Fall Into Temptation (Blue Moon Book #2)(68)

Her daughter hopped out and started running toward the house. “Whoa, slow down, kid,” Gia called after her.

“I want to see Bucket, Mama!”

That made two of them.

Gia had debated all afternoon about whether or not to tell him that she’d fallen hard for him. They’d never discussed what an actual relationship between them would look like, always assuming that the odds were insurmountable. So why try? But the more intimate they became, Gia couldn’t help but wonder, why not try?

She just didn’t know how he’d feel about it.

She’d finally decided to give it a little more time before dropping the bomb on him that she had accidentally fallen in love with him. It would give her time to get used to these feelings and give him more exposure to the Decker family to help him decide if he was up for a package deal.

“I don’t think he’s here, yet,” Gia told her, catching her little fireball on the porch steps. Beckett’s SUV wasn’t in the driveway yet.

Aurora’s lower lip poked out.

“But Grampa’s here with Carter and Summer and Jax.”

Aurora brightened. “Let’s go, Mama!”

Gia debated knocking on the front door, but realized that Evan had already walked right in, leaving the door wide open. Aurora made the decision for her and clamored through the open door.

They may not have been raised in a barn, but they sure acted like it sometimes. She followed Aurora’s quick footsteps down the hallway into the kitchen where everyone gathered. Evan had already made himself at home on the barstool, an open soda in front of him.

“Jax said it was okay,” Evan said defensively, when he spotted Gia checking out his beverage.

Gia gave Jax her best disapproving mom look. She pointed two fingers first at her eyes and then at him.

Jax looked guilty. “Oops?”

“Yeah, ‘oops’ is right, mister.”

“Can I just say you’re looking particularly ravishing tonight?” he asked hopefully.

Joey and Beckett both happened to enter the room on that statement and glared daggers at Jax.

“Geez, tough crowd,” he muttered.

“Hi,” Gia said quietly to Beckett. Neither of them had changed from the luncheon. He was still wearing his neat charcoal trousers and tie. Every time she saw him in a tie, she wanted to grab him by it and drag him in for a kiss.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and she wondered if he shared similar sentiments. “Hi, yourself.”

“That was some speech you gave today.”

“Way to lead the standing ovation,” he winked. Beckett glanced around, making sure no one else was paying attention. “I want to touch you.” He said the words so quietly, Gia wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly. But the hard look of yearning in his eyes told her she hadn’t misheard.

“Hail, hail the gang’s all here,” Phoebe said reaching for her phone. “Now, everyone be quiet so I can order the pizza for later.”

Gia thought it best to get a little distance before one of them did something really stupid. With pink cheeks, she gave Beckett a wide berth and wandered over to her father and Summer, who were studying an array of recipes scattered across the table. She wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“There’s my girl,” he greeted her with a crinkle-eyed smile. Summer and I were just going over Thanksgiving recipes for the wedding.”

“Want to help?” Summer asked, squishing her cheeks between her hands. “We’re feeding fifty. Small, casual, family-style.”

“Please tell me you’re going to have actual turkey and not some tofu-soy-fake bird,” Beckett groaned from the refrigerator where he was fishing out a beer.

“Quit your whining,” Carter said, smacking him on the shoulder. “When you get married you can have meat with a side of meat. But for mine, you’re eating tofurkey.”

Beckett and Jax made gagging sounds that Evan immediately imitated.

“Enough from the gag choir.” Summer pointed at them. “There will be turkey and tofurkey.”

“Do vegetarians eat gravy?” Evan piped up.

Aurora had latched on to Beckett’s pant leg and was giggling like a fiend every time he took a step.

“You’re not going to get anything done with all of us hovering over you,” Gia murmured to Summer. “You’d better assign jobs and get everyone out of here or we’ll be eating Ramen noodles at your wedding reception.”

“Good idea,” Summer nodded. “Everyone, zip it and listen,” she said, switching seamlessly into editor-in-chief mode. “Joey and Jax, I need you two to take Evan and Aurora to their riding lesson.”

Joey looked at Jax who shot her a devilish grin and then back at Summer. She started to shake her head, but Summer had already moved on.

“Gia, I need the measurements of all of this stuff on the list in the barn so we can figure out what is getting drowned in tulle and flowers and lights. Beckett, I need you to go eyeball the barn’s patio and see if we have room for a fire pit — fireplace preferably. A big one, not one of those crappy little ones.”

Beckett grinned darkly at Gia. Of course Summer was sending them on the same assignment. Anticipation flashed through her as she wondered if they could steal a few steamy moments.