Page 64 of Moms of Mayhem
His attention came back to me, and this time his smile was softer than when he teased. It wasn’t the same as the sexy grin when he was flirting—no, this one was a little distant and held a level of sadness I hated seeing there. It made me want to rise on my toes and kiss him, just to pull him back from wherever his mind had gone.
“Yeah. She’s good. I’m going to bring her to Pilates after the new year.”
I must have looked like a bobblehead I was nodding so much, then jabbed a thumb toward my car, needing to end whatever this was. “I’ve got some last-minute errands to run, but I’ll look up rehab plans for her that will be perfect for Parkinson’s.”
“Thank you, Emmy.” Beckett brushed a stray hair off my face, then let his warm palm rest on the side of my neck. “I haven’t said that yet, but I keep thinking it.”
I swallowed hard, his gentle touch sending heat down my spine, even as the bitter wind bit at my cheeks.
“You don’t have to thank me,” I said, though my voice came out quieter than I meant. “It’s nice. Helping you. I like it.”
His thumb grazed my jaw before he dropped his hand, and the absence of his touch was its own kind of ache.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He backed away a step. Still watching me.
I nodded again, sure my head was about to roll right down the street. “Yeah. Tomorrow.”
He turned toward his truck and limped the few steps to it without looking back. I watched him go anyway—watched the way he moved, slower than usual, the way his broad shoulders rose and fell like he was carrying more than just a healing injury.
I hated how much I wanted to be the one to ease that weight.
Sliding into my car, I sat there a moment longer than necessary, fingers curled tight around the heated steering wheel. It wasn’t just that he was stupid hot or made me laugh with his never-endingflirting.
It was how he looked at me—reallylooked at me, like I wasn’t just Jace’s mom or Ty’s sister or the girl running the studio on fumes, and that was terrifying.
I exhaled hard and pulled out onto the street, telling myself I was imagining things. That whatever this was would burn itself out. But even as I drove away, I could still feel the echo of his hand on my neck like it belonged there.
I did my best to keep things professional on Monday and Tuesday morning, focusing on Beckett’s hip and his recovery timeline. Jace had told him about my research study with Dr. Riviera investigating healing times for professional athletes when incorporating Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and that gave us something other than sexual tension to discuss.
Luckily, I could tell he was following all of Frankie’s and my instructions, and his progress was coming along well. I, on the other hand, was having a mental breakdown over the idea of going out with him and Ty on New Year’s Eve next week.
By the time Tuesday evening rolled around, I’d worked myself up so much, I was pacing in front of the studio window, looking for Stevie. We’d exchanged numbers and had texted throughout the week, but with school officially out for winter break, I wasn’t sure if she’d show.
Shannon stared at me through squinted eyes, but she’d been too focused on finals to ask about why my hands were practically pretzel-shaped I’d wrung them so many times since Beckett left this morning.
Headlights flashed in the studio window, and I clappedwhen I saw Stevie’s minivan. My new friend climbed out, then opened the sliding door.
“They’re here,” I said, and Shannon clicked the computer off, coming around the desk to stand next to me.
The moment Stevie opened the door, Shannon held her arms out and Harper damn near flew into them. “Hey, bestie. How have you been?”
Harper smashed her little hands on either side of Shannon’s face, then leaned in until their foreheads touched.
“Tell Mommy to have fun!” Shannon said, then put Harper down on the floor. The little girl waved to her mom, then toddled down the aisle holding Shannon’s finger.
“That is still unreal,” Stevie said, her hat and coat still on where she stood just inside the door. “I’m not even sure she likes my husband that much.”
I chuckled, then helped her out of her coat. “Pilates today? Or a nap?”
“I actually napped while Harper was down today. The boys destroyed my living room but everyone was still alive, so we’ll call it a success.”
As I was turning away from the window, I caught sight of a black truck parked across the street at the hardware store. Like he’d been summoned from my thoughts, Beckett walked out of my brother’s store. He looked across the street and our eyes met.
“Shit.” I practically dove down out of sight, even though it was too late.
“Uh.” Stevie looked between the window and me. “Everything okay?”
I peeked around the bench, but Beckett was already gone.
