CHAPTER 16
I t had been a whopping twenty-four hours since Beckett and Mallory agreed to secretly date—a term that Beckett both loved and loathed. After they cleaned up dinner, they cuddled on the couch, watching a random Netflix documentary. When Mallory yawned and made to get up, Beckett pulled her back down to the couch.
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” he grumbled, kissing her temple and imprinting her scent to his memory. “You’re spending the night.”
Mallory melted into him, humming her approval of the invitation. “I’m not complaining, but how do you know I don’t have to work?”
Beckett wasn’t about to be a creep and admit he’d memorized her schedule, so instead, he said, “Lucky guess?”
“Uh-huh.” She nestled further into his arms and fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Beckett couldn’t think of anything better than this. Mallory in his space—literally in his arms—and nowhere they needed to be. He would do right by her, he would. They’d find a way to tell Evan that would salvage everything; he wouldn’t lose anyone else that he loved.
Their current tableau reminded Beckett of their earliest farm house sleepover. Beckett invited Evan for a regular sleepover, no big deal. But when Mr. Lawson arrived with his son, they had a stowaway. “You don’t mind if Mallory tags along?” he’d asked Gramps, already handing the older man his daughter’s pink duffle bag.
“Not at all. The more the merrier.” Gramps had slung that bag over his shoulder and reached out for Mallory’s hand. “C’mon in, sweetheart. I think Beckett’s Gram is finishing up some cookies.”
And that had been that. Mallory would cook and bake with Gram, and then run around with him and Evan. They’d build forts in the living room, play hide and seek in the orchards, and watch scary movies until someone screamed. As they grew older, Mallory continued to follow Evan on his playdates to Beckett’s, and whenever Beckett would hang out at the Lawson house, Mallory wasn’t far behind.
There had been so many little moments as kids, and especially as teenagers, that stacked up into this moment now. Mallory belonged with Beckett, and he’d known that since their first kiss in the orchard, the first time they shared a cookie fresh out of the oven, the first time he went to find her first instead of Evan.
They’d shared all their important firsts together, and now, Beckett was ready to be Mallory’s last. He didn’t want her doing this with anyone else, and the thought of another woman in his arms made him flinch. They had to figure this out, they just had to.
Mallory stirred, rolling over to face him on the couch. “We should probably go to bed,” she said, her voice coated in sleep. “No funny business,” she warned as she stumbled to standing.
Beckett rose and guided her toward his bedroom, his heart racing. “I’m a complete gentleman.”
Mallory leaned into him, his arm wrapped around her waist. “I know, and sometime in the very near future, I won’t ask you to be.”
Her words caused his footsteps to falter, and he walked right into the doorframe, stubbing his toe. “Oof.” He grunted, leaning down to rub his bare foot.
Instantly slipping into nurse mode, Mallory knelt to get a better look, all traces of sleep gone. “Let me see,” she ordered, peeling back his fingers, exposing a red welt. With his pale skin, it looked more menacing than it probably was, but Beckett wasn’t about to complain about the extra contact. Her fingers deftly moved over his foot until she was satisfied. “You’ll live.” She stood and faced him, placing a tender kiss on his cheek. “I’ll keep the bedroom talk to a minimum to avoid further injury.”
“I don’t care if I end up in a body cast, don’t stop on my account.” Beckett kissed her with more gusto than was warranted this late at night, but he didn’t care—and judging from how Mallory looped her arms around his neck, she wasn’t upset about it either.
In between kisses, Mallory said, “Maybe we should attempt some sleep? I think my day just caught up with me.”
Beckett pulled back, wrapping her in a hug before ushering her to the bathroom. “I keep forgetting you don’t get the luxury of working in your pajamas.”
“Can’t save lives virtually.” She shrugged. “Although that does sound tempting. It’s a shame I can’t do math.”
Beckett’s job was more than just math, but he knew Mallory could handle it. “You realize I do people’s taxes, and you need to figure out medications, measurements, and stuff I can’t even think about. Like blood, gross.”
“I guess that means you won’t tag along to bring-your-boyfriend-to-work day,” she teased.
“Say it again.”
Mallory frowned, clearly not picking up on what she’d just said. How could she call him her boyfriend so casually? He felt like he’d float away on a cloud of happiness if he wasn’t careful.
“Call me your boyfriend again.”
