Suddenly Beck: (A Hot & Sweet MM Romance Series) (Belong to Me Book 1)

by Vawn Cassidy

  ‘Hey, baby,’ I croon gently, completely in love with her as I stroke her soft fur. ‘Hey, pretty girl, did you miss me?’

  ‘I’m pretty sure she’s been pining for you.’ Joss smiles at me.

  ‘Maybe we should name her Beck then.’ Jesse grins, and out the corner of my eye, I see a cushion sail across the room and hit him in the face.

  Chuckling softly, I drop down in an armchair with the kitten cradled against me. ‘I wish I could keep you,’ I mutter to her softly with a small pang of longing. ‘But I don’t think Bea will let me move you into my room at the B&B.’ She opens her mouth again and mewls loudly as if she’s answering me. I glance up and see Beck watching me with an unreadable expression.

  ‘Okay, now everyone’s here I guess we should get started.’ Mel takes a seat. ‘Nat, love, do you want a drink?’

  ‘I’m good thanks.’ I shake my head, settling back against the chair when I feel Beck perch on the arm of the chair beside me.

  ‘What’s going on Mum?’ he asks glancing first at her then me.

  ‘Well.’ She draws in a slow breath. ‘Quite a bit actually. As you know, the restaurant has been closed while we went through the health and safety inspections that Scott allowed to lapse, and while that was going on, I was looking through the books, and it’s not good.’

  She pauses for a moment, and I can see her hands trembling slightly.

  ‘Tell them, Mel,’ I say to her encouragingly. ‘They need to know.’

  ‘Know what?’ Beck frowns.

  ‘Scott stole all the money,’ Mel admits quietly. ‘He drained the place dry. We’re on the verge of having to close permanently.’

  ‘WHAT?’ both Beck and Jesse, and Joss and Juni say simultaneously.

  ‘Twin thing,’ Quinn mouths at me.

  Suddenly, the room erupts with everyone talking at once. Placing my hand gently over the kitten’s tiny head to protect her ears, then I place my fingers in my mouth, letting loose a shrill whistle. Everyone stops talking and looks at me in surprise.

  ‘That’s better.’ I smile calmly. ‘Now sit down, be quiet and let Mel explain, then you can talk.’

  Mel smiles at me with a mixture of amusement and gratitude.

  ‘Wow, you can whistle really loud,’ Georgie remarks.

  ‘I’m not gonna lie,’ Beck leans over and whispers in my ear. ‘That was hot. You’ve totally got a sexy schoolteacher thing going on right now.’

  I chuckle slowly.

  ‘Alright, that’s enough from the flirting corner.’ Jesse rolls his eyes. ‘Mum, carry on.’

  ‘I’ve already reported Scott to the police, and they’ve opened an investigation, but it’s going to be slow going,’ she explains. ‘It looks like he’s left the country. From what I’ve been told, he headed over to mainland Europe, and they don’t know where he’s gone from there yet. It’s going to take a while to find him and file criminal charges so they can extradite him back to the UK, but even if they do that and he goes to prison for what he did, there’s very little chance of recovering the money he took. It wasn’t even a lump sum. He’s been bleeding the place dry for over a year. They think he has a gambling problem, so the money’s long gone, and we’ll have to write it off.’

  ‘Where does that leave the restaurant?’ Reed asks quietly, as the oldest brother, he was the calmest and most reasonable.

  ‘I’m not going to lie, we’re in a very precarious situation.’ Mel shakes her head. ‘However, I’ve managed to secure a loan,’ she continues, deliberately not looking at me. ‘We have enough to keep our heads above water, but it’s all riding on the summer season. If we don’t make enough money to get us back in the black and to cover us for the winter, the restaurant will have to close, and the building will have to be sold.’

  There’s a stunned and heavy silence in the room as her words sink in, and I’m beginning to realise just how much Sully’s means to all of them.

  ‘What can we do to help?’ Ryan is the first to speak.

  ‘Nat?’ Mel looks to me to take over.

  Rising from the chair, I drop a little affectionate kiss on the kitten’s head before depositing her in Beck’s lap. Picking up the small cardboard box he’d carried in for me, I set it on the coffee table and begin unloading several items and laying them for the others to view.

