Mom cleared her throat. “I called to warn you not to fall into her shallow world.”
Beckett scoffed. He’d had enough. “You are such an elitist.” And he hated that he could see himself in his mom. Hadn’t he thought the same thing when he first arrived? Hadn’t he brushed off Daisy’s channel as makeup and hair and no substance?
“Us? Ha! We are real and we deal with real issues—not finding the best fit in a polo shirt.”
“Mom, Daisy’s not like that. I mean, she talks about those things, but that’s her job. It’s not who she is at her core. Did you even watch the whole episode where she talked about feeling confident in a job interview and asking for what you’re really worth out of life?”
“Corporate drivel.”
Beckett’s hands shook, he was so angry. This is why he never went home—why he left home in the first place.
“Beckett, dear, putting yourself on the internet cheapens you and what you really stand for. You’re meant for more than this little life Daisy leads. Don’t let her trap you in that town. Beauty always fades.”
“Thanks for the advice, Mom. I gotta go attack the day.” He said a quick goodbye and hung up the phone.
In the silence, the walls began to close in on him. He needed to get out of the house, needed fresh air. He never did well being cooped up inside—always running and playing as a kid. Even as an adult, he preferred jungles to an urban jungle.
In a flash, he was on the front porch, taking deep breaths of cool morning air. He could use a big dose of Daisy, but she was off at the conference again. Those things were crazy busy. She hadn’t gotten home, contented but tired, until midnight last night.
Tonight was the big dinner with her parents. He turned back to the house, determined to put things in order. He could also walk to the grocery store and pick up ingredients. He’d call Quinton and find out what they needed.
With every small task he completed, a bit of the wanderlust the conversation with his mom inspired faded away.
But in the back of his head, his mom’s words loitered like uninvited guests. “Don’t let her trap you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
EveryDayGlam!Beauty Tip
Have you ever had someone tell you that you look tired? Usually, that means that your skin looks tired. It may sag around your eyes or your mouth may turn down. To refresh your skin and your face, gently massage your face with an ice cube. Yes, an ice cube! The cold temperatures will tighten your skin and close your pores.
Daisy flitted around the kitchen, waiting for her mom to bring up her reservations over Beckett’s ability to be a decent boyfriend. She had pre-planned an answer for every argument she could imagine Mom might have.
Mom hadn’t brought up Daisy’s confession bomb after the panel—probably out of mercy. Daisy fielded more questions about Beck and about her and Beck, a few about her channel, and some about makeup tips. Brittany hadn’t let up her snide attacks against Daisy or her channel. By the time they signaled the end of questions, Daisy’s emotions needed first aid. She hated that Brittany could get under her skin—hated that she gave her the power to do so because it made her feel weak.
Thankfully all that was behind them for a whole year. Tonight was about celebrating their successes.
Beckett and Dad were outside at the grill. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but they seemed to get along okay. No doubt Mom had filled Dad in on the situation so at any moment he could go off too. Which made it even harder for Daisy to concentrate on making hummus—which wasn’t all that hard at all.
Vivian and Jason arrived with Jell-O salad and a package of store-bought brownies.
“Oh, Vivian! Mint fudge brownies are Quinton’s favorite,” Mom gushed.
“I didn’t know.” Vivian practically tripped over her own words. Her broad cheekbones turned a beautiful shade of pink.
Daisy hated watching two people who wanted to be together stay apart. There had to be a way to help them get over this hurdle—or as Beckett would say, walk around it.
The sliding back door opened, bringing in the smell of charred meat and roasted hot dogs. The men brought in two platters of freshly cooked food. Dad stopped to kiss Mom on the cheek. Beckett winked her direction and Quinton offered a small wave to Vivian. Jason threw himself into Quinton’s side and grinned up at him.
“Hey, how’s my new vet tech?” Quin asked.
Jason swiped at his nose. “Good.”
Dad pulled the chair out next to him and motioned for Jason to take a seat. Everyone else found a place around the table and Dad offered grace.
“What’s this? Did you hire a helper?” asked Dad.
Quinton nodded. “He assisted in surgery yesterday.”
