“Hey—that look was in when I was in junior high,” Beckettprotested.
Daisy widened her eyes in mock horror. “I remember.” She made a mental note to attach a picture of Beckett from seventh grade to the video. “But you’re all grown-upnow.”
“I’m so glad you noticed,” hedrawled.
“I didn’t—someone pointed it out to me,” sheteased.
He grinned mischievously, and Daisy heard the click-click of new subscribers in time with her rapidly beating heart. She used her hooked fingers to propel him to turn around. With a devious smile of her own, she said to the camera, “Let’s talk pocketplacement.”
The more Daisy joked with Beckett for the camera, the easier it became. They took all day to outfit him with a wardrobe she deemed sufficient for a normal American male before heading back to herhouse.
She dropped the bags in the front room, ready to head to her room and crash for thenight.
Beckett stared around him in a state of frozen horror. “This is too much, Daisy. We have to take most of itback.”
She shook her head emphatically. “This was part of the deal. Your personal payoff for participating in the makeover.” She held up her fingers and began to tick items off: “FreeWater gets exposure, a donation, and credit; I get to try something new for my channel and increase my subscribers; you get new clothes.” She smiled wide. “Win-win-win.”
His face softened with a new tenderness. “It is a win, but it won’t fit in mybackpack.”
She twisted her lips as she thought of the bag on a shelf in her garage. “I hadn’t thought about that. Umm … I guess you can leave what you don’t need in mycloset.”
He quirked a grin. “Really?” His hand went over his heart. “I like that—it would make this the closest thing I’ve had to a home inyears.”
“What about your parents’ house?” she blurted, stunned that he didn’t have a place to callhome.
“When I left, Dad told me that once I moved out, I wasn’t moving back in. They donated my bedroom set to Goodwill. I think Mom has a box of keepsakes in the attic. When I see them at Christmas, I stay in ahotel.”
Daisy tipped her head to the side in sympathy. “Well, you’re welcome hereanytime.”
“I don’t know. I hear couch real estate doesn’t come cheap,” he said with a glint in hiseye.
She laughed. “It comes at a price.” She waved her arm, indicating the bags ofclothing.
“Thanks, Daisy. Today was …fun.”
“You soundsurprised.”
“I am. I didn’t think shopping would be a good time, but you made it interesting. I’ll never look at my back pockets the sameagain.”
“You’d better not.” She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He charged at her and she ran down the hallway, shutting her door and laughing. The pillow hit the wood with a soft thump and landed on the floor. Beckett grumbled as he picked it up, but he didn’t try to get through her door toretaliate.
Slightly disappointed, Daisy started her normal nighttime routine, washing her face with warm coconut oil. She smiled over and over again and had to force her cheeks to soften. Beckett was fun. She’d laughed more today than she had since she was a kid. Why did growing up mean no more belly laughs? She needed more days like today in her life. She neededBeckett.
Her whole being put on thebrakes.
She put both hands against the counter and leaned heavily into the marbled granite. Needing Beckett was like needing Easter candy. There was a limited supply, and eventually, stores would take it off the shelf. Sure, it would come back in ten months or so, but for those ten months the craving went unsatisfied. It was better to enjoy the candy while it was around but not getattached.
She flipped off the light and ran to her bed, where she put in her earbuds and turned on her essential oil diffuser, filling the air with a sleep blend recommended on theForest Bathingchannel. She pressed play on a favorite sleep meditation that would block out all thoughts of Beckett and sweet moments between them and the way he made her feelinteresting.
He made her feelinteresting.
She slammed her eyes and her mind shut and began the deep breathingprocess.
Chapter Fourteen
EveryDayGlam!BeautyTip
A night out is an opportunity to ramp up your everyday beauty. Here are five tips for taking your day look to night-wow!
