Love and Other Things (Crystal Lake 4)

Nate nailed him with a knowing look. “This is about Sid.”

“She told me she loved me,” Beck bit out. “And I let her walk away.” He looked his brother straight in the eye. “I didn’t realize until just now that I feel the same.”

“I could have told you weeks ago but Molly said you needed to figure it out on your own. Not that I didn’t try, but hell, you’ve been the worst kind of bastard lately. All of us could see it, and none of us could say anything because anytime anyone brought up Sid, you damn near bit our heads off.”

Beck looked away. His brother was right. He’d been an outright asshole.

“What are you going to do about it?”

Beck yanked his head around. “What do you mean?”

“I’m just saying you need to nail this down, and the sooner the better. Sidney Barrett isn’t going to be waiting forever. Hell, it might already be too late. You need a grand gesture. Something big to make up for being such an absolute bastard.”

“Don’t hold back, Nate,” he muttered darkly.

His brother swore. “You hurt her bad.”

He was right, but Beck had to look to the future and hope that the past could be forgotten. He looked outside once more, his mind already turning, his body already in motion.

“Tell Molly I’m sorry I missed the shower.”

“Just don’t miss the birth, or there’ll be hell to pay.” Nate smiled widely, as if pleased with the turn of events. “Anything else?”

Beck paused at the door. “Text me Sid’s sister’s cell number and Sid’s address in San Diego.”

“You got it. And Beck?”

He glanced over his shoulder.

“Don’t screw this up.”

Chapter Twenty-One

It was raining. Sid swore and strode across the parking lot, headed to the space she leased for her business. It hardly ever rained in San Diego, and today she needed sunshine for the photo shoot they had planned on the boardwalk. She glanced up at the steel-gray sky and sighed. It wasn’t looking good.

The old warehouse had been converted into office space several years back. She walked inside, took the elevator up to the top floor, and said hello to Mattie, the young receptionist she’d hired months ago. The girl was fresh out of college, an eager learner, and there was always a smile on her face.

“Derek says he thinks we can delay the shoot by a couple hours. I checked, and this rain is supposed to move off by noon, so he’s on his way down to the water to set up as soon as it does. The photographer is with him and a few staff to help with that.”

The sky she’d just seen didn’t seem as enthusiastic at the thought of disappearing, but Sid gave a quick smile and headed toward her office. As her brand, Barrett Lifestyle, grew, she’d moved from an office building downtown to this place, where she’d secured the entire top floor of the old warehouse. It was huge, well over ten thousand square feet. With only three offices fully enclosed, as well as a conference room along the right side, the rest of the space was open, with several workstations for staff and various spaces for filming videos, including a state-of-the-art kitchen, a bedroom, a cozy fireplace with inviting furniture, a gym, and a large bedroom complete with a makeup area for tutorials. On the floor below was new space she’d leased just a few weeks ago, and she planned on featuring carpentry projects to complement their home décor segments. She was looking to partner with a local carpenter for a feature she planned to incorporate within six months.

Building her brand was the only thing she cared about these days. It kept her busy and focused, but more importantly, it allowed her to put Beck in a box and forget about him and Crystal Lake. Maybe someday she’d pull it out for a look, but that day would be a long time coming. The pain was still too fresh.

Her office walls were glass, as were the others. She’d loved the concept, and most of the time, she liked to be able to look out at the space and see what everyone was up to, but sometimes, like today, she wished she had a bit more privacy. Sure, she could hit the remote and make the privacy blinds ease over the glass walls, but truthfully, she felt more conspicuous when she did that. As if she was hiding something.

Sid tossed her jean jacket onto the overstuffed chair to her right, closed the door behind her, and wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked a park across from the warehouse. The sky was still cloud heavy, and that dull gray color did nothing to make Sidney think the photoshoot would go ahead as planned.

She’d recently partnered with a well-known celebrity from LA and had agreed to model shapewear for a fall campaign. The idea was to pose for pictures along the boardwalk and marina, having a latte at Coffee Bean or gazing out at the water.

She noticed a young mother pushing a stroller and made a mental note to call Molly. She was due any day, and Sid felt bad that they hadn’t spoken since she left Crystal Lake. The mother-to-be was busy, of course, but Sid had no excuse other than the fact she’d tried to forget about her time there, at least for a little while.

Her heart constricted at the thought, and she shook her head with a sigh before turning to her desk. Beck was never far from her thoughts.

Her cell rang. She fished it from her purse before sliding onto the chair behind her desk. She leaned back and rolled her neck.

“Hey,” her sister said, sounding out of breath.

“Where are you?” Sid hadn’t seen her when she arrived.