  ‘I’ve been putting together a relaunch and marketing plan for Sully’s,’ I begin. ‘These are samples of new business cards, leaflets and menus etc. I’ll explain as we go along, but there’s a lot to cover so bear with me.’ I draw in a breath and launch into speech. ‘The restaurant is currently closed, and we’ve decided to keep it closed for another week. Mel’s interviewing for new staff, and we’re going to give it a coat of paint to freshen it up. So, we’re going to need anyone who’s available to grab a paint brush and pitch in.’

  ‘Of course, we will,’ Ryan replies, and everyone nods in agreement. ‘What else?’

  ‘Scott did a stellar job of trashing Sully’s reputation, and I don’t think we need to mention the fish fingers do we?’ I smile slowly and hear Beck snigger beside me. ‘The numbers have dropped significantly; we’re not only not getting people through the door but we not getting customers returning. We need to make some significant changes. I’ve altered the menu; it will change seasonally, but I’ve kept several of your dad’s signature dishes, which I can recreate. Plus, I’ve added some new ones of my own.’

  ‘Whoa!’ Georgie interrupts. ‘You’re keeping the crab and avocado tacos, right?’

  ‘Yes, Georgie, we’re keeping the tacos.’ I grin with a little flush of pleasure as she whoops and fist pumps the air. ‘Now, Sully and Mel built the place up over time based on reputation, recommendation and repeat business, which kept it thriving. However, it has little to no social media presence, so we’ve purchased a domain name, and I have a friend from Uni who’s designing a brand-new website for the restaurant. There was a half-arsed Facebook page, which hasn’t been posted on in years, so I’ve deleted it and set up new accounts for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. In addition, we need to start building up solid reviews and ratings on places like TripAdvisor. I figured we could talk to some of the locals and regulars and ask if they would mind leaving reviews.’

  ‘Wow.’ Juni blinks. ‘You’ve been busy.’

  ‘Which actually brings me to you Juni,’ I say.

  ‘Me?’ She blinks.

  ‘Yeah.’ I nod. ‘Your mum tells me you’ve just finished a media course at college, so I went and stalked all your social media accounts and they’re good. You’ve got some really innovative content that’s really engaging and fresh,’ I tell her as she flushes with pleasure. ‘I hear you’re going to Uni to study social media marketing?’ She nods, and I continue, ‘If you’re interested, I thought you could step in and take the reins on the restaurant’s social media accounts. That way we get great exposure and content, and you can use it as part of your portfolio for your degree.’

  ‘Oh my god, are you serious?’ She beams. ‘That would be amazing!’

  ‘Great.’ I smile. ‘So, if you have some time later, maybe we could go over some ideas?’

  ‘I’d love that,’ she replies enthusiastically.

  I glance over at Beck and see him watching me with soft eyes, and a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. I blush slightly, trying not to think about what I want to do to that mouth otherwise I’ll lose my trail of thought.

  ‘Uh.’ I clear my throat. ‘So anyway, what we really need are bums in seats. We need to get people through the door. Mel and I have come up with some promotions. A loyalty card for regulars and locals, a ten percent off introductory offer for new customers, and a recommend a friend discount for repeat business,’ I continue and find them all watching me avidly. ‘There are two large holiday parks on the outskirts of the bay, plus a smaller caravan park. I’ve spoken with all of the managers, and they’ve agreed to include our ten percent introductory voucher in their welcome packs for all new gu
ests. Molly and Bea are going to do the same at the B&B and Florrie’s going to display some on the counter at the coffee shop.’

  ‘You did all this in the last forty-eight hours?’ Beck blinks.

  ‘Yeah.’ I nod. ‘We’re really going to have to hit the ground running if we want to make the most of the summer season, which has basically already started. Plus, we’ve only got a couple of weeks before the schools break for the summer, which will really kick things into high gear.’

  ‘Hey, man.’ Ryan scratches his beard as he studies me thoughtfully. ‘I thought you were just a cook.’

  ‘He’s not just a cook,’ Beck growls. ‘He’s a great cook, plus he has an MA in Finance and Economics.’

