by Lucy Score
Beckett was sprawled out on the other couch with Aurora asleep on his chest. She felt something warm and bright open in her heart. She bit her lip.
“Well, if that isn’t the sweetest thing …” Phoebe whispered at Gia’s side.
Grinning, the two women dug for their cellphones as quietly as they could.
25
Beckett’s lunch on Tuesday magically freed up when the property he visited with his mother turned out to be a bust.
“We’re never going to find a place,” Phoebe lamented in the car after they left the rundown ranch with mirrored living room walls.
“How many properties have you looked at?” Beckett asked, gripping the handle above his door as his mother accelerated up to a stop sign. She wasn’t a bad driver per se, but she was a city driver. Heavy-footed on the gas and the brake, she took some getting used to. She’d often wondered why all three of her boys got carsick when she drove, but not when John was behind the wheel.
“Fourteen,” his mother sighed. She shook her head and sent her brown bob bouncing. “They’re either too big, too small, too expensive, or too ugly. I’m not looking for a fixer upper at this stage in life. We want a comfortable place with room for grandkids.”
“You’d better hurry up. You’ll have two in no time,” Beckett warned, closing his eyes as his mother stomped on the gas.
“Four,” Phoebe chirped. “Evan and Aurora are on that list.”
Beckett waded through the feeling that statement conjured. Moving in together and sharing grandkids meant that marriage was right around the corner for his mother and Franklin. And while he was doing his best to tolerate Phoebe dating, he worried that marriage would push him over the edge.
He was trying. He would continue to try. It kept the peace not only with his mother, but also Gianna.
“That Gia has done an incredible job with those kids,” Phoebe said, speeding through a yellow light.
“Yeah, she’s great,” Beckett agreed. He cracked his window just a little bit.
“Oh, honey, you don’t still get carsick, do you?”
“I’m fine, Mom. Just enjoying the fresh air,” he said weakly. Beckett made a mental note to call his friend Donovan Cardona and ask the sheriff how many times a week Phoebe Pierce gets pulled over.
“So how’s it going with a single mom and two kids living in your backyard?” Phoebe asked.
“It’s fine,” he shrugged.
“Uh-huh.”
“What do you mean, uh-huh?”
“I just mean that I didn’t raise idiots,” Phoebe continued. “And there’s a beautiful, unattached woman living in your backyard.”
“Who happens to have kids.”
“Who happens to have kids that you adore,” his mother countered. “Is that a deal-breaker? You’ve never dated anyone with kids before.”
Was it a deal-breaker? Beckett wondered. He thought back to video game night and pizza night. Evan and Aurora weren’t deal-breakers. Somehow they made the deal even more appealing.
“You’re smiling,” his mother announced triumphantly.
“God, Mom. Don’t tell me you’ve joined the Beautification Committee,” Beckett grumbled.
“All I’m saying,” she said, slamming on the brakes to turn onto Beckett’s street, “Is that with the way you look at her —”
“Just how exactly do I look at her?”
“Like you want to devour her.”
“Mom!”
“What?” Phoebe asked innocently. “That’s how your father used to look at me. How do you think we ended up with three kids? There would have been more if your father hadn’t gotten snip —”
Beckett brought his hands to his face. “Why are you torturing me?”
“She looks at you the same way,” Phoebe said, turning into Beckett’s driveway.
He had to bite his tongue. “She’s not exactly my type, Mom,” Beckett said, feeling a twinge of guilt at deliberately misleading his mother.
Phoebe shot him a look that told him she wasn’t buying it.
“Beckett, your type bores you. You always were a cautious kid and now you’re a painfully responsible adult. Don’t you think it’s time to try playing with fire?”
Gia stretched her legs under the linen-draped table in the conference room of the Lunar Inn. She, along with most of the other female entrepreneurs in Blue Moon, were spending their Wednesday lunch hour enjoying a special get-together hosted by the city council and chamber of commerce to honor women in business.
