21. Beckett #3
“Ha ha. Very funny,” I deadpanned, blowing out a breath.
Maybe this was a horrible idea. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut and just figured shit out on my own like everyone else.
“I don’t know. How to change a diaper, or how to warm up a bottle.
” I tried racking my brain for things I’d need to learn, but came up empty.
What did I know about taking care of a kid?
I made a mental note to visit a bookstore to pick up some new reading material.
There had to be books out there on this stuff, right?
“Sawyer deserves the best I have to give, and I watched you in there with your daughters. You are a better father than I ever had, so I figured you might be able to teach me a thing or two. If you don’t want to, though, I understand.
I know we didn’t really get off on the right foot—”
“Alright, alright! If I say yes, will you stop looking so goddamn sad?” Duke asked, glancing away and pushing his fingers through his hair. “I can’t take much more of that wounded puppy act.”
Holy shit. “Is that a yes?”
Duke stared at me for a long moment, eyes softening just a fraction.
I was on the precipice of his approval, I just needed more time to prove myself.
Time I'd fight to get. For the first time since I drove into his town, it felt like I was doing something right. It felt like I was doing something right for the first time since I drove into this town. “Something tells me I’m definitely going to regret this, but yes… I’ll help you.
” He hesitantly brought his hand down on my shoulder, squeezing slightly.
“Thank you,” I breathed. “I promise, I won’t let you down.”
Just then, the girls came stumbling out of the diner, giggling and whispering between themselves conspiratorily. They stopped the moment they saw us, homing in on Duke’s hand on my shoulder. He dropped it immediately, stepping away and clearing his throat. “Took y’all long enough,” he grunted.
Olivia’s lips twitched, curving into a slow, knowing smile. “We wanted to give you boys a moment to bond.”
“It seemed like you were getting cozy,” Sawyer added. Her gaze was soft, but there was something else there, too. Hesitancy, maybe? Like she was curious about my intentions, but scared to ask what they were.
“Just chatting,” I said, gesturing toward my SUV. “Ready to go home?”
Sawyer looked at Olivia and took a deep breath. The woman pulled her in for a hug and whispered something I couldn’t quite make out.
“It was nice to meet you,” Harper said. “Thank you for coming to my game.”
“Thanks for having me. It was a lot of fun.”
Charlie narrowed her eyes. She might not have been Duke’s biological daughter, but they had more in common than I realized. “I don’t know what your intentions with our aunt are, but I’m watching you.” She raised her pointer and middle finger, bringing them to her eyes before turning them on me.
“Alright, sunshine,” Duke said, pulling Charlie into him. “What have we said about threatening people you don’t know?”
She glanced down at her shoes. “Not to do it.”
“Correct. Now, go get in the car,” he said, ushering her toward their vehicle. “Beckett, I’ll be in touch.”
Sawyer and I watched him wrangle both girls into the backseat, smiling quietly to himself as they chatted amongst themselves.
It was so simple. Like the purest form of happiness to ever exist. Duke clearly loved being a father, not only to Harper but to Charlie as well.
No one had ever made fatherhood look easy, but he came damn close.
I could see the past I should have had and the future still possible right before my eyes.
My childhood wasn’t ever filled with that kind of love and laughter.
Neither of my parents was particularly interested in raising a kid.
It was like they only had me, so they didn’t have to be alone with one another.
Nannies mostly carted me around, taking me to school and any activities that I had afterward.
The only time I spent with my mom and dad in the same room was at work parties and the occasional holiday dinner.
Looking back on those memories with nothing short of contempt helped me realize what I wanted from my life. To be a good man. A good partner, husband, and friend. Now, I had the chance.
I held out my hand for Sawyer, who hesitantly took it. She waved goodbye to Olivia and Duke before climbing into my SUV and buckling in. “Where am I taking you?” I asked, starting the car
For a moment, she didn’t speak. She just stared in a way that made me feel like I was flayed open.
My fingers twitched with the urge to shift her focus elsewhere, but I didn't dare burst the fragile bubble encasing us. Instead, I channeled every ounce of steadfast composure I could muster. Sawyer had no reason to trust me. I was well aware of that. So, if that was what she needed in order to see I had no intention of running, so be it. I’d let her look all she wanted.
“You’ve been so honest with me today, and I feel like I need to return the favor,” she said, gaze dropping to her lap.
“What do you mean?” The last thing I wanted was for her to feel pressured to do or say something before she was ready.
I was wholly aware that this whole position we’d found ourselves in was a lot to come to terms with for both of us.
There were so many working parts to this machine, some of which were out of our control.
“You don’t owe me anything, Sawyer. You know that right? ”
“Believe me, I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t want to,” she said, wringing her hands in front of her.
I nodded, settling back in my seat and waiting patiently for her to tell me where to go.
“Home,” she said, finally. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”