“Oh, I know. And I’ve cashed the checks. You’re killing it.”
“Damn straight.”
They high-fived.
As Matt drifted toward Beck and Danny, Seth sidled close to Heavenly and addressed Hudson. “You doing okay?”
The kid nodded, clearly doing his best to keep up. “Yeah. Just…not used to this much family. Especially one this loud.”
“It was a whole lot louder when we were kids,” Seth assured him. “But yeah, it’s a lot. You’ll get used to it.”
“I like Grandma Grace,” Hudson said quietly. “She’s nice. Kind of reminds me of my grammy.”
“Good. This family will always be here for you, son. They already love you.”
Hudson nodded, still taking it all in. And he probably would be for days.
When his mom excused herself to the kitchen to finish dinner, Heavenly jumped up to help her.
“Oh, sweetheart, that’s kind of you, but I’m almost done,” his mom insisted. “You had such an early flight. Relax.”
As his mother bustled away, Seth bent to whisper in Heavenly’s ear. “Congratulations. You’ve already won her over.”
Worry creased Heavenly’s brow as her voice dropped to a whisper. “For the moment. But what happens…later?”
When Seth spilled the truth? Yeah, he was wondering that, too. He knew he was playing a dangerous-as-fuck game that might leave all the Coopers stunned and divided.
“One day at a time, angel.” Seth bent and kissed her cheek. “The future will be what it’s going to be. We just have to let it unfold.”
She nodded…but she clearly wasn’t any more comfortable with the uncertainty than he was.
After a few minutes of chatter, his mom called everyone to dinner. Seth helped Heavenly to her feet, his hand lingering at the small of her back as they made their way to the dining room. Beck and Hudson fell in beside them as they settled around the long wooden table set for twelve, candles flickering between food that smelled like heaven.
Seth helped Heavenly into her chair, hyperaware that his family watched every gesture. Beck slid in beside her, maintaining a proper distance and a platonic smile.
So far, so good. Everyone seemed to be buying the cover.
That didn’t make him any less nervous.
As everyone filled their plates, his mom sent Beck an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to talk yet, Dr. Beckman.”
“Please, just Beck. And no apology necessary.”
“So…are you married?”
Seth tensed. Jesus, his mom wasn’t even being subtle, and if she invited Celeste Hagaman over for dessert in some attempt to play matchmaker, he was going to lose his shit.
Thankfully, Beck handled the question smoothly. “Divorced, though my ex-wife Gloria is still a good friend. I’m happy for her and her new husband.”
Seth caught Hudson’s barely suppressed snort of laughter and sent the kid a warning glare. Yeah, his mom didn’t need to know that Gloria was Vegas’s most notorious madame. Talk about a conversation killer…
“Oh, I’m sorry it didn’t work out. But remaining friends… That’s very mature of you both,” his mom said. “What about the rest of your family?”
Beck glanced at Seth, who gave a subtle nod. They’d discussed this; Beck would stick as close to the truth as possible.
“I was raised in a religious sect called Messiah City. You may have heard about it on the news this past spring,” Beck said. “I escaped when I was about Hudson’s age.”
“Oh, my goodness. I have heard about it. You were raised…there?”
