Page 95 of A Much Younger Man
After the hard work we put in, we were exhausted on the return trip. Even Travis, whose irrepressible good humor I counted on, was silent and morose as we entered St. Nacho’s at sundown on Wednesday.
He grabbed the gear out of the back of my truck and helped me stow it away, but he and April hardly said a word while we worked.
When it came time to go our separate ways, he said goodnight and asked April if she wanted to get a drink. She gave him a smile. I wondered if St. Nacho’s was working its special magic there. I’d had no hint of a budding romance prior to that moment. Maybe they were feeling simple camaraderie, or the need to avoid drinking alone, but as I watched them head to the cantina together on foot, I thought maybe…maybe I’d missed something blossoming between them.
They deserved every happiness, which of course made me think about Beck.
I finished putting away gear and made notes with regard to restocking supplies. Despite having showered at Jeanie’s place that morning, I felt like I’d been dipped in a special kind of filth. I wasn’t going to feel clean until I’d showered at home and donned fresh clothes.
It was a mark of how tired I was that I disregarded the unremarkable black Mercedes sedan parked across the street from my house. Instead, I pulled into my driveway and slogged up to my front door. I had little on my mind besides cleaning up and falling into bed.
My first inkling my plans had changed was the delightful sight of Beck sitting on my sofa with Callie in his lap and Rico on his shoulder. Seeing him was a cool drink of water in Death Valley.
“Hey, sweetheart.” I dropped my duffel bag at the doorway and slipped out of my shoes. “This is a really nice surprise.”
Only as I stepped fully into the living room was I able to see my parents where they sat on the loveseat. Their body language told me everything I needed to know about their mood.
Shit, shit, shit.I hadn’t seen my mother look as angry since the election.
I crossed the room to kiss Mom’s cheek and hug Dad. “I thought you were staying at the resort?”
“We are, darling.” My mother sat back down and settled in, because of course she did. To Dad’s credit, he looked to me helplessly before returning to his seat beside her.
“We only stopped by to say hello. Beck has been kind enough to entertain us while we were waiting for you,” he said.
I glanced Beck’s way. “He should have texted me you were here.”
Beck cringed. “I figured you were on the road.”
“We haven’t been here very long,” said Dad. Beck, on the other hand, looked like he’d been trapped on a deserted island with them for days.
“Long enough to get to know this very niceyoungman.” Mom’s emphasis on the word young could be heard from the ISS.
Awesome.
“I just came by to feed Rico.” Beck looked to me for answers. “I guess I can leave now.”
“No, don’t go. How about you put Rico back and come with me while I freshen up?” I turned to my parents. “You’ll be all right here, won’t you? Help yourselves to anything I have while you’re waiting. There’s a pretty nice cabernet in the pantry.”
“Lovely.” My mother wasn’t going to be deterred from an interrogation it seemed, but if she thought I’d send Beck away like the help while she had her say, she was wrong. “Your father and I could use a drink.”
“Super,” I said.
“Splendid,” Dad echoed.
Beck followed me into the bedroom where I shucked off the scrubs I was wearing. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“When the doorbell rang, I figured it was a package. I opened the door to get it, and there they were.” Beck looked ashen. “I didn’t exactly invite them in, but they’re your parents. I’m sorry if I caused a problem. “
“You could never cause a problem between my parents and me. They do fine on their own.” I grabbed a towel before slipping into the bathroom. “If you want to stay, I’ll be out in no time. Then we can face them together.”
He frowned, and I guessed he was debating the wisdom of fleeing from me and my family. “I’ll wait, but you should probably know something before we go back in there.”
“What?” At his hesitation, my heart sank. “Did they say something to you? Because it’s not their goddamn business who I see.”
“No, it’s not that.” His cheeks darkened. “I just have this history of blurting stupid stuff when I’m nervous, and I may have ruined any chance of them ever liking me.”
“I’m almost forty. It’s not my parents who have to like you.”