It was a delicious meal with entertaining company, but the timing meant she’d had to give up an hour with Beckett in her bed. These were the tradeoffs of an adult, she supposed.
She’d see him tonight, but with their families. With the days to the wedding ticking down, Summer and Carter offered to host dinner in exchange for planning help. In order to get out of any planning, Joey announced she’d give Evan and Aurora another riding lesson.
Gia wondered if she and Beckett would have a chance to sneak off for a quick, hard kiss … or two. Just the thought of it had her fingers flexing in the napkin in her lap. Aurora had already made sure a dozen times that her friend “Bucket” would be at dinner tonight. It seemed even five-year-olds weren’t immune to the charm of the Pierce brothers.
As the president of the chamber of commerce was wrapping up her speech, Gia saw her gaze dart just off stage. Beckett waited patiently, his hands clasped in front of him, his eyes searching the audience until they found her.
Gia’s lips parted in a secret smile, and she heard the delighted whispers run through the crowd. Apparently women at every age succumbed to that quick grin and those sharp, stormy eyes. No one was safe from Beckett Pierce.
Elvira Eustace wrapped up her comments. “I’d like to now introduce Blue Moon’s mayor, Beckett Pierce. Beckett has a few short remarks he’d like to make.”
The applause was hearty as Beckett took the podium, shaking Elvira’s hand and waving to the crowd.
“Thank you, everyone. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to join you today, because I was spending some time with my mother. As you all know her, you’re well aware of the fact that Phoebe Pierce is a force to be reckoned with.”
The crowd laughed appreciatively. And Gia smiled. It wasn’t an exaggeration. She didn’t doubt that every woman in the room knew Phoebe.
“I look like my father. My mother tells me I walk like him and argue like him, too. But after spending the morning with her I was reminded of how many things of hers I absorbed. Her impact on me is staggering. And it got me thinking about your impact.”
He scanned the audience slowly, making and holding eye contact.
“You are the heartbeat and the backbone of our community, our families. The decisions you make, the boundaries you set, the strength you show all make this world a better, brighter place. Because of you, it never once dared to occur to me that a woman had no business in HVAC or dentistry or town council or the thousand other things you do. Because of you, generations grow up in this town never doubting that a woman can and will do whatever she puts her mind to.
“You’ve all sacrificed something in order to be here today. Businesses demand your time and your energy and as women you are too often faced with unfair standards, sometimes from outside forces and sometimes from within.”
His eyes were on her again and Gia shifted in her seat.
“To do it all and do it all perfectly. But what impresses me the most about each and every one of you is your unwavering dedication to community. You see our community as an extension of family and you encourage us to come together time and again to support someone when they need it the most … whether they ask for our help or not.”
That got another chuckle out of the room, yet Gia strangely felt her throat tighten.
“To be honest, I thought I got my desire to serve this town from my father. But as I step back and look, that’s not the whole story. Not even a fraction of it,” he said shaking his head.
“G
rowing up here, you have all taught me how to be a better person, a better business owner, a better neighbor, and a better leader. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
“On behalf of all of Blue Moon I would like to thank you for your service to this community and all its generations. You have truly made this town a village.”
The applause was thunderous for such an intimate crowd. Gia noted more than a few watery eyes around the room as they all cheered for the man who saw them as they were and loved them for it.
Gia rose, applauding. His gaze, suddenly serious, zeroed in on her face and she smiled. It was enough to knock the wind out of her, that swift, fierce rush of love.
It took her a moment to realize that heads in the crowd were swiveling from Beckett to her and back again. And that she was the only woman in the room standing. Mrs. Nordeman on one side of the room and Willa on the other took pity on her and stood up, too. Soon the whole room was on their feet, but the attention was still on Gia and Beckett.
When he left the stage, he headed her way, but Gia stopped him with what she hoped was a subtle shake of her head. She dug through her bag until she found her phone and fired off a quick text.
