Page 27 of Save a Wish

Not at all like Beckett who had listened to all my ideas today.

“Clean and functional,” I said to Beckett now. “Very nice.”

He pulled open his refrigerator and perused the shelves. “How would you feel about BLTs for lunch?”

I’d had a BLT from Bear Belly Tavern a few nights ago. I hadn’t known what it was at first, but the menu description revealed what the letters stood for and that sandwich had been delicious. I’d bought it two more times so far and it was a tasty meal every time.

“That sounds wonderful.” I rounded the counter, drawing closer to Beckett. “How can I help?”

He opened the freezer and pulled out a loaf of bread. “Toast some pieces while I get the bacon sizzling.”

While we worked together, we moved about his kitchen as if we’d been sharing that space for years. Those sandwiches were built and on plates in a short time. Beckett added potato chips and pickles to the dishes and gestured for me to have a seat on one of the kitchen stools he had near the countertop.

He sat beside me and, for a few moments, the only sound in the house was the two of us biting into the sandwiches and crunching on their contents.

“This is better than Bear Belly Tavern’s BLT,” I said after I’d swallowed.

“That’s high praise.” Beckett wiped his hands on a napkin. “Bear Belly Tavern makes a great BLT.”

“It does,” I agreed, “but this bacon is cooked to perfection and . . . and what’s that added flavor I taste?”

“Maple syrup,” Beckett said. “I drizzle a little over the bacon whenever I make it. It’s a little secret upgrade to the sandwich.”

“Delicious.” I popped a chip into my mouth. “So you’re good at business stuff, technology stuff, and cooking stuff. Is there anything Beckett Hartley can’t do?”

“Fix his own aura, apparently.” He tapped my elbow with his own. “I hadn’t known it was discolored or whatever.”

“Well, after all the work you’re doing for me, you’ve definitely earned aura cleanses for life,” I said. “Beckett Hartley will never pay for Kalm Kingdom services.”

“I might take you up on that offer,” he said.

“I hope you do.”

And . . . we were staring at each other. Again. My eyes kept getting trapped in a spell or something when our gazes connected.

But it happened to him too.

His phone vibrating on the countertop broke the enchantment, which was good because this staring session was going on a bit longer than the previous ones for some reason. His dark brown eyes were so mesmerizing, and when my gaze coasted down to his mouth, I . . . felt things.

Beckett reached for the phone and slid it toward him. He tapped the screen and said, “Hey, Zia.”

“Hey,” a woman’s voice said back.

A woman? A special woman? Did Beckett have one of those already?

Of course he did. Why would a man like him be unattached? Surely a woman had deemed him . . . what was the phrase Hank had used with me the other day?

A great catch.

Yes. Certainly Beckett was a great catch.

And he’d already been caught.

So much for me living out one of Orla’s romance novels.

“What’s going on?” Beckett asked.

“The guys and I were wondering if you were free to pick up where we left off in Apocalypse Attack right now,” the woman said. “We’re all dying to make it to the next level thanks to your brave leadership the other day.” She chuckled and Beckett joined her.