  ‘Okay, easy there, tiger.’ Ryan grins, holding up his hands in mock surrender. ‘Want a cheerleader’s outfit to go with those pom poms?’

  ‘Fuck off, asshole,’ Beck grumbles.

  ‘Beck, language,’ Mel says absently as Jesse sniggers, and Beck flips his twin the finger.

  I glance down at Beck, and something in my belly shifts and warms at the look he sends me. I know Ryan was only joking, but I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t enjoy the way Beck instantly defended me.

  I turn back to the matter at hand and try to force my mind back to the meeting before I do something stupid and embarrassing like climb into his lap and kiss his face off in front of everyone.

  ‘Lastly, before I bore everyone to death with the sound of my voice.’ I smile. ‘I had an idea. While I was researching the local area, I noticed that the bay used to host an annual festival of the sea.’

  ‘I remember that.’ Jesse grins. ‘Do you remember the sandcastle building competition, Beck, the one where we got disqualified for burying Deacon up to his neck as the tide was coming in?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Beck sniggers and Ryan joins him.

  ‘We also got banned from the pirate ship attraction for trying to make Georgie walk the plank.’

  ‘That really wasn’t funny,’ she replies, but the corners of her mouth are twitching in amusement.

  ‘Why don’t I remember any of this?’ Quinn frowns.

  ‘Because you were just a baby,’ Ryan coos.

  ‘Shut up, wanker.’ Quinn punches his arm.

  ‘Quinn, language,’ Mel murmurs. ‘The reason you don’t remember is because they stopped running it. You were really little, and it was before the girls were born.’

  ‘Why’d they stop it?’ Juni asks curiously.

  ‘Lots of reasons; the economy, not enough businesses getting involved, not enough tourists, take your pick.’ She shrugs.

  ‘But things are different now,’ I interject.’

  ‘How?’ Juni frowns.

  ‘Well, social media for one.’ I nod in her direction. ‘You should know what a powerful tool that is, and we also have the internet. It’s easier to reach people and bring them in. I’ve spoken with several local business owners, some of which have been here a long time, and they all say the same thing. The bay’s losing tourists to the bigger more commercial towns like Newquay, St Ives, Falmouth, and Penzance. The bay needs to start hosting more events to bring the tourists back in.’

  ‘What are you suggesting?’ Reed asks quietly.

  ‘We’re going to relaunch the Festival of the Sea.’ I smile widely. ‘Mel’s spoken to some of the local council members, and I’ve talked to several local businesses. If we can get enough people signed up they’ll relaunch the festival at the end of August.’

  ‘Are you kidding?’ Jesse grins. ‘That’s going to be awesome!’

  ‘Georgie.’ I turn to her and Ryan. ‘It would be great if you could get the surf school and the swim shack involved. Ryan if you’d like the chance to get many innocent and unsuspecting people drunk on that beer of yours, you can get involved too, maybe set up a beer tent at the event. God help us,’ I mutter under my breath.

  He grins widely. ‘I think this calls for a celebration.’ He stands slowly.

  ‘Not if it’s your beer.’ I shake my head. ‘I think I’ve made enough bad decisions for one lifetime.’

  ‘No.’ He bellows out a laugh, ‘Trust me, you’ll love this one. It’s called where the hell am I?’

  Chapter Eighteen

  Beck

  Why is it human nature to feel mistrustful when everything feels too perfect...

  The last few weeks have passed quickly, and we all pitched in to paint Sully’s before it reopened. By general consensus, I got roped in to painting a huge ocean themed mural across one of the smaller walls. I didn’t mind, it meant I got to spend even more time with Nat as he bustled around the restaurant, creating, and testing new meals, and organising everyone to within an inch of their life. It was easy to see he was in his element; he was like a force of nature.

  I love watching him, and he’s so happy and relaxed now. He’s gaining confidence, and he’s so kind, everyone just gravitates toward him. He’s a world away from the thin and tired man I dragged out of the sea that first day. Now, he’s tanned and toned, and relaxed, and when he smiles, it’s like the sun coming up.

