Forty-One
“They should be back by now,” I say, pacing the length of the kitchen.
“Will you please come sit down? You’re making me nervous,” Carson asks from where he’s sitting on a stool at my kitchen island.
Ignoring him, I keep walking.
“Hannah said they’re on their way back and they will be here within the hour.” Logan checks the time on his phone and says, “They should be here anytime.”
“Well, Beck didn’t message me,” I mutter, more to myself than anyone else.
“Is he always like this?” Dillon mumbles under his breath to Riot.
“Nope.” He bends his head to the side, stretching his neck. “This is new. He is usually the calm one in the group.”
Carson knew I was worried about Beck and Hannah’s trip to see Braden’s new girlfriend. He took it upon himself to invite the guys to my place to help distract me. It’s not working.
Claire and Ben are on a playdate, and surprisingly, Meg is at home with Jeff, or they would be here as well.
For a man who had never had guests before, my home has had a revolving door these past couple of months. I’m not complaining—too much.
“I should have followed her,” I grumble, running both hands through my hair.
“That’s the worst thing you could have done,” Riot tries to reason with me. “You know she needed to do this on her own.”
I know he’s right, but fuck, it’s hard waiting for her to return.
Honking from the driveway grabs our attention. I’m already standing, so I get to the door first and throw it open.
Behind all the various vehicles that were already parked in the driveway are Hannah’s blue Jeep and a black pickup truck with dark tinted windows that I have seen around town.
“See, I told you she was fine.” Carson claps me on the back as we watch Beck jump out and slam the door. The broad smile on her face could light up any room.
Logan pushes past us and jogs down the stairs, going directly to Hannah, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Nice wheels,” Carson whistles. “Did he take good care of her for you?”
“It’s cleaner than I thought it would be, to be honest. No gas in the tank, though.” Her bright blue eyes stay locked on me as she crosses the driveway. “I enjoy driving Nana’s car more, though. To be honest, I never wanted this one; it’s way too big for me to drive daily.”
“I can help you sell it if that’s what you decide to do,” Dillon offers from where he’s leaning against a timber post.
She glances at him briefly. “Thank you. I may take you up on that.”
Coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, she smirks and says, “Have you been waiting for me, Pretty Boy?”
“You know I was, Trouble.” I smirk. “Get inside; it’s too cold to be standing out here on the porch.”
“Bossy,” she whispers as she quickly pecks me on the lips before following everyone back inside.
Brat.
Once everyone has gathered in the living room, Riot asks, “So, your meeting went well? I didn’t expect you to come back with the truck.”
“I didn’t know it was an option,” Beck says, coming to sit on the arm of my chair.
“I’m happy you got it, but I was looking forward to repossessing it right out from under his nose,” Dillon drawls, adjusting his cap.
“I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need to steal a vehicle in the future.” Beck chuckles, her hand running over the back of my neck.
