“Let’s go to bed.” When her eyes widened, he grinned. “Not upstairs to have sex. To go to bed. I want to sleep next to you, holding you. Will you let me do that much?”
Beckett felt like there was an egg in her throat. Nodding, she looked up at him. “I think that would be nice.”
“And no more dates like this one. I think we both put way too much pressure on ourselves. Next time we’ll go roller skating or something. I don’t like trying to make us fit in a place we’ve never fit before.”
“I’m enthusiastically in favor of that plan.” She followed him up the stairs, going straight for her dresser to remove pajamas. She changed in the bathroom and padded back out in shorts and a tank. “What side do you prefer?”
Murphy chuckled and stepped out of his jeans, leaving himself clad in boxers and the tank he’d been wearing beneath his shirt. “It’s your bed. You sleep where you normally sleep. I’m not picky.”
Until Murphy slid into bed next to her and tucked her in close against his body, pressed against her from shoulder to foot with one of his arms around her, Beckett hadn’t realized how much she’d missed sleeping next to someone. She brought her hand up to lace her fingers with his and closed her eyes, letting sleep creep in. As she drifted off, lulled by Murphy’s breathing and the heat from his body, she made herself a mental note to make an appointment with her gynecologist and get put on birth control.
Chapter 8
Beckett loped down the stairs dressed in jeans and a hoodie when the doorbell rang. Looking at her watch, she assumed it was Savi, and opened the door without looking, allowing her inside. Savi strode in, balancing a box of muffins in one arm and a carrier with coffee in the other, she kicked the door shut. Looking up, she stopped in her tracks and frowned when she saw Murphy in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. Scowling, she stomped to the table, plunked down the contents of her arms, and glared at Beckett.
“Dammit, Beck, you promised not to sleep with him.” Savi put her hands on her hips and huffed. “So much for the plan.”
“I didn’t.” Laughing, Beckett shook her head at the other woman. “No underwear was viewed.”
Murphy gestured toward the table. “I’d offer you coffee or breakfast, but it seems you brought your own.” Finishing the coffee, he rinsed the cup in the sink and plucked his jacket off the table. “I should go. I promised Mom and Dad I’d go with them to church and lunch. I figured on inviting you to go with, but it looks like you’ve made other plans.”
Beckett blushed when Murphy drew her in for a kiss. “I’ll see you over at Cassie and Alan’s this afternoon.”
“Good.” He paused by the door. “Pick a night this week other than Friday. I want to take you and the kids out. We’ll go for pizza or burgers and down to the arcade or something. All four of us.”
Beckett mentally reviewed her schedule. “Wednesday would be good.”
“Wednesday it is. I’ll handle transportation that morning and drop you off at work so I can just pick you up there and we’ll go. I’ll take care of picking the kids up from school, too.” He strode back across the room and drew Savi in, planting a smacking kiss on her mouth and making them all laugh.
After shooing Murphy out the door, Savi thrust a muffin into Beckett’s hand the moment the door was closed. “Aren’t you worried everyone will be talking about him leaving your house at eight in the morning? After his truck sat outside all night?”
Beckett shrugged. “It would not be the first time he’s spent the night, and it will not be the last. All of them have spent the night. The neighbors won’t be talking unless they see something new, and Murphy’s truck out front all night is not new. I suppose that’s the benefit of dating your brother-in-law. Everyone expects he’s going to be around.”
Savi swallowed a bite of muffin. “How was the date?”
“Awful. Awkward. Stiff. Then we got home and very nearly tore each other’s clothes off. God. I haven’t wanted anyone like that in…” she trailed off. “…forever. Well, I haven’t wanted someone like that ever.”
“Not even Ryan?”
“No. Not even him.” Beckett shook her head. “Ryan was sweet and tender and romantic, and it was good between us, but it was never all heat and fire. It felt like my clothes were going to explode into flames. Ryan was a lot older than me, and he focused on teaching me. Murphy looks at me like he wants to eat me alive. Murphy is strong and hard and just a little rough. He doesn’t treat me like glass. He’s got big, broad, strong hands, and he’s just solid.”
