Trusting His Promise (Love on Sanctuary Shores #5)

Chapter 22

“Do you think we have enough food?” Beckett eyed the kitchen counter, covered with ten pizzas, two plates of chicken wings, a veggie tray, chips, and a big box of cupcakes.

Andre laughed. “That was a joke, right? I know I eat a lot, but are you trying to feed half the town?”

“Not half the town.” Maggie snatched up a carrot stick. “Just two extra mouths.” She smirked, as if she had won some sort of bet.

“Jo and her daughter?” Sadie came into the room, tucking her phone into her pocket.

Beckett shook his head. “How’s your mom?”

“She had a good day. The doctors are pretty confident they caught it early.”

“That’s a relief.”

Sadie nodded. “And it also gives you no excuse to change the subject.”

“What subject?” Beckett grabbed a slice of pizza and shoved practically the whole thing in his mouth at once.

“Jo Fletcher?” Sadie said. “Remember her? The single mom you’ve been nuts for since we got here.”

Beckett’s mouth was too full to protest, and the doorbell rang before he could finish chewing.

“You should get it.” Maggie waved him toward the door. “But you might want to swallow that first.”

Beckett shook his head, chewing as quickly as he could and hurrying toward the front door. His heart absolutely should not be pounding the way it was, and there was certainly no reason for his palms to be so sweaty.

He wiped them on his jeans and swallowed the last chunk of pizza in a much-too-big lump, igniting a coughing fit. He fought to get it under control as he reached for the doorknob, but he was still choking back a cough as he opened the door.

“Hi, Mr. Beckett.” Sam’s wide, toothless grin eased the nerves contracting Beckett’s middle.

“Hi, Miss Sam,” he choked, stepping back to let her in.

“Are you okay?” Sam stepped through the door.

“Sorry. Yeah. Just swallowed my pizza wrong.”

“Pizza?” Sam’s eyes widened as if he’d said the magic words.

“I was hoping you liked pizza.” He finally managed to stop coughing and get his voice back to normal.

He worked up the courage to look at Jo. And then nearly choked again.

She had her hair down, and it flowed over her deep blue sweater in golden waves that reminded him of the way the sun had shone on the water as they’d talked on the pier of Fresh Catch the other day. The breeze blew a strand across her cheek, and Beckett almost reached to smooth it aside as she stepped through the door, but she beat him to it.

“I’m glad you came.”

“Thanks.” She nodded, but her voice was strained, and in the light, he could see that her smile was too.

“Is everything okay? Your dad?”

“He’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

She wouldn’t have made a very convincing actress. But Beckett chose not to tell her that.

“You’re sure?”

“Of course.” Her cheekbones lifted a little, but the smile didn’t come anywhere near reaching her eyes.

“Wow! This place is huge!” Sam exclaimed, spinning in a circle to take in the foyer.

“Sam,” Jo scolded.

“It’s okay.” Beckett laughed. “Come on. Everyone’s in the kitchen. I think it’s too big too, but with twenty people staying here it doesn’t feel quite as big. Especially with the way Andre snores.”

Sam giggled, and Jo cracked a smile that softened her eyes.

“I heard that,” Andre called from the kitchen.

“You were meant to,” Beckett replied as they stepped into the room.

Sam giggled again. “You guys are funny.”

“Don’t encourage them.” Maggie smiled at Sam. “They already think they’re funnier than they are.”

“So does Opa,” Sam said matter-of-factly, and Jo laughed softly.

Beckett was relieved to hear the sound.

“Did you get the video I sent?” Andre asked.

“Yep,” Sam said cheerfully. “I’ve watched it twenty-two times already.”

The whole room burst into laughter, and Sam grinned around at everyone.

Jo smiled too, but Beckett was pretty sure she was trying to remain as invisible as possible.

Sam must get her outgoing spirit from her father—whoever he was.

“Help yourselves.” Beckett gestured to the food, and Sam dove for a plate. Jo held back, but Beckett passed her one too. “We can’t expect Andre to eat all of this food by himself.”

“I could do it.” Andre held up an already heaping plate. “But I don’t want to.”

Jo hesitated, then grabbed a slice of pizza. “Thanks.”

“Take more than that,” Beckett urged. “You at least need a cupcake. Cathy said chocolate raspberry is your favorite?”

“I— They’re good,” Jo said casually, but Beckett saw the way her eyes lit up, and he chuckled.

“You can’t deny it.” He reached for one with a swirl of red streaked through the white frosting and set it on her plate.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Can I have one too?” Sam asked. “I like cotton candy flavor.”

“Good thing we just happen to have one of those right over here.” Beckett grabbed the cupcake with pink frosting.

“Mommy, Mr. Beckett got my favorite kind.” Sam beamed at him as if he were a superhero.

“I heard,” Jo said quietly, but her smile was more than enough reward for Beckett.

