Fall Into Temptation (Blue Moon Book #2)(61)

They started up the slow incline toward the stables.

“It’ll be you, me, Joey, Phoebe, and my mom. I’ll be trying on my wedding dress, too,” Summer chattered excitedly. “I figured we could leave after your morning classes and have lunch, of course.”

There was no way Gia could drag Evan and Aurora to a dress appointment. They would wreak havoc on the store. She winced, imagining Aurora exploding a grape juice box on a dozen pristine, white dresses.

She spotted Beckett’s SUV outside the barn and felt a rush as her pulse quickened.

“I’m nervous about the fitting. The dress is just incredible and Sashi’s worked out this ingenious way to hide the bump that hopefully won’t be huge by Thanksgiving. A week after the wedding I’m allowed to look gigantic. I’ve had a talk with the kids and they promised to stay hidden so it won’t look like a shotgun wedding.”

“It sounds like a lot of fun. I’m just not sure I can leave the kids. Saturdays are really busy for my dad at the restaurant and he already took one off this month to help me …” She trailed off as Summer’s face fell.

“I understand,” Summer told her.

“Understand what?” Beckett strolled out of the stables, looking gorgeous as always in jeans and a zip-up sweater.

Gia forced herself not to lick her lips.

“Summer invited me along on the dress fitting trip next weekend,” Gia answered.

“And Gia can’t go,” Summer interjected.

“Why not?” Beckett asked, sliding his hands into his pockets. His gaze was warm on Gia’s face.

“I’ve got the kids,” she said lamely.

“I’ll watch them,” Beckett said, with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “Next Saturday?” he asked Summer.

Summer nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! We’d leave after Gia’s yoga class. No wonder you’re my favorite soon-to-be brother-in-law.”

Beckett winked and pulled out his phone. “Sure. I don’t have anything on the calendar that day.”

“Hold on. Beckett, I can’t ask you to watch Evan and Aurora for me,” Gia began.

“Summer, do you mind if I take our friend Gianna here for a walk and talk some sense into her?” Beckett smiled winningly at Summer.

She grinned up at him. “I think I’ll just wander in and find my handsome baby daddy and leave you two to hash out the details.” She winked at Gia. “See you in a minute.”

Gia crossed her arms as Summer scurried into the stables.

“What was that all about?” she demanded.

“That’s exactly what I was going to ask you,” Beckett said. He slung an arm over her shoulder and guided her along the fence line of the riding ring. “Don’t you trust me with Evan and Aurora?”

Gia stumbled. “Of course I do. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Don’t you want to go?” He was rubbing her upper arm through her thin sweater, his touch distracting her.

“It’s not that. I’d love to go with them. It’s just, the kids,” she said lamely.

“The kids that I’m volunteering to watch that you said you trust me with.”

“Beckett, I can’t ask you to do that. They’re my responsibility.” She could feel herself getting upset. Frustration rising up from her belly.

“Red. Stop.” He turned her to face him and held her in place by the shoulders. “You don’t have to do it all on your own anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” She frowned up at his handsome face, and tried not to notice the softness in his eyes.

“It’s been just you and those kids for a long time. Having someone help out every once in a while doesn’t hurt anyone. Having other people you can lean on, doesn’t make you weak or dependent.”

He’d hit the nail on the head, she realized. She was so used to being the only responsible parent that she didn’t know how to let go.

“Most parents share the responsibilities with a partner. And the really lucky ones have extended family they can rely on,” Beckett continued. “You now have an extended family of about two thousand people, plus me.”

Gia glanced over her shoulder to make sure they didn’t have an audience. “As my secret lover, I don’t expect you to take over childcare duties.”

“As your friend, I’d love to watch the kids. They crack me up. If it makes you feel better, I’ll bring them over here and let them have the run of the farm for the day.”

The kids, she knew, would love it.

“I just feel like I’m passing them off to everyone these days. Both kids had sleepovers last weekend, they’re hanging out with Carter and Joey right now. Evan watches Aurora for me two nights a week because of yoga. And I feel like I’m pawning them off.”

“Red, how long have you lived here?”

She shrugged. “Six weeks?”

“And you feel like a sleepover, a riding lesson, and you teaching two evening classes a week is pawning them off?”

She nodded and bit her lip.

“Gianna.”

“I know. It sounds stupid to me, too,” Gia said covering her face with her hands.

“Imagine how stupid it would sound if you turned me down and stayed home doing laundry Saturday with the kids instead of being there when Summer tries on her wedding dress.”