Page 5 of Forever to Fall
After pulling himself to his feet, Beckett stalked back to the fridge for more liquid courage. The topic of Mallory rarely relaxed him. “So, um, how is Mallory?” He was fairly certain she was local and still single, but he’d never pushed the issue with Evan. His grandfather’s words rang through his head as he waited for an answer.Please be good news...
Clearly not picking up on his friend’s inner turmoil, Evan kicked his feet out and propped them up on a box of books. “She’s good. Still an ER nurse over in Columbus, but she lives pretty close to here. Neither of us wanted to be in the same town as our parents, and Buckeye Falls is too perfect.”
He wouldn’t get an argument out of Beckett, who always loved visiting the little hamlet. The people were friendly, the food scene was inspired, and the cost of living couldn’t be beat. When the time came to start planning his future, it only seemed natural to come here. And it had nothing to do with a certain brunette nurse with a heart of gold.Nope, not one bit.
Evan checked his smart watch and groaned. “I hate to move and run, but I promised CeCe I’d be home for dinner.”
Beckett strode to the door and cupped his friend’s shoulder. “Look at you, Lawless, all domestic.”
“Pfft, it’s pretty great, Foxy. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.” He bounded toward his car, spinning on his heel before getting behind the wheel. “Hey. How do you feel about a little housewarming in a week or two? You could meet some of the other Buckeyes. It could be fun.”
Since he was currently speaking to his only local friend, Beckett could not disagree with Evan’s logic. “Sure, sounds fun.”
“Great! I’ll get Mal on it. You know she loves to plan a party.” With a final wave, Evan got in his car and drove away.
Beckett went back inside and flopped back on the couch. After yanking off his glasses, he rubbed his face and pondered his decision to move here. Did he make a mistake by coming here? Could he live in the same town as Mallory and not be a lovesick fool? He didn’t think so, but he also knew he couldn’t stay away forever.
Gramps’s words rang through as he drifted off to sleep on the couch, surrounded by dozens of boxes and forgotten beer bottles.Life is only sweet if you share it with your person. There wasn’t a doubt in Beckett’s mind; Mallory was most definitely his person. Now he needed to figure out what to do about it.
CHAPTER 2
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“You’re telling me Ican buy your book in bookstores and everything?” Mallory asked her friend as she drizzled syrup all over a short stack.
Alice Snyder beamed at her, nodding so fiercely her head could have popped off. “Yes!” She squealed, digging an overstuffed envelope from her tote bag. “When James and I were in New York we got everything sorted.”
Mallory snatched the papers from her friend and hurried to scan through them. “Holy crap,” she said on an exhale. “Alice, they want at least two books? That’s amazing.” She reached across the table and hugged her as firmly as she could without crumpling the papers or getting syrup on their clothes. “I’m so excited for you.”
Once they broke apart, Alice dabbed at her eyes with a napkin and grinned. “I can’t believe it’s all happening. I’ve been talking about doing this for years, and it’s finally happening.”
“You’ve earned it,” Mallory insisted, understanding all the hard work her friend had put into her writing passion. While only friends for the last year, the two had grown close. Alice was the sister of Buckeye Falls’ mayor, Anthony, and was currently dating one of the hottest artists in the country, James Gibson. When the pair got together months before, it was clear that Alice was head over heels. Mallory savored every moment of their courtship and loved living vicariously through Alice. Plus, it didn’t hurt that James was a minor celebrity and fueled her passion for pop culture gossip.
Alice sliced into her omelet and took a greedy bite. “Well, I think James gets an honorable mention here. His friend is the reason I got an invite to meet the publisher in the first place.”
“No argument there, but your writing is why you have that fat contract.” She gestured to it with her fork and took a bite from her pancakes. Evan had added extra chocolate chips, and she felt a cavity form as she chewed.Totally worth it!
