Page 92 of Somebody to Save
FORTY-FIVE
MEET THE PARENTS
Addison
My dark bluedress was slightly too long, but I wasn’t surprised. I’d found the perfect silver heelsafterI’d had the dress altered, which I knew was all wrong, but I couldn’t pass them up. They were strappy yet comfortable and didn’t take away from the shiny silk material clinging to my body.
I’d picked my favorite three dresses for the Crawford Law anniversary party and let Beckett have the final say. Especially since he was paying for it.
A sequin purple number was a close second, and he wasn’t a fan of the green, but the blue had been perfect. At least according to him. I kind of felt like a sexy cotton candy with my light pink hair and shiny blue dress, but I loved the sweetheart neckline and how it hugged my curves.
It also allowed me to wear my favorite necklace—the gold one that Beckett had given me for Valentine’s Day with a diamond “B.”
Holding the excess fabric from the floor, I spun around in the middle of the room and checked off each entry on the checklist in my head. The band was set up in the corner of the roomopposite the bar and next to the dance floor. As Caroline instructed, they were playing softly in the background as people entered and until dinner, when Andrew, Beckett, and their father would make a speech. Then they’d move on to something more upbeat to get people dancing.
We kept the decorations simple. Each centerpiece was a small arrangement of white flowers with plenty of greenery and an array of tapered candles. The linens were white and cream, and all the accents were bronze.
With the candles lit and the lights dimmed, the room felt romantic and luxurious. Which was exactly the atmosphere we were going for.
Caroline, our team, and I had spent most of the morning setting up, but I’d been excused to get dressed since I was Beckett’s date. He’d offered to pick me up, but I’d wanted to be there early to make sure everything was good to go and they didn’t need any last-minute help. Although Caroline was of course more than capable of doing it herself, I wanted everything to beextraperfect for Beckett and his family.
And the more I thought about the event and planning, the less I thought about the fact that I would finally be meeting his parents for the first time.
I wanted to make the best first impression, and if the event I’d helped plan didn’t go off without a hitch, that wasn’t working in my favor.
Beckett told me they were excited to meet me and already liked me because of how happy I’d made him, but I knew they couldn’t be without their concerns. Our age difference being a major one.
Worrying my necklace between my fingers, I was counting the chairs at each table when arms wrapped around me from behind. Startled at first, my nerves calmed when I caught his intoxicating scent and the warmth of his chest against my back. His scruff brushed against my skin as he kissed my birthmark and hummed deep in his throat.
“The room is perfect, and you are fucking breathtaking,” he whispered.
Grasping my hips, he spun me around quickly, and breathtaking was right. It had been months since I’d seen him in a tailored tuxedo, and the sight of it took my breath away.
His suit was black, but his bow tie matched the color of my dress, which made my stomach fill with butterflies. His hair was tucked behind his ears, except for that one piece that always fell over his forehead, and he’d trimmed his facial hair to a respectable length.
Reaching up, I toyed with a few gray strands at his temple and ran an appreciative hand down the side of his neck. “Ditto,” I said, then added in a nearly silent whisper, “Daddy.”
Beckett groaned but took a step back to take in my entire outfit. Starting at my strappy heels and eyeing the length of my thigh-high slit, he appreciated my curves and the tasteful cleavage and smiled at his necklace sitting around my neck.
“As much as I love that dress on you, I can’t wait to peel it off later tonight.”
Tossing my head back and letting free a throaty laugh, we were interrupted by a man I immediately recognized as Andrew, Beckett’s younger brother. And even if they weren’t standing directly next to one another, I would have recognized him all the same.
His hair was a little shorter but just as thick as Beckett’s without the same sparse gray around his temples. He was also clean-shaven, and his eyes were more hazel than amber. But damn, the Crawford genes were good.
In his own matching tux, he slung an arm over Beckett’s shoulders and gave him a shocked look. “Did I just hear what I think I did, big bro? What kind of example are you setting for your impressionable younger brother? Talking about taking off her dress. What on earth do you have planned for her after that?”
Beckett closed his eyes momentarily, the brotherly frustrationmaking me roll my lips to contain my smile. And an easy, mischievous grin slipped across Andrew’s lips as he offered me his hand.
“Addison, this is my brother, Andrew.”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” I said, shaking his hand. “And you can call me Addie.”
Andrew had kind eyes, and I liked the way they lit up with his smile. He seemed light on his feet, and immediately I was put at ease.
“Same here,” he said. “I’m so glad I finally get to meet the woman who has my brother so enamored and wrapped around her finger.”
“Andrew,” Beckett scolded as we dropped our hands.
