Stargazing (The Walker Family Book 2) (8 page)

“Bachelorette Massacre, remember that movie?”

His sister winced. “Yes. Horrible movie.”

He shrugged. “The redhead who was the last one to die.”

“The one in that horrible yellow dress?”

“Yeah, her. I met her.”

“No way. Is she the one who’s not into you?”

“Yep,” he said picking up the computer and setting it on the desk. He pulled out the chair and sat down. “She works for one of the women I’m going to dinner with tonight, who is engaged to her cousin. And the cousin of the cousin is the one who invited me to dinner.” He let out a groan. “Did any of that make sense?”

“Big family. I’m following.”

“Yeah.” He scratched his head wondering if he actually understood it all. “Anyway, she kinda gave me the cold shoulder. She might be getting married too. I’m not really clear on that. She was at a bridal shop.”

“Maybe it was because of the cousin that’s getting married.”

He let out a breath. “Hadn’t actually considered that.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing she was already messing with your head. Which character is she going to be?” she laughed and then quieted when the baby stirred.

“You’re not so smart you know.”

“Which one?”

He let his shoulders drop. “The princess.”

“I knew it.” She looked at him from the screen. He was very thankful for Skype. “You look good. Maybe you’ll find a place to land one of these days. At least you’re making friends. Mom is worried you’re just sitting in hotel rooms in your boxers.”

He waved that off as if it weren’t what he was actually doing. “I have to go.”

“Okay, call me tomorrow. I want to know how it goes. Is she going to dinner too?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Hmmm, yep, you’re finally fitting in then. Look at you making friends.”

“Goodbye, sis.”

“Goodbye.”

He closed the screen of his computer and smiled. Family was a good thing even when you weren’t right there with them.

Chapter Nine

The restaurant was quaint. Bethany noticed that they did a high tea, which she hadn’t done in years. It was something she and her mother would do for her mother’s birthday. The thought filled her with a moment of sadness, but then she thought of the joy it would bring to start a tradition with her sisters and her new friends.

Lydia was showing Pearl the private room at the back of the restaurant. She sat down with Eric and Susan and ordered a glass of wine.

“I love that they have a lot of vegetarian choices,” Susan said as she scanned the menu.

“I’m eyeballing that enormous steak,” Eric added.

“You would,” Susan said on a sigh as she reached for his hand. “I think your groom’s cake should be a cow.”

“Now that would be awesome,” he said leaning in and kissing her gently.

A man’s hand rested on Bethany’s shoulder and she flinched as she turned to see Lydia’s brother Tyson standing behind her.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He gave her a wink and sat down in the seat next to her. “Where is my sister?”

“Showing Pearl around.”

“My mom seems to have worn off on her. Now she wants to invest in everything.”

“This is lovely,” Susan said. “She has a good eye for properties.”

“It’ll be good for her. She needs to prove to my grandfather that she’s as successful as she is strong willed. He still seems to be a bit of a chauvinist, even though I think she’s already proved that she is a woman that can do anything she wants.”

Pearl and Lydia hurried toward the table.

“This place is wonderful. And did you see that they do a high tea?” Pearl said enthusiastically as she pulled out the chair between Tyson and Susan. “Brides will eat that up for bridal showers.”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” Lydia said taking the chair next to Eric. “In fact, I think we girls should do tea next week. Invite your sister Audrey,” she said directly to Pearl. “And, Susan, you should invite Glenda,” she mentioned Eric’s step-mother.

“She would adore that,” Susan sighed.

Bethany looked around the table and noted the empty chair next to her. “Are you expecting someone else?”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” a voice came from behind her.

She turned to meet the equally as surprised glance of Kent Black looking at her.

“Hi,” he said directly to her.

She wasn’t sure if she’d even replied. It had never crossed her mind that he’d be joining them. And just as quickly, she remembered, that it didn’t matter. He hadn’t been the one to make her uncomfortable that afternoon.

