Page 82 of Forever to Fall
CHAPTER 26
It had been forty-eighthours since his best friend punched him in the face, and Beckett wasn’t sure what to do. He’d promised himself he’d give both Lawson siblings space, which didn’t sit right with him. He wasn’t used to being back without any contact from either of them, yet here he was.
Beckett took some time in the orchards though, the trees bringing him a sense of purpose he didn’t know he was missing. He’d reached out to the former foreman about getting the crew back for the next season. This farm, these trees, were his grandparent’s legacy; he wasn’t going to squander that a moment longer. If he was coming out of mourning, then the land was too.
Unwilling to go back to his apartment, he’d stayed at the farm house and busied himself with pottering around. Since the orchards got some much-needed attention, the house deserved the same treatment. He’d fixed the last shutter without falling to his death, a huge bonus, and now he was working on a loose floorboard on the porch. With his ear buds in, he hadn’t heard Evan’s car as it drove down the gravel driveway, and only his shadow blocking his work caused him to pause.
Popping his ear buds out, he lifted his head to Evan, shielding his eyes with his free hand. “If you came here for a rematch, can I at least finish this plank? I’d hate to leave this project unfinished.”
Evan held out a hand to help Beckett to his feet, his expression unreadable. “Thanks,” Beckett said, letting the hammer drop to his feet with a thud. He dusted his hands on his pant legs before building up the courage to meet his friend’s eye.
“I’m sorry I punched you.” Evan’s blue gaze was not on Beckett’s face, but somewhere off his shoulder. It was hardly the best apology he’d ever received, but he wasn’t about to complain either. Evan was here, and he wasn’t currently beating the snot out of him. That counted for something, right?
“Apology accepted. I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same if the shoe were on the other foot.”
Evan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, it wasn’t the right thing to do. CeCe and Mal both read me the riot act about it.” A huff escaped him as his shoulders slumped. He looked truly dejected. “I’m sorry for hitting you. It doesn’t sit right with me, Foxy.”
Beckett deflated at the sound of his nickname, a kernel of hope popping in his chest. Maybe all wasn’t lost with Evan after all. “Seriously, Lawless. Don’t worry about.”
Evan smirked at the sound of his own nickname and toed the hammer on the porch floor. “Need a little help with this?”
“I wouldn’t say no.” Beckett thrust his hands on his hips. “You mind a little woodworking?”
Without another word, Evan got down on all-fours, the hammer already prying up the warped board. “Hand me the new board and some of the longer nails.” Beckett did as he was told and the pair worked in companionable silence until the new boards were installed. While it wasn’t a difficult task, having his buddy’s help saved Beckett at least an hour.
“Thanks, man. This really saved me some time.”
Evan helped Beckett collect their tools and followed him inside the house and into the kitchen. Beckett poured two glasses of water and kicked out a chair for Evan to sit. “You thinking of selling this place?” Evan spun the glass in his hands, swirling a pattern in the condensation.
Beckett took a drink and eased back into his chair. “Honestly, I don’t think I can. I know it’s a little isolated out here, but this is my home. I like my apartment in Buckeye Falls, but I couldn’t handle someone else living here.” He traced a line on the table with his finger, feeling himself relax at the truth. “I reached out to our old foreman, and he’s going to have a crew ready for next season. It’s time for this place to feel like home again.”
Thiswashis home, no matter what happened with Mallory. His grandparents left the house to him, and it was his responsibility to make it a home for the next generation of Foxes. He just hoped they had startling blue eyes and thick, chocolaty hair...or at least better vision than their father. The thought made Beckett adjust his glasses, leaving a spot of water on the frame.
“I’m glad, seriously. There’s a lot of good memories in this old place.” Evan’s expression took on a wistful quality.
It was impossible not to go down Memory Lane with Evan here. Thinking about the old times, from mud fights outside to helping Gramps with the fencing in the spring, to apple picking in the fall with Gram, the pair had so many good times on this property. “There certainly are.” Beckett agreed, letting out a sigh. He was about to change the subject when Evan cleared his throat.
“See, here’s the thing.”
“Yeah?” His friend’s tone had changed just enough to make Beckett nervous. He didn’t think he’d get another slug to the face, but these days, who the hell knew?
“If you hurt her, I’m going to have to kill you.”
Beckett stilled, unsure how to react. The very last thing he wanted to do was hurt Mallory again. He’d sooner take a bullet. Yet to have Evan address the elephant in the room, it took his breath away. “Totally understandable,” he replied.
Evan rubbed the back of his neck, his lips turning down in the corners. “I know we don’t like”—he hesitated, flapping his hands between them—“talk about the women in our lives in detail.”
Beckett nodded, biting back a laugh. Not only had Evan bored him to death with CeCe chatter over the last year, but he’d texted Beckett at all hours when they had temporarily broken up. If he hadn’t been on the road for work, he would have been with Mallory knocking some sense into his friend. Yet he knew what Evan was getting at.
With Beckett’s previous girlfriends, who were admittedly few and far between, he wasn’t big on spilling the beans. Practically, he understood it was because the girls were place holders, keeping him distracted until Mallory was back in his orbit. Of course, they were nice girls, women he still considered friends, but they weren’t end game.
