Page 18 of Beckett the Bad Boy
Laughing, I trace a line down the middle of her forehead before playfully tapping her nose. “Yeah, that’s the same reaction my siblings had when they traded their Smarties for my Skittles.”
Beth chuckles then moves to take her bowl to the sink, but I stop her with a hand on her arm. “I’ve got it.” Stacking the empty bowl beneath my own after one last slurp of cereal-flavored milk, I bump her knee with mine.
“So, after the cook-off tomorrow, I’m guessing you’ll be pretty wiped, but what about Sunday? We could spend it together, then you can join my family for dinner.”
The invitation rolls so easily off my tongue, it’s like they are meant to be—Beth, me, and my family.
It’s strange hownotfreaked out that makes me. Especially since it’s serious shit to bring a woman home. And practically unheard of, in my case.
Another first for me.
Her brows shoot skyward. “Really? You want me to meet your family?”
“Well, you already know Kennedy, but yeah… Unless that’s too much,” I say, suddenly worried that I’ve gone too far.
Maybe Beth doesn’t feel as strong of a connection as I do.
Maybe all she wanted was a wild night with the Suitor’s Crossing bad boy; she wouldn’t be the first.
Maybe she—
“No, it sounds fun.” A bright smile lights up her face, and the unfamiliar spiral I fell into slams to a halt.
Maybe my girl is starting to rub off on me because I’ve never nervously rambled in my life.
A twinge of unease snakes through my belly.
I’m not sure how I feel about a woman affecting me so easily.Changing me.Will it be for better or worse?
CHAPTER TEN
BETH
Suitor’s Crossing’s Annual Chili Cook-Off marks the official start of fall festivities. Everything becomes pumpkins, gourds, and hay bales until we switch to Christmas mid-November.
It’s the perfect opportunity to revel in cooler weather while being warmed by a hearty cup of chili.
Even if this year attendees have to wander outside Hearthstone Lodge’s banquet room to experience a chilly autumn breeze rather than ambling down Main Street like usual.
As the town’s lead event organizer, I’ve already sampled a ton of entries into this year’s Best Chili contest, and the growing number of donations the fundraiser has received for the fire department assures me that today is a success.
The burst water main may have knocked me down a little, but I recovered, thanks to Kennedy and her family’s help, and now I know that if weather ever fails us in the future, we potentially have the perfect back-up solution.
“Hey, how are things going?” Beckett approaches the volunteer table I’ve been camped behind for the past two hours, and I can’t resist casting an appreciative stare over his handsome figure encased in more SCFD paraphernalia.
Several off-duty firefighters are participating in the chili contest to boost the department’s visibility and garner thosedonations, so I’m not surprised that Beckett is also showcasing his association.
“Good. We’ve met 75% of our fundraising goal, and we’ve still got a couple more hours to go before shutting down.”
“That is awesome!” Beckett’s proud smile causes my belly to squeeze and cheeks to flush in pleasure. He looks at me like I singlehandedly saved the fire department’s budget. Like I personally donated that much money.
It feels good.
Nice being appreciated for a job well-done.
He raises a hand holding a foam cup. “Speaking of goals, this is our shift’s entry for the contest, and the guys think we’ve got a winner. I’m not sure if you’ve tried it yet, but I figured I’d bring you a sample, just in case.”
“Thanks.” I accept the warm cup, shivering at the casual caress of his thumb across mine in the exchange. “I had some earlier, but I’ll never say no to food. Obviously.” I pat my round stomach with a self-deprecating snicker.