Page 28 of Forever to Fall
Beckett smirked. “You think you remember thewholeorder?” He was goading her, but he didn’t care. Back when they were kids, the three of them would ride their bikes to Frizz and Freeze and load up on chili fries, malt shakes, and whatever else they could scarf down on their limited allowances.
“This ain’t my first rodeo,” she said over her shoulder as she closed the door and strode ahead.
Even in her rumpled scrubs, she was a vision. Her dark hair had been styled into a complicated braid that trailed down her spine. Beckett was sure she didn’t know she was doing it, but her hips swayed as she walked, the motion far too appealing. After a quick glance around the parking lot, Beckett was relieved not to see any other men checking her out. They’d be fools not to, but he was greedy and wanted Mallory—and her swaying hips—all to himself.
Ten minutes later, Mallory appeared with two paper bags and a drink caddy weighed down with cups. He couldn’t fight the smile on his lips as she opened his door and handed him one of the bags. “Don’t even think about sneaking a fry without me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He was a liar. As soon as her back was turned, he opened the bag and shoved three fries in his mouth.
In his haste to quickly chew and swallow before she got in the car, he started to choke. Mallory slid into place and pulled a cup from the paper tray. “I should have known,” she chastised him. “Here’s your double cherry pop with a lime twist.”
The concoction was basically Diabetes in a cup. It was their house-made soda with enough sugar syrups to rot anyone’s teeth. Beckett slugged down the sugary drink until his coughs subsided. “Thanks,” he muttered, totally busted, lips tinged red with his crime.
“I told you,” she sing-songed while pulling back to the main road. In a matter of minutes, they were driving down the farm’s long driveway. “I can’t wait to see it in the light. It’s been ages,” she said, mostly to herself.
Beckett wanted to give her the grand tour, or as much as his foot would allow. The crutches the doctor gave him rattled in the back seat, and he was incredibly grateful to Mallory for helping him home. If he didn’t think the admission would cause him to burst into tears, he would tell Mallory how scared he was when he first fell. He had called out for Gramps, forgetting in the heat of the moment that no one was there for him. It felt comforting to have Mallory with him now, but he promised himself he wouldn’t get used to it.
“All right,” Mallory said on a sigh. “We’re here.” She put his car in park and opened the door. Sidestepping the fallen ladder, Mallory quickly retrieved the nail gun and tossed it closer to the house. Just as she reached the car, thunder barked overhead. She yelped before scurrying over to his door. “Let me get the crutches. I’ll handle the food.” Her hands shook as she handed him the poles, her face drawn tight.
“I’ll get the door. It’ll be okay,” he promised. Mallory was tough, the bravest person he knew. But she was also petrified of thunderstorms. The last thing he wanted to do was make her anxious when she was already doing so much for him. Was already doing everything for him...
“Thanks.” Her gratitude came out in a whisper, but she was fast on her feet. By the time Beckett hopped up the three porch stairs, she was on his heels with their food and her purse. A flash of lightning aided his efforts to find the keyhole, and they were inside before the first raindrop fell.
Once over the threshold, Beckett directed Mallory to the kitchen with their bounty. “I’ll lock up and join you.”
While Mallory plated their meal, Beckett kicked off his shoes and eased back onto the crutches. When he reached the kitchen, his breath caught at the tableau before him. Mallory had turned on the lights under the cabinets, bringing a soft light to the space. A lock of chocolate curls fell from her braid, tickling her cheek as she set out their food. Her pale cheeks flushed to a rosy hue from her sprint inside, and the color reminded him of peaches at harvest time.
If Beckett died right now and went to heaven, he was certain this was the sight that would greet him beyond the pearly gates. Gramps’s words rang through his head on a loop, the chant growing louder the closer he got to Mallory.
Go get your girl... Go get your girl...
“I thought we could share the—” Her words faltered at the sound of his crutches clattering to the floor.
Before he could overthink things, before he could talk himself out of this, Beckett made his move. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said, cupping her cheeks and swiping the rogue lock of hair away with his thumb. “Is that okay?”
Mallory barely nodded before his lips crashed down on hers. She tasted like the mint of her chewing gum, bright and fresh. A tiny moan escaped her, but he swallowed it and angled her head so he could deepen the kiss. Her lips were soft beneath his, and he savored the warmth of her body as she pressed close. Hands roaming, she clutched his T-shirt and stayed flush against him. This was the best kiss of his life.
Every nerve ending was on fire, every cell in his body cheering that he was where he needed to be—here with Mallory.
A crack of thunder sounded above them, causing Mallory to flinch and pull back slightly. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he held her in place. “It’s okay, just a little storm.”
She nodded, bringing a hand to her mouth. Her lips were swollen from kissing, and he deflated with relief when she smiled. Just as he was about to pull her close, another sound interrupted them. His stomach growled so loudly, he was surprised it didn’t drown out the rain falling on the tin roof.
“We should eat,” Mallory said, making no move to pull free.
“We should,” Beckett agreed, but he wasn’t done kissing her yet. Starting slowly, he kissed the corner of her mouth before trailing downward toward her neck. Mallory’s head fell back, exposing the pale skin and providing access to more of her—to all of her.
This wasn’t their first kiss, and Beckett promised himself it wouldn’t be their last. He’d finally gotten a taste of Mallory again, and much like the double cherry pop, he was far from done. He craved her, needed her in his life. Perhaps this injury provided the perfect scenario for them to reconcile. No matter what happened next, Beckett was certain of one thing.
He was going to do Gramps proud. He was going to get his girl. She was here, all he had to do was keep her.
