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THE WHEEL HOUSE LOOKED really nice on Saturday. Hailey kept the place open to the public who might show up not for the party. But just to be clear, there was a huge homemade banner hung over the stage, proclaiming, “WELCOME HOME, DR. DRISCOLL.”
As expected, no one from town wanted to pitch in for a gift, but the seven of them had pitched in to buy him a defibrillator for his office. Beck had winced at the price, but not for himself. He was more worried about how the others could afford it.
Beck hadn’t seen Austin since he’d gotten back in town. He’d heard Poppy and Sofia had been on hand to greet him, along with Lacey’s dad and the other members of the town council who wanted to give him a tour of his new place. They’d furnished both the office and the apartment with the barest basics, from what Beck had heard. Maybe they shouldn’t have pooled their money, and just given him things he needed for his office and his apartment.
Beck almost didn't recognize the man who walked through the gate into the party. Austin had been a scrawny kid, wore glasses, pale, played in the marching band, the stereotypical nerd. Smarter than all of them put together, pushed by his mother to make the best use of his mind, to make something of himself.
The man who walked through the gate wearing Baylor colors was tall, fit and as tanned as if he’d been on the water with them last week. No more glasses—contacts, probably. But the smile was the same, tight, anticipating the worst.
Beck strode toward him, grinning, hand extended. “Austin, man, is it good to see you.”
Something in Austin’s eyes brightened as he looked up at Beck. “Hey, I didn't know you were in town. I thought you’d joined the military?”
“Did, went to college, worked for a bit on the race car circuit, came home to check on Mom and I’m staying a bit.” Involuntarily, his gaze drifted, looking for Lacey, who he’d seen around but couldn't find now. “Had to be on hand to welcome you back. How’s it looking over there?”
“Man, this place is worse than I expected,” Austin said.
“This place?” Hailey asked as she passed by, pointing to the ground, eyebrows disappearing in her hairline.
“The town,” Austin said. “So much has deteriorated since I left.”
“Lots of people moved north to work in the oil fields,” Beck said. “I’m working up there myself. But the town is, it’s good. It’s good to be back here, after going so far, so fast.” He wasn't just saying that to make Austin feel better, either. He liked it here. Not just Lacey, but he liked the pace, the rhythm that Broken Wheel kept, that they resisted breaking out of. “It’s comfortable.”
“For you, maybe.”
“We’ll get you transitioned back in.” Beck guided Austin to the table they’d set up with a tablecloth and paper plates, decorated with flowers from Poppy’s garden, the gift bag, and the cake that Marianne Skyler had made.
“Sounds like a cult,” Austin muttered as Poppy hugged him enthusiastically.
Con stepped forward, a little hesitantly. Con as a rule wasn't hesitant about anything, but the two hadn’t seen each other in over a decade, and the last time they had, well, Con’s dad was holding Austin’s mom accountable for his daughter’s death. Austin paused a moment, then offered his hand. Con smiled and took it as Javi and Ginny stepped forward to welcome him.
Beck turned to see Lacey carrying a foil pan, beside her dad who was carrying a grocery bag and trying to take the pan from Lacey, who of course wouldn't allow it. She wasn't going to admit she needed help even from her dad. Why did Beck think she’d take it from him?
He really liked how she dressed to accommodate her belly and the heat, cute little flowing halter tops that left her arms and shoulders bare and floated over her belly. She’d pinned her hair at the back of her neck, and damn, she just looked good.
And was here with her father, so he needed to dial back his reaction.
Her face brightened and she ran forward to throw her arms around Austin. Now her, Austin wrapped his arms around, dipped his head to her shoulder, held onto her long enough that Beck wanted to step in.
Then Austin stepped back and dropped his hand to Lacey’s belly. “When did this happen?” He looked past her, met Beck’s gaze. “Is this yours?”
“No, ah. No.” Lacey disentangled herself from him. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Am I going to be delivering it?”
“Not if I can help it,” she laughed. “We’ll talk later.”
He touched her face. “You look amazing, Lace.”
“You look pretty great yourself. Not the same at all.”
“Yeah, well. I could hardly get worse.”
She hugged him again. “I’ve missed you.”
“Yeah, Lace, I’ve missed you, too.”
Beck’s heart turned over in his chest. The intimacy between them was nearly as painful as if he’d seen her with Jesse.
