Chapter 6
MAE
“Thanks for picking me up.”
I jumped in Beck’s faded blue pickup before he could open my door, which I knew he would do. It had been a habit of his since that day he’d asked my father why he still opened the car door for my mother. We were ten or so, a few years before his parents moved outside of town.
“I was just thinking of when you asked my dad why he still opened the car door for my mom.”
Beck waved to Maggie, the owner of a local restaurant who lived across the street. He looked in his rearview mirror as we started down the street.
“He said it made her smile.” Beck pulled his truck to the side of the street. Slamming it in park, he jumped out. “Be right back.”
What the heck?
I turned around in my seat to see what was going on. Beck was helping Maggie load something into her van. He disappeared into her house and came out with his arms loaded. I was about to get out and help when Maggie gave him a hug, and Beck jogged back to me.
“Sorry about that.”
“What’s Maggie up to?”
“The Big Easy is hosting a graduation party tonight and one of her ovens crapped out so she made some of the dishes at home. Smelled really good. Now I want jambalaya.”
I laughed. “Funny thing to crave for someone who doesn’t like seafood.”
“She makes it with just sausage and chicken for me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course she does.” Beck had women of all ages running circles to please him. Nothing had changed there. Not that I blamed them. He had always been the hottest guy in Cedar Falls. Some of my friends argued that honor went to Parker or Mason, but there was no contest in my eyes.
“Do you find it strange,” I asked as we headed to Heritage Hill, “that the hottest guys in Cedar Falls all became best buddies?”
Beck looked at me strangely. “What prompted that?”
Oops. I really need to learn to think first and talk second. “Just the three of you, not to mention adding Cole in college.”
“You think Cole is hot?”
“Obviously.”
“Huh. Didn’t think he was your type.”
“He’s not. You know I like guys with a sense of humor. But on a purely molecular level, he’s hotter than hell.”
Why Beck frowned, I had no idea.
And then it hit me. I hadn’t thought of Mathieu in all of four minutes. So much for that streak, which was now over.
“Go ahead, say it.”
I sighed. “The last thing I want to do is bring everyone down with my moping.”
“I’m not everyone.”
True.
“Mathieu’s sense of humor was what had first attracted me to him. He waited on Colette and me.”
“The one with the big tits?”
Beck was impossible. “Yes. And also an incredible pastry chef, thank you very much. Her boobs are not her best asset.”
“If you say so.”
I ignored him. “Anyway, he had us laughing all throughout dinner. Colette did warn me, that very night and when we started dating, that Mathieu was a charmer. But I didn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing.
Looking back, I should have listened when she told me to ‘watch out for that one.’ Maybe if she’d stayed around, things would have been different. ”
“Where did she go?”
“Colette was accepted into the spring program and graduated last December. We still stay in touch online, but I haven’t seen her since. She probably won’t be shocked when I tell her what happened.”
Parker pulled into Heritage Hill, parking his truck and turning toward me.
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Mae. You can’t beat yourself up for not seeing signs, whether they were there or not. That’s not how love works.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “How the heck would you know? You haven’t been in love a day in your life.”
Beck’s smile told me he hadn’t taken offense, which was good, because I hadn’t meant any. I knew he was capable of love. He adored his younger sister and loved my parents, especially my father, like his own. But romantic love? Not so much.
“Because I have two hot friends who both fell in love this past year who told me so.”
I could always count on him to lighten the mood.
“Who do you think is the hottest of the four of you?”
“I am not answering that question.”
We got out of the truck, me goading Beck into answering all the way into the house.
I was amazed at the renovations. Heritage Hill looked totally different. Beck told me that they’d been working hard on it since last summer and had sent some pics, but the transformation was even more impressive in person.
“You guys did a great job on the inn,” I said as we walked into the kitchen. On the island, everything for a taco bar was laid out, the smell of seasoned beef coming from the stove. “Now there’s a sight to behold. Mason Bennett, cooking. You’re just missing an apron.”
He hugged me with one arm as a beautiful, and obviously pregnant, brunette came into the kitchen.
“You must be Pia,” I said as she smiled warmly and hugged me. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Same. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Mae O’Malley.”
I turned toward the voice. “Delaney Thorton. It’s good to see you. Congratulations, by the way,” I said, hugging my old classmate. She was a year ahead of me, and though we were friends, Delaney and I hung out in different circles and were never close. I’d always liked her though.
“Mae, you remember Parker?” Beck asked.
I stuck out my hand, and he shook it. “Nice to meet you, Parker,” I teased as if we hadn’t partied together the weekend of his college graduation.
“Nice to meet you too,” he teased.
