Page 88 of One Last Encore

Eden just beamed. Ingrid shook her head with a laugh. "But seriously. I’m so happy for you. Even though I miss the heck out of you."

"Miss you like hell," Eden said, pulling Ingrid into a tight hug.

Their heartfelt moment lasted a grand total of three seconds before a knock sounded, followed by the window swinging open. Ronan’s head poked through.

"Beck took all of my cash," Ronan lamented, shaking his head. "He hosed all of us. I should’ve known when he suggested we play for money."

"Poor baby," Eden pouted, patting his cheek. "We should call it a night before you lose our future child’s entire college fund."

"You’re not–" Ingrid’s words faltered as Eden climbed through the window with Ronan’s help.

"God no, not yet," Eden replied with a chuckle, swinging her legs over the ledge. "I’m not ready for teen pregnancy."

"You do realize you’re twenty-seven, right?" Ingrid deadpanned.

"I always forget," Eden admitted, looking genuinely bewildered by her own adulthood.

Ronan and Eden said their goodbyes. Quentin left soon after, mumbling something about a talk show appearance in L.A.

Then there was Sadie, lingering at the door with a devious grin. "Meeting up with a friend," she announced, holding up her phone to flash a dating app on the screen.

"A friend?" Ingrid repeated, unimpressed.

"A new friend," Sadie clarified with a wink, stepping into the hall.

"Come back if you need a place to crash," Ingrid called after her, arms crossed.

"I’ll call you if I do, but I doubt it," Sadie shot back.

"Share your location," Ingrid demanded, narrowing her eyes.

Sadie rolled her eyes but relented. "Okay, Mom. I’ll be fine, I promise." She waved and disappeared down the corridor like a woman with no survival instincts.

Ingrid shut the door, exhaling. She turned around, only to immediately regret it.

Beck was at the sink, washing dishes like he paid rent. His sleeves were pushed up, showing off tattooed forearms that flexed with every swipe of the sponge. The sight made Ingrid’s heart stutter in a way that felt deeply inconvenient. She wanted to pretend it didn’t rattle her, but the truth was, it absolutely did.

Freddie wasted zero time weaving around Beck’s legs like she, too, had already chosen a side in this war.

"I can do the rest," Ingrid offered, fully prepared to reclaim dominance over her kitchen.

"I'm almost done," Beck replied, casually grabbing the last plate.

Ingrid crossed her arms, watching in slight disbelief as he dried it, using a hand towel draped over his shoulder.

"Thank you," she murmured sincerely, because even if it annoyed her, she did appreciate it.

Beck glanced over his shoulder, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks for the invite. Or should I be thanking Eden?"

Ingrid kept her face blank, but Beck was annoyingly good at reading her. She ignored him completely.

"How much did you scam off those bozos?" she asked, smoothly changing the subject.

Beck grinned, pulling his wallet from his back pocket and flashing the cash he’d won. "Sixty bucks. Plus a piece of gum. Tossed the gum, though, it was loose in Sadie’s purse."

"Solid haul," Ingrid replied, smirking as she glanced at the TV. It was still on from earlier, softly playing the opening notes of Law & Order.

Beck followed her gaze, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

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