Fall Into Temptation (Blue Moon Book #2)(44)

He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m trying to install a dishwasher.”

“Why?” Gia crossed her arms.

“A dishwasher would make your life easier. And so would a little time and help to organize the rest of your crap,” Beckett said, sounding annoyed now.

“What if I weren’t your tenant? What if it was someone else?”

“Are you asking if I’d be doing this for someone else?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m asking. You say I’m not your type. We decide we need to keep this professional and then you show up here with kitchen appliances and my father, who you don’t even like —”

“It’s what we do, Red. We’re fixers. Smotherers. I talked to my mom, she talked to Franklin. We devised a plan. It’s the Blue Moon way.”

“So you, as a Blue Mooner, see a way to improve someone’s life and you just jump on in and force your help on them.”

“Exactly. The only difference this time is I also have an irrational and completely unrelated desire to sleep with you while I help you.”

A small smile played across her lips. “I can’t peg you, Beckett. Just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise me. A steamy makeout session and we both know we’re not right for each other. Then you go and blab about my failings to your family and mine. Then you show up here with a dishwasher and the cavalry and tell me you want to sleep with me. I’m confused. Annoyed and confused.”

“Is that all?”

“And hungry,” she added. “Are you helping me because you think I’m doing a bad job?”

Beckett looked genuinely surprised and a little offended. “Of course not. I’m buying you an afternoon of your life back and twenty minutes a day of dishwashing.”

“Okay. Then I am annoyed, confused, hungry, and grateful,” Gia revised.

“Yeah, well, join the club. Now, can I get back to installing your dishwasher while fantasizing about you doing yoga naked?”

“Just one more thing. If I ever trust you with a secret again — no matter how silly it may seem to you — I expect you to keep it to yourself.”

“You got it, Red.” He glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one inside was watching. “You look really sexy in this shirt,” he said, hooking his index finger in the scoop neck of her tank.

“Beckett, behave yourself,” she said, slapping his hand away and tugging her cardigan tighter around her.

“Really sexy,” he said again, tapping her nose before heading back inside.

She should be annoyed. Should be furious with Beckett for outing her and then riding to her rescue. She took pride in being able to provide for her kids, to run a business and a house. In never asking for help.

She was independent, first by chance and now by choice. She had Paul to thank for that. While he had chased his dreams, dragging the rest of them along like luggage, Gia had turned herself into a strong, capable woman.

She didn’t do everything perfectly. Obviously, she thought, cringing over her bedroom. But damn it, she was good at being a mom and good at running a business. And someday she hoped to be great at it all.

She let herself back inside. “My friend Walter has two moms,” Aurora was saying conversationally to Franklin and Phoebe. “Van, can I try yours?” she asked, eyeing up his grilled cheese.

Evan pulled off a piece of his sandwich. “Trade?”

“Are you sure it’s okay with you, Dad?” Gia asked, looping her arms around his neck. “You’ll actually have to stay with Rora. That’s ten screaming five-year-olds hopped up on sugar and crowd mentality. And Phoebe, I don’t know if Beckett explained just how serious my ‘situation’ is.”

“I’d be happy to spend some time with my grandkids,” Franklin announced. “Phoebe and I were talking about how we’re hoping to spend an evening a week with the kids. Plus, Walter’s moms are going to be there and I’m hoping to pin them down on a catering gig.”

“We both miss having little ones around,” Phoebe said wistfully. “Not that Evan isn’t practically an adult,” she said, winking at the boy.

Jax chose that moment to shove Beckett out of his squat on the kitchen floor. Beckett’s foot lashed out to catch his brother in the gut. They grunted and wrestled, slamming into the cabinets.

“Or that my boys are remotely grown-up,” Phoebe amended. She stood up, turned on the sink faucet, and calmly hosed her sons down with the dish sprayer. “Just in case you ever need to know how to break this up.” She winked at Gia as Jax and Beckett sputtered under the stream of water.

“Now clean up that mess and pretend to act like adults,” she ordered them.

Gia felt a tickle in her throat. Family. Help. A few hours a week all to herself. It was a Blue Moon miracle.

“Would you guys like to hang out with Grampa and Phoebe?” she asked Evan and Aurora.

“Can we go back to the farm?” Evan asked.

“Definitely,” Phoebe said. “Carter wants you to come out for a riding lesson soon.”

“With Joey?” Evan was trying to sound nonchalant.

“Probably,” Phoebe nodded.

“Sounds okay,” Evan said with a shrug.

“I can ride a pony?” Aurora gasped. “Do you have any pink ones? Bucket likes pink ponies, right Bucket?”