“Very funny,” Beck said. “I was being polite. Where’s Cole?”
Parker shrugged. “No idea. We were just out at the lake. Mason gets cranky when he’s cooking.”
“Do not,” he grumbled, proving Parker’s point.
“As you can see,” Pia said, “it’s a taco night. Beck’s on margarita duty but we also have Corona and—”
“A margarita is perfect,” I assured her. “What can I do to help?”
“We’ve got it under control.”
“I could use a lime cutter,” Beck said from the side counter where tequila glasses were already lined up. Having worked in my parents’ bar since before I was legally able to, I could easily help Beck and keep up with the chatter.
“Question. I am fully aware of the bachelor pact,” I said. “So I’m curious how all of this”—I waved my arms, indicating the two couples—“happened.”
I tried not to think of Mathieu as they told their stories. It was impossible not to notice the similarities, and differences, as both talked about the challenges they’d faced before ending up together.
Grabbing each glass and salting them, Beck poured the margaritas as I added a lime to each and passed them out. Pia had a non-alcoholic version, and Mason drank beer, but the rest of us were about to toast with our fresh margaritas when Cole stepped into the kitchen.
Unlike the others, he shook my hand in greeting, and from what I knew of Cole and my interactions from the few times we’d met, it tracked.
He wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type. Then again, neither was Mason, but there were differences between them too.
Mason was hard in a “former army ranger, NYC cop” sort of way.
Cole, on the other hand, was just… unapproachable.
Nice enough when you got to know him, and clearly smart, but more buttoned-up than the others.
“We’ve been blabbing about us,” Pia said as Mason finished cooking and Delaney added bowls of meat to the counter. “Tell us more about you, Mae. What was it like growing up next to this one?”
I regaled them with stories of Beck as we ate and drank. One margarita became two and, by three, I was glad I’d brought an overnight bag. The inn was sold out this week, Beck said, but there were still extra rooms in the house side, so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting a car back.
Already knowing I liked Delaney, and hearing so much about Pia from Jules who’d gotten to know her a bit, by the time the taco bar was cleaned up, I felt as if we were all old friends.
“I needed this,” I said as Beck and I worked on the third round of drinks. “Thank you.”
“Want to talk about it or nah?” Delaney asked.
I scanned the room. Even Cole smiled encouragingly at me. Beck’s hand moved to the small of my back, as if to support me. Taking a deep breath, I shared my story. Told them about our whirlwind meeting and engagement, the fateful dinner and my decision to come back home, permanently.
Having sufficiently brought down the room, I ended on a more positive note.
“Enough of Debby downer. Will you guys help me force Beck to answer a question I asked him on the way here?”
“Oh, no, Mae,” he warned.
One I didn’t heed.
“I made a comment that it was strange, or maybe not, that the three hottest guys in Cedar Falls all became friends. And then picked up hot guy number four in college.”
Cole’s small smile deepened. If I didn’t know him better, I’d think it was almost a secret, borderline flirty, smile. Get a few drinks in the guy, and he turned into a different person.
“What’s the question?” Mason asked, obviously curious.
“I tried to get Beck to tell me who he thought was the hottest of the four of you.”
Everyone laughed. Pia called out Mason’s name as Delaney did with Parker. All eyes were on Beck.
He sighed. “Alright, alright. So let’s look at this clinically.”
“Ah, fuck.” Mason went to the fridge. “I need another drink for this.”
“If we’re talking classically handsome, probably Cole. I mean, look at his bone structure. At least, what I can see under those glasses.”
Cole removed them, gave Beck a smolder, at which everyone laughed. When I’d asked Beck in the past how he fit into the group, Beck always said he had a fun side. Guess I never had a chance to see it.
“On the other hand, if you like ex-military types, rough around the edge, if you know what I mean—”
“Oh my God.” Pia howled with laughter.
“Then clearly Mason’s your guy.”
Parker made a face, knowing he was clearly next.
“And Parker, my man. Rugged good looks. Good with his hands. All around nice guy. He’s a tough one to beat.”
Parker lifted his drink. “I’ll take it.”
“You’re such a cheater,” I said. “You can’t choose everyone.”
“Hold up,” Beck said, as the gang all agreed with me. “I’m not done.”
This oughta be good.
“If we’re talking all around hotness, a little bit of the best of each, but adding in a touch of humor, which the ladies like…” He winked at me. “Hands down, I’m the winner.”
A round of boos and “cheater” and “you can’t choose yourself” greeted his announcement. As they did, I stared at him. My best friend. My old neighbor. Of course, I could never admit it out loud, and certainly never to him, but…
He was right.