Chapter 34
THIRTY-FOUR
LET’S WATCH THE SUNSET
Addison
Beckett’s parents’ house was spectacular. There were more rooms and hidden corners than I ever imagined. I’d seen houses like that in movies and on TV but never in person.
And the break from real life had been much needed. Leaving work was one thing, but leaving my grandmothers for a few days was harder. Even with Mary watching out for them, it still made me a little anxious.
But I’d promised Beckett—and myself—that I would try to let go. Which was going really well. I’d only checked in with Mary three times and called Grams once in the less than eighteen hours since we’d arrived.
I was determined not to worry about what was happening back home. It was just hard to completely let go and compartmentalize when they had been such a priority for so long, and I had been their primary caretaker. But I was going to live in the moment. And in the moment, I was here with Beckett.
“I’m sure this isn’t the New Year’s Eve you expected,” Beckett said as he led me out the back door and into the chilly afternoon air.
I eyed the backpack he’d thrown on before we headed outside and considered what might be in it. And why he wouldn’t tell me.
Pushing my curiosity to the side, I shook my head. “No, definitely not,” I said honestly. “This is better.”
He laughed and slung his arm over my shoulder, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. “Whatever you say, Bubbles.”
“I’m serious,” I argued. We took the few steps off the patio and onto the grass. The yard sloped slightly with dense trees on the perimeter, and apparently, there was a stream on the other side, which was where Beckett was taking me. “I just wanted to spend time with you.”
“Same here,” he agreed. “Uninterrupted time together. Although that invitation to Abditory was appealing.”
With a smile, I tilted my head. “We’ll be back one day. Hopefully soon. But I kind of feel like I’m getting to know you even better. You know, seeing where you spent so much time as a kid.”
“This is a good peek into my childhood,” he said, dropping his arm from around me to clasp my hand and guide me through the trees. Branches and leaves crunched under our shoes, and a cold breeze blew through the bare limbs.
“So, what were you like as a kid?”
He helped me over a larger tree that had fallen, and I liked how when we walked together, he always slowed his long strides so I could easily keep up.
“I feel like I wasn’t much different than I am now. I mean, for the five years I was an only child before Andrew was born, I definitely liked being the center of attention. But when he was born, being a big brother was my favorite thing. At least until middle school.”
“So, you’ve always been close?”
He shrugged as the stream came into view. “There were a few years when I was a teenager, and Andrew was still a kid when he annoyed the absolute shit out of me, but other than that, yeah, we’ve always been really close.”
“A built-in best friend,” I said, but my words died in a whisper as I took in the view in front of us.
The little stream with its rocky shores and clear water was no more than five feet wide. There was a little ice along the bank, and according to Beckett, the water level was lower because of the time of year. But there was still that calming sound of rushing water.
Beyond the little stream, there were more trees and rolling hills. With steep drop-offs and rocky ridges, it was bare in the most beautiful way. Quiet and serene beside the stream. I bet it was beautiful in the autumn, with colorful leaves filling the trees and the temperature slowly dropping.
“This is…” I couldn’t find the right words, nothing sounded descriptive enough.
But Beckett understood anyway. “I know,” he agreed, stepping up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
I let my head rest back on his chest and closed my eyes, focusing on the sound of the bubbling stream and Beckett’s warmth. The easy rise and fall of his chest and each steady breath.
I paid attention to each breath and how the cold, crisp air filled my lungs. How it chilled my cheeks and ruffled my hair with each gust. A wonderful, easy calm washed over me, and I could almost cry.
I’d never been so relaxed, so without worry or concern. I couldn’t remember the last time I wasn’t taking care of something or someone else.
“Thank you,” I whispered, and Beckett adjusted behind me. He dropped his mouth to my neck and kissed me softly, lips lingering for a moment as he took a deep breath.
“I’m not sure why you’re thanking me, but you’re welcome all the same,” he said, and I giggled.
Turning my head, I caught his lips with mine for a quick kiss. I leaned back and smiled up at him. “For bringing me here. For caring. For knowing that this is exactly something I would love and needed. Just for being…you.”
He hummed against my skin, and I felt goose bumps over my arms and down my legs.
“I’m so glad you like it,” he murmured. “I’ll plan a time for us to come back for longer. During the summer, we can go down to the lake and go hiking.”
“Umm…not really a huge fan of hiking,” I admitted, and Beckett kissed my neck again before he pulled back and stepped up beside me.
“It would be a short hike. Nothing more than a mile.”
“Ahh, okay. I could manage a mile,” I agreed as he intertwined our fingers and carefully led us along the bank of the stream.
“I want to show you one of my other favorite spots,” he said. “It’s only about a quarter of a mile up.”
We walked in amicable silence for a little while, just enjoying the sounds of nature and each other’s company. It was nice that the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. That it wasn’t awkward, so there was no reason to fill every moment with mindless chatter.
“I want to ask you about your childhood,” Beckett said, and I peered over at him. We were both watching our feet more than anything, trying to navigate around rocks and trees and logs we came across. “But if you’d rather not…”
I understood his hesitance and concern. We were having a perfect time, and bringing up my childhood also meant bringing up how my parents weren’t around for most of it.
“No, it’s fine. I had a really happy childhood actually,” I said.
“I mean, of course, losing my parents was not part of that, but Nana and Grams made it happy afterward. Since I was an only child, I got a lot of attention. It also helped that they probably felt a little guilty that I’d lost my parents so early in life. ”
I laughed, and Beckett shot me his award-winning, panty-melting smile.
“So, you were spoiled?”
“Spoiled with love and attention,” I agreed. “But we never had a lot of money, so I wasn’t spoiled with material things. I never wanted for anything, though. Except for a sibling.”
