When he greets his wife, a pang of jealousy grips my chest at the sight of them, and for the first time in decades, I regret not settling down. My gaze moves toward Becca, only to find her two older sons scowling at me, and a painful swallow works its way down my throat.
Becca and I have had a snippet of a conversation about the past, but not one about feelings. I have no clue if she forgives me, or even still feels anything for me. I mean, she didn’t even remember me before I walked into The Bleacher Bean last week. What if I’m the only one wanting more?
Running a hand along my chin, I pull in a deep breath, attempting to calm my nerves. I’ve dealt with hostile fans before, and I know how to de-escalate a situation. The only difference is that I’ve never wanted to impress any of them as much as I want the good opinions of her sons.
Watching her two hulking boys glare at me, my pulse thunders against my chest. Looking for support, my eyes are drawn to the one person I know in this equation: Becca. She shrugs as if to say she doesn’t have any control over this.
Blowing out a breath, I smile at Miles and Wyatt, only to have them walk past me like I’m not even there. Becca’s hand flies to her mouth, her hazel eyes sparkling.
This is worse than I thought.
“I’m so sorry,” she giggles, pink tinting her cheeks, making the green in her hazel eyes pop. “Apparently, Wyatt and Miles are a tad overprotective.”
Turning my head to find them teasing Steven, I narrow my eyes and throw a thumb over my shoulder. “Those two? Never would’ve guessed it.”
Becca leans in, and her sweet scent surrounds me. I’m torn between wanting to pull her closer and backing away, terrified the boys will see how close we are. I quickly glance over my shoulder to check if they’re watching, and blow out a sigh of relief when I find they aren’t.
“They’re harmless,” she whispers, her eyes dancing. “But watching you squirm is kind of fun.”
“What did I do that’s causing this reaction?”
“They caught you checking me out.” My brows shoot up, and she grins.
“Oh, wonderful,” I groan, scrubbing my face. “I guess that’s one way to get your boys to hate me.”
“Do you care?”
My hand freezes, and my eyes find hers. Staring back at me is a vulnerability I remember from when we were younger, and a question that begs to be answered. My heart leaps. “I’d want nothing more than to gain your boy’s approval, Becs.”
She glances up at me through her lashes, and a lopsided grin crosses her mouth.
“Mom,” Wyatt says, stepping in between us and backing me up. “Miles and I talked to Steven, and we all want to head to Moretti’s for dinner. It’s—”
“Tradition,” I chuckle, finding Becca’s eyes and acknowledging she wasn’t teasing me when we went there last week.
When I glance up, yes up, I’m over six feet tall, but so is Wyatt, and it’s to find narrowed eyes pointed in my direction.
I give him a stiff smile that does nothing to decrease the hardness glowering back at me.
“So Thornton,” Miles slaps me on the shoulder, and I quirk a brow at him, using my last name. “You should come with us. We,” he points at himself and then his two other brothers. “Need to talk to you.”
Becca squeaks, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth to keep the laugh that’s begging to be released. Pressing my lips together in response, we both earn a few stern looks from Wyatt and Miles.
“Steven’s taking a quick shower, and I’m going to wait for him,” Wyatt announces. “Mom will go with Miles and you,” he points at me. “Will meet us there.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I nod and give him a two-finger salute, which earns me a laugh from Becca. “Why don’t I head over now and get us a table?”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Miles responds. “Make sure you get a corner booth…in the back. Far back.”
Nodding, I turn and head to the parking lot. When the exit doors close behind me, a grin breaks free. Caleb would be very proud of his sons for caring for their mother. Heck, I am too. Becca deserves to be adored, and the men in her life should do that.
Her sons should also make sure to screen any man who shows interest. I hope I can prove my worth to them so that maybe one day they’ll let me adore her too.
That is, of course, if Becca still wants me.
Chapter Ten
Becca
