Enchanted Enough, page 23
Avery rolled her eyes. “I think it’s wonderful you’re both still in love and still…still…”
“Getting it on in my office on the desk?” Dirk asked.
Avery gagged a little, as Merit told Dirk to shut up.
“I’m going to get more wine,” I said, standing again.
“Do you think it’s wrong, Beck?” Dirk asked.
I froze, and mentally prayed I hadn’t heard what I thought I did.
“Dad, are you seriously asking him if he thinks it’s okay for you and Mom to have sex in your office during the day, when anyone could walk in?”
“Listen here, squirt. Your mother and I are used to living alone, and we thought you were at work.”
Carefully taking a step back, I calculated I only had about five more to go before I could escape.
“Beck. Are you going to answer me?” Dirk asked.
When I looked at him, I saw the glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this. At least the part about pulling my chain.
So…two could play that game.
I told him, “I agree. You should be able to make love to your wife anytime you want in the privacy of your own home—just like Avery should be able to have her own privacy.”
“Oh, Beck,” Merit whispered. “You should probably go get that wine…quickly.”
Dirk stood. “What are you saying, Dahlstrom?”
I shrugged. “Are we really going to pretend that you don’t know Avery and I are—”
“Beck!” Merit and Avery both yelled, as they also stood.
Dirk drew in a deep breath and was about to say something when my cell phone rang. I quickly pulled it out, deciding I was going to answer it no matter who it was. Unfortunately, I wish I’d looked first, so I wouldn’t have been so caught off guard.
“Hello?”
“Beck?”
“Rachel?”
The moment I said her name, I saw Avery’s head jerk back. I hadn’t told her the whole story about Rachel, but I’d mentioned her briefly.
Lowering my voice and turning away from everyone, I asked, “Why are you calling me?”
“Beck, you need to come home. It’s your grandfather. He’s had a heart attack.”
“What? When? Is he okay?”
“It was earlier this morning. When I got the call, I rushed to the hospital and was informed that no one could reach Kelsey.”
Fear and anger mixed together in my gut. “What? My grandfather had a heart attack and no one thought to call me?”
Rachel cleared her throat. “You left your business cell at the office, Beck. Not everyone has this number.”
Looking back at three sets of eyes staring at me, I tried to ignore the way my heart was suddenly racing.
“Um…okay. I need to get a flight booked. I’ll head back as soon as I can.”
Avery was instantly by my side, taking my hand and leading me out of the kitchen and through the house.
“Do you want me to book it?” Rachel asked.
Avery motioned for me to sit on the sofa. “If you don’t mind. I have to fly out of Missoula. I’ll need to drive up there. It takes, um…” I looked at Avery.
“About an hour, give or take a few minutes,” she answered.
“I need at least an hour of drive time to get there. I have to turn in the rental, and…and pack.”
“It’s okay, Beck. I’ll get you booked. Will you be okay to drive up there alone?”
Nodding, I dropped my head and grabbed my neck. “Yeah. I’ll see you when I get there.”
I hit End and stood. “I’m sorry, Avery, I need to get back to Dallas. My grandfather had a heart attack. I need to get to him. We left things kind of bad this morning, and I…”
“It’s okay. Do you need help packing or anything?”
I was in such a haze, I felt like I couldn’t think straight. “No, I just…need to go.”
Walking to where my coat was hung up, I grabbed it and slipped it on.
“Beck?”
Merit’s voice caused me to turn and look at her. “Please be sure not to leave without at least letting Stella and Ty know.”
“Of course. Yeah. And I’m sorry to leave like this.”
Motioning for me to go on, Merit added, “We’ll be keeping your grandfather in our prayers. Be safe driving, okay?”
I was about to leave when I remembered my manners. I walked over and shook Dirk’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure, sir. Thank you.”
“Of course, Beck. I hope your grandfather will be okay, and please let us know if you need anything.”
I gave a quick nod. “I will.”
Moving to Merit, I kissed her softly on the cheek. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home like you have. I truly appreciate it.”
She smiled, then tilted her head and regarded me. It looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn’t.
I turned and started for the front door. Avery had put her coat on and walked out to the rental with me.
“Will you let me know when you land safely in Dallas?”
Opening the door to the rental, I realized I was about to get in without even saying goodbye to Avery. Cupping her face in my hands, I leaned down and kissed her.
She grabbed my coat and whispered, “I’ll be praying for him.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I kissed her forehead gently. “Thank you and yes, I’ll text you once I land in Dallas.”
I wasn’t sure how long we stood like that before I pulled back and looked down into those deep sapphire eyes of hers. “I’m so sorry I have to leave. I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back.”
Pressing her lips tightly together, she nodded as she patted my chest. “I know. Family first, of course.”
It felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. “I have family here now, too, and you. I promise you, I’ll be back.”
Looking up at me, she smiled softly but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s okay, Beck. Honestly. You’ll keep me updated on things?”
“Yes, of course.”