He wanted to talk to Lacey, but she stuck by Austin’s side, like his security blanket. Beck didn't remember them being all that close in school. Beck was glad the party had a good turnout, though. A lot of people came to welcome the new doctor to town, town council people, business people.
But damn, did Austin have to hog all of Lacey’s time? And he kept touching her tummy, real casually, like he had a right to do it. Beck had been the one to take her to her first appointment, had been beside her when Jesse turned her away. Why did Austin get to touch her when Beck only did so with her permission?
He recognized the jealousy that he never recalled experiencing before.
Finally Lacey pulled away to cut the cake, and Beck stepped up beside her to help her serve. She cast him a grateful sideways smile as she sliced the cake and slid it onto the paper plates he handed her, then he added a fork to set it on the table for people to grab.
“Thanks for doing this, Lacey,” Austin said, coming up behind her and putting his hand on her waist. “I can’t believe you went to the trouble.”
“You deserved a great party,” she said. “But Poppy, Sofia and Hailey did most of the planning.”
“It’s all great. Thank you.” He cast a grin at Beck. “Did you get a welcome back party when you came home?”
“Beck’s not staying much longer,” Lacey answered for him. “I’m sure he’ll be back on the road by the time you see your first patient.”
“Well, my first patient is next week, so...”
“About that,” Beck interrupted. “I wanted to talk to you, Lace, when you get a chance.”
She cast a glance up at him, brow furrowed, before she turned back and smiled at Mrs. Conover who took the paper plate from her hand.
When the cake was served, Beck made sure he pulled Lacey aside before Austin or Poppy or anyone else could.
“Let’s go get something to drink,” he said.
“I’ve got a water bottle around here somewhere.” She cast a glance about, but a number of plastic water bottles filled the tables, none easily identifiable as hers.
“I’ll get you another one. Come on.” He touched her elbow to indicate he wanted her to follow him.
And she could cool off in the questionable air conditioning of the bar.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked as they stepped inside, and she turned her face to the oscillating fan hanging in the corner of the ceiling.
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about the fact that I’m working in the basin, so I’m going to be doing that for a while, and I kind of decided I’m tired of going out on the road, so I’m going to, ah. I’m going to build myself a house.”
She twisted her head to look at him, eyes wide. “You are? Where?”
“I’m going to build on Mom’s land. Look, I know it’s far away from everything, and I thought about, you know, buying land closer to Midland, closer to the basin to cut my commute, but I priced it, and really, the best bang for my buck would be building on Mom’s land. I talked to my siblings, they’re okay with it. But this way I wouldn't have to worry about roads and power and water, you know? I could just build.”
She was still staring at him. “I had no idea you wanted to stay here.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t, either, when I turned off the highway to come see how Mom was doing. I didn't have any idea I wanted to stay when I met you, when we started hanging out here on Sundays, when I reconnected with everyone. But yeah, man, now I do. I like spending time with my friends. I like spending time with my mom, I like spending time here. I like the lack of urgency, I like the simplicity of it all.” Another couple walked in behind them and he couldn't elaborate, couldn't tell her he was staying because of her, because of her babies. He couldn't tell her he wanted her input on his house because he wanted her to live there too.
They reached the counter, he ordered a soda and a bottle of water, which earned an arched eyebrow from the bartender. Beck paid, handed the bottle of water to Lacey and said, “Can we get out of here for a little while?”
“The party—”
“Not long. Just...a little while.”
“Your mom?”
“Will be fine. Please, Lacey.”
Something in his tone must have convinced her, because the look in her eyes changed, and the crease between her brows disappeared. “Okay. Sure.”
They walked through the gates and down the road a bit to his truck. He held the door for her and she lifted herself in, looking so right in his truck.
“If you hadn’t just told me you were staying, I would have thought you were bringing me out here to tell me goodbye,” she said as he hopped into the driver seat and turned the ignition.
“I’m bringing you out here because every time I try to talk to you lately, we get interrupted, and I need you to hear me out.” He drove past the elementary school and turned onto the highway leading to San Angelo. He didn't have a destination in mind, just wanted to talk to her. “You doing okay? I mean, with everything that’s going on?”
“I guess. I’m not as overwhelmed as I was. Dad told me I should just take it one day at a time, plan for what I can, take the rest in stride. Easier said than done,” she added with a short laugh.
