When Bea followed her twin brother, Henry, and his ranching dream to Oaks, Texas after graduating from fashion school; running the local boot shop seemed like a dream come true. Bea has everything she wants in life with her thriving business and a budding collection of couture formal wear designs until she watches her brother fall in love. Bea realizes the missing piece to her happiness is the love of her best friend and secret crush, Al Bosco. After years of dancing around one another, Bea sets up a date with the town vet to make Al jealous enough to claim her. However, Bea’s plan backfires and leaves her alone in Oaks with nothing but one fake boyfriend, one broken heart and one wedding dress to design.
Al Bosco has one great love in life.
Beatrice Remington.
Al has spent his entire life as the third wheel to the Remington twins. Somewhere along the line, as Henry became his brother, Beatrice became the love of his life. Only he’s never had the courage to admit it out loud. When Al shunned the family business to become a ranch hand at The Waitin’ Ranch, he set off a chain reaction that ensured he couldn’t risk bringing Bea’s heart into the chaos. As he finally breaks down and returns to his hometown to make things right so he can give Bea everything she deserves; she walks in holding hands with the town vet and looking happier than ever. Al may have a bruised ego but he’s on a mission to win Beatrice’s love once and for all. When he finally returns to Oaks, will his girl still have a heart to give to him or will Al be left with nothing but regret?
Can Beatrice and Al get on the right side before their love story becomes another scrap on the cutting room floor?
Prologue
Al
The entire room seems to still as Beatrice walks into the ballroom.
If Bea's beauty wasn't enough, her bright red dress is a showstopper tonight.
The deep V that graces the front of her goddess style gown somehow toes the lines of being absolutely sexy and classy.
Her long brunette waves are up tonight in an intricate braided style. Her hazel eyes are shining as she smiles and takes in the room.
Beatrice Remington is the most stunning woman in this room and she's on the arm of another man.
That is a problem for me.
I take a too large gulp of my champagne and my brother, Ren, gives me a hearty pat on the back as I choke.
"Careful with the bubbles, Al."
"It's not the bubbles. It's Bea." I say slowly as I nod in her direction.
Lorenzo, or Ren as we call him, is my oldest brother. Ren has ten years on me and he's married with two kids.
He's the most responsible of the four Bosco brothers.
He also is the one who knows the most about my secret obsession with Beatrice Remington; the girl that I have loved in silence since I was fifteen.
I feel his hand rest heavy on my shoulder and I finally pull my eyes away from Bea and the small crowd of ladies who have gathered to admire her dress and her date.
When my eyes meet Ren's, I see the sympathy in them.
"Listen, I know you got the short end of the stick Al. I never agreed with what papa did to your trust. However, you chose to bring it on yourself. You knew going out to the ranch went against his plan for you, for all of us.
"Now you've got to be a man and let her go. Bea looks happy enough. Regroup once this is all settled. You may want to stay here with us when it's all said and done anyway."
"Let her go?" I grunt.
It probably takes away from my manhood to admit it but just the thought of letting Bea go has tears forming in my eyes.
Bea and her twin brother Henry have been staples in my life since before I can even remember. We grew up together. The twin's mama has always called us her busy little bees because we have been causing trouble since we could crawl.
The thought of either of them, but especially Bea, not being in my life cuts deep.
"Yes. Let her go. Let her have her fun with the vet. Get your life together here. You both are still young. You two aren't even thirty until next year. Plenty of time left. Whatever is meant to be will be." Ren smiles softly and I know he's just trying to be a good brother.
"Just go easy on those bubbles because I'm going to make you work your tail off come Monday." He offers a laugh and one more pat on my back before he saunters off into the crowd.
I blow out a deep breath and decide to find my way back to our family table.
There's hearts to break tonight and I think mine will be one of them.
***
My hands shake slightly as I approach Bea and Gavin on the dance floor.
Galvin Walker is the local vet in Oaks. I like the guy and have spent countless hours with him when he checks out the animals at the Waitin' Ranch but right now he's my enemy.
He's the one with his arms wrapped around my girl.
"May I cut in?"
Gavin looks to Bea and she nods.
"I'll meet you back at the table." He smiles and places her hand in mine.
Bea smiles at me as I wrap one arm around her waist and grasp her right hand.
I return the smile as her other hand slides across the back of my shoulder.
"You look beautiful tonight. Red is one of your colors."
"Are you saying I have more than one?" Bea giggles and tilts her head up to look at me.
"Yes. You look stunning in a rainbow of colors."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Al."
"Will it?" I say seriously.
"Maybe? You look like you're about to try to cash it in."
"We need to talk. And I don't know how much you'll like me when I'm done."
"Al, you're my best friend. How could I ever not like you? We're bees in the same hive. Always."
She beams a radiant smile at me and it slices me in two.
"There's no easy to say this. I'm going to be here for a few months. I have some business I need to handle. I won't be back to Oaks until...maybe February?"
Bea stops her sway and removes her hand from my hold.
She holds one hand over her stomach and the other lays at the base her neck.
I know Bea's mannerisms well enough to know she's on the verge of the panic attack or at least she feels as if she might be.
We stand unmoving in the middle of the dance floor, staring at each other.
"Six months?" She chokes out.
"Yes. I can't do what I need to in any less time. But you know I'm always just a phone call away. It'll be like college. I'll come back on weekends and visit and it'll be fine."
"It'll be fine? You're leaving me for months for some mysterious business and it'll be fine? When is this happening?" Bea looks at me with tears forming in her eyes.
"Now. I'm not going back to Oaks tomorrow."
"Now?" She shakes her head wildly back and forth as I watch her chest heave.
