Shegroaned. “I just can’t cheer for the Dodgers.”
“SoAstros for you, which puts us at odds. May the best man win.” His remark wasmet by a hoot. “Hey, when baseball’s done, let’s do hockey night. Or movienight.”
Andiewas munching popcorn on the other end. “Movie night?”
“Insteadof baseball, we watch a movie together. We’ll take turns picking.”
Shesnorted. “I’m not subscribing to a porn channel.”
“Jesus!Is that all you think I do? You don’t subscribe, by the way. You stream ’em.”
“I am virtuallytossing a pillow at your head right now.”
“Christ!You virtually knocked my drink out of my hand.”
Shelaughed, the sound musical. “I miss you, Beck. Sure, I’ll do movie night. Orhockey night. Or both.”
He wastaken aback; warmth spread throughout his body. He cleared his throat. “I getto pick first because it was my idea. My choice is Jackass: The Movie. Ithink they’re on number fifty now.”
Shegroaned again.
“I canhear your eyeballs rattling around in your head, Andie. Is that a ‘no’ vote?” Hetried not to snicker.
“Thatis a ‘no way, not in your lifetime’ vote.”
“Whatwould your choice be, then?”
“Theopposite of Jackass. Frozen? Brave?”
“I’venever heard of Frozen Brave. Is that the DiCaprio movie about the guywho’s left for dead in the cold? You probably just want to see it because ofLeo. He’s short, you know. I’ve hung out with him.”
“Beckett,you’re impossible. And he’s not too short for me. Anyway, I was talkingabout the Disney movies.”
“Oh,those definitely get my thumbs-down, along with a fat raspberry.”
“Seethere? We’re totally incompatible.” Her voice was triumphant.
“Okay.Seriously. I know you like older movies. What are your favorites?”
“BullDurham, of course, and anything black-and-white from the forties,” shereplied without missing a beat. “Film noir especially.”
“I lovefilm noir. Ever see Out of the Past?”
“OhGod! I love that movie.”
Beckettlet out a coyote yip. “We have a winner! So should Jeff have gone for Ann orKathie?”
“Jeez,you even know the characters’ names. I’m impressed. But duh, Beck. DefinitelyAnn—she was sweet. Kathie was poison.”
“Yeah,but Kathie was smokin’ hot.”
Andielaughed. “I guess we know who Beckett Miller would go for. The vamp over thegood girl every time.”
“Goodis boring.”
“Goodis what this game won’t be unless you stop yacking, Beckett.”
And soit went. God, he loved these nights, even though she was a thousand miles awayand they shared no physical intimacy. But there was intimacy of a differentsort: the kind that came from learning her innermost thoughts; knowing exactlywhen something moved her in a particular way; knowing how to make her laugh;and letting her in, letting her peer into his dark corners without fear she’dmock or judge him. It was an intimacy foreign to him, and he craved it likehe’d once craved cocaine or sex. For the first time in his adult life, hesavored something calm and natural. Good was not boring. He felt asthough he’d escaped whitewater on a seething river bristling with jagged rocksand found sanctuary floating on the glassy surface of a languid lake, and hecouldn’t imagine going back.
CHAPTER 15
My Best Friend
“That can’t be right! Thanksgiving’s next week? Well,fu—fumble me,” Beckett exclaimed in one of their nightly calls. He’d been gone mostof November, and their evenings sharing movies or hockey or football had beenrelegated to the all-virtual.
“Fumbleme?” Paige laughed. “Are you a football now? You don’t have to stop swearing,Beck. I promise I will not wilt like a plucked poppy. Although, I must say I’menjoying the creative twists you put on things.”
Asusual, she was spread out in the living room, her face freshly scrubbed, cozyin baggy clothes she only wore in private, and a big glass of red wine ready tobe savored. They’d found a movie they could both watch, but time would tell ifthey actually watched it, talked while they had it on in the background, ornever cued it up. Lately, they never cued it up. In fact, they’d been set towatch the same movie for the past week.
“It’sall for you, pixie. So what are you doing for Thanksgiving anyway?”
“Oh,you know.”
“Yeah.Dinner with the Queen. Or is it the Sheik of Amsterdam this time? I assume it’snot with your mom.”
“Youassume correctly. But I do have options.” One had been joining Beckett and hisfamily in Houghton, but she’d politely declined. Better that his first full-onreunion in a decade not include his real estate broker—or whatever titleapplied. Friend? Except most people automatically expanded that to“girlfriend,” and while she was both “girl” and “friend,” she was definitelynot the two combined. He probably had dozens of those anyway—at least friendswith benefits—though he never mentioned anyone, and she didn’t ask. Don’twanna know.
He madea noise that reminded her of a snorting bull and brought her back to present.“Jesus, please tell me Dirtbag isn’t one of those options.”
Takingher time, she pondered her answer judiciously to keep Beckett’s agitation fromskyrocketing. If she didn’t know better, she’d peg him for a jealous boyfriend.Which he wasn’t.
“Claudiainvited me to join them, I have a standing offer to join Gwenn, Henry, and thekids in Seattle, and I got an informal invite from Adrian’s parents.” She heldher breath.
“Shit,of course that asshole would.”
“Hedidn’t do the inviting. Besides, how would that make him an asshole?” Shelaughed, sort of.
Beckett’sexhale nearly shuddered her phone. “You can bet your pretty ass it was hisidea, and of course he’ll be there. He’s trying to reel you back in, run roughshodover you, and you’re too nice to stop him.”
“Speakingfrom experience, Beck? The roughshod part, I mean.”
“I’vetaken a few steps in his loafers, not that I’m proud of it.”
“Look,I’ve spent the last five Thanksgivings at his folks’, so the invite’s out ofhabit.”
“Maybehe hasn’t told them. Did you think about that?” He harrumphed. She could almostsee his pout; she tried not to picture how adorable it was.
“No, Itry not to think about any of it. It’s too depressing. But I am toying withSeattle. Being with Gwenn and her family might be the fortification I need forDecember.”
He wasquiet a moment, then cleared his throat. “What’s December?”
“It’llbe the first Christmas and New Year’s without him.” Her heart squeezed, and herthroat unexpectedly felt scratchy. “Um, and we’ll finalize the settlement,which is the second-to-last nail