  But it’s more than that. Since he came to the bay nearly a month ago, so much has changed, and he makes my mum smile. It’s easy to see she’s fallen completely under his spell, just like the rest of us. The hell of it is, that he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. It’s just his innate warmth and humour.

  We all stayed away from the restaurant after Dad died, and we’re all a little responsible for the fact that slimy bastard Scott nearly managed to ruin Sully’s, but it was the hardest on Mum. She and Dad built this place up from the ground together, and to her, he’s in every single brick, lightbulb, tablecloth, and plate. For the longest time, she couldn’t bear to be here, but since she’s been working with Nat, she smiles more, and gradually she’s started opening back up and talking about Dad. We all do now. We share little stories about him with Nat, and it’s been healing for all of us. I wonder if Nat even realises the impact he’s had on us, or how he’s woven himself tightly into the fabric of our lives to the point where I can no longer imagine the bay without him.

  Which is why I’m parked at the counter, on a stool, in the middle of a busy restaurant, staring at him like a lovesick teenager as he hustles around the kitchen with his new sous chef, Hayley, and their line cook, Toby.

  ‘You’re drooling again.’ My sister Juni smirks as she clips an order to the carousel. Both her and Joss volunteered to waitress throughout the summer season to keep costs down and so Mum could hire some bar staff. Which means they’re here most evenings to witness me shamefully stalking Nat. ‘I suppose I can’t blame you though,’ she adds as she slips her order pad into the pocket of her apron. ‘Your boyfriend is hot.’

  ‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ I mumble as I stare at his gorgeous dark curls held back from his face by a bandana, and those vivid blue eyes that just slay me. ‘He’s just…’

  ‘A hook up?’ she snorts. ‘Yeah, nice try, Beck.’ She shakes her head. ‘You’ve practically got property of Nathan Elliott tattooed on your forehead, and that stool now has your bum permanently imprinted on it where you sit every night at the end of the counter waiting for your BOYFRIEND to finish work, so sell it to someone else because I ain’t buyin’.’

  I watch her wander off into the crowd of tables, smiling at the customers and checking they’re happy with their meals, and why wouldn’t they be? Nat’s an amazing chef. Oh my God, I mentally face palm myself. I can literally hear myself, and I want to punch myself in the face. Juni’s right, I’m fucked. I’m so hung up on Nat I can’t see straight. He’s the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing I think of at night. I’m here in the restaurant waiting for him every night and after, we spend hours at my place, laughing, talking, or wrapped around each other naked.

  I haven’t fucked him yet, and I know he wants me to, believe me I’m desperate for that too, but a part of me has been holding back because, somehow, I know it will be the final nail in my coffin. />
  As it is, we’re desperately trying to keep some sort of boundaries between us. He never stays the night, no matter how late it is, which is really dumb when you think about it. We barely spend three or four hours apart at night. He’ll leave me in the early hours of the morning to return to the B&B and I’ll pick him up at dawn to head down to the water.

  That’s another thing we share. He not only embraced surfing but is now rivalling my love of it. We spend every morning on the waves, and he’s a natural and loves being on the water as much as I do. We’ve progressed him up to a bigger board, and although he still needs a bit more practise, he’s got some serious skills developing.

  It would make more sense for him just to sleep at my place, but this is only supposed to be a fling. We’re not supposed to be surgically attached to each other day and night, but he seems to have just as much trouble staying away from me as I do him.

  I already know what I feel for him is in no way casual. I don’t want to put a name to it, I don’t even want to think it. I never thought I’d want to be in another relationship after what happened to me in Florence, but Nat just snuck right in there under my radar, and I know if I was ever going to take a risk with my heart again, I know it would be for him.

  But it’s not that simple. Things are never that simple. Nat has too many things he needs to figure out. He’s not out to his family, and they don’t even know where he is. I don’t even know if he’s going to stay in the bay after the summer or if he’ll move on again. After all, he ended up here on a whim and a stroke of luck, so there’s nothing to say he won’t get restless and move on again.

  ‘Hey.’ I look up to see Nat watching me. ‘Those look like serious thoughts.’

  ‘No.’ I tilt my head as I look at him. ‘Not really.’