She smiled and he pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

“Kent, I’m so glad you could join us,” Lydia lit up as she spoke. “You know Susan. This is my cousin and her fiancé Eric. My brother Tyson. Bethany’s sister Pearl. And you know Bethany.”

He was looking at her. “I do.” He broke his gaze. “It’s nice to meet you all. Thanks for having me join you for dinner. I’ve eaten everything on the menu at the diner next to my hotel. This will be a treat.”

“How long are you in town?” Susan asked.

“As long as it takes. Or as long as I want. Right now I’m luckily homeless,” he said as he crinkled up his face.

“Luckily?”

“Looking for that right place to call home. A perk of my job, I suppose. I can do it anywhere.”

Pearl picked up the glass of wine in front of her and toasted him. “I like that idea.”

The conversation continued about Kent’s job and him in general. Quickly Bethany found herself easing back in her seat, enjoying family, a meal, and learning about the man to her side.

He was normal.

Kent was eagerly telling Susan about his sister’s children. “Cole is five. He thinks he’s Thor.” That got a chuckle from the beauty next to him, but he didn’t acknowledge her with a glance. He was keeping his cool. “Sara is two and also has an identity crisis. She thinks she’s Elsa.”

“Who is Elsa?” Tyson asked and looked around the table as if he were the only one not knowing. However, Kent thought Eric’s look of confusion equally matched Tyson’s.

“She’s from Frozen.” No recognition. “Disney Princess movie.”

They both gave a nod, obviously accepting the fate that they had no clue or cared about.

“And her youngest is only fourteen months. Alyssa. So far she seems to know just who she is,” he joked and Bethany laughed again.

This time he gave her a glance and a smile, which she returned.

It stopped his heart for a moment. She was exquisite. He couldn’t help himself but want to get to know her better. This was the start to that opportunity. If he didn’t somehow gum it up, that was.

“Do you see them often?” Susan asked.

“Every night.”

“They live here?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Texas. We Skype every day. I read the kids bedtime stories. She helped me pick out my outfit before I left to come here.”

Pearl sighed. “That is a very special relationship. You’re very lucky.”

“Don’t I know it,” he said softly and noticed that Pearl and Bethany exchanged what he’d consider an uneasy look, but the conversation Tyson and Eric started about oil wells quickly diverted any awkwardness.

Bethany had been around her family for nearly three months. She watched them all banter as she sipped her wine. They were easy to love and she had never regretted leaving California and staying in Georgia. Her only regret now was Pearl’s glances toward her as she pushed the food around on her plate.

“Not a fan of green beans?” Kent leaned in close enough she could smell the hint of his cologne. “I’m not a fan of them either.”

She let a chuckle escape. “I’m just a slow eater.”

“My sister is too. Some nights we sat at the kitchen table for nearly two hours. The rule was no one left until everyone was finished.”

“And yet you don’t hate her?”

“Oh, I suppose I did for an hour and half, but otherwise, she’s decent enough.”

The smile that tightened her cheeks was genuine. “I missed that with my family. I’m glad you cherish it.”

He was looking at her now as if there were no one else at the table. She looked at the others. Each of them were engaged in other conversations and she was, she supposed, engaged in one with him.

It wasn’t so bad. If she’d loosen up just a little, perhaps she’d enjoy his company.

Bethany sat back in her chair, picked up her wine, and looked at him. “Who’s older? You or your sister?”

“My sister is by fourteen months.”

She’d lifted her glass to her lips, but lowered it. “That’s not a lot.”

“As kids it was great. She was only a year ahead of me in school. She’s short, so my first growth spurt put me nearly four inches taller than her, which gave me the upper hand—or so I thought.”

“Your mom must have been a saint.”

“Still is. The most amazing woman I’ve ever known.”

Bethany took that sip of wine now to ease herself. She wanted what this man had. All of it. She looked around the table and appreciated what the moment really meant.

She was getting a little bit of that normal that Kent Black knew all his life. It was just coming in pieces. So she wouldn’t have childhood memories, but she’d have the ones from that moment on.

