Love and Other Things (Crystal Lake 4)

She didn’t see Beck slide off his stool as the men finished up their lunch and headed for the exit, while he stood there and looked her way as if contemplating something. And she certainly didn’t see him hand Kaia his bill and some cash before heading in her direction. Sid only became aware of him when he slid into the booth and sat across from her.

She glanced up, surprised, and found herself caught by dark eyes that saw too much. Quickly, she turned over her phone and took a few seconds to compose herself before looking his way again.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re probably the last person I want to spend lunch with,” she said lightly, meeting his gaze.

“After last night, I don’t blame you one bit.” He didn’t hesitate, and his eyes never wavered from hers. “It’s kind of why I’m here.”

“Oh?”

“I want to apologize, if you’ll let me.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope.” He cracked a smile, but she didn’t reciprocate.

“I was a dick, and—”

“You were obnoxious and rude and arrogant as hell.”

“I was going to say rude, but I guess obnoxious and arrogant are good too.” He had the nerve to look contrite, just when Sid was getting riled up again remembering his behavior. “Look, I don’t have an excuse other than to say…” His eyes darkened, and his voice trailed off. For a moment, she thought she saw something familiar in him, and it made her heart skip. But then he looked away, and the moment was gone. “Actually, there is no excuse and there’s nothing I can say, so I hope you accept my apology and we can start over.”

“You’re lucky I’m not the type to hold grudges.”

He sat back, obviously not leaving, so she felt the need to offer up some conversation. “How’s the kitten?”

“I dropped it off at the clinic this morning for Molly to look over and assess.”

“So you’re keeping it?”

“For now, I guess. I was hoping someone could foster the damn thing, but apparently, there’s no one available. It looks like he’ll be with me for a few more weeks until they can adopt him out.”

“Well, the good news is that cats are independent creatures. I’m sure the little guy won’t be too much trouble.”

“Yeah?” Beck got to his feet. “How do you know that?”

Sid blinked a host of memories away. “I used to have one.?

??

Beck stared down at her for a couple of seconds and then took a step back. “I’ve got to get back at it. Enjoy your burger.”

Sidney watched him leave, noting how almost everyone in the place said goodbye or acknowledged him in some way. He was well liked from what she gathered, so she assumed his behavior the night before wasn’t the norm. She saw the way their eyes lingered on him, as if there were more to his story than what little she’d glimpsed. Then she thought of what Poppy had shared. Of Cate, a fiancée from the past.

And then she thought that maybe…

Maybe he’s like me.

Chapter Five

By the time Beck finished up at the bungalow, it was dark. He took one last look around the kitchen, his critical eye noting a few things to add to his to-do list. In a couple more weeks, the place would be ready to sell. He’d bought it from the bank when they’d repossessed the property over a year ago, and it had been an ongoing project. He’d knocked down walls, opened up the floor plan, and taken most everything else down to the studs.

The place looked nothing like its former self, and he felt pride as he took in all his hard work.

He’d make a tidy profit, no doubt about that.

His cell pinged just as he was locking up, and he pulled it from his pocket. It was a text message from Molly. The kitten was a healthy little girl, approximately eight weeks old, and she was dropping it off at his place on her way home.

Great. Some part of him had hoped she’d have found a foster family for it, or taken pity on him and brought the kitten back to her place. With a sigh, Beck pocketed his cell and hopped into his truck. It was Monday night, which meant hockey with the boys, and he was looking forward to blowing off some steam. He stopped at the coffee shop downtown and grabbed a ham sandwich before joining his brother and a few other guys, including Nash Booker and Hudson Blackwell in their dressing room.