Page 67 of To Have and To Hold
So, no, Becs wasn’t willing to settle anymore. She was at a point in her life where she was really happy. She had a house of her own, a job she absolutely loved, friends she could depend on, and her daughter seemed to always have a smile on her face. What more could Becs ask for?
And that was why she was pretending that Evan was right, that they couldn’t succumb to their mutual chemistry because it would ultimately ruin their tenuous friendship. It was just one of many lies she told herself in order to maintain some semblance of order in her otherwise chaotic existence.
Good thing she had plenty to keep her mind off of the things she couldn’t have.
One of them just happened to choose that moment to walk in.
Becs tried not to stare at Atticus as he walked to his desk, but it was hard not to. The guy looked … well, he lookedgood. Like really good.
From the moment she met Atticus James, she liked him. She wouldn’t go so far as to say they’d become friends, but it wasn’t too far off. Before he left for training, they’d gone to lunch a few times, and she genuinely enjoyed his company. He was friendly and funny. Plus, they’d had a great time in New York when they’d gone on their brief sightseeing tour before they returned to Texas. He was smart, though he attempted to pretend otherwise.
Honestly, she hadn’t thought he would come back after he’d gone through the training course. She wasn’t sure why she thought that, but Atticus had given her the impression he had no desire to put down roots anywhere. She didn’t think he would quit Sniper 1 Security, but she had thought he might take a job in Dallas.
But here he was.
Becs was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t hear what Atticus had asked, but based on his expression, he was waiting for her to answer him.
She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. What was that?”
“I asked if you were lookin’ at my butt.”
She giggled, and he flashed a smile.
“I’m teasin’,” he said as he moved closer. “How’s Carly?”
Becs glanced down at the picture of her daughter that she kept on her desk. “She’s good. She’s already startin’ to decorate the house for fall.”
Atticus perched on the corner of her desk. “How exactly does one decorate for fall?”
“You know. Fake leaves in all the brilliant colors. Signs that say,it’s fall, y’all.”
Atticus laughed. “I didn’t realize that was a thing.”
“Oh, it is.” Becs leaned back and looked up at him. “And we go overboard with it. It’s her favorite time of year. Are you glad to be back?”
Atticus’s gaze shifted to the door when it opened, and Slade walked in.
Becs was watching him, so that was the only reason she noticed how his jaw hardened and his eyes heated.
She had thought something might be going on with those two—back before Atticus left—but now she was almost sure of it. To the point, she wondered whether Slade offering Atticus a room was a calculated move.
“Yeah,” Atticus said, his gaze sliding back to her. “It’s damn good to be back.”
“I heard you’re stayin’ with Slade for a while.” Yes, that was her being nosy.
“Rentin’ a room. For now. Hopefully, somethin’ll come up soon, and I can get my own place.”
To her ears, that sounded like something one would say because they thought it was the correct answer.
“Well, I’m really glad you’re back. Maybe we could go to lunch sometime. I’d love to hear how the training went.”
Atticus stood and smiled. “Name the time and place. My treat.”
As he was walking back to his desk, Becs realized what was different about him. He was more confident, that was for sure. But there was something else. A cockiness that hadn’t been there before.
She smiled as she watched him take his seat. Something told her this was going to get interesting.
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