugged. “In a rural space like this, a barbecue is an enormous deal and my dad and mom invite all of the neighbors and native farmers. There’ll in all probability be a number of extra late arrivals earlier than it’s all mentioned and performed.”

“Extra?” He couldn’t be critical.

Drew chuckled. “Most definitely. The Clarks are infamous for being late to stuff like this.”

She felt like a fish out of water. Aside from Drew and to some extent his household, Beth didn’t know anybody right here.

What she was feeling will need to have proven on her face as a result of Drew laced his fingers by way of hers and squeezed. Beth was grateful for the help—particularly after this morning. He might have simply left her to her personal gadgets.

It turned out Drew was proper. Three extra households confirmed up with coated dishes and garden chairs in tow. His dad fired up two separate grills and crammed them with hamburgers, sizzling canine, and brats. The scent of cooking meat crammed the yard and appeared to animate the already vigorous conversations that had been happening among the many neighbors.

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