Her kissing him back was his undoing. He leaned into her lips, shocked by the feelings coursing through him.
She pulled back suddenly, a shy expression across her face.
“Hm. That was nice.” Cal glanced over and saw Camille staring openly at them. “Yep, she saw us.”
“Who… what?” Becky Lee stood in front of him with a flustered expression.
“Camille. She saw us kiss.”
“Oh. Camille. Right.”
~ * ~
Becky Lee couldn’t pull a coherent thought out of her head if her life depended on it. What kind of magic did Cal have that totally rendered her senseless? This was all supposed to be a big game of pretend.
That kiss hadn’t felt like make- believe to her.
She took a step back and almost tripped. Cal reached out to steady her. Just then Steve and Holly walked up.
“Hi. Thought we saw you two over here. Didn’t mean to interrupt…” Steve looked at both of them. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”
Holly laughed. “What he’s saying, in a not-so-subtle way, is he saw you kissing. He didn’t know you two were dating.”
“Yes, um.” She looked at Cal for help.
“We’ve gone out a few times. Becky Lee’s been showing me the town. Scotty seems taken with her, too.” Cal draped an arm around her shoulder.
A momentary twinge flicked through Becky Lee at the ruse they were playing on the people in the town. But it was all for the good of Scotty. That was what was important.
She glanced up at Cal for a moment and wondered when he’d kiss her again.
No, she didn’t.
Yes, she did.
Stop that nonsense.
Great, now she was having whole conversations with herself. She turned her attention to Holly. That would be safe. “So I hear good things about you from everyone who goes to the vet clinic. Do you like practicing here?”
Holly nodded. “I do. I really love it. It’s a smaller practice where I can really get to know the people and their pets. I’m just… really happy here.”
A big grin spread over Steve’s face when Holly said that. Becky Lee hid a smile. It was so obvious the man was head over heels in love with Holly. She wondered if Steve realized it yet. Or Holly. They made a cute couple, and she’d seen how good Holly was with Josh. The boy could use that after his mother left and losing his grandmother.
Steve slipped an arm around Holly’s waist. “We’re pretty happy she’s here, too.”
Holly’s eyes sparkled and she looked up at Steve.
“Well, we better go. I’ll see you Monday morning, Cal.”
“Yes. I’ll see you then.”
Becky Lee watched as Holly and Steve walked away. Steve had his head bent close to Holly’s listening to her as they strolled towards the gazebo.
“Do you think someone should tell him that he’s in love with Holly?” Becky Lee grinned.
Cal looked at the departing couple. “You don’t think he knows?”
“I’m not sure. But if he doesn’t, he’s the last person in Comfort Crossing to figure it out.”
~ * ~
Greta sat on a bench in the shade looking across the park at Becky Lee and some man. She’d seen the man kiss Becky Lee. She was going to have to ask Jenny what was going on there. Jenny hadn’t mentioned that Becky Lee was dating anyone.
The sun lit up Becky Lee’s hair in the same way it used to set her aunt’s hair aglow. Greta remembered being so jealous of Ellie’s golden hair. Thick, beautiful, with a hint of natural curl. Becky Lee looked so much like her aunt. Sometimes it was hard to watch Becky Lee and not remember the bittersweet pain of the friendship she’d had with Ellie.
She missed that friendship. She’d had other friends, of course, but none of them had taken Ellie’s place. But there was no use in wallowing in self-pity. What was done was done.
Greta sighed. You’d think after all these years, it would be easier to remember those long ago days without it hurting. But sometimes, like today, it seemed like it was only yesterday and the pain was fresh again.
She stood up and brushed some wrinkles from her skirt. It was a scorcher today. So many days in a row of endless heat. Just like that summer so long ago.
But, she wasn’t going to think about that anymore. She was going to treat herself to a big cone of chocolate mint ice cream. There wasn’t a lot that chocolate mint ice cream couldn’t make better.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Becky Lee was glad that Cal and Scotty had plans with Steve and Josh the next day because she had plans of her own. Plans that Cal wouldn’t approve of. But no matter what Cal had said, Becky Lee needed to go see Theresa Jean. She needed to talk to her and see if she could get her to wake up. Maybe hearing her voice would bring Theresa Jean around. She had to try.