A devilish grin crossed her face and she licked her lips. What a minx. “You’re my boyfriend, Beckett. As long as you’ll have me.”
How about forever? He wanted to ask, but now wasn’t the time. They’d come such a long way already, and he wasn’t about to rush the moment. Since he didn’t have the words, he used his mouth in other ways, kissing her until he remembered they were still in the hallway.
“All right, girlfriend. Let me get you a toothbrush and some PJs.”
“You have an extra toothbrush? You’re such an adult.”
Beckett opened a drawer and fumbled until he found the pink toothbrush he’d bought when he’d moved to Buckeye Falls. It was silly really, buying something with Mallory in mind before he’d ever seen her. But in his gut, he knew they’d get to this moment, this moment of true intimacy of a nightly routine.
Clearing past the lump in his throat, he handed her the brush. Mallory’s lip quirked when she saw it was bubblegum pink, her favorite color as a girl. “I’m going to tell myself this is just a pink toothbrush, not a pink toothbrush you keep on hand for your dates.”
Play it cool, man! his brain chanted, willing him not to be the awkward guy he tended to be. But when wasn’t Beckett himself? “I got it for you.”
Mallory blinked at the admission, but she didn’t look upset.
“I don’t want to be a creep, but when I was at the drug store, I saw it and I thought what if Mal and I work out and she comes over, and then it snowballed from there.”
Mallory held the toothbrush to her chest, as if it was a diamond necklace and not an off-brand toothbrush from the dollar bin. “How did it snowball?” Her question escaped on a whisper.
Beckett rubbed the back of his neck, a red flush creeping up his skin. In a matter of seconds, he went from Snow White to Elmo. Using his uninjured toe, he flipped open the cabinet under the sink. “I, uh, got you a few things.”
Mallory dipped down to inventory his secret stash, her hands picking through shampoo, lotion, and even her preferred brand of tampons. “I assumed you used the same stuff.”
Did she love this or hate it? A toothbrush was one thing, but Beckett feared he’d overplayed his hand. Was planning for your best friend/ex/best friend’s sister disturbing or endearing? Judging from Mallory’s watery gaze, he thought he chose wisely.
“You’re not going to break my heart,” was all Mallory said before she crashed her lips against his. For a moment, he was too stunned to reciprocate. When they came up for air, Mallory cupped his cheeks and stared up into his eyes. “You’re a good man, Beckett Fox. I’m not going to let this fizzle, you hear me? We’re going to figure this out with Evan.”
Beckett nodded, his grip on her hips tightening. “We will.”
“Now get out of here so I can get ready for bed.” She playfully shoved Beckett out of the bathroom and closed the door. He wasted no time getting her a set of pajamas. He said a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens that he’d washed his sheets that morning. He wanted everything to be perfect for Mallory. This was their first adult sleepover in far, far too long. No pillow forts, no playing nurse, just two people sharing a bed.
Mallory emerged sans makeup with rosy cheeks and her brown hair piled into a knot at the top of her head. Beckett itched to take her hair down, to feel the silky strands between his fingers. Mallory’s hair had always been beautiful; thick and shiny. When they were kids, her mother would put her in double braids, and as she grew, the braids became more complicated and stunning. But Beckett liked Mallory when she was at her most relaxed, with chocolate waves framing her lovely face.
Standing there slack-jawed, Beckett finally offered Mallory her pajamas. “Here you go,” he said with a wave at the stack of clothes. “Help yourself. I’ll be right back.”
Beckett sprinted to the bathroom and splashed a gallon’s worth of cold water on his face. He needed to calm down. They said they were going slow, and he needed to remember that. When he returned to the bedroom, Mallory was already tucked in, curled into a ball.
“I took your old baseball shirt, and it’s so soft it’s basically mine now.” Her words were muffled from behind her pillow. “Now turn off the light and hop in.” She wiggled, making room for him to spoon her. He didn’t need to be asked twice. He turned off the light and catapulted in beside her.
Wrapping an arm around her, Beckett exhaled and melted into the mattress. The sensation of Mallory being with him, the scent of her lotion and the warmth of her skin, made Beckett want to cry. He made a promise to himself to remember how wonderful this moment was, because it was worth fighting for—worth keeping forever.
He loved Mallory, and he would treat her well. Evan would understand that. He had to because Beckett wasn’t going to choose a Lawson. He would make Gramps proud because he’d gotten the girl. And he intended to keep her.