“Your steak okay?”
Her smile was tired. “Yes. Thank you. I guess I’m not that hungry.”
“You have to eat something, because you can only have marshmallows if you eat all your dinner.”
“That rule doesn’t apply to adults, kiddo,” Beckett said.
Ollie frowned dramatically. “I can’t wait to be an adult.”
Presley’s quiet smile widened, but her gaze was sad. “Don’t wish it away, sweetie. It’s not as great as it seems.”
She looked down at her food. Beckett felt a surprising urge to find the guy—because it had to be a guy; or it could be a woman, but definitely a romantic relationship—who’d made her feel this way and have a little chat. Other than his family, he didn’t often feel protective of people. There was something about Presley he worried he wouldn’t forget after her visit.
A knock at the door surprised them all. Jilly entered, poking her head in. “Anyone seen a red-headed brat about this high?” She let her hand hover near her knees.
“Mom,” Ollie said, drawing the word out. “I’m taller than that.”
Jilly came all the way in, carrying a large brown paper bag. “Maybe a little. Did you invite yourself to dinner, Peanut?”
“She helped make it,” Presley said.
“I did, Mom. I’m earning my keep.”
Jilly laughed with the others but also rolled her eyes. “You have got to stop quoting Gramps, honey.”
Gramps wasn’t actually Ollie’s granddad. He was the mayor ofSmile and spent most of his days wandering the town, checking in with store owners and shopkeepers. He was writing a book about the history of Smile and could talk about it for days. Gray and Beckett joked that they should put Gramps and Bernie in a room together and see who ran out of things to say first. He was a good man, helpful and reliable, but the post of mayor had become an almost figurehead position. With residents eager to pull in new and return tourists, there’d been talk of replacing him, but no one had the heart.
She came in further, removed her shoes. “How are you doing, Presley?”
“I’m good, thank you. I feel bad about taking over Beckett’s space.”
Jill waved her free hand dismissively. “He doesn’t need much. Don’t worry about that. I’m just going to make sure you’re all stocked up on toiletries. Beck, you did the bed, right?”
“I did. I don’t think we need anything in there.” Beckett gestured toward the bathroom with a thumb over the shoulder.
He pushed his chair back from the table, scraping it on the hardwood floor. “I can check.”
“Sit. Eat. Entertain. I’ll switch out the pillows. Come help me, Ollie.”
“Yes, Mom.” Ollie followed Jilly.
Presley stabbed her fork into some lettuce but didn’t lift it. He should go check on cabin four, see what needed to be done first. No doubt Bernie and Ollie would offer to help. He had other things to do tonight and he really wanted to get some sleep, but he didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave Presley here, looking sad and seeming lonely.
She stood, surprising him out of his own thoughts. “Thank you for dinner. For sharing your space, your time, and your family with me.”
She picked up her plate and took his, but didn’t move from the table. She stood there, looking at him like she didn’t quite understand.
“You’re welcome. It’s nothing, really.”
Her smile was sad. “Sometimes what people think is nothing can be everything to someone else.”
Those words echoed in his ears.Everything to someone else.If she’dbeen that to anyone, what kind of idiot would let her go? He didn’t even know her and he could tell she was special. Seeing the way she interacted with Ollie and the way she held her head up despite obviously having been knocked down said a lot about her character.
Beckett had more questions than answers. Fortunately, before he could really tangle himself up in this woman’s problems, his niece came bounding out of his bedroom announcing that marshmallows could wait no longer.
Seven
Presley was low-key mortified by her neediness but convinced she did an excellent job hiding this on the outside. She had a practiced smile and manner that came from years of having a job focused on pleasing people and attending to their every whim no matter how many times those whims changed.