Savi followed the muffin with coffee. “You could do way worse than all of that. Hell, I want to take him for a spin myself after listening to the description.” She glanced at her watch. “Well, let’s go. We’ve got a lot of damage to do at the mall. By the time we’re done, you’ll be ready to be eaten alive.”
By the time they were in the first store, where Savi haphazardly threw items in the cart, Beckett was kicking herself for ever insisting on not liking the woman in the first place.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Savi looked up from studying a rack of dresses. “Sure. What’s up?”
“How old was your sister when she met Ryan?”
Savi glanced up, her eyes filled with sympathy. “Are you sure you want to know this stuff?”
Beckett toyed with the fabric on a skirt. “I think I need to.”
“She was seventeen. Lyla was born when she was eighteen.”
“A minor. She was a minor.” Beckett’s heart twisted in her chest. “I was eighteen when I met him and got married. Apparently my husband liked younger women.”
“Your husband was a jerk and my sister was a whore.” Savi yanked one of the dresses from the rack. “No, not a whore. That’s an insult to sex-workers. She was a home-wrecking bitch. She kept Lyla from me, and used her as leverage for money which went straight up her nose. She knew Ryan was married and went for him anyway. She let herself get pregnant on purpose to lure him away from you, knowing damn well he had a toddler at home. And Ryan let her. He chased her, romanced her, and took her out. They deserved each other, and you deserve more. You deserved more back then. From reading Elaina’s diary, it was extremely evident they were a perfect match.”
Beckett bit her lip. “She’d have done it if he’d lived. He’d have left me for her.”
“He was an idiot. She’s my sister and I didn’t even like her. I like you. I wish you wouldn’t dwell on it. He’s been dead for five years. No use in rewriting history anymore than it’s already been rewritten.” She snapped her fingers and gestured toward the dressing room. “Hey, you were pregnant with Harlow when he died, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, about five months, why?”
“You did it by yourself? Having a baby?”
“With Rhys I did. Ryan was deployed when he was born.”
“You had a baby by yourself for eleven months? Wow. So who was with you when Harlow was born?”
“Murphy. He took me to the hospital and stayed with me while I was in labor. He even cut the cord.”
Savi grinned. “It’s like the two of you are meant to be. How’d you end up going this way? It hasn’t always been electric between you, has it?”
“No. The night you came to my office I got drunk with Caleb and Murphy. When Murphy put me to bed I kissed him. The next morning we talked about it a little and ended up pawing at each other in my bedroom. Which brings us to the present day.” Beckett obligingly took the pile of clothes from Savi and ducked into the dressing room. “You’re going to bankrupt me with all this.”
Savi studied her manicure while she waited for Beckett to close the door. “I shop the clearance racks, we’re at a department store, and besides, you’re not going to buy all of it. You’ve got some decent stuff in your closet. We’re just going to jazz it up with some color and flash. Dresses with boots, denim jacket, that sort of thing. And underwear. All new underwear. That is where you’ll spend money.”
****
“I spent four
hundred dollars on lingerie. Four. Hundred. Dollars.” Beckett collapsed into the passenger seat of Savi’s car and stared at the receipt. “I don’t normally spend that on clothes in a year. You are worse than a bad influence. You’re horrible. I can never shop with you again.”
“Sure you can. For kids’ birthdays and Christmas and such. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself.” Savi handed Beckett one last bag as she sank into the driver’s seat, grateful to be sitting down after several hours of walking. “I snuck off while you were on the phone and bought you the leather jacket you refused to buy. Take it as my thank you for putting up with me today. You’ve been a hell of a sport.” She started the engine and pulled out of the spot. “Now we go home to the kids and real life, and you can make some plans to put the lingerie to use on Murphy.”
“That’ll be a while. There’s so much going on now with the salon. I won’t have him over while the kids are in the house. I just sent them for a sleepover last night, and I don’t like spending weekends without Rhys and Harlow.”