She went to step away so I could get into the car, but I pulled her back to me and kissed her again, almost desperately. I tried to pour so much of how I felt for her into that kiss. I needed her to know what she meant to me, and I prayed that she could feel how much I loved her, because I still couldn’t say the words. I wasn’t sure why. Most likely it was because it was too soon.
When I drew back, I saw tears spill down her cheeks. I wiped them away and kissed her again. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. I’ll be back.”
She took a few steps away and pulled her coat tighter around her as the cold wind whipped.
Sliding into the car, I felt the strong sensation that what I was doing was wrong. That I needed to stay right where I was. But I couldn’t leave my grandfather to suffer alone. I was his only family, and I know my mother would have wanted me to be there for him.
As I drove down the drive, I swore I wasn’t going to look in the rearview mirror…but I did. And the sight made me grip the steering wheel and fight to hold back my tears. Avery stood there, her hand covering her mouth as she cried while Merit and Dirk both stood on each side of her, their arms around her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
AVERY
Hours had passed since Beck practically ran out the door of my parents’ house. I wiped the tears away as I continued to stare up at the ceiling of my bedroom. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was nearly midnight. Picking up my phone, I checked it for the hundredth time.
Nothing.
Beck had texted when he got to the airport. He’d gotten the only flight out to Dallas and said he would text when he landed, which would have been at six his time, five mine.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I tossed the phone and headed to the door to go find something to eat when my phone dinged with a message. I practically flew to the bed.
Swiping it open, I saw it was a text. From Lacey.
Lacey: I know it’s late, but I’m at a party and Dexter is asking about you.
I blew out a breath, causing my lips to flap. I thought about not answering, but decided if I didn’t, I would forget to text her tomorrow, and I’d already been blowing her off to spend all my spare time with Beck.
Me: Hi! I’m already tucked away in bed. Have fun.
Lacey: How about lunch tomorrow? I’ll call ya.
Me: Sounds good. Talk soon.
I pulled up Beck’s number and was about to send him a text when I suddenly hit the button to call him. When I realized what I’d done, I almost hung up. Instead, I started to chew on my thumbnail.
“Hello?”
I was so stunned by the female voice on the other end of the line that I stumbled back a few steps.
“Hello?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, I must have called the wrong number,” I said, in a voice that didn’t sound at all like mine.
“Are you looking for Beck?”
It felt like someone had punched me in my back as I struggled to find my breath. Finding air, I simply replied, “Yes.”
“He’s unavailable right now. Can I leave a message?”
Finally finding my voice, I asked, “Who is this?”
“This is Rachel, a friend of Beck’s. Who is this?”
I wanted to tell her that I was his girlfriend, but I wasn’t really sure what I was to Beck.
I heard another voice that sounded male, then Rachel said, “I answered it because it’s so late I thought it might be important.”
It sounded like the phone was being shuffled around.
“Avery? Is everything okay?”
I felt my legs give out, and thank goodness I was by my bed. I sat and said, “I’m sorry if I interrupted anything, it’s just…you said you’d call, and I hadn’t heard from you.”
He mumbled, “Fuck. I’m sorry I didn’t call. Once I got here and saw my grandfather, things sort of got crazy.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Well, I’ll let you go.”
“Wait. Hold on a second.”
I heard footsteps, then a door opened and softly closed. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call you. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
Swallowing the large lump in my throat, I replied, “It’s honestly fine. Now that I know you’re okay, I’ll let you go. Please keep me updated about your grandfather.”
“Avery, will you please wait a second?”
“It’s late, Beck, and I clearly interrupted something with…Rachel.”
“No, you didn’t. She picked me up at the airport, and I just left the hospital. She gave me a ride home.”
Lord, jealousy was an ugly, ugly thing. “She stayed with you this whole time at the hospital?”
“Her, and her mother and father. Her dad is good friends with my grandfather.”
I wanted desperately to ask why his ex felt the need to go with him to his place, but I stopped myself. Beck had never truly said anything about us being exclusive, but the way he’d kissed me before he left made me think he was trying to tell me something about how he felt about me.
“Oh. You never really told me much about her. Anyway. Listen, I’ll let you go.”
There was silence over the phone, and I could imagine him running his fingers through his hair. He did it a lot when he was frustrated, hurting, or confused.
“Are you going to bed right now? If not, I can call you back after Rachel leaves.”
That time I did let the jealousy bug win. “How long does she plan on staying there with you?”
He didn’t say anything, and my patience ran out.
“Listen, Beck, we didn’t promise each other anything, and you’re a grown man. Don’t worry about me. If you need the comfort of an…old friend…have at it. I wish your grandfather all the best with his healing.”
“Avery, don’t say things like that. I would hope that you would know me better than that.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “I think I do know you better than that. It’s just hard to hear that your ex-girlfriend is with you at your house in the middle of the night, Beck. I’m sorry if that makes me sound childish or jealous or whatever. I didn’t mean to add stress to an already stressful situation. I’m sorry. I’m going to let you go.”
“Her being here means nothing, Avery.”
“Okay,” I said, sounding suddenly very tired. “I’ll talk to you later, Beck.”
