Page 19 of Forever to Fall
Mallory heaved out another breath before following her to the dining room table. She set out three plates and turned to get utensils.
“Bring back another plate,” Emily ordered.
Mallory ignored her sister, carrying back forks for three. Handing them out like playing cards, she said, “Now I really am going to pull the nurse card. Tyson can’t have salad and chicken.”
Emily flicked Mallory on the elbow, a nasty habit she’d picked up when they were girls.
“Ow,” Mallory exclaimed, rubbing the spot and glaring daggers at Emily. “What the hell, Em?”
“Shh, you’ll wake up Tyson. I’d like to have at least three bites of my dinner be uninterrupted.”
There was a knock at the door, intruding on their sisterly bickering. “I invited Beckett,” Emily said quickly. “Evan mentioned they were spending the afternoon together, and I thought it’d be nice to see him.”
Another knock sounded at the door, and Mallory went pale. “Why did you invite him?”
Emily shrugged. “Because he’s practically family? I haven’t seen him since my wedding, and he needs to meet Tyson.”
Mallory covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Why didn’t you tell me? I look awful.” Since she was planning for sibling togetherness, she’d worn old jeans and a tunic that hid her shape completely. She’d be more glamourous wrapped in a trash bag.
“Calm down and go change. I’ll handle the guys.” Emily pushed her down the hallway. “And put on a little makeup. You look tired.”
“Very helpful, Em. You could have just told me you invited him.” A third knock sounded from the door, and Mallory wondered why Evan wouldn’t use his damned key.
Emily shoved her sister again, this time with more gusto. “My life is very boring right now. It involves a baby and a variety of bodily functions. If watching you squirm andfinallyadmit your feelings to Beckett freaking Fox brings me joy, kill me.”
“I very well might,” Mallory countered, flicking Emily right in the forehead. “And I’m not admitting anything to anyone.”
“Suit yourself, but I’m still having fun.” Emily turned on her heel and ran to the door.
The last thing Mallory heard before she barricaded herself in her room was Beckett’s warm voice as he cooed over the baby. “I might not make it out of here alive,” she mused as she scoured her closet for something to wear. Probably something dark to cover the blood stains when she murdered her sister.
*
Mallory didn’t knowhe was coming, Beckett mused as he took in a table set for three. Plus, their hostess hadn’t made an appearance for nearly ten minutes. She was either hiding or sick, and he wasn’t fond of either option.
Evan asked the question on his mind after he hugged his other sister. “Was Mal abducted by aliens or something?”
Emily flapped her hand in the direction of the hallway, clearly unbothered. “She’ll be right out. I spilled salad dressing all over her.”
Evan snorted. “Sorry I missed the sisterly bonding.”
Peering around her apartment, Beckett saw Mallory in every detail. From the stack of gossip magazines on the coffee table to the family photos on the walls and the comforting lavender candle burning in the corner, it all screamed Mallory. Lost in his musings, he almost missed a tabby cat as it skittered across the floor and right under the sofa. “What was that?” he asked, gesturing in the general direction the beast fled.
“That’s Fernando,” Evan said over his shoulder, attention focused on the baby in his arms. Head dipped, he muttered something in a high-pitch voice until Tyson giggled. His buddy was a natural with kids, and Beckett knew Evan would have a big family of his own someday. A guy like that had a lot of love to give the world.
“Mal got him a couple of years ago, and I can safely say that darn cat hates anyone but her.”
Beckett’s heart squeezed at the notion that she finally got her own cat. It was silly really, but there was a part of him that felt better knowing she had followed through on this wish.
Emily joined them with a pitcher of iced tea. She deftly filled each glass and added a fourth plate to the table without looking up. Once her work was done, she joined them in the living room. “Fernando is all right. The trick is to pretend you don’t care. Then he’ll pop up in your lap and demand belly rubs.”
“I’ve tried to rub his belly every time I come over, and all I get for my effort are scratches and snarls. And let’s be honest, everyone likes me,” Evan protested.
Emily couldn’t stop laughing. “Ev, you literally chase that cat around until you corner it. I think your love is bordering on abuse.”
Evan cradled Tyson against his chest and whispered in mock horror. “Don’t say that in front of the baby.”
Beckett shuffled his feet, unsure where to sit and how to act in this Lawson family tableau. This was far from his first family dinner with the squabbling siblings, but it was the first in two years. A lot could happen in two years, and judging from Mallory’s absence, she wasn’t thrilled at his presence.