I reach out and grip her waist.
"Let's go get some air. Breathe through this."
She pushes my hands away.
"No. No. No. You are everything to me Al and you can't even tell me you're walking away from the ranch until it's too late. No. You've done enough. Just...no. I can't do this"
Bea looks at me one more time, tears flowing down her face and then turns away from me.
She rushes from the ballroom so quickly that she's nearly running.
I trail her across the room with my eyes and catch Ryan, Henry's girlfriend, staring between myself and the door Bea just exited.
I just nod at her and she hurries out the door after Bea.
I may have just driven the love of my life into the arms of another man and there's not a damn thing I can do about it right now.
At least I know now my prediction was correct.
Two hearts were just broken and one was most definitely mine.
Al
The entire room seems to still as Beatrice walks into the ballroom.
If Bea's beauty wasn't enough, her bright red dress is a showstopper tonight.
The deep V that graces the front of her goddess style gown somehow toes the lines of being absolutely sexy and classy.
Her long brunette waves are up tonight in an intricate braided style. Her hazel eyes are shining as she smiles and takes in the room.
Beatrice Remington is the most stunning woman in this room and she's on the arm of another man.
That is a problem for me.
I take a too large gulp of my champagne and my brother, Ren, gives me a hearty pat on the back as I choke.
"Careful with the bubbles, Al."
"It's not the bubbles. It's Bea." I say slowly as I nod in her direction.
Lorenzo, or Ren as we call him, is my oldest brother. Ren has ten years on me and he's married with two kids.
He's the most responsible of the four Bosco brothers.
He also is the one who knows the most about my secret obsession with Beatrice Remington; the girl that I have loved in silence since I was fifteen.
I feel his hand rest heavy on my shoulder and I finally pull my eyes away from Bea and the small crowd of ladies who have gathered to admire her dress and her date.
When my eyes meet Ren's, I see the sympathy in them.
"Listen, I know you got the short end of the stick Al. I never agreed with what papa did to your trust. However, you chose to bring it on yourself. You knew going out to the ranch went against his plan for you, for all of us.
"Now you've got to be a man and let her go. Bea looks happy enough. Regroup once this is all settled. You may want to stay here with us when it's all said and done anyway."
"Let her go?" I grunt.
It probably takes away from my manhood to admit it but just the thought of letting Bea go has tears forming in my eyes.
Bea and her twin brother Henry have been staples in my life since before I can even remember. We grew up together. The twin's mama has always called us her busy little bees because we have been causing trouble since we could crawl.
The thought of either of them, but especially Bea, not being in my life cuts deep.
"Yes. Let her go. Let her have her fun with the vet. Get your life together here. You both are still young. You two aren't even thirty until next year. Plenty of time left. Whatever is meant to be will be." Ren smiles softly and I know he's just trying to be a good brother.
"Just go easy on those bubbles because I'm going to make you work your tail off come Monday." He offers a laugh and one more pat on my back before he saunters off into the crowd.
I blow out a deep breath and decide to find my way back to our family table.
There's hearts to break tonight and I think mine will be one of them.
***
My hands shake slightly as I approach Bea and Gavin on the dance floor.
Galvin Walker is the local vet in Oaks. I like the guy and have spent countless hours with him when he checks out the animals at the Waitin' Ranch but right now he's my enemy.
He's the one with his arms wrapped around my girl.
"May I cut in?"
Gavin looks to Bea and she nods.
"I'll meet you back at the table." He smiles and places her hand in mine.
Bea smiles at me as I wrap one arm around her waist and grasp her right hand.
I return the smile as her other hand slides across the back of my shoulder.
"You look beautiful tonight. Red is one of your colors."
"Are you saying I have more than one?" Bea giggles and tilts her head up to look at me.
"Yes. You look stunning in a rainbow of colors."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Al."
"Will it?" I say seriously.
"Maybe? You look like you're about to try to cash it in."
"We need to talk. And I don't know how much you'll like me when I'm done."
"Al, you're my best friend. How could I ever not like you? We're bees in the same hive. Always."
She beams a radiant smile at me and it slices me in two.
"There's no easy to say this. I'm going to be here for a few months. I have some business I need to handle. I won't be back to Oaks until...maybe February?"
Bea stops her sway and removes her hand from my hold.
She holds one hand over her stomach and the other lays at the base her neck.
I know Bea's mannerisms well enough to know she's on the verge of the panic attack or at least she feels as if she might be.
We stand unmoving in the middle of the dance floor, staring at each other.
"Six months?" She chokes out.
"Yes. I can't do what I need to in any less time. But you know I'm always just a phone call away. It'll be like college. I'll come back on weekends and visit and it'll be fine."
"It'll be fine? You're leaving me for months for some mysterious business and it'll be fine? When is this happening?" Bea looks at me with tears forming in her eyes.
"Now. I'm not going back to Oaks tomorrow."
"Now?" She shakes her head wildly back and forth as I watch her chest heave.
I reach out and grip her waist.
"Let's go get some air. Breathe through this."
She pushes my hands away.
"No. No. No. You are everything to me Al and you can't even tell me you're walking away from the ranch until it's too late. No. You've done enough. Just...no. I can't do this"
Bea looks at me one more time, tears flowing down her face and then turns away from me.
She rushes from the ballroom so quickly that she's nearly running.
I trail her across the room with my eyes and catch Ryan, Henry's girlfriend, staring between myself and the door Bea just exited.
I just nod at her and she hurries out the door after Bea.
I may have just driven the love of my life into the arms of another man and there's not a damn thing I can do about it right now.
At least I know now my prediction was correct.
Two hearts were just broken and one was most definitely mine.
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