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She hurried outside and scanned the large yard. On the other side of the driveway was a huge barn. Beth doubted they were in there, so she headed around to the back of the house.
The first thing she noticed when she rounded the corner were the flowers. Drew hadn’t been exaggerating. There were flowers everywhere—rows and rows of them in a variety of colors. Beth took a minute to enjoy the view before continuing her search for Drew.
When she passed the small wooden shed, she spotted them. They were farther away than she thought they’d be. It would be quite a trek in the dark if they needed to visit the house for any reason.
Unsure of her footing, Beth took her time crossing the grassy area that stood between her and the men. They had their backs to her as she approached.
“Seems serious,” Bill said. Beth had no idea what they were talking about. Were they talking about the farm? Something to do with Drew’s job?
Nope. He wasn’t.
“It is. I love her.”
At Drew’s confession, Beth’s heart skipped a beat. She knew then that they were talking about her.
Bill nodded. “I figured as much. Even with your mother’s nagging, I doubt you’d bring a woman home to meet us unless she was pretty important to you.”
If Beth thought Drew’s last statement shocked her, his next one nearly had her running all the way back to St. Louis. “I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
She must have made a sound because they both turned their heads in her direction. A long silence followed and by the look on Drew’s face, he knew she’d overheard.
With a subtle cough, Drew’s father excused himself and left the two of them alone. Neither spoke right away. What was there to say? How did she respond to that? They hadn’t even been together for a month yet. He couldn’t love her. And he absolutely couldn’t be thinking about marriage so soon. They didn’t even know each other that well.
“Beth? Will you say something, please?” Drew asked.
“I’m trying to convince myself that I didn’t just hear what you said.”
He looked down at the ground and then back at her. “I do love you.”
“How—”
“I’ve loved you for a while. Probably since before our first date. I didn’t think you were ready to hear it so . . . so I didn’t say anything.”
She was trying to take it all in. A voice in the back of her mind screamed that he was lying—that he was saying it to manipulate her—but Beth knew that was only her fear talking. Drew had no reason to lie. She’d committed to their relationship. “And the other?”
Drew took a step closer to her. “The part about me wanting to spend the rest of my life with you?”
Beth swallowed. “Yes. You c-can’t . . . you can’t mean that.”
The next thing she knew, he was standing close enough to touch her. Drew reached for her hands. “I do.”
She opened her mouth to protest, and he cut her off. “I know you’re not ready. Like you said, this thing between us is still new. But my dad always told me that one day I’d just know. He was right.”
So many emotions were racing around inside her. She wanted to believe him. The part of her that had been falling for him since the first time he sat down beside her at Serpent’s Kiss wanted everything he said to be true. Experience had taught her different, though. Beth had thought she was closing in on the dream before and had it blow up in her face. Dating Drew had been a huge risk for her. She couldn’t give anything more. Not right now. It was just too soon. “I’m sorry. I can’t . . .”
He moved closer. “I’m not asking you to. No pressure, Beth. I’ll wait as long as you need to feel comfortable.”
“And if I never do?”
Drew cupped the side of her face and looked her straight in the eye. “I’ll still be here.”
***
He’d thought she was inside with his mom. If he’d had any idea that she was standing close enough to hear what he’d said to his father, Drew never would have said it.
“You don’t mean that.”
“Yes. I do mean it.” Drew wished he could make her understand. He’d played the field, as it were. At no point in time had he ever felt anything near what he felt for Beth with any other woman.
