Love and Other Things (Crystal Lake 4)

She always did.

Chapter Twenty

By early May, spring settled over Crystal Lake with a surprising heat that encouraged backyard barbecues, picnics at the lake, boating out to Pottahawk Island, and quiet mornings fishing from the dock. For most folks, anyway. For Beck? It meant longer hours, and he immersed himself in his work.

He got up before light, went for a run, then worked until dusk. When his pals asked about all the hours he spent on his current project, an old church on the outskirts of town he was converting into a home, he just shrugged and said he had a deadline to keep.

The deadline was bullshit, but it was enough to keep most of them out of his business. Except family, of course. Lately, he’d spent more time avoiding his mother than he would like, but ever since Sid left town, she’d ramped up her concern and the need to let him know he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.

Take this morning, for instance. She was waiting for him on his porch when he’d gotten back from his run, Jingle on her lap purring like the little traitor she was. His mother didn’t say anything at first. She followed him inside and made coffee while he had a quick shower. Afterward, they talke

d about nothing that mattered while having coffee on the porch. Beck actually thought he’d come out on the lucky side of things and avoided a lecture, but just as she was about to leave, she turned to him, and the look on her face told him otherwise.

“One day, you’ll have children and understand. I’ll worry about you and Nate until I take my last breath. It’s part of being a parent.”

He knew she meant well, and she was his mother, so Beck kept silent. Jingle rubbed against his legs and flopped onto her back, purring madly as she stared up at him, long tail swishing, front paws kneading his ankle. For a second, it was all he heard, but then his mother was in front of him, a sad smile tugging at her mouth. Regret or something close to it clouded her eyes.

“I wish I could have shielded you from what happened with Cate, but life doesn’t work that way. I know you loved her, and I know it was the kind of love most folks dream about. I just don’t want you to close yourself off from the possibility of it happening again.”

“Mom,” he said quietly. “We’ve been through this.”

“I know,” she whispered. “But please promise me something?”

“Sure,” he said with a slight nod.

“Don’t stay stuck where you are because of a sense of loyalty. Cate wouldn’t want that.”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, and that was it. Her words haunted him all day.

Beck tossed his hammer and stood back from the wall he’d just framed. Sweat rolled off him, and he scooped up the towel he kept nearby and swabbed at his face and neck before grabbing his big thermos of water. It was close to five o’clock on a Saturday, and he was supposed to be at Nate’s for a family barbecue/baby shower by six. He took a long drink and, though he’d prefer to work until dark, knew that if he didn’t show his face, it would only encourage more unwanted visits from his mother and anyone else who felt like poking their nose in his business.

He locked up the place, hopped into his truck, and, less than fifteen minutes later, was in the shower. It didn’t take him long to get ready, and he pulled on a plain white T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. He topped up Jingle’s food and water bowls, though the growing kitten wasn’t interested in food. She wanted to play and swiped at him when he walked by her. He scratched her belly and then behind her ears, and was about to head outside when his cell rang. It was Nate, who’d forgotten to pick up a cake at the grocery store. Their parents were already at his place, so Beck agreed to grab it for them.

Crystal Lake was busy, as was the grocery store, and he had to park across the street from it. It was a small, family-run operation, and though there was a new, larger store in the development across the lake, the Jacobs were townies and still preferred to shop here.

He nodded to Mrs. Avery the florist on his way in and grabbed a cart since there were three additional text messages from his brother. Shit. People said women had pregnancy brain? Nate was a mess.

Beck grabbed two cases of soda as well as ketchup, mustard, and relish. Then he headed to the produce section and tossed in two large onions, three tomatoes, and a head of lettuce before pointing his cart in the direction of the bakery counter, where Mr. Gilroy, the man who’d run the bakery section since Beck was a kid, had the cake ready.

By the time he got back to the checkout line, which was busy, and paid for everything, it was six thirty and his stomach was rumbling. He’d just stowed the groceries and cake in his truck and was about to take the cart back to the store when he glanced up and locked eyes with Colleen McBride, Cate’s mother. He hadn’t seen Colleen since that night on the river when he and Sid had crossed paths with her.

She smiled and walked toward him, accepting his hug and returning it with warmth and familiarity. He’d been a part of her family since he was a horny teenager trying to get into her daughter’s pants. After Cate’s tragic passing, she’d never let go.

Colleen peered through the window into his truck and smiled. “That cake must be for Molly and Nathan. Mr. Gilroy has outdone himself.”

“I’m headed there now.”

Colleen nodded. “When is Molly’s due date?”

“Couple weeks? I think?” Beck answered sheepishly because it felt wrong that he didn’t know the exact date. “Can’t come any sooner. Nate’s driving everyone crazy.”

The two of them made small talk for a bit. He asked after Ben, Cate’s father, and she wondered how his grandmother was doing. She mentioned the new development across the river and the fact that so much building was going on, and he told her he was sticking to renovating on this side. She asked about the Somers’ home he’d recently finished, and he told her about the old church he’d bought. They talked about all the things a person talked about when you didn’t want to discuss that one thing that you should. And when he gave her a hug and said he better get his butt in gear, Colleen slowly nodded, but she didn’t let go.

She stared up into his eyes for a long time, long enough that the two of them drew the attention of an older couple packing away their groceries.

“That girl you were with the last time I saw you. What happened to her?” She spoke haltingly and slowly let her hands fall away.

Beck’s gaze dropped, and he exhaled. “She went back to San Diego. It’s where she lives.”