“Yep,” a fully recovered Joey said.
“I never met her,” Gia began. “She was long gone before I came into the picture. Paul was a few years older than me. Evan was six and the cutest little boy. I loved him before I loved Paul. Never could understand how she walked away from him.” She shook her head sadly.
“She just left?” Summer asked.
“She was a singer. That’s how she and Paul met. He said one day he came home and she was packing. Told him she got some gig on a cruise ship and that he had to keep Evan because she didn’t know when she’d be back.”
“Bitch,” Joey said succinctly.
Gia nodded. “No argument here. I met Paul shortly after that. We’d been married about six months when he learned that she’d died.”
“Someone shove her overboard?” Joey asked.
“Let’s just say that she considered her body to be more of a dumpster than a temple.”
“Does Evan ever talk about her?” Summer wondered.
“No.”
But he did talk about his father and made sure to remind Gia that she wasn’t his real parent. She could have been, had she pushed harder. She should have. Everyone deserved to have someone fight for them.
“So, can we talk about someone else now?” she asked.
“You and Joey can compare notes on kissing Beckett,” Summer suggested.
14
It was after seven on a Wednesday when Gia had to extricate herself from crow pose to answer the knock at the door. She tagged Aurora to take over for her in the yoga competition with Evan on his gaming system.
Her heart rate kicked up a notch when she glimpsed Beckett through the glass. Off limits, she reminded herself.
“Hi,” she said, opening the door.
He was dressed casually in jeans and a long sleeve Henley that matched his eyes. His hair, just turning to curl on top, looked like it had been styled by a professional. “Hi,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
She’d wanted to ask him if he’d seen the post in Blue Moon’s Facebook group — the group that she joined as soon as she realized it was speculating about her future — but decided it would be opening a can of worms that didn’t need to be opened.
“Come on in,” she said, holding the door for him.
“Hey, Beckett,” Evan called from his downward facing dog in front of the TV.
“Hi, Bucket,” Aurora chirped, trying to mimic her brother’s pose.
“Hey, guys. Is this some kind of child torture?” he asked, feigning concern.
“It’s gaming night,” Evan announced. “Gia and I battle it out in two events. I let her win at yoga and then I destroy her in baseball or bowling.”
“I win, too,” Aurora interjected, her red curls bouncing emphatically. “I win at ponies with Mama!”
“Ponies?” Beckett asked.
“It’s this god-awful glitter bomb game with horrible music,” Gia whispered.
“Want to play ponies with me, Bucket? I can show you how.” Aurora danced over to them.
“Uh …”
“Beckett’s really busy, Rora. Maybe some other time,” Gia told her daughter.
Aurora’s lower lip popped out, her green eyes widened and began to water.
“What is this? What’s happening?” Beckett asked in a panic.
“She’s just playing you,” Gia warned him. “Stay strong.”
“Please, Bucket?”
Gia rolled her eyes at her daughter’s faux devastation.
“I guess I could play one game?” Beckett said, the words tumbling out.
Aurora’s watery gaze cleared immediately. “Yes!” She punched her little fist in the air. “Van, me and Bucket are playin’ ponies.”
“Fine, but then he has to play baseball with me,” Evan bargained.
“’Kay. Me first though, right?”
“Sucker,” Gia coughed.
“You can’t tell me you can say no to that,” Beckett protested.
“I’m a parent. It’s my job to say no to that,” she countered.
“I’m not buying it.”
Gia turned to face him. She tilted her head to the side and poked out her lower lip making it tremble ever so slightly. She furrowed her brow and gazed up at him with all the sadness she could muster.
Beckett grabbed her by the shoulders. “Don’t ever look at me like that again. I’m begging you.”
Gia grinned, enjoying his discomfort. “I invented that look. That’s why I’m immune to it. Wait’ll you see Evan’s disappointed face. That one’s a killer.”
Beckett shuddered and dropped his hands. “I hope to God I never see it.”
Aurora grabbed him by the wrist. “C’mon, Bucket! It’s time for ponies!”
“Do you like apple pie?” Gia called after him, laughter ringing in her voice.
Beckett had apple pie with ice cream and played video games. And spent the evening feeling grateful for the fact that Gianna lived in his backyard safe from the prying eyes of Blue Moon. Just a neighborly visit, he reminded himself.