America's Geekheart (Bro Code #2)(99)

My jaw is totally unhinged.

And my mother’s smile is growing. Growing, and taking on an evil, evil glow. “Plus, it will be so refreshing to be the one telling men that they’re too old or not pretty enough for a job. The best revenge is to succeed when everyone around you is trying to keep you down.”

“That’s my girl,” Dad growls.

Beck’s speechless.

No, seriously. He looks like Mackenzie when faced with Cooper Rock the other day. I tap his cheek. “Hey. You okay? You don’t have to hire my mother to get me. You know that, right?”

He looks down at me. Then back at my mom.

He shakes his head, tosses his phone into the sink, and then sweeps me up into his arms and marches through the house.

“Beck?”

“I’m completely useless,” he declares.

I grip him tighter. “You are not.”

“Completely, totally useless. I can’t even solve my own calendar and life to be with the woman I love. The only thing I’m good for is kidnapping you and taking you to Shipwreck and trying for a fiver.”

And there go my panties.

Again.

“Beck.”

“And I don’t even know why I deserve you, when you’re clearly smart enough to know what you’re getting into with me, so I am. I’m kidnapping you. Don’t try to stop me.”

“Mackenzie went through my email and found an invitation from the zoo for us to stop by and see Persephone and her baby girl.”

He stops in the front doorway and looks at me. “So I can’t even kidnap you properly.”

“We could stop and grab burgers before we go to the zoo.”

“I love you.”

I didn’t know it was possible to smile this big. “Are you sure that’s not just your stomach talking?”

“We both love you. Sunny, Charlie will call you to talk details in five minutes because she’s psychic, and I’m promoting her to being my new chief of operations, which she also probably knows since she’s psychic.” He backs out of my front door and doesn’t hesitate as he carries me to his car. There are two beaters parked along the street, and I don’t care.

Let them take all the pictures they want.

I can’t stop running my fingers through Beck’s hair, and I add a kiss to his cheek before he sets me back on my feet so I can climb into his car. “Have I told you yet that it was really sexy when you yelled at my mom over makeup?”

His bright blue eyes connect with mine, and a slow grin follows. “Yeah?”

“Very. Because I think my dad really could kick your ass, and he’s excellent with surprise attacks, so you were literally taking your life into your own hands to defend my honor.”

“Is that a warning?”

“Let’s just say I suspect life for both of us is about to be far more entertaining than I ever thought I’d enjoy.”

He seems to realize we’re once again the subject of camera lenses, and instead of helping me into the car, he pins me against the side of it. “Want to start it with a bang?”

I loop my arms over his shoulders. “You want me to taser you again?”

He’s laughing as he lowers his mouth to mine. “No. I want you to love me.”

“Done.”

And I pull him tighter as our lips touch, and I don’t care who’s watching.

Because this man?

He’s worth it.





Epilogue





Beck



A month after Sarah tasered me, I finally get to take her to one of my favorite spots in the entire world.

Shipwreck, Virginia.

The quirky little pirate town nestled in the mountains outside Copper Valley always makes me happy. Probably because they have amazing banana pudding, and friendly people who treat me like one of their own and tons of hiking trails through the mountains, and also, my house out here is where I keep my Frogger arcade game.

The one that Ellie and Wyatt beat my high score on a year ago.

I’m still pissed, but I’m dealing. And plotting to get it back, because Sarah’s kick-ass at video games and between the two of us, I know we can do it. Eventually. When we get tired of kissing. And touching. And making love.

Huh.

Maybe we won’t ever get my high score back, and I think I’m okay with that.

I slide a glance at her in the darkness, watch her features in the dancing firelight, and wonder how much it would take to talk her into handing off the sleeping baby. She’s so natural with Emma cuddled up to her, and it’s making me want everything.

“You making that one for me, Ryder?” Cash calls, and I jerk my attention back to the second most important thing in my life. Okay, third.

The marshmallow I’m roasting comes after the people who come after Sarah, who are all out here with us this weekend.

My parents, Ellie and Wyatt and Tucker, the guys from the neighborhood, Charlie—yeah, she’s family.

Sarah brought Mackenzie, who’s adjusting pretty well to the level of celebrity surrounding her. It helps that Tripp’s feeling her out on her baseball opinions, because she can talk baseball for hours.

So long as she doesn’t realize Cooper showed up a few minutes ago and brought Darren Greene and Jose Ramirez with him, since they’re on their All-Star break. Though she’s flipping out a little at Vaughn Crawford also sitting across the fire, shooting the shit with Levi and Davis and my mom about something.