Forty-one
Beckett
I look around the dinner table and feel something I’ve been pursuing for years wash over me—peace.
Not the kind that comes and goes depending on what’s happening around me, but the kind that roots deep.
The kind that tells me I don’t need to keep reaching for what’s next because this, right here, is enough.
Kingston and Greyson are across from me, deep in conversation about the Vancouver Canadians, our minor league baseball team.
They’re tossing around dates, talking about maybe heading into VanCity for a weekend game.
I hear Greyson say something about grabbing a hotel and making a little trip out of it.
Trinity leans in, teasing Kingston. “Are you bringing a date?” she asks, lifting her glass with a knowing smile .
Kingston shrugs, trying to play it cool. “I’ve got a friend in Vancouver who might join us.”
Mom’s eyes catch the light, and I can see it, the sparkle she always gets when one of us drops a hint about something new. Something hopeful.
On the other side of the table, Tarryn and Ryker are locked in a heated debate over the last dinner roll. They’re polling the entire table to figure out who had two when both of them swear they only had one. It’s childish and ridiculous—and so perfectly them.
Mom gets up and comes back with the bread bag from the kitchen, laughing as she sets it down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t put enough on the table.”
Tarryn grins like a wolf, snatches two rolls from the bag, and dares Ryker to say a word. He opens his mouth, then wisely shuts it.
I stand, heart beating a little faster. “Hey,” I say, clearing my throat. Everyone quiets down and turns to me.
“I just wanted to let you know that Sadie and I are officially together.”
There’s a beat of silence, and then Mom gasps, her hand flying to her heart like she’s been waiting for this moment her whole life. “Oh, honey,” she says, getting up and circling the table to throw her arms around Sadie. “I’m so thrilled. Welcome to the family, sweetheart.”
Sadie beams, and I can tell she’s holding back tears. My heart swells. I’ve finally arrived exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Dad lifts his glass. “To Beckett and Sadie. May your hearts always beat as one.”
The family raises their glasses. I catch Sadie’s eye, and she’s smiling at me like I’m everything she’s ever wanted.
Tarryn leans forward, chin resting on her hand, eyes sharp. “So…what was the commotion at your house this morning? All the sirens and police lit up the entire hillside.”
Sadie gives me a quick glance before turning to the table.
“Alex a nd Simon Tremblay broke in. They were angry, convinced I took something when I left Alex. The police think they’re tied to a pretty nasty sports-betting ring, and it looks like extortion and violence were part of the deal.
Seems like both men will be spending time in jail. ”
Her voice stays calm, but her hand slips into mine under the table.
She squeezes, and when I look at her, I see it, the quiet strength in her gaze, but also the affection.
“I was scared,” she says, her voice soft.
“Really scared. But Beckett was there, and I don’t know what I would’ve done without him. ”
Mom wipes her eyes like she’s trying to play it off, and Dad reaches for the wine to top off everyone’s glasses.
Ryker, always the one to cut the tension, raises a brow. “Are the police going to start going after people who, you know, placed bets through them?”
Mom turns toward him, her eyebrows rising. “Ryker, is your name on that list?”
He shrugs, guilty as hell. “It may be. But only once.”
Sadie grins. “They seemed way more focused on the extortion and violence side of things. Not so much the casual bettors.”
“The guys at the top are the ones in real trouble,” I confirm.
Tarryn gives Sadie a look. “Did you know what they were doing?”
Sadie shakes her head. “They didn’t include me in anything. I didn’t know anything until I found a jump drive in a pair of Alex’s jeans that I took by mistake when I moved out.”
Ryker’s eyes widen. “Wait, you found a jump drive?”
She nods. “Yeah, and from what the cops said, it had nicknames and initials instead of real names for the bettors. So, Ryker, if you only bet once, you’re probably okay.”
He laughs, lifting his glass. “It was the NFL Super Bowl. I lost bad. Swore off betting and stuck to medicine. Heartbreak is safer than gambling.”
We all laugh, and the tension breaks, rippling around the table like a wave of relief. For a moment, I sit back and breathe it all in—my family, Sadie at my side, laughter in the air, and peace in my heart.
This is what I’ve been running toward my whole life. And I’ve finally caught it.
The stars are out by the time we say goodnight. Hugs linger longer than usual. Mom holds Sadie tight. Dad clasps my shoulder like he’s proud of the man I’ve become.
Tarryn and Trinity hug Sadie. “We have another sister,” they tell her.
My brothers are full of teasing and grins, but there’s warmth in their eyes.
Sadie slides into the passenger seat, her hand finding mine as I start the car. We don’t say much on the drive home. We don’t need to. The windows are down, the breeze is cool against my arm, and my heart is full.
When we pull into the driveway, the porch light casts a golden glow over the front of the house. I kill the engine, and for a second, we just sit there, looking at each other.
“You good?” I ask quietly.
She nods. “Better than good.”
We don’t make it very far once we’re inside.
The door has barely shut behind us before I press her back against it, my mouth finding hers in a kiss filled with relief, love, and need. She melts into me like she’s been waiting all night for this. Maybe we both have.
Clothes fall away as we move to the bedroom. The room feels different now. It’s not just mine anymore. It’s ours. She pulls me down, her hands in my hair, her breath catching as I move over her, under her, around her.
We take our time.
I memorize every sound she makes, every sigh, every whisper of my name. Her fingers grip my back, her thighs tighten around my waist, and everything in me sharpens with how much I want her. Need her. Love her.
I reach for the drawer, but she stops me. “I’m on the pill if you wa nt to go without a condom. And I was tested after I moved out of Alex’s.”
Heat rushes through me, and I hesitate for just a moment. “Sadie…” I start, but she silences me with a kiss that ignites something primal within. “I’m clean.” I open her legs and find her wet center. She’s always so needy for me.
“Yes,” she breathes, her lips parted, inviting me back.
She props herself up on her elbows, and I spread her wide and dive in.
I’m lost in her, in the taste of her skin and the way she responds to my every touch.
It’s as if I’ve been given a map to a land I never knew existed, and now that I’ve found it, I have to explore every inch.
The way her body arches against me, the soft gasps that escape her lips. They pull me deeper into her world.
“Beckett,” she whispers, her voice trembling with need.
I look up at her, and the sight of her flushed cheeks, those wide, dark eyes filled with something between desire and vulnerability, twists my heart in ways I never anticipated. “Just tell me if it’s too much,” I murmur.
Her hands weave through my hair, guiding me with a gentle urgency. “Don’t stop,” she breathes.
I dive back into her warmth and lose myself again, drowning in the sensations of our bodies colliding. There’s vulnerability in her eyes, which pulls at my instincts to protect and cherish. I understand what’s behind her, and all I want is to help her move forward.
I feel her body tense, the sweet contraction of her muscles against my tongue igniting an inferno within me. Her climax is a quiet explosion, a shattering of the walls she’s built around her heart.
I pull back slightly to witness the expression on her face. She looks at me as if I’ve unlocked some hidden treasure inside her, and that fills me with a heady mix of pride and desire.
“God,” she gasps, collapsing against the sheets, breathless and radiant. “What are you doing to me?”
The corners of my mouth lift in a smile I can’t contain. “Just g iving you what you deserve.” I press a soft kiss to her forehead.
This is only the beginning of our story, and I never want it to end.
She looks up at me, eyes wide and glassy, lips parted. “Thank you for loving me,” she whispers.
My heart kicks against my ribs. “Always and forever.”
Later, still tangled in sheets, I pull her close and press a kiss to her shoulder. She hums, already half-asleep, her body curved into mine like we were made to fit.
I close my eyes and breathe her in. I have everything I want right here.