“Avery.”
“Goodnight, Beck.”
He sighed. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
Hitting End, I set my phone down on the table.
I pulled my legs up to my chest and dropped my forehead to my knees. “Oh my God,” I groaned. “Stop being jealous, Avery. Stop.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I got off my bed and headed to the kitchen, only to find my mother sitting at the island, about to put a huge bite of ice cream covered with chocolate syrup in her mouth. She took one look at me, stood, grabbed a bowl, and said, “Take mine. I’ll make another one.”
I slid into her vacated seat and took a bite, closing my eyes. “Mmm. So good,” I said with a mouthful of dessert.
After she made her bowl, she sat down and met my gaze. “Want to talk about it?”
Mixing the ice cream some, I took another bite. I let it melt in my mouth and set my spoon down. I rubbed my hands up and down my thighs and dropped my head back.
“Oh, Mom. I acted like a total child just now with Beck.”
“How so?” she asked, clearly with her own mouthful of ice cream.
Focusing back on my dessert, I picked up my spoon and moved everything around in the bowl. “He said he was going to call when he landed. He never did.”
“Maybe he was rushing to get to his grandfather, sweetheart.”
Taking a bite, I nodded. “I thought that too, but as the hours passed, I started to worry, so I called him.”
“And?”
My gaze lifted to meet hers. “His ex-girlfriend answered his phone. Turns out she picked him up at the airport and had been with him the entire time, until she offered to bring him home. And I made a stupid comment that I regretted the moment I said it.”
Mom’s brows lifted. “Avery, I never pegged you for the jealous type.”
“Oh, me neither,” I said, pushing more ice cream into my mouth. It was so cold, and I had so much in my mouth, I was surprised my mother understood me when I said, “Turns out…I am.”
She chuckled. “I’ll admit, if I was in your shoes, I’d be a little peeved by that myself about the ex answering, but if you trust Beck, then you have nothing to worry about.”
Pointing my spoon at her, I said, “See, this is why you’re my mom.”
“Did the two of you promise each other anything?”
I sighed. “No. We didn’t. But…I really thought he felt the same way I did. Maybe he does, I don’t know.”
“Give him a few days, darling. He lost his mother, found a huge family, you, then his grandfather had a heart attack. I’m sure he’s worried he might lose his only other close family member from his mother’s side.”
Scooping up more ice cream, I said, “I know, I will. It’s just, hearing her answer his phone and knowing that they were once a couple…and I think they were really close. Like, it was his only serious relationship. I asked him once, but he really didn’t say too much.”
“He could have simply moved on and doesn’t feel like it’s relevant.”
I laughed. “Seems like it is now, since she’s in his apartment in the middle of the night.”
“You haven’t told me how you acted like a child.”
Dropping the spoon into the now-empty bowl, I covered my face and groaned. “Let’s see, I told him that we hadn’t promised each other anything, and that if he needed to find comfort in an old friend, to have at it.”
Mom’s shoulders dropped as she gave me a disappointed look.
Continuing to hide my face, I said, “I know. I know! But it hurt, Mom. I know he has a lot going on, but would Daddy have done that to you?”
She paused for a moment, then set her own spoon down. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Your father and I had a very complicated relationship at first. I won’t go into the details, but he hurt me very badly, Avery.”
I could feel my eyes go wide. “What?”
Smiling, she waved off my look of concern. “Obviously we worked things out, but it was a rough road at first. Sometimes men don’t always see what’s right in front of them, darling. To Beck, this woman is just there to help him. Comfort him like any friend would. I’m sure he’s upset about his grandfather and about having to leave Montana. And leaving you as well. What he sees as a kind gesture, you see as him wanting affection from someone to help him deal with his emotions. But do you really think he’d do that?”
I really didn’t have to think very long or hard about my answer. “No, I don’t think he would do that.”
She reached across and took my hand in hers. “If it’s meant to be, Avery, then it will be.”
I wiped a tear away.
Squeezing my hand, she whispered, “Don’t give up hope, Avery.”
“I won’t, but…”
“Just take a deep breath.”
I did as she said and nodded. This was all new territory for me, and I knew it was for Beck as well.
The next morning, I took a shower, got dressed, and grabbed my phone to head to work at the boutique. As I walked into the kitchen, I found my brother sitting at the island, along with my parents.
“Avery, is your phone turned off?” my mom asked.
Glancing at it, I cursed inwardly. “I forgot to plug it in, and it went dead. Why?” I asked, after plugging it into the plug my mom kept in the kitchen. It took a few moments for it to start up.
“Morgan called me and said she was trying to get a hold of you. There’s a power outage on Main, and the city isn’t sure how long it’ll be before it’s fixed. They’re not opening the store today, so you don’t have to go in.”
My phone started to ping as messages and texts came through. I glanced down to see I had a missed call from Morgan, and I saw Beck’s name as well.
“Did Beck make it okay?” Dad asked.
When I looked at my mother, she winked. She hadn’t told him about our late-night chat session.