“He’s spent the night there before, hasn’t he? What’s different now?”
“Nakedness. He always slept on the couch.” Beckett sighed and looked at Savi sideways. “Not to change the subject, but I have a question for you.”
Savi chuckled. “Shoot.”
“You said you’re a baker, didn’t you? Did you make the muffins this morning?”
“I did. I had a store before I moved up here. I’m actually Culinary Institute of America trained but I preferred baking to the rest.” She glanced over at Beckett curiously. “Why do you ask?
Beckett sat up straighter in the seat. “Can you come down to Vive on Monday afternoon before school’s out? I’m expanding it to accommodate a café. I’d love your viewpoint on it.”
Savi glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “Only if it could lead to working there. I’ve been thinking about what to do now that I’m here. I want to get back into it, but I don’t have the money to buy someplace since all my equipment is back in Chicago.”
“I have to get the bank to approve the loan first. I don’t know if they’ll go for the construction and business loan on top of the purchase. That might be too much for them.”
“I’ll come down tomorrow, and we’ll talk about it. I might be able to help there.” Savi smiled to herself, thinking life in Maine might work out for her and Lyla.
****
The two women went back to Cassie and Alan’s house, where they spent the afternoon as all Sunday afternoons were spent in the McKenzie family. Kids ran around in the backyard, food sizzled on the grill, likely for one of the last times before winter came, and all the adults mingled, going from watching football on television to wrestling in the backyard with the kids.
Murphy walked into the kitchen and withdrew a wineglass from the cabinet and poured from the bottle on the counter. Raising her eyebrows, Cassie dried her hands on a rag and turned to a bucket of cherries in need of pitting.
“Since when do you drink wine? Are we out of beer already?”
“Getting Beck a glass.” He bent and kissed his mother’s cheek. “You doing okay?”
Cassie waved him away. “I’m fine. Fine and dandy. As soon as I get this pie into the oven I’ll head out and hang with my grandkids. I haven’t seen them since last weekend.”
Savi spoke from the doorway. “I’ll do the pie, Mrs. McKenzie, if you’d like to go ahead. It would be my pleasure.”
“Well, I’m never one to pass up an opportunity to get out of the kitchen and go have some fun. Have at it.”
After several more hours, Beckett loaded her two tired children into the car and ushered them home, followed soon after by the rest, with the exception of Murphy, who had drawn the short straw on washing the dishes.
Standing at the kitchen sink, a rag tossed over his shoulder and a sink full of dishes and sudsy water, Murphy watched his mother meander around the yard picking up the few toys the kids hadn’t put away. That done, she wandered to the porch and dropped into the porch swing, her voice hushed as she addressed Alan, who was already sitting on the porch.
“I got a call from Hattie Plunkett this morning.” Cassie’s whisper carried through the open window.
Alan slid his arm around her shoulders. “What did Hattie want?”
“To tell me our boy’s truck was parked in front of Beckett’s house all night long.”
“That’s hardly news, Cassandra. Which one stayed with her?”
“Murphy. Rhys and Harlow spent the night with Caleb and Jax at their house.”
“Also hardly news. That happens at least once a month. Caleb told me they had Lyla, too. Went to a movie, out for pizza, then down to the arcade. I believe our sons fed those three kids more sugar than they could handle and let them run around like wild things until they all collapsed into comas.”
Murphy sighed, silently damning Beckett’s nosy neighbor for having noticed, and thought about closing the window to give his parents privacy. Deciding he wanted to know what Hattie had said, he continued to listen.
“Neither of that is the newsworthy part,” Cassie said.
“Then what’s the news?”
“Hattie Plunkett swore on her mother’s grave that she saw Murphy get to Beckett’s at six-thirty last night holding a bouquet of flowers. And Beckett wore a dress. And that it looked an awful lot like they were on a date.”
Alan sipped his tea before he spoke. “Murphy? I always thought it would be Caleb.”
