Page 54 of Make it a Double

“Thank god you’re here to cover if we do,” I shot back sarcastically, leveling him with a glare.

Beckett raised his hands. “I’ll go. I just wanted to pay up on a bargain Sawyer struck.” There was a small twinge in my chest as I watched him stand and push in his stool. He paused, glancing between Duke and me as we all stood there in a weird stand-off.

I waited for Duke to get the hint, but he just sat there, glaring at Beckett like he had just run over Margaret’s prize-winning roses. It was only when I raised my eyebrows to the damn ceiling that he sighed dramatically and took his leave.

“Sorry about him. He’s⁠—”

“Protective?” Beckett finished, and I nodded.

“Unfortunately so. He can be a bit overbearing. I swear, they treat me more like their daughter than their employee some days.”

I expected him to laugh, but he didn’t. His expression was tight as he stared in the direction Duke had disappeared. “I’m glad you’ve had them, Sawyer,” he finally said after a long pause. “Especially when you don’t have… Well, when you didn’t have the partner you imagined.”

His words were heavy and sorrow-filled. A direct opposition to how he’d been when he walked in, giddy and nervous with my favorite soda and flowers. We may have had a lot of things we needed to work out, but hearing the dejection in his tone was more than I could take.

Blame it on the pregnancy hormones, but I couldn’t let him leave like that.

“Beckett,” I called out. He paused, turning over his shoulder to stare at me. I tapped my palm against the countertop, summoning the courage to ask for what I wanted. “Um, could we maybe do the other night over again? I know there was a lot we didn’t get to discuss, and it was kind of a mess, but⁠—”

“Yes,” he rushed out before I’d finished my sentence. “I would really like that. I won’t even flirt with you. Scouts honor.” He held up his hand like he was swearing an oath before a jury.

“I think you mean this,” I said, reaching out to correct him. The moment my fingers touched his, it was like an electric current sparked through both our bodies. Our eyes met, wide and full of shock, as I gently pushed down his pinky and thumb to form the three-fingered salute.

“Of course,” he murmured, letting his hand fall to his side. “Guess that shows how much I learned from Boy Scouts.”

“You were in Boy Scouts?” I asked, covering my smile.

He shook his head. “No, but I know what it is and that should count for something.”

“I’ll take it into consideration,” I said. “Are you free over the weekend?”

“Name the time and the place. I’ll be there.” I waited for him to throw out a cheeky one-liner or insist on picking me up, but he didn’t. He slid his hands into his pockets and slowly backed away.

“Careful what you wish for!” I called out.

I tried not to let my disappointment show as he disappeared out of the front door, and I got back to work. Or when Liv came up to grab the flowers and the soda to put them in my cubby. Or when another nameless face sat where he’d been only moments ago.

Because after that touch? Maybe I wanted him to flirt with me, which was only a disaster waiting to happen.

BECKETT

Date: Saturday, March 6th

To Do:

- Pick up requested supplies

- Track cravings

Sawyer:

Saturday. 9:00 am. Jones Field, right off Frey Street. Drive past the Dairy Queen, take a left at the stoplight, then go down until you see Lucy’s Diner. There will be a bunch of cars in the parking lot, so it should be easy to find.

Sawyer:

Bring a chair

Sawyer: