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The sun was high and bright but it wasn’t too hot, maybe seventy. With Eve by his side and Paisley cradled in one arm, her skinny arms wrapped around his neck as if he were her father, Beck felt more like a champion than he had when his team won the Stanley Cup. His thoughts were racing out of control, wanting to know about Paisley’s real father, but instead of grilling the obviously-private Eve with questions he asked, “Where to?”
“We like Café 13. They have a light lunch and delicious salads.”
“Perfect.” Light lunch? He could order a couple of meals or eat again later if he needed to. No reason to explain he didn’t do any “light” meals. “What do you normally eat for lunch, Princess?” he asked as they walked down Main Street.
“Peanut butter and jelly on high-protein bread with lots of veggies on the side,” she said. “I like it, but grilled cheese on bad-for-me white bread is better.”
“For sure.” Beck snuck a glance at Eve. She seemed comfortable being by his side and with him holding Paisley.
Paisley talked about the benefits of grilled cheese versus peanut butter and jelly as they entered the light-filled café, ordered, and Eve headed for a booth in the corner, glancing around quickly as if to make sure no one was watching them. Beck found that interesting, but he didn’t mind being alone with her. Eve didn’t say much but Paisley made up for any shyness on her mother’s part. Was Eve shy or simply reserved or horrifically not interested in Beck? He tried not to think about it too much and focused on the little girl telling him all about her famous Uncle Caleb who played lacrosse for the Denver Outlaws.
“I love lacrosse,” Beck told the little girl. “I think it’s a tough, fun sport to watch but I’ve never been to an MLL game or played it myself. Can I go to a game with you sometime?”
Paisley’s eyes lit up but Eve looked a little… concerned. Beck was going to have to take this slow. Sadly he didn’t have the luxury of slow. Not if he had any hope of meeting his grandpa’s demands. What if his grandpa truly had an inspired premonition he’d meet someone like Eve? Maybe being married in two months wasn’t insanity. He pushed that drama out of his mind and focused on the two beautiful ladies with him.
“For sure!” Paisley cheered. “Then you could meet Aunt Emily and Krew. They’re the bestestest.”
Beck grinned, wondering if everybody was the bestestest. He wanted to meet Eve’s family. All of them. Large families had always fascinated him but it was more than that with the Jewel family. He wanted to know more about Eve through her family.
Eve’s Thai chicken salad, Paisley’s grilled cheese and fruit, and Beck’s chicken street tacos and Reuben sandwich arrived quicker than he wanted them to. He wanted to extend his time with these two. He remembered his manners but ate and chewed quickly so he could talk with Eve more. Paisley was fully focused on her food and giving these cute little moans with each bite. Maybe Beck needed to try grilled cheese out again. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten one.
He leaned closer to Eve. “How’s the salad?”
“Delicious. Would you like a bite?”
“Sure.” It was beautifully intimate as she took his fork from him, stabbed some chicken, lettuce, green onion, peanuts and dressing on the fork and actually fed it to him. He liked the Thai flavor and the chicken was really good but he preferred his Reuben sandwich to the salad or his tacos.
“It is delicious.” His eyes lingered on her mouth as he said it. “Would you like a bite of either of my meals?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No, this is much more than I would normally eat for lunch.”
“What would you normally eat for lunch? Peanut butter and jelly?”
She smiled and looked at Paisley who’d set her sandwich down and was stacking her fruit like a pyramid. “No. I have a cheese stick, almonds, and ‘lots of veggies on the side’.” She smiled fondly at her daughter.
“Every day?” Beck asked.
“Except for Sundays.”
“How do you not starve to death?”
She shook her head with a smile. “I have a lot less mass to maintain than you.”
“That’s for sure.”
They each took a bite and then he got brave and asked, “What would it take for me to get a blanket invite to your ‘standing lunch date’?” He paused and she didn’t respond right away. “We don’t have to go to a restaurant every day if you prefer a cheese stick and ‘lots of veggies on the side’.” He winked. “I could bring a picnic, get you your cheese stick, and Paisley her peanut butter and jelly. Whatever you want.” He realized he was sounding a little desperate so he stopped, and waited, and waited.
She took a drink of her water and met his gaze. “You’re okay with me… having a child?”
Beck nodded, surprised that she would even question if he was okay with Paisley. The little girl was hilarious and sassy and cute. “I think she’s great.”
Eve’s gaze slid to Paisley who had shoved a large bite of watermelon in and was chewing happily, liquid dribbling down her chin. Eve dabbed her daughter’s chin with her napkin and then ate another bite of her salad. Beck was about going insane waiting for her decision. As she quietly ate her salad, he forced himself to resume eating but for the first time since the weeks following his parents’ tragic death, he’d lost his appetite. What if she didn’t answer him? What if she wasn’t interested in him or she was so protective of her daughter that she wouldn’t bring an unknown man into her life?
They finished eating, cleaned up, left a tip, and were walking back to the gym before he dared ask again. Paisley was skipping slightly ahead of them. Beck put his hand on Eve’s lower back. She sucked in a breath and her eyes darted to his. She looked apprehensive but also affected by his touch. He felt strong and brave like he’d just scored a hat trick, simply being close to her and touching her warm, firm back.
“About that standing lunch date…” He let it linger, hoping he wasn’t pushing his luck. Maybe he needed to give it a few days, keep giving her flirtatious glances at the gym, and hopefully finding time to talk with her to get her more comfortable with him. It had to be a large act of trust to allow an unknown man to be around her daughter, especially with how private he sensed she was.
Eve seemed to lean a little closer to him. “I think it would be okay if you were included.”