“Let’s give thanks,” Maggie called over the chatter. “Beckett, would you like to lead us?”

“Uh. Yeah.” He cleared his throat, all of the words he could possibly pray suddenly taking flight.

The others all closed their eyes and folded their hands, and Jo clasped hers around Sam’s in such a natural and protective way that it made Beckett’s heart ache for something he couldn’t define.

He forced himself to close his eyes and take a breath. “Dear Savior,” he started. “Thank you for bringing us here this evening to enjoy food and fellowship and time in your Word.” The tension in his shoulders loosened with the words. “Please bless our time together and help us to be an encouragement to one another as we walk our lives of faith. Let us be lights of your love to one another and to the world. Bless Sadie’s mom with restored health and Jo’s dad with healing. In your name we pray. Amen.”

He waited a moment to open his eyes, and when he did, the first thing he saw was Sam trying to juggle her plate in one hand while attempting to unwrap her cupcake with the other.

He laughed. “Maybe that would be easier if we sit.” He led her and Jo to the enormous dining room table his Mom had chosen so they could make lots of friends on the island and have them over for dinner. Beckett had sometimes used the table for homework—but he and Dad had never once eaten at it.

Sadie and Stella and Mark and Kinsley joined them at the table, while the others found spots at the breakfast bar or in the great room. Sam chatted amiably with everyone, and Jo answered questions warmly enough whenever anyone spoke to her—but mostly she seemed a million miles away.

When dinner was done, Beckett led Sam and Jo to the theater room in the basement to get Sam set up with a movie.

“Wow!” Sam’s eyes widened as they stepped into the spacious room with a large screen on one wall, a giant sectional facing it. “This is the coolest room ever!”

Even Jo looked slightly impressed, and Beckett suddenly had a flash of what it would be like to curl up on the couch with her to watch a movie. Of course, given that she would likely punch him if he tried to get that close, that probably wasn’t in their future.

He grabbed the remote and turned on the projector, then walked to the computer that controlled everything. “What do you want to watch?”

“ Beauty and the Beast ,” Jo and Sam said in unison.

“It’s the only thing she ever watches.” Jo rolled her eyes. “I believe she is up to eighty-two times.”

“Eighty-three,” Sam corrected. “We watched it at Piper’s the other day.”

Jo snorted, and Beckett chuckled as much at the cute sound as at Sam’s words.

“Maybe I can convince you to watch something else.” Beckett scrolled through the list of movies.

“Nope.” Sam crossed her arms. “It’s Beauty and the Beast or nothing.”

Beckett laughed. “Well, then, Beauty and the Beast it is.” He started the movie. “If you need anything, we’ll be right upstairs.

Sam nodded absently, and Beckett led Jo out the door and down the short hallway. But at the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and turned to her. “Are you sure everything is okay. You seem . . . worried.”

Jo nodded, but her eyes suddenly glimmered with unshed tears. It took every ounce of Beckett’s self-control not to reach for her.

Instead, he pressed a hand to his own chest, which felt like someone had kicked it. “Please. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Jo shook her head. “It’s nothing.” She sniffled. “I just— Sam’s teacher called today.”

“Is it that bully?” Fury flooded Beckett. “Did he do something to her?”

“No. It’s not Henry. I think seeing that she knew a movie star earned her some respect from him. Apparently he gave her a piece of candy the other day.”

Beckett let out a breath. “Glad he caught on quicker than I did.”

Jo’s laugh was shaky. “Miss Patterson said she’s been doing some reading screenings with the kids, and she thinks Sam shows some signs of having dyslexia.”

“Oh.” Beckett’s chest loosened. “That’s not such a big deal.”

“Not such a big deal?” The tears disappeared from Jo’s eyes, replaced by fire. “She’s not your daughter, Beckett. You have no idea what—”

“I do, actually,” Beckett said calmly.

Jo blinked at him. “You do actually what?”

“Have an idea what it’s like.” He leaned against the wall.

Jo shook her head forcefully. “No you don’t.”

“I do. I was diagnosed with dyslexia before I moved to the island. That's how I knew about the Play-Doh and the shaving cream. My mom worked on them with me. She made it fun.” He smiled with the memory. “It made a big difference. You’re fortunate Sam can get help so early.”

Jo frowned. “It would be better if she didn’t have to deal with it at all.”

“Well, sure.” Beckett shrugged. “But we don’t get to choose the challenges we’ll face.”

Something flickered in Jo’s face, and he was sure she was getting ready to mount another argument, but instead she exhaled roughly. “I supposed that’s true.”

“It is.” Beckett pushed off the wall and held out an arm to usher her up the stairs, letting his fingertips graze the small of her back for the tiniest fraction of a moment.

“Besides,” he said, “you can always take heart from the fact that I turned out just fine.”

Jo harumphed, but her eyes sparkled as they landed on him. “Some comfort.”