Brody (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood Book 3)

needles for the past half hour, fussing over and over with her hair, wondering if she had on too much makeup or not enough.
Tessa and Jamie left for their sleepover at the Big House right after Tessa had finished helping her get ready. Thinking about Jamie made her heart feel light. She’d adjusted beautifully since they’d come to Shiloh Springs, better than Beth could have hoped. Ah, the joys of youth. Nothing seemed to phase her daughter except, heaven forbid they, run out of frozen waffles. That catastrophe might be the end of the civilized world.
The knock on the door brought her thoughts flying back to Brody. He’s here. Standing on my front porch. Not with the rest of the Boudreaus hanging around. Not with a house full of people, chattering and futzing around. Alone. He’s here to see me. Not me and Jamie. Me.
Her stomach quivered, nerves fluttering deep inside, and she felt almost lightheaded. Which was ridiculous, she reminded herself. They were simply two friends going out to dinner. People did it all the time.
Except most people weren’t Brody Boudreau.
Pulling open the front door, Brody stood on the other side, dressed in dark jeans and a white shirt open at the throat, hints of sun-bronzed skin peeking out. The dark cowboy hat he favored, the one he wore when he wasn’t working at the fire station, covered his sandy-brown hair. A smile lit his face, reflected in his cognac-colored eyes, ones she could stare into for hours.
“Hi.” Her voice crackled on the single word, and she swallowed.
“Evening, Beth.” His slow perusal slid along her skin like a silken caress, and from his heated stare, she knew he liked what he saw. Boy, oh boy, was she glad she’d listened to Tessa’s advice and worn the red top. His gaze paused for a long moment, studying her, and she couldn’t miss the way his eyes seem to eat her alive, before slowing meeting hers.
“Would you like to come in?” There, that was better. At least the words didn’t stick in her throat this time. She needed to pull herself together. Stop acting like she’d never talked to a man before. She could do this. Taking a step forward, she pushed open the screen door, and Brody stepped through. The creak from the hinges broke through the awkward silence.
“Remind me to fix that,” Brody murmured, as he took off his hat, holding it casually at his side.
“Would you like something to drink before we leave?” She smoothed her sweaty palms against her skirt, wishing she could be suave and sophisticated, instead of a heaving bundle of nerves. Just her luck, getting ready to go out with the man of her dreams, and she was acting like the nerdy girl from high school, the one who never got asked out.
“Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?”
Beth gave a nervous laugh. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s me. I…it’s been so long since I went out on an actual date, it’s like I can’t remember how I’m supposed to act. It’s stupid, I know.”
“It’s not stupid. It’s simply different. Have you changed your mind—about wanting to go out? I’ll understand if you want to call it off.”
Beth’s brain seemed to freeze at his words, before a thousand things sped through it, each one faster than the last. Had he changed his mind? Maybe he didn’t want to go out with her, or worse, he looked at this as a pity date.
“Stop it.”
“What?”
“No, this is not a pity date. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And I haven’t changed my mind. I’ve wanted to take you out for ages.”
Heat flooded Beth’s cheeks when she realized she’d spoke her thoughts out loud. At least Brody wasn’t fleeing out the door, even though she’d given him every excuse under the sun to run as far and as fast as his feet would carry him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Things are such a jumble in my head right now. I’m the one who called you and asked you out. Then I had second thoughts. Heck, third and fourth thoughts. I really don’t want to screw up our friendship.”
Brody cupped her cheeks between his hands, his touch soft and gentle. “I’ve been looking forward to our dinner together ever since you called. I couldn’t get out of Austin fast enough, wanting—no—needing, to get home because all I could think about was going out with you. Yes, Beth, we are friends. But who says being friends can’t lead to something more if we want it to?”
Beth stared into his golden-brown eyes, wanting to lose herself in his gaze, because she knew he meant every word. Maybe she wasn’t the only one drowning in desire. A heady mixture of desperation and excitement sizzled through her, and she barely bit back a moan. Her lips parted as Brody leaned in, holding her breath because she wanted this kiss. The warmth of his exhaled sigh against her skin had her eyelids closing in anticipation. This moment? This instant out of time? She’d dreamed of it for so long—their first kiss.
The loud trill of her cell phone broke the spell which mere seconds before held her frozen in place. Her eyelids flew open, and she automatically took a step back, the magic lost at the incessant ringing of her phone. Brody ran a hand through his hair, a guarded look on his face.
“You probably should get that.”
“Um, yeah, I guess so.” Her finger slid across the face of the phone. She didn’t bother looking at the caller ID, because it didn’t matter. Their special moment had disappeared like a puff of smoke on the breeze, and deep inside she couldn’t help wondering if there’d ever be another.
“Hello?”
“Good evening, ma’am. Is this Beth Stewart?”
Still only half paying attention, she responded, “Yes, it is.”
“Ms. Stewart, this is Deputy Warden Jackson over at Huntsville. We’re sure there’s no cause for alarm, ma’am, but I’m calling to inform you Mr. Evan Stewart escaped earlier today…”
The phone slipped from