“Look, Lacey, we’ve known each other a long time, though we didn't really know each other that well until lately.”
“Okay.” She dragged the word out.
“I have been thinking a lot about this since the Fourth of July, so I want you to know I’m not being rash or anything.” He turned the signal on his truck to a dirt road, pulled onto it, parked and set his flashers. “Being near my mom isn’t the only reason I want to stay in Broken Wheel. You’re part of it, too. A big part.” Damn, he’d had weeks to figure this out and he was stumbling over the words, because he wanted to get it out before they were interrupted again.
Even though they were the only people for miles.
“I think you’re pretty incredible, strong and beautiful and determined. I want to be a part of your life, and the babies’. I thought, you know, you could use the support, and I would love them just like my own.”
“What are you saying?” Her eyes were enormous in the dashboard lights, her voice shaky.
He reached across the console for her hand. “I’m saying I want to marry you.”
She didn't snatch her hand away, but he could feel the tension in her that made her think she wanted to.
“You want to what?” The last word was a screech.
God, he really hadn’t laid that out very well, had he? “I want to marry you, make sure you have everything you need. You and the babies.”
“Beck, you barely know me. We’ve never even kissed. You don't love me.”
“I think I might.”
She went completely still before she pushed the passenger door open and hopped out onto the dirt road.
He scrambled out and stood in front of her by the time she got the door closed.
The wind wiped her hair into her face and she slapped it away as she glared up at him. “I don't need to be rescued, Beck Conover. I don't need your pity. We don't need your pity. I can do just fine on my own.I have my dad as backup, but I got myself into this, and I’m taking the responsibility for it.” She clapped both hands to her head to hold her hair back as she scowled up at him. “This is what you came up with when you thought I was going to give them up for adoption, isn’t it?”
He shouldn’t have told her he had worried about that. And she hadn’t heard him say he might love her? He wished he was sure, but he wasn't going to start their marriage off by lying to her.
“I think we’d be good together. We get along really well, we have a lot in common. I’m ready to settle down.”
She was shaking her head. “This is just your nature. You rescued me before and now you’re wanting to rescue me again.”
“It is not the same thing at all. Yes, I want to take care of you and make your life easier, but it’s not a rescue. Do you think I think I won’t get anything out of it?”
Now she looked mad enough to spit. “Jesus, Beck.”
“Not sex. I mean, yes, I hope someday we will get to that point, to make love, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I mean, you know how many girlfriends I’ve had? Two. Two girlfriends. In all the other girls I’ve met, I’ve never found anyone who I had so much in common with as you.”
“How can you say that? I’ve never gone anywhere—going to San Antonio was an adventure for me. I’m not as smart as you. What do we possibly have in common?”
“Okay, maybe having something in common isn’t the right thing. Maybe having rapport is more what I mean. You’re so easy to talk to, and I love to hear you laugh, and Jesus, Lace, when we go anywhere, I look for you first because you’re the one I want to spend time with. You’re the reason I come into town on Sundays, that I have been taking my time rebuilding Mom’s house. Just so I can see you, so I can hear your voice, hear your laugh. One of the best days of my life was when we went to Fort Clark, just because I loved watching you having fun.” Christ, was he in love with her? Because that description sure sounded like it.
And she was staring at him, shaking her head. “I’m really glad we started talking about this before you started building your house, because if you’re building it for me, you just....shouldn’t.”
His chest was starting to ache. What had he expected her reaction to be, really? He had kind of screwed up this whole proposal. He wished he could turn back time and start over again.
Maybe he could.
“Lace, can you do me a favor?”
“What?” Her expression was wary.
“Could you forget everything that happened since we got into the truck?”
Her shoulders sagged. “I think that’s the best suggestion you’ve had all day.” She turned and started to get back in the truck.
“Lacey Davila.”
She turned back, and he went down on one knee. He didn't have a ring, damn it, but he had thought she was too practical for that. They could get one later.
“Lacey, I want to love you, love your babies. I want to take care of you, build a house for you. I want to live there with you because you make me happy. Just seeing you makes me happy. Hearing you laugh. Hearing you talk. I want to be the one you turn to when things get rough. I want to be there for you, and your babies. Will you marry me?”
Tears streamed down her face as she looked down at him, her face illuminated by the running lights of his truck. She pulled her hand free from his and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Beck. I can’t.”