Murphy snorted, a laugh working its way from his throat at his father’s surprise. Rolling his eyes, he leaned closer to the window to make sure they hadn’t heard him, then went back to drying the dishes as he listened.
Cassie leaned against her husband. “Did you see them today? All nervous and afraid to look at each other in case we might notice?”
“I didn’t, but I wasn’t looking, either. How do we feel about this? She was Ryan’s wife.”
“Ryan wasn’t the man we thought he was. Even if he’d been exactly who we raised him to be, he’s been gone five years this past July. Beckett’s young. She’s a good mom, she was a good wife, she’s a good worker, and I love her like she was ours. Our boy couldn’t do better than her. And Murphy’s never had the wild streak Ryan had. He’s got roots. Solid, deep ones. He loves those kids, they all do, and any one of them would raise them as their own.”
“People will talk, Beck trading one brother for another.”
Concerned he hadn’t considered that, Murphy dried his hands on the towel and began putting the dishes away, considering how Beckett would feel about the inevitable small-town gossip. When he heard his mother continue speaking, a slow smile spread across his face at her opinion of the talk.
“They talk and they’ll earn my hand across their face. Beckett deserves a bit of happiness and stability. She didn’t get that with Ryan. She’ll get it with Murphy.” Smiling, she pushed off with her foot, continuing to swing. “I hope they don’t wait too long to tell us. Maybe they’ll have a spring wedding. Harlow and Lyla can be flower girls and Rhys the ring-bearer.”
“Don’t go getting ahead of yourself, Cassandra Anne.” Alan chided her gently, stroking his hand over her hair. “They’ll take things at their own pace, and tell us if and when they’re ready. If they really are seeing each other, it’s got to feel weird for the both of ’em. Last thing we want to do is make it worse. Let them alone and give them space. No interfering. None at all.”
“Is it interfering if I offer to take the kids more so they can have some time? Given that we’re devoted, doting grandparents and all?”
Alan shook his head and chuckled softly. “No, I don’t suppose it would be.”
Murphy closed the last cabinet and returned to the sink, standing for several seconds and listening to the silence from the porch. Carefully, he lowered the window and latched it, then walked through the house to the door, stepping out onto the porch with his parents.
“Dishes are done and p
ut away.”
Cassie looked up at him, surprise in her expression. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”
He laughed and bent to kiss her. “I got elected to do the dishes, so I stayed behind.” He straightened and patted Alan’s shoulder. “Though, I do need to get going. Do you need anything else before I do?”
She shook her head, staring at him intently. “Everything okay with you? Anything exciting going on?”
Knowing Cassie was giving him an opportunity to come clean, but not ready to take it until he’d talked to Beckett, Murphy chose to play dumb. “Everything’s fine. Just a lot of work at the shop.” He started down the steps, calling back over his shoulder. “I’ll see you next weekend. Love ya.”
Chapter 9
September faded into October and October into November. The leaves turned from green to shades of orange, red, and gold, and the air turned from cool to cold. The loan on Vive came through, and Beckett found herself the owner of a salon. After much cajoling and using the equity in her house as collateral, she even managed to secure a loan for the expansion for a café, health club, gift shop, and some extra funds to rework the interior to allow for additional services. After hiring her father-in-law for the job at a deep family discount, Vive’s Café and Bakery began construction with Savi at the helm.
“Morning, boss lady.” Savi saluted Beckett when the redhead walked in and stepped carefully over a pile of supplies. “The framing is done, and Alan is starting drywall and insulation today. Once that’s up, we’ll be ripping out the wall into the salon, and then we’ll only be about two weeks from opening. Maybe we can drive down to the restaurant supply store in Portland one day this week to look at tables and chairs and the granite for the counter out here.”
“I could do Thursday.” Beckett turned in a circle to take in all the work. “It’s hard to believe it’s finally happening. A Thanksgiving opening isn’t ideal, but it’s a nice time to get a feel for the operations before high season. We’ll have almost four months before tourist season starts up.”
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