He continued to talk about his family and Bethany was captivated. She sipped her wine and he ordered another beer. When Susan got her attention to say they were leaving she realized that she and Kent had moved in so closely as they talked their foreheads nearly touched.

The expression on Pearl’s face said she had noticed.

Bethany eased back and set her empty wine glass on the table.

They all pushed back from the table. Kent quickly maneuvered from his seat and stood behind hers, pulling it out.

“Thank you,” she said as she brushed by him.

“My pleasure.”

Outside of the restaurant everyone said their goodbyes. Lydia hugged and kissed them all, including Kent. Pearl shook his hand and pulled Bethany in for a hug.

“Are you okay?” she whispered in her ear.

“I’m just fine, thank you for asking.”

“If you need me…”

“I know.”

Tyson gave a wave as he walked to his truck and Kent still stood close by.

Eric held out his hand to shake Kent’s. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Susan moved in and hugged him as if they were old friends. “If you’re in town for a while we should do this again.”

“I’d like that.”

They started toward Susan’s car.

Bethany turned toward Kent to say her goodbye. Why did it seem so awkward as if there needed to be more? She should just shake his hand and walk away, but that didn’t feel right.

“Thanks for joining us.”

“No, thanks for letting me. I had a wonderful night.”

“So did I,” she said realizing it was airy and on a sigh. “I’ll see you.”

She finally turned to walk away, but he reached for her arm. “This might seem silly, but would you be interested in going out for some ice cream? I saw a little place not too far from here. I know we just ate a huge meal. I could drop you home after that. I mean, I know you don’t know me, but…”

Bethany held up her finger. “Hold on, okay?”

His eyes were wide and he nodded. She hurried toward Susan who waited for her.

“I’m going to go with Kent.”

Susan’s mouth turned up into a wide smile. “You said he rambles.”

“Horribly. But he just invited me out for ice cream.”

That warranted a chuckle. “He’s a nice guy.”

“He is.”

Eric walked back to them. “You’re going to go with him?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll come too,” he said tucking the keys in his pocket.

Susan rested a hand on his chest. “No, I don’t think that’s the plan,” she said.

“We don’t know him. I’m not letting anything happen to you.”

“Nothing is going to happen. I’m okay,” Bethany argued. “Ice cream and then he’ll bring me home. I think I’m okay with this one.”

She felt as though she were fifteen years old convincing her parents to let her go on a date. Or at least she assumed this was what that would feel like. There had never been any of those kinds of parameters in her life. At fifteen she’d already seen and done more on the Hollywood streets than most would in their entire life. Ice cream with a stranger actually sounded normal to her.

Eric’s steely eyed glare made her uneasy, but Susan somehow managed to get him turned around and headed back to the car. “Call us if you need us.”

Bethany agreed with a nod and walked back to Kent who waited patiently.

“Everything okay? He’s very protective isn’t he? We don’t have to do this.”

Bethany walked and Kent followed so they were headed in the opposite direction. “He’s fine. He’s worried about me and that’s very nice.”

“I’m not a weirdo or anything.”

Bethany pushed her hair back over her shoulder. “You’re not, but there are some out there. We had some drama a few months ago. He’s just taken it upon himself to be my protector.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“Yes he is,” she said as they turned the corner and she realized she was hoping that Kent Black was a good guy too.

Chapter Ten

Kent kept his hands in his pockets as they walked the six blocks to the ice cream store he’d seen. He was having a bit of a surreal moment. He was walking down the street with Bethany Waterbury—on a date.

That might be a little too optimistic to think it was a date. Yesterday she’d run off on him—on everyone. There was nothing that would hold her back tonight either, he imagined.

When he got nervous he had a tendency to ramble, so he was concentrating very hard to not do just that.

Bethany had clasped her hands behind her back, pushed her shoulders back, and seemed to walk with a childish skip. Perhaps he had freed her a bit by taking her away for the moment. Whatever drama they must have had as a family, which she’d mentioned, kept them all a little on edge. Pearl’s constant glances at Bethany hadn’t gone unnoticed. Neither had Eric’s protective stance.