Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
B ecket leaned back in his seat, half listening as Esther Williams spoke. She’d been the one doing most of the talking all evening.
His plate was empty and his stomach full. The food had been good. Another new thing he’d now learned about Sky—she was a hell of a cook. Although, even the good food couldn’t make up for the cold tension Tony and her father were putting off.
What the hell was wrong with her dad? Inviting a guy Sky clearly didn’t like, because he thought her boyfriend wasn’t coming. Did he not care about what she wanted?
“And she sleepwalked right out into the backyard, let the stray dog inside, and went back to bed,” Esther continued.
Becket glanced at Sky. “You sleepwalk?”
She shook her head. “I don’t—”
“She does,” her mother interrupted.
Tony leaned forward, suspicion on his face. “Even I know she’s a chronic sleepwalker. Shouldn’t that be something her boyfriend knows?”
Becket flashed a smile, knowing it would just make him angrier. “Did she sleepwalk away from you, Tony? Were you a bit too close?”
Rage flared in the man’s eyes.
Bingo. But why the hell was this idiot anywhere near her while she was sleeping?
“Tony would stay over sometimes,” Esther said, breaking the silence.
“After church,” her father added, the single sentence one of the only things he’d said all night.
“How long have you been part of the church, Roger?” Becket asked.
The older man’s brows lifted, as if surprised by the question. “My entire life.”
“I can see why it would mean a lot to you.”
“It does,” he answered, voice a bit softer.
“It’s how we met,” Esther said affectionately. She looked at Sky, her expression clouding with something like sadness. “We’d hoped our Skylar would be a lifelong part of the church.”
Sky took a gulp of wine. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”
A few seconds of silence passed before Becket spoke. “My mom tried to get us to church once.”
“She did?” Esther asked, clearly intrigued.
“Yeah. I have a lot of respect for people who have your kind of faith.” He looked at Sky. “And for people who choose their own paths and beliefs.”
Sky frowned, but Becket couldn’t tell if it was at him or his mention of faith.
When Tony’s eyes lingered on Sky a bit too long, Becket draped an arm over her shoulders. “Well, this has been lovely.” Tony rolled his eyes, while Sky gave a quiet scoff. “Do you do this regularly?”
“At least a couple of times a month,” Esther answered.
He looked at Sky. “You never told me, Peaches.”
She smiled at him, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I haven’t told you lots of things, honey. We only just started dating.”
“What about before that?” Tony asked. “Friends? Enemies?”
“Mortal enemies,” Becket said, once again smiling at Tony. “She even wanted a fence between our properties so she didn’t have to look at me every day. I think it was because even then, she was attracted to me but too shy to ask out the fire chief.”
She stomped on his foot under the table, and he bit back a laugh.
“Yeah, that’s exactly it.” She looked over at her family. “We didn’t quite hate each other, but if he’d been drowning, I probably would have given him a high five.”
Esther’s brows shot up.
“I mean, even a high five would have been a stretch,” Becket added. “I picture you with popcorn and a folding chair.”
“It would’ve been good entertainment.”
Tony scowled at them as Sky took another sip of her wine.
“So you fought about a fence?” her father asked.
Becket leaned forward. “And my security cameras—”
“Which covered—and still cover—my front yard,” Sky cut in.
“About me trimming her tree—”
“ Butchering my tree.”
“But look at us now.”
“Look at us now.” Humor actually sparkled in Sky’s eyes before she rose to her feet. “I’m going to clear the table.”
“I’ll help.” Becket stood.
Esther helped as well, and the three of them moved around the kitchen while Roger and Tony discussed the last church sermon at the table.
“So,” Esther started, “your family’s been in Amber Ridge for quite a while, haven’t they?”
“Yes, ma’am. My siblings and I were all born here, and my mother still lives in the same house.”
“And your father?”
“He passed away when I was young. A stroke.”
Sky’s gaze flashed to him, and Esther gently rested a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago. My mom’s pretty great. And she’d never leave Amber Ridge.”
“People don’t tend to leave here,” Esther murmured.
Becket looked at Sky. “Why’d you leave?”
Sky paused, her hand still on the dish she was rinsing. “I wanted to live somewhere else for a while, where no one knew me.” Her gaze flickered briefly to her mother before returning to the dishes.
Ah, it wasn’t just about the town. It was about getting space from her parents and their expectations. She didn’t have to explain further for him to get it. She loved them, but they were clearly a lot, both assuming they knew what was best for her.
“She deserted us for a while,” Esther chided. “But we’re glad she’s home. It’s been hard for our Skylar to leave what happened in Cheyenne back in Cheyenne.”
Sky’s head whipped around. “ Mom !”
