Wild as Her (Beckett Family #2)

Chapter 8

Wild

W e leave for our trip in a few weeks. Shocked is an understatement to describe how I feel about the fact that Indie agreed to let me come along with her. When Wren called and told her she wouldn’t be able to go, I could see Indie’s disappointment all over her face.

Creeping down the hallway that night, I heard the tell-tell signs of her crying in her room. I knew right then and there what I needed to do. We may have a history of me riling her up, but I care about her—more than I probably should.

Losing your mom sucks, I know. I’m grateful I got to meet mine, at least. Indie never got that privilege. I was only seven when Mom died, so I don’t remember her well, but I am glad I have at least some memories with her, even if they aren’t all great ones. Cancer’s a nasty battle, but my mom was a fighter to the very end.

When she passed, our dad mentally checked out, leaving my older brother and sister with most of the responsibilities. It was a lot to put on a fourteen and twelve-year-old.

Since I was only seven, there wasn’t much I could do to help. But I learned quickly that making them laugh was something I could do. It helped me feel like less of a burden on them as well. So that’s always been me, the guy that makes people laugh—the guy who doesn’t take anything too seriously.

After dinner last night, Indie and I watched some cringy-ass reality TV show. It was odd not going out to the bar or even to the gym on my night off work. It didn’t even hit me, though, until she stood up and told me she was going to bed. When I looked at the clock and saw how late it was, I was surprised. I didn’t have that feeling I’ve had for years. That feeling that I needed to get out and be surrounded by people—she was enough.

Sitting at home all night long isn’t something I’ve ever been good at doing. My mind starts to go crazy with all that quiet alone time. Even though Ind and I didn’t talk while we watched TV, I didn’t mind it. Being with her is comfortable; it’s calming.

“What’s goin’ on between you two?” my brother, Cal, asks, throwing his line out into the deep blue water.

It’s damn near impossible to get this man away from his wife. But a fishing trip seems to win… sometimes .

“Whatever could you mean, big bro?” I feign ignorance, casting my line out into the lake.

Cal side-eyes me as he places his pole in the rod holder in front of him. He sits back down in the chair beside me, a sigh leaving him in the process.

“You know I don’t give a shit what you have goin’ on in your love life, but Luce asked me to bring it up. She’s worried you’re gonna hurt Indie.”

I did find it odd that he would bring this up, but now it makes sense. Cal has always mainly kept to himself and doesn’t get involved in anything related to relationships. The man has always feared them—that is, until Lucy came back into his life.

“Goose has you whipped, brother,” I tease.

I like to pick on him for his hardcore love for Lucy, but honestly, I’m happy for him. Cal deserves the happiness he’s found. No one saw it coming, that’s for damn sure. Seeing them together and the joy he has with her causes a slight twinge of jealousy in me every time.

Have I ever wanted to settle down? Honestly, it’s not a thought that’s crossed my mind in the past. But seeing their contentment together makes it feel like something worth wanting.

“You’re avoidin’ the question,” he scowls.

“Nothin’ goin’ on. Just roommates,” I confirm. “That woman would kick my ass if I tried anything else.”

“Well, don’t do anything stupid.” His scowl deepens before he faces back to the water.

Fishing with my brother has always been our time to catch up. We both work a lot and now, with him living the married life, we don’t see each other as often. But this is something we’ve done for as long as I can remember. When we were kids, we’d walk down to the creek and throw a line in even though we didn’t catch shit in that thing.

Once, I caught a turtle, and my sister lost her mind. I wasn’t purposely trying to hook the thing; he was just too curious for his own damn good. Wren quickly grabbed that little guy and demanded I take the hook out. She proceeded to spend the rest of the day babying the damn thing.

“I’m serious, Wild,” Cal says, drawing my attention back to the conversation at hand.

“I’d never,” I laugh.

Shaking his head, he lets out a signature Cal grunt.

My family has always known me not to take much of anything seriously. It makes sense that they’d be worried I’d be doing that now. But surprisingly—even to myself—I haven’t done anything to fuck this up.

Have I wanted to get that wild woman in my bed? Every damn night.

But something has changed between us. I feel it, and I think she does, too. She hasn’t shown her usual look of disgust when she looks at me, and she can stand to be in my presence for more than five minutes without needing to leave the room. She also helped me out with the whole grocery store situation, which is something she would never have done in the past.

Maybe all this time that she’s been busy hating me, she just needed to be stuck with me to see that I’m not all that bad. That I can do more than just tease and pick on her. I know I have myself to blame for that, though—I just really hate being ignored. And the fact that she wrote me off from day one because she decided to believe rumors instead of hearing me out really lit a fire under my ass.

Since high school, when she completely ghosted me, I’ve made it my mission to make sure she never forgets me. I know she heard about that girl kissing me that day we met and then assumed I was some playboy. But no matter how hard I tried, she wouldn’t give me the time of day. Not that I entirely deserved her time back then. I know I was a little shit.

Since she popped back up into my life that day at the coffee shop a few years ago when some asshole was hitting on her, I’ve gone back to making sure my presence is known around her.

We slept together once shortly after that day, and I swear to God I felt my heart grow a string that attached directly to her. I didn’t completely understand it at the time, but now I don’t want to fight at it anymore—I want to let it pull me in.

However, I know Ind, and she’s not there yet. Lucky for her, I can be a very patient man when I need to be. I can help her see what this is since she’s too damn stubborn to open her eyes and see it herself.

Cal looks down at his vibrating phone in the cupholder and puts it to his ear.

“Hey, Blue… Yeah, I’ll be on my way here in a minute… Okay, love you.”

He hangs up and faces me. “Pregnant wife calls. I’m gonna head out.”

He reels his line in with new excitement.

I swear to God, I almost want to say it’s cute the way he gets so excited when it comes to that woman.

“What’s she cravin’ now?”

Lucy and Cal found out they were expecting twins a few weeks ago. There’s been a permanent smile on my grumpy brother’s face since Lucy came back into his life. Add in their growing family, and the guy almost shows his teeth with that smile.

A small sigh escapes him. “Jalapeno Cheetos.”

He puts on a show, but this man would turn the world upside down for that woman. Every week, Lucy has a new craving, leaving the poor bastard to drive the half hour into town to buy whatever it is.

“I still can’t believe you’re gonna be a dad,” I remark, reeling in my line as well.

“You and me both,” Cal responds as he grabs the last of his supplies from the ground, wiping his wet hand on his black t-shirt. I’m pretty sure in the twenty-nine years I’ve known him, he’s never worn another color.

“You’ll do good.” I give his back a quick pat.

He’s always been a natural caretaker, and I know from experience that he’ll be a good dad. He did so much for Wren and me growing up.

“Thanks, man. I wasn’t nervous ‘til they said there’d be two of ‘em,” he laughs.

I don’t envy him there. Kids aren’t something I’ve ever wanted. But if a certain someone in my life wanted them, I’d give her anything her little stubborn heart desired.

Cal and I drive out of the parking lot in our separate directions. The thought of Cal chasing around two toddlers has me laughing again. Visions of him with his family, pure happiness and joy covering his face, flood my mind, and I’m hit with that envious feeling again.

Maybe it’s time to really buckle down and get more serious about this. Having someone in my life who looks at me the way those two look at each other doesn’t sound so bad.