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“Here they go.” Krew rolled his eyes and looked at his younger cousin. “You wanna go to eat at the place where they dive off cliffs?”
“Sure!” Paisley clapped her hands happily.
Caleb finally let Emily up for air and back on her feet. “Let’s go, kids,” he said. Then he looked at Eve. “We’ll give you and Beck some alone time.”
Eve’s stomach swooped. Though she’d love to be alone with Beck, she didn’t know if she was ready. They’d spent time together almost every day for six weeks but Paisley was always there to keep things light. What if he tried to push her for commitment or asked about Mark or went for a kiss? Her body warmed at the thought of that. Okay, the last one wouldn’t be a bad thing, except she hadn’t kissed someone in five years. What if she was terrible at it?
“We don’t need alone time, we’ll come with you,” Eve said quickly, too quickly if the deflated look in Beck’s eyes was any indicator.
“Yeah,” Paisley spoke up. “My Beck and my mama want to come with us.”
“I did have reservations at the Capital Grille,” Beck said quietly.
“What?” Eve choked. The Capital Grille was very expensive and very high end. “You were planning to take Paisley to the Capital Grille?”
Beck ducked his head. “Abbie offered to babysit.”
Conflicting emotions rushed through her: how sweet it was that Beck would want to get her alone and take her to a fancy restaurant but at the same time how presumptuous it was of him to think she’d leave her daughter and be alone with him.
“In my defense,” he said softly. “It was Abbie’s idea.”
Emily was watching them both with slightly arched eyebrows. “Well, I think it’s a wonderful idea. But sadly for whoever Abbie is, Caleb, Krew, and I get to spend the evening with Paisley. You’ll call and let her know she can have a raincheck?” she asked Beck. He nodded, a sparkle in his blue eyes. Emily took Paisley from Beck’s arms and said, “Say goodbye to Beck and Mama, sweet honey child. We’ll see them soon.”
“Bye, Beck! Bye, Mama,” Paisley said.
Eve walked to her daughter and barely got a kiss on the cheek before Emily gave Eve a push toward Beck. She stumbled into Beck’s arms and the oxygen seemed to disappear from the room. She couldn’t catch a breath but she could smell his yummy cologne and the feel of his muscular body pressed close to hers made her warm and lightheaded.
Beck held her against his chest and smiled. “I like your sister-in-law,” he whispered.
Eve couldn’t help but let out a giggle Paisley should’ve claimed.
“What is going on here?” Caleb demanded of his wife. “Did you just push her into his arms?”
“Oh, hush you,” Emily shot back at him. “You wouldn’t complain about somebody pushing me into your arms.” She put one hand on her hip and gave her long hair a sassy toss.
“Yeah, but you’re my wife.” Caleb jutted out his chin stubbornly. “Eve is my innocent sister.”
Eve felt her neck get hot. Her family insisted she was innocent and it seemed that none of her brothers would trust her with a man. She didn’t blame them as she’d made the worst choice possible in her first husband.
Emily set Paisley on her feet and sauntered up to her husband, patting him on the cheek. “You’ve got to let her grow up, love. She can’t stay innocent forever.”
“I say she can.” Caleb’s blue eyes flashed.
Eve extracted herself from Beck’s arms, her face flaring red. She was the farthest thing from innocent. Did they not realize that she’d been married and had a child? “Okay, Beck and I are going to go now.”
Caleb and Emily whipped around to face her and Beck, their feud apparently forgotten. Caleb snaked his arm around Emily’s back and Emily blew them a kiss. “Have fun y’all.”
“I thought you only blew me kisses,” Caleb growled, pulling her in tight against his chest.
“I do a lot more than blow kisses to you,” she said back, laughing.
“Oh, my,” Eve tried to interrupt their constant flirtations. “Are you actually going to take care of our children?”
Caleb waved her away. “They’ll have the best time of their lives.” But he didn’t seem able to tear his eyes away from his wife.
“We will, Mama,” Paisley reassured her.
“Bye, Aunt Eve.” Krew waved them off. “I’ll take care of Paisley,” he said all cute and seven-year-old mature.
Caleb growled something that sounded like, “Later,” to Emily. She grinned. He released her and picked up Paisley. “We’ll focus on our children one hundred percent.”
“Thank you.” Beck put his hand on Eve’s lower back and escorted her out the door as she gave one last wave to Paisley. He walked her to his fancy car and helped her in. Neither of them said much as they drove into Denver to the restaurant. Eve clasped her hands together and felt nerves assault her. What if they had nothing to say to each other? What if they only worked as a couple when Paisley was around? She loved that Beck was so fabulous with her daughter, but she wanted to have a relationship with just the two of them. Her daughter was her world, but she was aware that sooner than she wanted her little girl would grow up and go out and conquer the world, leaving Eve sadly alone.
