You know it's what his parents want him to do anyway.'
Despite my brave facade, I couldn't help but worry that she was right. I was afraid his parents had stopped him from coming to say goodbye to me this morning.
But suddenly, his sports car came careening around a turn. The engine roared and the brakes squealed as he came to a stop in front of our house and hopped out of the car. He raced up to the galerie. Gisselle looked very disappointed. I left her and hurried down the steps to greet him. We hugged.
'Hi, Gisselle,' he said, waving to her, and then he turned me away so we could walk off and be alone for a few moments. He looked back at the luggage being loaded into the van and shook his head.
'You're really going,' he said sadly.
'Yes.'
'It's going to be impossible for me here now,' he predicted. 'Without you, my life has a gaping hole in it. The halls at school will seem empty. To lift my eyes while I'm on the playing field and not see you watching from the stands . . . Don't go,' he pleaded. 'Refuse.'
'I have to go, Beau. It's what my father wants. I'll write you and call you and . . .'
'And I'll come see you as much as I can,' he promised. 'But it won't be the same for me as knowing every morning when I get up that I'm going to see you soon.'
'Please don't make this any harder than it is for me, Beau.'
He nodded, and we continued walking through the gardens. Two gray squirrels scurried along on our right, watching us with interest. Hummingbirds flitted around the purple bugle vine while a bluejay that had settled on a low branch in a magnolia tree jerked its wings nervously above us. In the distance, a train of narrow clouds rode the crest of a sea breeze east toward the Florida Gulf Coast. Otherwise, the sky remained a soft blue.
'I'm sorry I'm being so difficult. I'm being selfish. But I can't help it,' he added. Then he sighed with resignation and wiped the strands of golden hair from his forehead. 'So,' he said, 'you're going off to a ritzy school. I bet you'll meet a lot of rich young men, sons of oil barons who will charm you.'
I laughed.
'What's so funny?'
'Gisselle threatened me this morning with you falling in love with another girl here, and now you're telling me it's going to be me who falls in love with someone else.'
'I have no room in my heart for anyone else,' Beau said. 'You take up too much of it.'
We paused, facing the old stable. Daddy told me there hadn't been a horse in it for more than twenty years. Off to the right, one of the grounds staff was completing the clipping of a banana tree, the fronds piling up beside him. Beau's words hung in the air between us. My heart ached, and tears mixed with happiness and sadness flooded my eyes.
'I mean it,' Beau said softly. 'I don't think a night passes when I don't think about us in your art studio.'
'Don't, Beau,' I said, and put my forefinger on his lips. He kissed it quickly and held my hand against his cheek.
'They can do anything they want; they can say anything they want. They can send you away, send me away, threaten, whatever, but they can't take you out of here,' he said, pressing my hand to his temple, 'and here,' he added, bringing my hand to his heart. I felt the quickened beat and looked back to be sure no one was watching us as he pulled me closer and closer to him so he could press his lips to mine.
It was a long but soft kiss, one that sent a tingle down the back of my neck and brought a warmth to my bosom. His kisses were like little electric reminders of the passion we shared now. They awakened the memory of his touch, his fingers on my arms, my shoulders, and finally my breasts. His warm breath on my eyes brought back the image of his naked body that day he forced me to draw him. How my fingers had trembled; how they trembled now. The stirring in me was so great it frightened me, for I felt as if I could just turn and run away with him, run, run, run until we were alone in some dark, soft place, holding each other more tightly than ever. Beau aroused feelings in me that I never knew existed, feelings that were stronger than any warnings, any sensible thoughts could ever be. If they were set loose, there would be no way to rein them in again.
I pulled back.
'I've got to get going,' I said.
He nodded, but as I started back, he pulled my hand.
'Wait,' he said. 'I want to give you this without a dozen eyes watching.' He dug into his pocket and produced a small white box tied with a tiny pink ribbon.
'What is it?'
'Open it,' he said, putting it into my palm. I did so slowly and plucked out a gold locket on a gold chain. The locket had a tiny ruby in the center circled with diamond chips. 'Oh, Beau, it's beautiful! But it must be very expensive.' He shrugged but smiled, indicating I was right.
'Now open the locket,' he said, and I did so.
Inside was a picture of him, and across from it was a picture of me. I laughed and kissed him on the cheek quickly.
'Thank you, Beau. It's a wonderful gift. I'll put it on immediately,' I said. 'Help me with the clasp.' I handed it to him and turned around. He draped the locket between my breasts and fastened the chain. Then he kissed me on the neck.
'Now if any other boy gets close to you, he'll have to get through me to reach your heart,' he whispered.
'No one else will get that close, Beau,' I promised.
'Ruby,' we heard Daddy call. 'It's time, honey.'
