“But then things changed,” Jude rumbles under his breath, and I nod.
“Yeah. Turns out living with the woman you’ve wanted for years and are secretly married to isn’t as easy as you’d think.”
That earns me a chuckle from them both.
“No shit, Sherlock,” Max says, shaking his head. “So what now? Obviously, it’s too late for us to warn you not to move too fast, you’ve skipped all the steps and gone straight to the relationship finish line.”
“It’s not real, though,” I say lamely. “It’s just so she can access the money.”
“But you want it to be real. Maybe not the marriage part, but the relationship.”
I make myself look at Jude as I nod. “Yeah. I do.”
“And where’s Cam at in all this? You two looked pretty fucking cozy at the game and at the bar after, but wasn’t she always the one who wanted to keep things purely platonic?”
I exhale loudly, then pick up my beer and incline it toward my brothers. “That’s the million-dollar question, boys. Where is Cam at? I have no fucking clue.”
Silence falls as I stare down at the bubbles on the top of my beer. A server drops off some food, but aside from thanking them, no one says a thing.
I toy with a french fry, then finally force myself to look back up at my brothers. “What do I do? How do I convince her to stay here, stay with me, and give this a real shot?”
“You show her that everything she could possibly want is here.”
I toss my hands up in the air as I lean back and glare at Max. “Thanks for that brilliant idea, Maxy. You really think I haven’t been doing that? The problem is I don’t know ifsheeven knows what she wants. She’s spent the last several years stuck in that fucking town because of her grandfather. She worked a job she hated with people who judged her because she didn’t fit into their conservative little boxes, just so she could be close to the only family she had left. Now he’s gone, and she’s got an entire world at her fingertips. Would you know what to do if you were in her shoes? I sure as fuck wouldn’t.”
The table falls quiet again, until Jude answers in a low voice, “I know all about starting over, and you’re right. It’s daunting, and confusing, and scary as fuck. But it’s a lot less scary if you’ve got good people beside you. I had my family and Lily, and Cam has you. You’ve just got to make damn sure she knows that.”
“Shedoesknow that. That’s not the problem. Cam knows I’ll support her and help her any way I can, hell, I fucking married her to prove that point. Figuring out what she wants in life is only one part of the problem. I also need her to see that letting me love her, and letting herself love me, isn’t the end of the world. It’s not gonna ruin everything, and she’s not gonna lose me. And that’s the real mystery. How the hell do I make her believe that?”
Max leans back, folding his arms across his chest, fixing me with a meaningful stare. “Patience. Commitment. And an unwavering drive to show her that a life with you is the only one worth living.”
I stare right back at him, processing his answer. “I can do that.”
“If this is it for you, ifsheis it for you, then you need to sweep her off her feet and never let her go.” Jude’s contribution has me nodding at him.
“Done.”
“And don’t forget the rest of us. Your entire family wants to see you happy, Beck. And by extension, we want Cam to be happy. If staying here and being with you is what that looks like, then we’re in full support. Maybe she needs to know she’s got more than just you and your friendship to count on now. She’s got all of us.”
The weight of Jude’s words settles over me. “You’re right.” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “She’s been alone for a long fucking time. But she doesn’t have to be anymore. That’s what I need to make her understand.”
Max reaches over and claps his hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly. “If anyone can help her find her way, it’s you, Beck. You’re the most grounded, diplomatic, and levelheaded one out of all of us. You two will find a way to make it all work, I know it.”
I give him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
“There is one thing no amount of levelheadedness is going to help.” Jude leans forward, a smirk appearing under his beard. “And that’s the ass kicking you’re in for when Mom finds out you’re married.”
Chapter twenty-six
Cam
“You know you’re even more bouncy than my cousin's daughter when she’s going to the Martin family farm, right?”
Beckett’s voice is laced with amusement, and when I turn to look at him, he’s got a soft smile.
“I’m excited. The sun is shining, and we’ve got the whole day ahead of us.” I narrow my eyes into a mock glare. “Even if you refuse to tell me where we’re going.”
His hand lands on my bare thigh, stroking gently and sending goose bumps along my skin. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