“What? I’m sure you’ve told him about the fires.”
Becket frowned, his attention fixed on Sky. “Fires?”
She gave her mother what could only be described as a warning glare. “Mom, stop . Not tonight.”
“But, honey—”
“I’m going to take out the trash.” She grabbed the bag, which wasn’t even half full, from the trash can and quickly left through the back door.
Esther came to stand beside him and lowered her voice. “I think I should tell you something that I’m sure Sky hasn’t told you. Skylar thinks she’s…well, she thinks she’s cursed.”
Becket frowned and tracked Sky through the window as she crossed the yard toward the big trash can.
“A lot happened in Cheyenne, and if you can convince her that the universe isn’t out to get her, then we’d be grateful.”
What the hell was she talking about?
“What happened in Cheyenne?” It was probably low of him to ask her mother and not Sky, but he was sure if he asked her, she wouldn’t give him the entire story. Hell, she probably wouldn’t give him anything.
“There was a—”
“Esther,” Roger called from across the room, “what are you whispering about?”
Esther turned back to the food containers she was packing. “Nothing.”
Becket’s gaze returned to the window. He straightened. There was a broken slat of wood in the fence between Sky’s yard and her other neighbor…and he could’ve sworn a shadow moved past just as he looked up.
Without a word, he lowered the plates he was holding and went outside. Sky obviously didn’t hear him coming, because when he reached her right as she turned, she cried out before pressing a hand to her chest.
“Good God, Becket, you scared me to death!”
“How long has that been broken?” he asked, nodding at the fence.
“Um, maybe a few months. It happened after a storm.”
“Who lives there?”
“Just an older woman. She’s a bit of a recluse. I don’t see her very often. I think she may have dementia. And the few times I’ve knocked on her door, she didn’t seem to care for the company. Why?”
He moved over to the fence and stuck his head through. The yard was overgrown, with big bushes and trees, but no sign of anyone.
“Becket.” She touched his shoulder, and he straightened. “What’s going on?”
“I saw a shadow when I was inside.”
Her brows rose. “On the other side of the fence? No. She wouldn’t be out this late. It’s too dark and cold.”
His thoughts too.
A cool breeze rolled through the air, as if to prove her point, and Sky visibly shivered.
He needed to get her inside. He slid an arm around her waist and nudged her toward the door. “Come on.”
They took three steps before she stopped and turned toward him. “Wait, I need to ask you something.”
“Can this wait until we get inside?”
She shook her head. “No. My parents and Tony are in there.”
“I know.”
“They think we’re together.”
“I know that too.”
“Tonight, Mom hasn’t brought up me dying alone once, Dad didn’t make me sit next to Tony, and Tony hasn’t touched or hit on me…well, apart from whatever that thing was in the hall.”
Jesus, the guy was an asshole.
She shuffled her feet, wrapping her arms around her waist as goose bumps pebbled her skin. “So, I was wondering…can we do this for a bit longer?”
He lifted his brows. “ This ?”
“Date. No, not date…pretend to date. Just until Tony leaves town.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened. “Yes? Just like that?”
“Yeah.”
He had no fucking idea why he was doing this. Because the woman made him smile regardless of whether they were fighting or not? Because he liked being around her more than he liked being alone?
“Thank you.” She glanced furtively at the kitchen window, and one side of her mouth lifted. “Mom and Tony are watching us.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Dad will probably join them soon. We’re officially animals in a zoo.”
“Then should we give them something to look at?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, if we want to make this look real…” He stepped closer and curled an arm around her waist.
Her mouth opened in an O, but she didn’t pull away.
Slowly—so damn slowly that she had all the time in the world to move back—he lowered his head.
She didn’t move back.
He kissed her.
Her lips were soft, and her floral scent so fucking strong it surrounded him. He swept his mouth against hers, his other hand lifting and cupping her cheek.
At first she was stiff in his embrace. But that only lasted a second before she melted against him, her fingers grabbing his shirt, scrunching the material.
Shit , she felt good in his arms.
He pulled her closer and she moaned, the sound so fucking sweet he committed it to memory.
When her lips parted, he slid his tongue past them, and this time she hummed as he tasted her. She was a mixture of red wine and something infinitely feminine.
Her fingers trailed up his neck, and he had an urge to lift her. Drag her entire body against his.
Another groan slipped into the air, and this time he wasn’t sure if it was her or him.
He was losing himself when she pushed lightly at his chest. He wanted to growl in protest, and it took too much self-restraint to step back. But he did it.
Her eyes were slightly glazed as she whispered, “I think they’ll believe this is real.”
Hell yes, they would. Because for a moment, he’d been so lost in the kiss, even he’d thought it was real.