“Hi, sweetheart,” she sniffled. “I guess I was wrong. I have a little bit more room for happiness.”
Beckett raised his glass with his free hand, his gaze locked on to her face. “A toast. To family.”
36
Beckett was just early enough for the first Debate Club meeting to handle a little personal business first. He burst into the second conference room on the left without knocking. A half-dozen faces looked up from the large conference table and smiled expectantly.
“I need your help,” he announced.
“It’s about damn time,” Willa said with a satisfied smile.
Ellery grinned at him from the front of the room.
He glanced at the board and noted a large X had been drawn over Paul’s picture. “Phase One” was written underneath. His own picture, one taken at a recent chamber event, had been added next to Gia’s above the words “Phase Two.”
“What’s all this?”
Ellery joined him at the front of the room. “You’re a stubborn man, Beckett. You didn’t know how much you wanted Gia until you couldn’t have her.”
He turned to his paralegal. She was dressed in platform suede boots and a dress with spider web sleeves. “You’re diabolical.”
“Thank you,” Ellery said with a mock bow. “And now that you know what you want, we’re here to help you get it.”
“Want a cookie?” Gordon Berkowicz offered up a tray of heart-shaped cookies with icing.
“I do. I really do.”
Gia hustled out of her studio and cut across One Love Park for the movie theater. The Facebook group alert had said it was a mandatory emergency town meeting tonight. She was curious about the reason for the meeting. Maybe Bruce was finally getting to the conclusion of his powdered wig argument? A smile tugged at her lips and felt foreign on her face. It had been a week since she and Beckett last spoke. But he’d made his presence known.
He’d sent lunch to the studio for her and Niko during the photo shoot for Summer’s magazine. She found a rose and a note on her car in his sharp, sloppy script reminding her to schedule an inspection. During her Tuesday night yoga class, he’d taken Thanksgiving leftovers to Evan and Aurora. When she came home, she found a basket full of clean, folded laundry. And last night, he’d advised Evan’s first Debate Club meeting, which from Evan’s description had been a huge success.
He hadn’t been kidding about not leaving her alone. It was more than apologies. Now he was showing her what kind of partner he wanted to be for her. But she was still hurt, still scared.
Glancing around the town square, Gia wondered where everyone was. The last town meeting had made downtown look like a parade. But tonight she was the only soul hurrying through the milky pools from the streetlights to the movie theater.
How late was she? The alert had said 7:15. Unless she read it wrong, which was a strong possibility. She hadn’t exactly been on top of her game lately.
Not wishing to cause a commotion, Gia quietly opened one of the theater’s doors, intending to slip into the back row unnoticed.
“There she is!” Mrs. Nordeman fluttered out of a group of townspeople milling about in front of the snack stand. “Now you just come along with me.” The older woman grabbed Gia’s wrist and started dragging her through the crowd.
Everyone was staring and Gia felt her cheeks warm. “Uh, Mrs. Nordeman, I was just going to sit in the back …”
“Nonsense. We saved you a seat right up front.”
“Up front?” Gia squeaked.
“We’ve got her,” Mrs. Nordeman announced to the crowd. “Now we can get started.”
Beckett and the rest of the council were already on stage and Gia wanted to curl up into a ball and die of embarrassment.
She was shoved into an empty seat, front and center in the first row. Summer and Joey sat on either side of her, grinning like hyenas. Jax and Carter sat on either side of them. Gia noted Jax’s frame sprawling out of his seat and crowding her friend.
“What is going on?” Gia hissed.
“Don’t look at me,” Summer shrugged innocently. “I’m new here.”
Gia shot Joey a look.
“I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never seen this before,” Joey said with a wicked grin. “I can’t wait.”
Gia made the mistake of looking up at the stage. Beckett’s gray gaze was fixed on her. He subtly flashed his phone at her. She frowned and dug through her tote bag until she found hers.
She had a text from him.
Fair warning. I’m fighting for you and I brought an army with me.
Gia shot him a look before responding.
Why do I feel like my request for space is about to be completely ignored?
She saw the corner of his mouth lift as his thumbs flew across the screen.
Because you’re not an idiot. Now sit there and prepare to enjoy Blue Moon at its finest.