The Unexpected Wedding(45)

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Becky Lee heard the mower’s engine turn off and glanced up at the clock. Dinner should be ready soon. Just a quick chicken and noodle casserole that she hoped Scotty would like, along with green beans—which she already knew she’d have to coax the boy to eat.

Cal pushed through the door into the kitchen and she looked up at him. Stared at him. He was standing, bare-chested, with his torso looking like it was oiled in sweat. She swallowed and told herself to quit gawking.

“I… um… dinner will be ready soon if you want to grab a quick shower.” She looked away from him and busied herself with putting some rolls on a baking sheet.

She allowed herself another sideways glance his direction. He grabbed his t-shirt and swiped it over his face. He walked over to the kitchen cabinet, grabbed a glass and went to stand by the sink, filling the glass with water. He swallowed it down in a few long gulps.

His tanned back and muscled shoulders gleamed with sweat, too. She quickly looked away as he turned from the sink.

“Yep, I’ll grab a shower. It sure is hot and humid out there tonight. Heard the temperature was climbing again all week.”

“Really?” She’d heard that same forecast, but one-word sentences seemed the safe way to go with this shirtless version of Cal.

“I won’t be long. Sure won’t be using up any of your hot water. Going to take a cold shower.” Cal headed out of the kitchen.

A cold shower. That actually seemed like a good idea about now.





CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE





The court case got moved back two weeks—which made Cal think his father was up to something—but while they waited he, Becky Lee, and Scotty settled into a routine. Scotty seemed happier than he’d been in a long time. He still debated whether Scotty should see TJ again, but hated to upset the boy right now. Becky Lee was fabulous with Scotty and had changed her schedule to mostly work days so they sat down for dinner as a family most nights. The whole family dinner was such a foreign concept to him, but he found he loved the chatter at the dinner table and hearing about each person’s day.

He also enjoyed helping her in the kitchen each evening. She showed him how to spin lettuce and make a salad. She’d teased him about never making a salad in his whole life. They baked cookies with Scotty and took walks after dinner or sat on the porch sipping lemonade or tea. He’d learned to make lemonade from fresh squeezed lemons.

“Can we go for a walk tonight after dinner?” Scotty looked up from his plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Cal was absurdly pleased with himself for mashing the potatoes tonight. Becky Lee’s teaching made cooking seem almost… easy. Not that he did any of the complicated meal prep.

“We can if we get the dishes finished first,” Becky Lee bargained.

And there she was, teaching the boy chores and priorities. For about the hundredth time in a week, relief spread through him at the sharing of the responsibility of raising Scotty.

After the dishes were in the dishwasher and the leftovers put away, the three of them slowly walked along the sidewalks. Well, he and Becky Lee walked slowly. Scotty raced ahead a bit and then raced back over and over, telling them to hurry up.

Becky Lee liked to take him on a different route each time they walked, and this time as they strolled she pointed out The Feed and Seed. A man stood in the doorway and waved to her.

“Hey, Gil.”

“Hi, Becky Lee,” the man called out and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Becky Lee tugged on Cal’s hand. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

He looked down at her hand on his, so warm, so delicate. He let her pull him along to the doorway of the Feed and Seed.

“Gil, this is Cal… my husband.”

That was the first time he’d heard her call him that and his heart pounded in his chest. Her husband. He stood there like a fool until Gil stretched out his hand in greeting. Cal took his hand and shook it. “Good to meet you, Gil.”

“So, Becky Lee, you finally decided to settle down. Bella told me about your wedding last weekend.”

Becky Lee turned to Cal. “Bella is Gil’s sister.”

Cal wondered if he was ever going to get everyone sorted out who he’d met in Comfort Crossing. Who was related to whom. Who dated whom. Who was a good guy, who was a bad guy—though as far as he knew, the only “bad guy” was Camille.

Scotty came racing back. “Are we going to the park, or not?”

“And this is Scotty.” Cal caught himself before he said Becky Lee’s nephew. They were going to tell Scotty soon, but he’d had so many changes in the last month and they hadn’t found the right time.