Chapter 37
Becket pulled into the parking lot of The Tea House.
Shit, he was tired. He’d worked well into the morning after a fire at an e-bike store a few towns over. His station had been called because they’d needed all hands on deck. The damn store should have known better than to charge multiple batteries in one area. Lithium-ion batteries could cause fatal fucking fires. Everyone knew that.
He leaned back and closed his eyes. He was used to surviving off a few hours’ sleep. He’d done it plenty as a SEAL. But right now, he needed a strong fucking cup of coffee.
He slipped off his seat belt and was about to climb out of his car when a familiar face across the lot caught his attention.
Sky. His beautiful, feisty neighbor.
A smile twitched at his lips. She’d hated him since the day she’d moved in next door. He had no idea why. He was great fucking company.
She stood opposite an older woman. A woman he recognized as a frequent visitor to Sky’s house. Her mother? Probably. They had the same hazel eyes.
Whoever she was, they argued a lot, and by the deep-set frown on Sky’s face, they were arguing now. But they also hugged and smiled a lot. A complicated relationship?
He shook his head and climbed out of the truck. It wasn’t his damn business.
He still couldn’t believe she’d become entangled in the Dylan mess. Every muscle in Becket’s body had tightened at the story Jesse had told him. Jesse had thanked Sky, and Becket had tried to, also. But the conversation had quickly turned into an argument about his cameras again. The woman wouldn’t let it go.
He entered The Tea House, the scents of coffee and pie already teasing him. Damn, it was good to finally have a place in Amber Ridge with a decent cup of coffee. But it wasn’t just the coffee that was good. The food was un-fucking-believable too. The scones. The bagels. Even the turkey sandwiches.
He spotted his brother, sister and Aspen in a booth by the window.
His brother looked happy. A hell of a lot happier than he’d looked when Aspen had been living with him and they weren’t dating.
Good. He deserved it.
Becket slid into the booth beside his sister, snagged her fork, and stole a mouthful of her pie.
She slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey! Get your own.”
“But yours is right here.”
“Yeah, key word, mine .” She slid the plate away from him.
“You’ve always been terrible at sharing.”
“Because sharing with you means giving up ninety percent of my food. Plus, this pie’s too delicious to share.”
She wasn’t wrong. He looked across the table at his brother and Aspen, the smile on his face a bit gentler. “Hey. How are you both doing?”
Aspen nodded and smiled back. “We’re good.”
“Great, actually,” Jesse added, his arm visibly tightening around Aspen’s waist. “Aspen’s got a new book releasing soon.”
Clara straightened. “Oh my God, really? Don’t mess with me, Aspen. Is it the next in your West Valley series?”
“It sure is. It’s written and currently with the editor,” she said.
Clara squealed.
Jesus Christ.
While the women talked about the book, Becket rolled his eyes at his brother. “I’m going to get coffee.”
“It’s usually table service.”
Becket lifted a shoulder. “I’ll save Mrs. Gerald the trip.”
A couple of tables over, he noticed Sky was now sitting at a table with the woman she’d been talking to outside.
His neighbor leaned over, and he couldn’t help but hear her say, “Mom, I love you, but you need to stop. This is my life, and I’ll live it the way I choose.”
Ah, it was her mother. And by the sound of it, he’d been spot on with the complicated relationship.
“Skylar, honey, I just want you to be happy!”
“I—” She stopped, and even though Becket wasn’t looking at her, he could feel her eyes on him as he passed their table.
Don’t stop on my behalf, Peaches.
He grinned to himself as he stopped at the counter.
Mrs. Gerald glanced over from the coffee machine. “Becket, honey, sorry I’m taking a while to get to you. I’ve hired more staff, but I think I still need more.”
“Don’t apologize. I just came for a closer look at your pies.”
“Oh, you want to try the caramelized apple and rhubarb. It’s my flavor of the week, and it’s been popular.”
“You sold me at caramelized.”
“Great. And a double shot long black?”
He grinned. He’d been here daily for the last few weeks, so he shouldn’t be surprised they were on a first-name basis and she remembered his coffee order. “That would be great. Thanks.”
“I’ll bring it over.”
He turned, and his gaze immediately went to the back of Sky’s head. Her mother was still leaning forward, and the conversation looked tense. He was just passing her table again when her seat suddenly pushed back and she rose, stepping straight into him.
She almost rebounded off his chest, and he grabbed her arms to steady her.
Her eyes widened as they swung up to his face, her palms pressing to his chest. “Becket.”
“Hey, Peaches.” He wasn’t sure why he called her that. He’d used the endearment once and it had annoyed her, so the name just stuck. “I know you miss me when we’re not arguing about fence permits, but throwing yourself into my arms is a bit much.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she shoved off him. He didn’t move, just reluctantly lowered his arms.
“Peaches?” her mother asked, sitting straighter now.
“It’s nothing, Mom. He’s just my annoying neighbor.”
“Annoying? From you, that’s almost a compliment.” Yesterday, he was “the biggest ass on the planet,” and the other week, she’d told him she was jealous of people who’d never met him. He’d say “annoying” was an upgrade.
“It’s about as close to a compliment as you’re going to get,” she retorted.
“Ouch.”
“You’ll be fine. I’m sure you have enough people stroking your ego.”
“Ah, but the only ego stroking I want is from you.”
“It will be a cold day in hell before that happens.”
The smile on his face stretched. “Still mad about that fence?”
“Mad that you seem so obsessed with filming my front yard.” She cocked her head. “Now, as fun as this has been, I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me.”
He watched her go…and she was right, it was fun arguing with her. For some damn reason, it had become a highlight of most of his days. She was cute when she was angry. And maybe there was a bit more to it.
More than either of them wanted to admit.