Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 123877 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123877 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
“Fuck off, Ricco,” Julian said and rose from his seat, draining his drink before he started down to the dance floor. “Tell the gossip crew to keep this to themselves. I’ll fire anyone who gives Beckett the heads up before I tell him. I’m not playing.”
He lived by the rules he created, no one else’s. By God, they could dump all the shame on him they wanted. He’d thrived under the world’s condemnation before, and he could do it again. That had been the perfect exchange to seal Julian’s fate. He was moving forward with the gala. Julian was back.
“Yes, sir,” Ricco mocked in such a way Julian cut his gaze to the acting manager who cocked a frustrated brow as if Julian was nothing more than a nuisance, not a man who could fire him on the spot. He had always liked Ricco, so he let it go, dismissing him without a backward glance.
Holy shit, his whole body vibrated with anticipation. He remembered that sensation, and it felt almost as good as he thought it might, except for that niggling thought in the back of his mind that he wouldn’t allow space to form. Fuck that. He was finally back in the game.
Chapter 34
A dark SUV drove slowly down the well-worn path leading to the camp’s main house. Beckett worked with Randy, folding a tent, and split his attention between the task at hand and the vehicle carefully making its way down the rocky driveway that needed repair.
“Who is it?” Randy asked, standing to his full height.
“I don’t know.” Beckett also got to his feet, still holding the nylon, and squinted his eyes. The shiny black paint job clashed with the bright sun, making it hard to see. It wasn’t until the back door opened and the long, dark hair flitted in the breeze that he knew exactly who it was.
“Mom,” Beckett murmured, forgetting all about the tent and heading straight for the SUV.
He’d heard she might be coming to spend the rest of the summer with Dad, but he’d also heard those same rumors over and again throughout the last few years, and they had never come to be.
The melancholy of almost twenty-four hours without speaking with Julian instantly faded as Beckett started toward his mother, dusting off the layers of dirt from a hard day’s work.
“Mom.” How he loved his mother. Nothing about her had changed. Her long, shiny dark hair and bohemian style clothing fit her long, lithe frame, accenting her natural grace. Beckett pulled off his work gloves, tucking them into his back pocket as he quickened his steps. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“My goodness, you keep growing, Beck, my boy.” Her bright smile and larger-than-life hug enveloped him. She wasn’t a small woman, but he still outsized her in every possible way, ultimately lifting her off her feet and into his arms.
“I didn’t believe you were actually coming this time.” Her sing-song laughter filled the air as his father’s distinct footsteps clomped across the front porch of the main lodge.
“When my son has finally met his one, of course I must come see,” she said, landing back on her feet, patting his chest with her palms. “You need sunscreen, son.”
Beckett gave a full belly chuckle, thinking of Julian’s attempt to repair his skin. “That’s the second time I’ve heard that in the last week. I guess there’s something to it.”
His father’s hand came to Beckett’s back as he wound around him, taking his mother in his arms. As unorthodox a couple as they were, Beckett always felt the love they shared. He became chopped liver for the attention he received after his father took his mother into his arms, kissing her as if his life depended on their intimacy.
Randy came to Beckett’s side, watching his father carry his mother toward the cabin, up the steps of the porch, and he suspected, to their bedroom. “He’s glad to see her.”
“Yeah. He missed her,” Beckett said, watching them until the screen door slammed shut. Beckett looked down to see his mother’s bags at his feet. Just by the sheer amount of luggage, he guessed she planned to stay awhile this time. He quickly pulled his wallet from his back pocket, handing over cash to the driver who was shutting the SUV’s trunk.
“Thank you,” Beckett said. The driver looked down at the twenty and gave Beckett an irritated shake of the head.
“Do you know how long a drive it is from the airport?” The driver’s hand extended further toward Beckett for more money.
His boldness tickled Beckett, reminding him of Julian, and he pulled another twenty out for nothing more than to reward the brazen confidence. He placed the cash in the outstretched palm, but the driver didn’t lower it. At the driver’s expectant stare, Beckett glanced at Randy who looked at the driver as if he were crazy.