Love and Other Things (Crystal Lake 4)

Hazel Jacobs gave him the kind of hug only a grandmother could, and he then he shook his father’s hand before enveloping his mother in a hug as well. He glanced toward the kitchen. “This is my friend, Sid, Nana.”

He didn’t offer up anything else because he was pretty damn sure Nate would have filled them in on the stuff they wanted to know. Hell, they probabl

y knew more about Sidney Barrett than he did.

She walked over and said hello to his grandmother and then looked at him. She was off balance, he saw that, but her composure was on point. “We could order more Chinese?” She turned back to his parents. “If you like?”

“Oh, no, dear, thanks for asking. We had a late lunch at Nathan’s, and we were just on our way home.” His mother’s gaze settled back on Beck. “Now I know why I haven’t seen much of my son.” Her gentle, almost teasing words were followed by an awkward silence.

“Oh my,” Hazel said. “What have we here?” Jingle stood on the edge of the sofa, meowing and arching her back like a pro, loving the attention she got. His grandmother stroked her back. “This is the kitten I’ve been hearing about. She’s lovely, Beckworth.”

“Beer?” he asked his dad, grateful when the man nodded. His mother and grandmother declined, and Sidney already had one open.

The two of them moved to the kitchen, where he grabbed them each a Bud Light. He took a good, long draw and leaned against the island, his eyes on his mother and grandmother and Sidney.

“I told them you were busy.” Samuel shook his head. “Said there was a reason you’ve been scarce of late and that you were a grown man and didn’t need a bunch of females poking about your business.” His father sighed. “But when your nana heard about Sidney, well, she insisted on coming for a visit.”

“Nana?” That surprised Beck. Usually, it was his mother who was the poker.

“She worries about you same as the rest of us.”

“Dad, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m good.”

Samuel nodded. “I see that.” And then he grinned. “She seems real nice.”

Beck didn’t reply. His parents were way too invested in his personal life. He got it. He really did. Didn’t mean he had to like it. He finished his beer and dug around for a teakettle when Hazel insisted on a cup before the trip home.

“Sorry, Nan, I don’t have sugar cookies or anything to go with it.” He flashed a grin and rooted through the fridge. “You’re lucky I have milk.”

“Tea is fine.”

His grandmother steeped her bag and glanced sideways at him.

“Your friend seems lovely,” was all she said, and Beck had just about had it.

“Not you too, Nan. Look, I don’t know what we’re doing here. Sid’s great. She really is. But we haven’t even had a talk about what this is or what we’re doing, and I can’t stand that everyone’s up in my business and asking questions for things I don’t have the answers for. Hell, I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“That’s the fun part, though. The figuring-out part.” Hazel Jacobs peered at him over the cup in her hands. In the living room, Sid was deep in conversation with his parents, talking about the church he still hadn’t decided on, from what he could hear.

“Being with another woman doesn’t mean you loved Cate any less than you remember.”

And there it was. The crux of the matter.

He turned around and faced his grandmother. “I don’t think I can love anyone else the way I loved her, Nana. It’s not possible.”

“Oh, my boy.” Hazel moved closer and put her hand on his chest. “Every love is different, and you’re not meant to love anyone else the same way you loved Cate. You can’t, because there’s only one Cate.” She nodded to the living room. “Just like there’s only one Sidney.”

“But—”

She shook her head and wouldn’t let him finish. “I know what you’re thinking, and no, I don’t know if you’re in love with this woman. But if and when you do fall in love again, Beckworth…” She smiled. “And you will fall in love again. It will be different. One hundred percent different. You’re not the young man you were, and life has left its mark on you. It’s changed you, and that’s going to change the way you love. The thing is, my boy, you need to let it happen. But more importantly, you need to accept it.” She finished her tea and set her cup on the counter. “Love is the easy part. It’s all the other things that make it hard. It’s all the other things you need to let go of.”

She cleared her throat in a way that told Beck they were done and stepped around him. “I’m ready to go, Samuel.”

His parents followed her lead, and, after all the goodbyes and a couple more hugs, Sidney included, they closed the door behind them and were finally alone.

“Let’s eat,” he said, and moved to the kitchen.

He warmed up the food while she grabbed some plates, and they sat around the island eating Chinese.