Page 56 of Forever to Fall
“Show time,” Mallory said, her cheeks flushed and her blue eyes shining. He tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear and tried to look enthusiastic for their evening. Spending more time with CeCe had been top on his list of things to do, yet now Beckett wanted to spend time withhisgirl.
Mallory made herself scarce and set up the cheese tray and drinks. “I hope you don’t mind cheese for dinner. The only downside of Evan marrying a chef is that my already subpar culinary skills feel exposed.”
Beckett put out a stack of plates and laughed. “Um, this at least is fancy. I have a feeling French bread pizza won’t impress anyone outside our little trio.” He winked and warmed at Mallory’s expression.
“She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”
A knock at the door was the only thing stopping Beckett from throwing Mallory over his shoulders like a caveman. He needed more of her, all of her. These stolen moments were never going to be enough to fill his quota of Mallory Lawson.
The knob jiggled before Evan let himself in, CeCe close on his heels. “Foxy,” he called out, smiling like the happiest man on earth. And he probably was the happiest man on earth, because he was engaged to the love of his life...publicly.
The lady in question playfully shoved Evan out of the way and strode over to Beckett and Mallory. “Thanks so much for having us,” she said, pulling Mallory into a quick hug before doing the same to Beckett. “And forgive my fiancé’s lack of manners.”
Evan scoffed. “This is Foxy,” he insisted. “There are no locked doors between us.” He clapped his friend on the back before giving his sister a one-armed hug. “What’s up, Mal?”
“Hey, goofball,” she replied, flicking him in the arm. “What can I get everyone to drink?” She played hostess, popping beer bottles and pouring generous glasses of wine. “Ev, I got that new IPA you like.” She tossed a look over her shoulder and asked, “CeCe, you feeling wine or beer?”
CeCe had already walked over to the kitchen table, sneaking a peek at the array of cheese and fruits that Mallory brought. “I’ll have the wine; it’ll go great with this brie.” Not waiting for an invitation, she sliced a wedge and popped it in her mouth. “This is delicious. Is this from the market?”
Mallory pressed a glass of wine into her waiting hand and shook her head. “Nah, I picked these up last week after work. There’s a new specialty market in Columbus. We should do a girls’ day trip and check it out.”
Beckett watched the ladies exchangeoohs andahhs over the cheeseboard. Just as he was about to glance away, he saw Mallory’s face fall for an instant before she recovered. CeCe’s left hand moved animatedly between them, her engagement ring flashing like a lighthouse. “A girls’ trip sounds fun.”
If he didn’t know Mallory well, Beckett wouldn’t think anything of her tone. But he knew she was missing part of her sparkle, part of the excitement he knew she felt for her brother and his future bride.
Evan shook Beckett back to the moment with a jab in the arm. “You listening, Foxy?”
Shaking his head, Beckett turned his back to the ladies, knowing it was the only way he’d be able to focus on Evan. “Sorry, distracted by all the cheese talk. What’s up?”
“I said, why don’t we head to the tux place early next week.”
“Sounds good.” Beckett agreed, knowing it was the right thing to say. He wished he knew how to bring up the issue of the engagement ring with Evan, despite knowing Mallory would skin him alive for spilling her secret. It wasn’t his place to say anything, but he didn’t know if he could handle an eternity of Mallory’s hurt expression every time CeCe was around.
Mallory ushered everyone around the table with the promise of more food. “I also picked up some salami and olives, have a seat.”
CeCe joined her at the counter, offering to slice and arrange the rest of their meal. Mallory seemed to be back to normal, as she excitedly discussed color palates with the bride. “What colors are you two thinking?”
“Something warm since it will be an early fall wedding. Maybe creams and oranges?” Glancing back at the guys, she added, “But I don’t know if that’s the best color for Beckett.” She winked, a clear reference to his fire-engine-red hair. Ah, the joys of being a ginger...
“Pfft, I’m not basing our color scheme on my buddy’s hair.” Evan reached out and ruffled Beckett’s curls loose. “No offense, Foxy.”
CeCe carried the tray over to the table and chuckled. “I thought your nickname was because of your hair. I didn’t realize your last name was Fox.”
Mallory followed closely behind, laying a stack of napkins on the table. On her way to her chair, she paused to run her hands through his hair, putting the curls back in place. Her touch lingered a moment before she pulled back. It was such a reflex, he didn’t think anything of it, until he caught CeCe watching them. She blinked and took her seat next to Evan. Despite not saying anything, CeCe was clearly curious.
Oblivious to her own actions, Mallory plopped down and sipped from her glass. “You two and your nicknames. Frankly, I’ve always thought it was hilarious. Ev’s like the most lawful person I’ve met.”
CeCe pursed her lips and struggled not to laugh. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but...” She poked Evan in the side and beamed. “You’re pretty much the nicest guy on the planet, babe.”
“You ladies wound me.” Evan threw his head back in a moment of theatrics.
The foursome chatted about wedding planning, life at the diner, and how Beckett was settling into his new place. “It’s definitely nice living closer to everything. I was temporarily at another place after Gramps passed, but I hated feeling so isolated.”
Evan popped an olive in his mouth and nodded. “I’m so glad you’re here. Not that I mind the drive to the farm house, but you’re basically down the street.”
“No arguments here,” Mallory chimed in, reaching out with a cheese-laden cracker. Beckett opened his mouth and ate the proffered treat, completely unaware that CeCe was gawking.
Mallory seemed to realize her mistake a moment too soon, dropping her hand so quickly she tipped her wine glass over, spilling the remains of the pale-yellow liquid across the table. “Oh crap.” She bolted upright and dashed into the kitchen for a towel. “Sorry about that.”