Don’t talk to me. They’ll be all over us like sweat on a Pierce in a yoga class.
Beckett pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. She saw him smirk.
Cute. Just like your oh-so-subtle one-woman standing ovation.
Gia shot him a glare.
Behave yourself. I’ll see you tonight. In the company of many.
He gave her a nod and tucked his phone back in his jacket before fading back into the crowd.
Gia took one last look at him before scurrying out the door. She was in love with Beckett Pierce. Now what the hell was she going to do?
Gia drove down the lane to the farmhouse as the sun began to set. Evan sat quietly in the front seat while Aurora chattered to herself in the back.
“You’re awfully quiet today,” Gia said to Evan. “What’s going on in that super big brain of yours?”
He shrugged, staring out the window at the pigs in the pasture. “Nothing important. Just some kids and I want to start a debate team at school.”
“Wow,” Gia said, parking the car next to her father’s. “That’s kind of awesome.”
He shrugged again. “It would be if we could find an advisor. That’s what the principal said we have to do.”
“And it’s up to you?” Gia tucked the keys in her bag. “Doesn’t the school usually do that?”
“They’re big on independence here,” Evan sighed. “I don’t know if it’s like, to build up our self-esteem or to dump more of the work off on us kids.”
Gia hid her smile. “Hmm. Do you and your friends have any ideas for who you can ask?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. But we have until Thanksgiving break to find someone or we have to ‘table the team’ until next school year,” Evan said using air quotes.
They climbed out of the car. “Well, good luck with the search and let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Gia said.
“Doubtful. Very doubtful,” Evan smirked.
“Hey, smarty pants, I deliberately didn’t volunteer to be the advisor to avoid your snarky comments on my illogical nature.”
“And the team thanks you for that,” Evan grinned, slamming the door and heading toward the front porch.
“At least Aurora still thinks I’m cool,” Gia called after him, opening her daughter’s door.
Her daughter hopped out and started running toward the house. “Whoa, slow down, kid,” Gia called after her.
“I want to see Bucket, Mama!”
That made two of them.
Gia had debated all afternoon about whether or not to tell him that she’d fallen hard for him. They’d never discussed what an actual relationship between them would look like, always assuming that the odds were insurmountable. So why try? But the more intimate they became, Gia couldn’t help but wonder, why not try?
She just didn’t know how he’d feel about it.
She’d finally decided to give it a little more time before dropping the bomb on him that she had accidentally fallen in love with him. It would give her time to get used to these feelings and give him more exposure to the Decker family to help him decide if he was up for a package deal.
“I don’t think he’s here, yet,” Gia told her, catching her little fireball on the porch steps. Beckett’s SUV wasn’t in the driveway yet.
Aurora’s lower lip poked out.
“But Grampa’s here with Carter and Summer and Jax.”
Aurora brightened. “Let’s go, Mama!”
Gia debated knocking on the front door, but realized that Evan had already walked right in, leaving the door wide open. Aurora made the decision for her and clamored through the open door.
They may not have been raised in a barn, but they sure acted like it sometimes. She followed Aurora’s quick footsteps down the hallway into the kitchen where everyone gathered. Evan had already made himself at home on the barstool, an open soda in front of him.
“Jax said it was okay,” Evan said defensively, when he spotted Gia checking out his beverage.
Gia gave Jax her best disapproving mom look. She pointed two fingers first at her eyes and then at him.
Jax looked guilty. “Oops?”
“Yeah, ‘oops’ is right, mister.”
“Can I just say you’re looking particularly ravishing tonight?” he asked hopefully.
Joey and Beckett both happened to enter the room on that statement and glared daggers at Jax.
“Geez, tough crowd,” he muttered.
“Hi,” Gia said quietly to Beckett. Neither of them had changed from the luncheon. He was still wearing his neat charcoal trousers and tie. Every time she saw him in a tie, she wanted to grab him by it and drag him in for a kiss.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and she wondered if he shared similar sentiments. “Hi, yourself.”
