Page 54 of Uproot

A giant wall of a man comes into the foyer behind her, draping an arm over her petite shoulders. Piper introduces him as herfiancé, Oakland Lycus. He scowls at me, and we both appraise each other before shaking hands.

“Please you two, come on into the dining room! We are all set up and ready to eat,” Piper says, leading the way.

We follow behind her, and come into the dining room where there is food set up on tables lining the wall. We set our items down, and Selah introduces me to a younger couple, Libby and Hayes, then reintroduces me to Mary, and her boyfriend Lane. I don’t see Joey anywhere around, and I wonder if he decided not to come.

Just as we are all lining up to get food, Oakland comes into the dining room with Sheriff Vaughn, who has a woman on his arm. Selah goes over to give the woman a hug, and I realize that she must be her closest friend, Evy. I step over and greet her, then turn to Sheriff Vaughn.

He looks a bit less formidable out of uniform, and I’m surprised when the corner of his mouth actually lifts. “Good to see you again Mr. Kade,” he says, nodding at me.

“No need for formalities, Sheriff. Just Beckett is fine,” I say, holding out my hand to shake his.

“Well in that case, just Rockwell, will do as well,” he says, giving me a firm handshake.

He asks about Edison, and I catch him up on everything that I have completed for his custody arrangements as everyone starts getting food around us. We finish talking, and look over at Selah who is still chatting with Evy.

I go over and lean down to her ear, “What would you like to drink, angel? Some juice?” I ask, looking at the drinks lined up on the table.

She looks over at the table and her face looks a bit tense, “I think I’ll just have some water, Beck. Thank you,” she responds quietly.

I grab her a water bottle, and Evy reaches over to grab a can of coke, but Rockwell shakes his head, taking the can from her and setting it back down.

“I’ll get you some water too, baby,” he says, giving her a stern look.

Selah smiles at them and I raise an eyebrow, wondering what that is all about. I get Selah a plate and we move along the table, “Lasagna, right, angel?” I ask already digging into it with the spatula inside of it.

Her eyes dart around the different entrees on the table, and I can feel her anxiety starting to rise. She meets my eyes, and I give her a reassuring smile. “Um..ok, yes. And maybe just some salad,” she agrees finally.

I give her both then move on to the rolls, putting one on her plate too, then add a small portion of vegetables. I balance the plate in one hand and put my hand on her lower back, walking her over to the dining room table. I pull out a chair for her, and she sits as I set the plate gently down on the table in front of her.

“I’m going to get mine. I’ll be right back,” I say, kissing her cheek.

“Thank you,” she mumbles, but doesn’t move to pick up her fork.

I lean down to her ear, “Eat it while it’s still warm, sweetheart.”

Her eyes move to mine, and she nods, picking up her fork. “Ok, Beck.”

I stand back up and see Evy watching our exchange. She gives me a warm smile, and I nod at her, going over to get my food.

29

Beckett

Dinner is surprisingly appetizing, and the conversation with everyone is laid back and friendly. Everyone is curious about what is going on with Edison and me, and I give them a brief version of what has been happening. The group is very welcoming, and I can really see why Selah considers them a second family.

We finish eating and everyone makes their way to the living room. We walk through the kitchen, and Evy stops Selah to give her a hug.

“We are actually going to head home, girl. Rocky isinsistingI get to bed early since I worked today,” Evy says, rolling her eyes.

Selah laughs, shaking her head, “He’s right though Evy, you really should rest more. Call me tomorrow, ok?”

Evy nods and smiles over at me, “It was great meeting you Beckett. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

“It was my pleasure, Evy. Take care,” I respond.

We watch her walk over to take Rockwell’s hand, and he waves at us. I put my arm around Selah’s waist, walking with her to the living room. “Is she alright?” I ask as we stop in the hallway.

She smiles excitedly, “She’s more than alright. They’re having their first baby!” she says. “She just hit 3 months, so they announced it this week.”

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