Page 139 of Perfect Pitch

He winks at her. “I can’t help they have exceptional taste.”

The rest of the table groans under the weight of Beckett’s exceptionally sized ego. Paige calmly keeps doing what she’s doing without a reaction when Ethan enters the conversation with ease. “That’s for damn sure, kiddo. I mean, think about what it took for your grandmother and grandfather to—‍”

“Thanks, Uncle E, but no. Just no.” Austyn’s quick to intercept that conversation.

“Oh, but come on, Austyn.” Jesse’s tired voice joins in mocking my lover. “Your Grams and Gramps had to have had sex at least three times.”

Fuck yes. Sex. With Austyn. While three times will never be enough, it would work for this morning. I catch her gaze and let my expression tell her where my own thoughts have traveled. She turns a rosy shade of pink.

All eyes turn in her direction except Beckett’s. His cut over to mine and a sneer appears. The corners of my lips tip up. We hold each other’s gaze, neither one of us bending until Austyn announces, “This conversation is not going in the direction I wanted it to.”

“When does it ever with those two around?” Paige shrugs.

“You’re no help, Mama!”

“Listen, kiddo. We have a rule. These are the questions you ask me in private. I’m sure as hell not answering in front of your uncles, let alone your father. Try again later.” Paige sets a glass of tea in front of Beckett.

Beckett is in shock when he probes, “You actually talk about things like... like...”

“Sex?” Paige offers helpfully. Austyn nods frantically, grateful to throw her father back onto the hot seat.

Beckett now looks like he tried to swallow a watermelon whole. I guess learning how to parent a child as precocious as Austyn at any age would be an adjustment, but to meet her at almost twenty? “Well, yes!”

All four Kensingtons laugh robustly. Ethan slaps him on the back. “We men will take you out on the lanai later and we’ll tell you all about when little Miss A had sex education in the fifth grade. Funniest damn day of my life.”

Paige smirks while Austyn shrieks, “It was not funny!”

Jesse deadpans, “Would you rather we tell your father or your future husband?”

Again, Beckett’s eyes seek mine out. I twist my head to the side. Dizziness overwhelms me. Future husband? We’re so new we’ve barely had a chance to add the label of lover to our relationship resume. Now, the word marriage is being bandied about like it’s nothing? I begin to feel a bit lightheaded.

Austyn apparently believes the same.

She begins whirling like a dervish. “Enjoy your night with Uncle E and Uncle Jesse. I’m going to—‍”

Paige interrupts. “Do some laundry if you want clean clothes that don’t look like they’re from the Kensington Borg.”

“Good call, Mama.” Austyn races over and presses a kiss to Paige’s cheek. “Though I could have raided your wardrobe.”

Paige’s smile is filled with malice. “Not if you want me to keep to myself the story about when you started your period.”

The screech Austyn emits likely scares cats away for miles before she takes off running from the kitchen. Soon there’s pounding up the stairs. Nobody speaks for a moment until we hear a door slam. Paige’s energy deflates like a balloon. “Good. I didn’t want to worry her.”

Worry her? About what? My eyes lock on Beckett’s but he just gives me an imperceptible shrug as he waits for the scene to unfold.

“It’s not like she can’t look it up online, Paigey,” Jesse argues.

“You’re right, but if she follows true to form, she’ll be angry at me for a while, lie down, and sleep. When she wakes up and is more rational, I’ll explain everything. She’s just too emotional to listen without overreacting,” Paige counters.

Jesse lifts his glass to acknowledge his sister’s words.

“Tell her what?” Beckett asks.

“The damage to her grandfather’s heart was significant. They ended up having him on the heart-lung machine for much longer than they intended while they not only replaced a valve but also repaired an aneurysm near his stomach that was ready to burst.” She slams her fist against the counter. “Damn him. This was so much worse than a simple blockage.”

“What are his chances?”

“The next twenty-four hours are critical. After that, we’ll find out how much brain and motor function he lost.” Paige yawns and Beckett drags her up to her room shortly after.

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