“That was some speech you gave today.”
“Way to lead the standing ovation,” he winked. Beckett glanced around, making sure no one else was paying attention. “I want to touch you.” He said the words so quietly, Gia wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly. But the hard look of yearning in his eyes told her she hadn’t misheard.
“Hail, hail the gang’s all here,” Phoebe said reaching for her phone. “Now, everyone be quiet so I can order the pizza for later.”
Gia thought it best to get a little distance before one of them did something really stupid. With pink cheeks, she gave Beckett a wide berth and wandered over to her father and Summer, who were studying an array of recipes scattered across the table. She wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“There’s my girl,” he greeted her with a crinkle-eyed smile. Summer and I were just going over Thanksgiving recipes for the wedding.”
“Want to help?” Summer asked, squishing her cheeks between her hands. “We’re feeding fifty. Small, casual, family-style.”
“Please tell me you’re going to have actual turkey and not some tofu-soy-fake bird,” Beckett groaned from the refrigerator where he was fishing out a beer.
“Quit your whining,” Carter said, smacking him on the shoulder. “When you get married you can have meat with a side of meat. But for mine, you’re eating tofurkey.”
Beckett and Jax made gagging sounds that Evan immediately imitated.
“Enough from the gag choir.” Summer pointed at them. “There will be turkey and tofurkey.”
“Do vegetarians eat gravy?” Evan piped up.
Aurora had latched on to Beckett’s pant leg and was giggling like a fiend every time he took a step.
“You’re not going to get anything done with all of us hovering over you,” Gia murmured to Summer. “You’d better assign jobs and get everyone out of here or we’ll be eating Ramen noodles at your wedding reception.”
“Good idea,” Summer nodded. “Everyone, zip it an
d listen,” she said, switching seamlessly into editor-in-chief mode. “Joey and Jax, I need you two to take Evan and Aurora to their riding lesson.”
Joey looked at Jax who shot her a devilish grin and then back at Summer. She started to shake her head, but Summer had already moved on.
“Gia, I need the measurements of all of this stuff on the list in the barn so we can figure out what is getting drowned in tulle and flowers and lights. Beckett, I need you to go eyeball the barn’s patio and see if we have room for a fire pit — fireplace preferably. A big one, not one of those crappy little ones.”
Beckett grinned darkly at Gia. Of course Summer was sending them on the same assignment. Anticipation flashed through her as she wondered if they could steal a few steamy moments.
“Phoebe,” Summer continued. “I need your help with the menu. And, Carter, you get to look through all of these vendor quotes and figure out where we’re getting the tables, chairs, and linens from.”
Everyone stood silently staring at each other.
“Move, people! Meet back here in an hour for food,” Summer ordered.
Everyone scattered. Joey rounded up Evan and Aurora and did her best to ignore Jax. Gia snatched up the list Summer had handed her and scurried for the side door, feeling the weight of Beckett’s gaze on her every step of the way.
He caught up with her at the bottom of the porch stairs. “Wait up, Red. It’ll be faster if I drive. Besides, I doubt you’ve got a tape measure in that dress.” He eyed her fitted sweater dress appreciatively and Gia’s heart stuttered.
“Behave yourself,” she hissed.
“Mama, we’re ridin’ ponies,” Aurora called from up ahead.
Gia shot Beckett a warning look and jogged over to catch up to the riding class crew before they left.
Evan was talking Joey’s ear off and Aurora had wrangled a piggyback ride out of Jax who wielded the flashlight.
“Are you sure you guys don’t mind —”
“I’d rather muck stalls than go play with tulle and flowers,” Joey said. “If you get done in the barn fast enough, come check us out in the indoor ring.” Their little group peeled off toward the stables, with Aurora waving cheerfully from Jax’s back.