As she scrolled through picture after picture, her mind was a blank.Only when she came to one where the woman was sitting in front of a white house with blue shutters and a wide porch with an orange cat, a border collie, a Labrador, and two Golden Retrievers did it finally dawn on her what she was looking at.Her eyes moved to the words written below.
He’s brought home a woman.We like her.We like her very much.
Blinking, she tried to make sense of what she was looking at.As her eyes opened again, she saw the name of the artist at the top again.ET Beck.It took her another few seconds to realize it was an anagram for Becket.Becket Weston.The dogs were, of course, Harper, Jack and Sadie.Why hadn’t she seen this before?
And if she wasn’t mistaken, the curly-haired blonde who had been added to the last few pictures, was her.The first sketch he’d added of her showed her falling from a ladder.
One she recognized as the one he’d sketched while they were in the restaurant in Bozeman.In another one she was sleeping, her hair all over his pillow, and in the next she was sitting on the floor in his shirt with dogs looking adoringly at her.
She’s here again.We’re so happy.
By this time tears were streaming down her face.Quickly she went back to Becket’s message.The link he’d sent was the same one Willow had sent her.
Look at this.There is no one else but you.No one.
Stunned, she went back to his page and read through every single posting.Becket himself wasn’t in any of his drawings but she and the dogs were in every single one of the posts over the last two weeks.
With her heart in her throat she scrolled through all of them until she got to the one where he’d sketched her sitting on the steps of this very house with a ginger cat, obviously Marmalade, and his three dogs, a Labrador, two Golden Retrievers.But why the border collie?
And then she remembered Cooper telling her about the border collie-mixed-with-something mutt on the night of the music festival.The dog’s name was Duke, if she remembered correctly.And hadn’t he also mentioned earlier that Duke hadn’t been too pleased when he’d taken Marmalade away?
Becket had sketched her even before they’d slept together.
Sniffing, she blew her nose.She had no idea what all this meant, but she was holding on to Becket’s text.Who June was she didn’t know, and she didn’t really care.And yeah, Willow was right.It had been much easier to believe Becket would leave her at some point than it was to accept that he could actually feel something for her and wasn’t going to discard her.Ever.Oh, she knew he didn’t want to get married; she also didn’t know if what he was feeling would last, but that was okay.For as long as he wanted her, she’d stay with him.So much for being an independent woman.
What about her house, though?
Jumping up, she looked around her for a moment.There was nothing that was keeping her here.Marmalade could come with her.Most of her clothes were still at Becket’s place anyway.Quickly she looked down at herself and laughed.
“Before I can tell Becket how I feel about him, Marmalade, I desperately need a shower.Come on.”And picking up the cat in her bed, she rushed to her room.
Chapter Seventeen
By the timeBecket got home from the graveyard, it was nearly dinner time.He quickly fed the dogs, put the soaps, cream and perfume he’d bought earlier for Ellie in the bathroom and put on a clean shirt.He was on the brink of taking a huge step, of steering his life in a completely different direction—it was a thrilling, exhilarating, but also frightening prospect.
How Ellie would react to the link he’d sent, he didn’t know, but she had mentioned her heart.Twice.It had to mean something.And he remembered something Cooper had said to him a while ago—Ellie would stay if someone made her want to stay.And if someone loved her the way she needed to be loved.
He could do that.He wanted to do that.What he didn’t know was whether she had room for him in her house.
As he opened the front door, the dogs rushed outside.“Okay, guys, we’re going to Ellie’s.”Happy barking interrupted him.“I know, I’m happy as well.But first,” he calmed them down, “I need to talk to the others.”He opened the door of the truck and Jack and Sadie jumped in; Harper needed help to get in.She licked his face.“Yeah, I know.I should’ve done this sooner.”
His mother’s car was also parked in front of Hayden’s house.Sighing, he entered the house.Of course, his mom would be here; in this family there were no secrets.
Everyone was already at the table, eating.As he took a plate from Isabella, he became aware of all the eyes on him, even Luke’s.
“You look different, Uncle Becket,” Luke said.
“Different how?”smiled Willow.
“Happier,” Luke decided.
Becket laughed.“I am.Can we talk?”he asked his siblings.“Mom, I’m glad you’re here.Who told you I’d have something to say?Willow or Cooper?”He touched her hand.
“I may not be fey like your brother and sister,” his mom smiled, “but I am your mother.And mothers have instincts.I knew I had to be here tonight.We’re all dying to know what’s going on between you and Ellie.”
Becket took a deep breath.“Before I get to Ellie, I have something else to tell you.”
“No need,” Hayden said.“I’ve spoken to Coop and Willow.We’re all happy for you to pursue your art dream.I’ve spoken to Hunter, he’s ready to start.He’ll move into the empty house.”
