Page 44 of Forever to Fall
“Jesus, Lawless. That’s awesome.”
Evan shrugged. “That clown deserved more, but Max was right. It wasn’t worth me getting arrested for attempted murder.”
Beckett waited for Evan to chuckle, to give a sign he wasn’t serious, but the edge in his jaw and the tension radiating off him proved he was still mad as hell. “I’m getting those vibes now, man. I feel helpless. Here I am, engaged to the best woman in the freaking world, and Mal’s moping about some jackass. What the hell can I do?”
Clearing his throat, Beckett asked, “And you asked her what’s going on?”
Evan snagged a balled-up napkin and tossed it at Beckett’s head. “No Foxy, I’m taking mindreading lessons at the community college. Hopefully I can just read her mind and get to the bottom of this. Yes, I’ve asked her. She said she’s fine, and we all know women aren’t fine when they say they are.” Evan drained his glass and grimaced when the vodka hit. “I guess that’s the benefit of growing up with three older sisters. I’ve become very good at reading moods, or at least knowing when to hide from them.”
Beckett’s neck thrummed. A tension headache threatened to knock him to his knees. There was a pink elephant in the room, sitting between them and their melting milkshakes. The truth burned the tip of his tongue, begging to be unleashed.Hey Lawless, funny story. Turns out I’ve been breaking your sister’s heart for the last fifteen years. But don’t kill me, because I’m going to be your best man.
Shaking his head, Evan pulled himself to standing and collected empty plates. “Let’s change the subject. I didn’t come over here to be angry and depressed. I came to help with the house and talk about myfiancée.” He put extra emphasis on the last word, his signature grin sliding back into place.
“I don’t need much help with the house tonight,” Beckett said, putting the leftovers in the fridge. “But I’m sure there’s wedding stuff I should be doing? Have you guys set a date yet?”
Evan wiped down the table and gestured toward the living room. “Let’s sit by the window. I love watching the sunset from the front of the house.”
Beckett said a silent prayer of thanks that he’d had the forethought to put away the pillow fort he and Mallory built. Granted he’d slept in that fort like a lovesick loser, but self-preservation won out in the nick of time. The Lawsons were well known for their pillow forts, and Evan would recognize his sister’s handiwork.At least I have a set of crutches ready for when Evan breaks my legs...
Evan flopped down on the far side and draped his arm over the back of the couch. Beckett took the other end and propped his busted foot onto the coffee table. “So, what’s the plan?”
“We’re thinking a short engagement.”
Beckett didn’t know the first thing about engagement periods, but short sounded good to him. The idea of years of wedding planning made him antsy. “Sounds reasonable.”
“Yeah, I mean, we’re still young, but we’re thinking about the future. We want to get a house and have kids, and it seems foolish to wait.”
The weight of his statement settled around the friends, and Beckett felt his eyes sting. There had never been a doubt that Evan would be an excellent family man, but that always seemed so far ahead in the future. Yet now, he was spitting distance to living the American Dream. “Wow, Lawless. I’m really excited for you guys.”
Evan reached out and flicked Beckett’s elbow, causing him to yelp. “Thanks, Foxy. But let’s not get all emotional about it. I already cried on the way over here, so I should be good until tomorrow.” He winked before settling back on his side of the sofa. “What I will need help with is an engagement party.”
“I love a good party.” Beckett waggled his eyebrows.
“We’re thinking lowkey, honestly probably at the diner. We just want our immediate family and close friends there. Nothing too fancy, just really good food and the people we love.”
“Sounds perfect to me,” Beckett said, meaning every word. Being a man, he’d never obsessed about the perfect wedding day. The more he thought about that fact, the more he realized it was because he’d already had the perfect wedding day. It was intimate and sweet, just the woman he loved and his best friend.
“Dude, are you okay? You’re as white as a sheet.”
Beckett waved off his friend’s concern. “Absolutely. I think it was too many onion rings. I hate to say it, but I might be getting too old for that much fried food in one sitting.” He rubbed his belly to illustrate his point, and fortunately, Evan bought it.
“Well, I won’t take up your whole night. I’ll text the dates we’re thinking, and I thought you and Mal could help me with the planning.”
“Of course.” Beckett tried not to get too excited over the prospect of seeing Mallory again, especially since it meant she couldn’t avoid him for all eternity.
Evan pulled himself to his feet, pausing for a moment to watch the sunset outside. The sky had turned orange and pink, like someone had left rainbow sherbet out to melt. The colorful light cut through the rows of apple trees, still bearing fruit despite being ignored for the season.
“God, it’s gorgeous here.”
“No argument here.”
“You should get married here,” Evan said, his smile infectious. “We’re going to find you a nice girl and you’ll live here and then our kids can be friends.”
“Probably need to find a date to your engagement party first, Lawless. Maybe there’s someone in Buckeye Falls.” Beckett hoped his voice wasn’t shaking. It was as if Evan had jumped inside his brain and found the truth.Maybe he had taken mindreading classes?
“Pfft, yeah right. The only ones I can think of are married or Mallory. And we all know that’d be a terrible idea.”
Beckett froze, unable to hold back his follow-up question. “And why is that a terrible idea?”