“I couldn’t imagine not having a sibling.”
Nodding, I lost my footing and almost slipped over a wet rock. Beckett was there, though, his arm hooking around my middle and catching me before I could hit the ground and likely slide into the freezing water.
“Holy shit,” I muttered, holding onto him for dear life as my heart rate tried to even out once again. “I saw my life flash before my eyes,” I joked.
Beckett chuckled and shook his head. “Let’s walk up in the trees,” he said and headed away from the stream bank.
“Less probability of slipping and falling into freezing water.” The ground was much more even in the trees, but it had been nice to walk along the stream bed for a while.
“You were talking about wanting a sibling,” Beckett reminded me.
“Yes, all my friends had siblings, and I wanted that so bad. Even when they fought or complained at length about the pesky younger sister or annoying older brother, I didn’t care. Like you and Andrew, I liked the idea of a built-in best friend.”
Beckett nodded thoughtfully and ran his free hand—the one that wasn’t holding mine—through his hair. “But you have Bri, right? You said she was like a sister to you.”
I smiled at the thought of my best friend.
“Yes, she is. Bri moving in next door was the best thing that happened to me as a kid and one of the best things to happen to me ever. She is my sister. I love her unconditionally. We’ve been there for each other through everything.
Good, bad, or ugly—she was always by my side. ”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Beckett said, and I squeezed his hand. I couldn’t wait to introduce them. Bri already loved Beckett because he treated me so well, and she knew how happy I was. And Beckett loved Bri for very similar reasons.
“I can’t wait for you to meet her. She might be back in a few months for her mom’s birthday,” I said, and contemplated my next thought and whether it was really something I wanted to voice.
But holding back wouldn’t help either of us.
And if I hadn’t scared him off yet, I knew my odds were pretty good that he’d be able to handle almost anything I threw at him.
“But before Bri, I was pretty lonely,” I admitted.
“I had a hard time making friends after my parents died. Kids are mean, but they were also young, and they couldn’t understand that I lived with my grandmothers and my parents weren’t around. ”
“Shit, baby girl,” he muttered, but I waved him off.
“Yeah, it sucked, but I made it through. It also made me realize how much I would want to give my kids siblings. Although Nana went about it the completely wrong way, she was right. I do want kids eventually. So, when I have them, however that happens, I definitely want at least two.”
Still focused on each step and staring intently at where I was going so I didn’t slip or trip a second time, I managed to sneak a peek at Beckett. But he wasn’t fazed.
“Two is a good number,” he agreed, and I rolled my lips to suppress my smile as much as I could. But he caught on quickly and tugged me closer as we approached a clearing. The trees dispersed, opening to a large grassy area and the most spectacular view of the mountains and hills beyond.
“Wow,” I muttered. “This is incredible.”
“I’m glad you think so. This is my favorite spot. And it’s even better in the fall when all the leaves change. Come on.”
He tugged me farther into the clearing and closer to the slight slope. We were far enough from the edge that I didn’t feel anxious and could enjoy the view.
Beckett shrugged off his backpack and finally unzipped it. He pulled out a cream-colored blanket and spread it out in front of us, then reached back in the bag and grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“Dang, you came prepared,” I said, smiling down at the cute little setup.
“I’m always prepared, baby girl.”
He returned my smile and kissed me before kneeling on the blanket and tugging me down beside him. My stomach flipped in excitement, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
“The sun’s going to go down soon, so we won’t be able to stay for too long. But I thought it would be nice to watch the sunset before it gets too cold.”
He handed me a glass, which was actually a plastic cup shaped like a wine glass, and poured me a generous amount. He poured himself a glass and carefully set the wine bottle in the grass next to the blanket.
I folded my legs beneath me and held my wine in both hands as he stretched his legs out next to me and rested most of his weight on his arm behind me.
“Would you want to live somewhere like this?” I asked, taking a slow sip of my wine and letting the fruity flavor linger on my tongue. He always picked out the best wine. I wasn’t a fan of super dry or tart, but anything he poured for me or picked was the perfect amount of sweetness.
He took a sip of his own drink and looked out at the view and the sun that was kissing the edge of the horizon. “Full-time? Maybe one day, but not anytime soon. Maybe when I’m closer to retirement.”
“I mean, aren’t you already pretty close, old man?”
Beckett’s jaw dropped, and I giggled at his reaction. He acted offended, but I just leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You can’t get too mad,” I argued. “It was my first and only ‘old man’ joke.”
“Better be,” he muttered, but I could see the laughter in his eyes. “Anyway, this place will stay in our family. My parents will sign it over to me and Andrew in the next few years. And I know neither of us has plans to sell it.”
“You’d share it?”
He nodded and leaned over, dropping a kiss on my shoulder. “Yeah. I guess we’d always planned to spend time here with our families during the holidays or trade off vacation if we wanted to.”
“I think that’s really cool. It’s close enough to the city that it’s an easy drive, but it’s far enough away that it feels like you’re in a different world.”
We settled into easy conversation from there. Talking about anything from our dream vacation spots to what we wanted for our futures. Eventually, we got more comfortable on the blanket as the sun dropped beneath the horizon, painting the sky in a deep orange and light pink.
Beckett’s head ended up in my lap, and I was combing my fingers through his soft hair. His breathing had slowed, and he’d been quiet for so long, I peeked over him to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep.
He hadn’t, but his eyes were heavy.
“Are you ready to head back?” I asked.
“Yeah, I guess we should,” he agreed. “I’ll cut some wood so we can make a fire and curl up in bed.”
“Perfect.”